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Through stories, insights, and reflections, this series will explore topics from our 6-session trauma-intensive course, Enhancing Trauma Awareness.
Enhancing Trauma Awareness is part 1 of a 3-part series that explores trauma’s impact, how to prevent trauma, and ways to address trauma-related needs.
If you are currently enrolled in our training, have taken one in the past, or are interested in getting a glimpse into what we offer, this podcast is for you.
It is our hope that, after spending a few minutes with us, you feel nurtured and inspired to continue your personal journey toward becoming trauma-aware.
Connect with us:
Website: https://lakesidetraining.org/global-institute/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lakesideglobalinstitute/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lakesideglobal
0:02
Hello and welcome to our 6th and final episode of the Enhancing Trauma Awareness podcast.
0:10
I can't believe we've gotten this far.
0:12
We've done a been on quite a journey and so I'm grateful for y'all with us and to be in this together.
0:19
And so today we look forward to talking about creating communities of care.
0:27
What a good way to in this series of podcasts.
0:33
Yeah, I think it's so interesting to think about as as self-care is is such the buzzword right now.
0:41
And this feels like an evolution of that, but also in conjunction with and so looking forward to kind of unpacking that for for in this space.
0:50
What that what that looks like.
0:52
It's, you know, people are talking about self-care all over the place.
0:56
I think it's become just super mainstream.
0:58
And then this community care is feels very new and maybe even clunky at this point.
1:04
But yeah, it's so true.
1:08
I think self-care became the buzzword so much and we needed it, especially with the pandemic and what that look like.
1:18
But it has become a buzzword and so you know, people saying, oh, it's not selfish, let's do self-care, but almost to the point I'm feeling that people are I've got to do me almost changing around and we're not looking at what that means for community care.
1:34
So I think for all of us, even when we put this into the curriculum saying, oh, we need this included, that we also had to look at it differently in terms of, well, what does healing right with an ING mean in terms of community care?
1:55
So not taking away self-care, but in addition to what does community care look like?
2:03
Think of like the the paradigm shift of kind of the pendulum swing maybe is a better way to say it of, you know, focusing on others, focus on others, do unto others to this like self-care.
2:13
It's just us, just us.
2:15
Like do focus on yourself.
2:16
And then we're kind of I feel like community care as we bring that into the fold.
2:20
It's like, how do we level this out and bring it into this middle space that is thinking about ourselves in community and community in in our self-care and how do we connect those pieces again, on that continuum, right.
2:32
Looking at looking at all of it, I like the quote in the curriculum that says that community care is the foundation of togetherness.
2:46
By cultivating it, we are better able to support our well-being and that of our loved ones.
2:56
Yeah, yeah, that says a lot in just in just that quote.
3:03
I look at the fact that looking at community care has me put on different lenses in terms of ways I can support or even ways I've been supporting because we have been doing community care.
3:20
Maybe not labeling that, but what does that mean when you're in terms of community or what it looks like?
3:26
I mean, I know when I was younger, the neighborhood took care of me.
3:30
You know, I remember we had row homes and porches.
3:36
They were separate, but I used to extend my hand over and my neighbor would always bake cookies.
3:43
Her name was Miss Janet.
3:44
She was like my second mom and she would bring the cookies over and she would say, I'm making spaghetti tonight, do you want some?
3:51
And my mom would always have me say no thank you.
3:54
And she look at me with a little wink.
3:56
And then later on she'd give me the plate of spaghetti and I was so happy, right.
4:01
So I think about that community care happening and what it means now if we're intentionally thinking about doing that, because I, I think times are a little bit different and what can we intentionally do or what have we been doing, but we're not calling it community care.
4:17
So that has made me think about like what I can intentionally do and what that looks like when we look at the word community care.
4:28
As Sarah, Liz, as you were talking and Michelle as you were talking, for me, it's a new term to be honest, you know, And so pause and say, OK, what is community care?
4:40
And as Michelle said, we've been doing community care all along, but never use that language.
