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Trauma recovery is a deeply personal and complex journey, one that often requires a delicate balance between acknowledging the past and moving towards the future. Recently, during a conversation about supporting survivors of sexual assault (SA), a fellow therapist and I delved into the transformative power of agency and choice in the face of trauma. I’d like to share with you some insights from our discussion, as well as a valuable resource that can illuminate the path to healing.
In our discussion, we recognized that trauma survivors often grapple with feelings of powerlessness and a loss of control. These emotions can be paralyzing and may hinder the recovery process. However, one concept that emerged was the idea that “doing nothing” is, in fact, “doing something.” This notion comes to life in the form of a Narrative Therapy map, brilliantly detailed in the article “Agency and Choice in the Face of Trauma: A Narrative Therapy Map”
The article, unfortunately, resides behind a subscription firewall, but its insights are worth exploring if you have access. (Email me if you would like access!)
The approach detailed in the article offers a profound perspective on how survivors of trauma can regain a sense of agency and choice in their lives. The authors of the article delve into a narrative reframe, a therapeutic tool that can help survivors reshape their stories and reclaim their power.
One of the Narrative tools used to help explore reshaping the story of trauma is with “subordinate story creation,” or how “doing nothing” allowed them to survive. A great example of this has been our cultural shift in the language we use to describe those who have experienced SA. We have gone from describing them as “survivors” versus “victims.” By using the word survivor we are creating a “alternative” or “subordinate story” of the events. Describing ones sense as a survivor is one way to regain some agency and choice. This shift in Narrative can be a pivotal step in their journey towards healing and recovery.
The language we use to describe our experiences is deeply personal, so I also want to acknowledge that there are some who experience SA who choose to use the word victim as well. This is another example of a story of agency. Clients experience empowerment when they choose the language to describe their experiences, this is truly agency and choice.
In Part 2 I am going to offer a book review that explores this further!