My introduction to trauma, holistic health and wellness
We love to travel and during our travels when people ask me what do I do for a living. My reply is in most cases confusing. Most people are familiar with the words life coach or psychologist. But when they hear traumatologist they think of Grey’s Anatomy! It is not a trauma surgeon but someone who works with and specialises in trauma. It is unfortunately a fact that trauma can devastate a person, not only emotionally, but physically, spiritually and socially. Not to mention the profound effect on relationships, nutrition and sexuality.
The Greek word is “trávma” an injury (as a wound or injury) to living tissue caused by an extrinsic agent:
- a disordered psychic or behavioural state resulting from severe mental or emotional stress or physical injury :
- an emotional upset with the possibility of long term emotional implications
This concept of traumatologist is often more disorientating when we add the terminology “utilising alternative health protocols”. It may sound like a mouth full but really it isn’t, it is about the “wellness” of a person. We are a complex network of systems all linked to one another. You cannot disconnect one part of a person and look at it in isolation.
No one would be brave enough to suggest that emotions cannot affect the physiology of the body. I am sure you would agree that a poor mind set (attitude) does not affect the emotions, or social behaviour, only mentioning these two areas of your life.
Dr Freston, (2008:53), in her book Quantum Wellness, makes the following statement
The body, mind, and spirit are always engaged in a dance. There is no separation between them.
I concur with the concept that facilitates the definition that wellness is not merely a term used to describe the absence of illness or disease but an approach that enables the individual to improve the balance of one’s entire being, in a holistic context, namely the body, mind, and spirit. This is not including the other areas of one’s wellness.
According to Freston, wellness is not so much a goal as a process, a journey, a way of orientating yourself towards life. This implies that we as human beings can bring about change, even if it is small baby steps. Freston further suggests that the individual can take a small step here, and another there, and before the individual knows it, he or she is made new (Freston, 2008:4).
I am convinced that the wellness of a person is greatly enhanced when we consider the “bigger” picture.