4:47
And as I was sharing with you before, I'm really looking forward actually this weekend we're having an event.
4:56
My church is located in inner city in North Philadelphia, and we're having what's called the Allegheny Arts Festival, where they block off the street and we have music, we have dancing, free food, giveaway solos, we have rapping and other kinds of things that are going on.
5:31
And so it's just a time of rejoicing and having fun at the same time supporting one another.
5:39
So I look forward to that.
5:42
And it sounds like fun.
5:43
Can I go?
5:47
Well, yeah.
5:47
Because listen, we have we have tents because, you know, I don't do the sun.
5:53
So we have the tents and the chairs and free food.
5:57
And I think that's what we we need when we look at community of care.
6:01
It's also supporting one of the music schools there.
6:08
So they'll be showcasing students again from the inner city.
6:12
And what I want to say about that, you'll see in the curriculum where it talks about through self and community care, marginalized individuals in particular can cultivate their well-being, it says, as well as remind each other of their worth by challenging the dominant narrative.
6:35
And there's such negative talking stereotypes about inner city, about people the of color and, or the majority.
6:51
And so there's such negative stereotypes, you know, but what I see other people don't see.
6:59
And so it's not what other people think.
7:03
What we really know is that there is community support in inner cities.
7:09
So I want to say that as well because listen, when we look at the list investing in relationships, building relationships and another piece when we go to when we consider community care, you know, there are times when we have back to school where again, you know, the community comes together and we donate book bags and school supplies etcetera, etcetera.
7:39
Again, a lot of people you know, who are not familiar with the inner city might not understand that those are so many projects that are going on there.
7:51
So and Kathy, I really appreciate that example because it makes me think of, you know, talking about that pendulum swing in the in if we were talking about like do unto others, it always felt like maybe this sacrifice or this like, but I'm hearing joy, I'm hearing like this is fun and exciting and energizing for all.
8:10
And that is more of that combination, right?
8:13
We're giving to others and it's giving back to us.
8:14
And that's what community care and self-care have that relationship of interconnectedness.
8:19
It's like 1 feeding and fueling the other.
8:22
And those activities seem to really highlight that.
8:25
But there's and there's there's just joy and celebration in in these things a lot of times that we can enjoy.
8:31
And I'm going to say that an interwoven in this fear that we're having our grief counselors, pastoral care, some educational pieces, some political folks in regards to advocacy.
8:50
So it is fun, but there also is some pieces there, some educational pieces, some needed support pieces that are there as well.
9:04
I think that's where we see the healing, right?
9:07
The needed supports and what that looks like.
9:09
And that happens in community care.
9:12
You don't often know that, but that's intentional, right?
9:15
People are doing things they're intentional about.
9:17
OK, we're going to do the book bags and all that, but we're also going to have the people to support and also have the resources.
9:23
I think about we always go back to like ways in, in which we can do our part, right?
9:28
And so even for me, I think about, although I may not be experiencing it, what can I do?
9:36
And that comes to mind with me when I think about support, you know, the L GB, L GB TQIA community plus, right?
9:44
So I think about how I can, I can use my pronouns, you know, all even though I am a cisgender female, I'm married with children, I use my pronouns.
10:00
And if that is going to help for all of us, then I'm going to do that for support.
10:06
Everyone can think about what they can do.
10:08
I learn more because I'm like, that helps someone else feel connected, accepted, validated, valued.
10:20
And so that's how I'm going to do my part.
10:22
So sometimes people are like, why are you going all into this and saying, Oh, you know, what identity are you what?
10:29
And I'm like, no, it, it's for all of us.
10:33
And if I can help in any way, and also I want to learn and I think it's important for all of us when we're thinking about coming together, belonging, that we are all unique and that's an important part of us, but we can also learn and listen.
10:51
So for me, healing and community care also means that and being open and learning.
11:00
Yeah, I think of that your example, Michelle resonates with me as well in terms of I'm, I'm a non-native Spanish speaker.
11:07
I just, I fell in love with the language early and learned everything that I could.
11:11
And then for a period of time I've been really shying away from speaking Spanish in the sense of not wanting to be that white girl speaking Spanish and doing that thing.
11:22
And very recently, it's through conversation and connection with other folks that I've been able to reframe that and be like in, in today's society and how folks who speak primarily Spanish are treated.
11:35
I want to wear that like a banner, like I want to scream at the top of my, I want everyone to know that I speak Spanish, that this is a place we do that, right?
11:42
Like we come together and it energizes me and it builds connection again, like a building community and wait, different ways of connecting with folks that I wouldn't otherwise.
11:51
And, and just wanting to do that so differently than I have in the past.
11:55
I think that speaks to the fact that I remember I don't speak Spanish that well, right?
12:00
My husband is Portuguese.
12:02
I can understand it.
12:03
And I was with someone and they speak Spanish.
12:05
And I was like, Sarah, Liz speaks Spanish.
12:08
And the wonderful thing, like how they lit up, like, oh, great, you know, I can now speak Spanish.
12:14
And that when I think about just in that community, that felt really good.
12:19
And then I know how you lit up.
12:21
She lit up.
12:22
And I just was like, oh, yeah, this is what it's about.
12:24
And so how many languages are there that people are speaking and what that means?
12:29
So I think it, it does help a lot.
12:32
And, and just knowing even in my family, when my husband finds someone else that speaks Portuguese, there goes that healing and community.
12:41
I get to speak my native language with someone else and it feels really good and gives joy to their system, right.
12:47
And to their ancestors and all of the things.
12:50
Yeah, it's really powerful just thinking of how language connects folks, right?
12:55
And, and, and even, I mean, it's in our, it's in LGI rightly.
12:58
We talk about a shared language and, and way we talk about things that's it's such a connector and a way to build community when we're speaking the same language, whether it be about parenting, about trauma, about in Spanish, in like in a different language.
13:13
It's just, it's a, it's a big piece of, of caring for each other is being able to connect in through language.
13:20
I'm going to breathe into, Yeah, feels like a good space maybe to transition into our, our final check out, our final kind of culminating moment of activity.
13:34
And so often times we do what's called a π's check in, right?
13:38
We think about how we are and where we are in time and space physically, intellectually, emotionally and spiritually or socially.
13:46
And I, I wanted to bring that into the checkout space.
13:49
And so as you just kind of think back on this course on what we have talked about here in this podcast, on the topics that maybe have touched your heart, that have challenged you to grow a little bit or think differently, Just notice where you might be at physically, sensations in your body, any areas of tightness, openness.
14:17
Notice intellectually where your mind is going, where the thought patterns are taking you and emotionally kind of feelings might be arising with closure of this this course with within your life.
14:38
And then I want us to take that S and think socially.
14:41
Let's think about community care.
14:43
What does that look like in our lives right now?
14:47
In what ways are you already doing your part to build community care as part of self-care?
14:54
That is also community care, right?
14:57
Just take a moment and think about that for yourself.
15:01
Maybe there's another thing that you want to add to that or maybe that's just enough and that's great.
15:09
So just noticing where you are as we as we check out from this podcast.
15:20
Thank you, Sarah.
15:21
Liz So in our usual fashion, we are going to do our call to action and I'm going to invite and encourage people to take a look at their self-care and want to continuum to think about involving that into community care.
15:46
To think about connection and belonging and how we can break free from isolation, how we can have a shared understanding and heal and community.
16:04
I'm also going to invite us to think about how you can share your struggles and how you can possibly invite a sacred space for others to share and discuss without having any judgement or shame.
16:30
That may be a lot to think about, but just being open to what that looks like.
16:42
So on that note, I want to thank everyone for spending time with us.
16:50
We hope everyone has enjoyed themselves, that they were enlightened and they felt a part of this podcast that they are able to just think about maybe one thing they might have thought about differently and bring that to call to action.
17:14
So I want to thank you, Sarah, Liz and Kathleen.
17:18
This was a wonderful form of connection and belonging for me.
17:23
And I want to also thank our listeners.