Smith College School for Social Work

Brave and Courageous Healers: Holding and healing your own stories of trauma so that your clients and communities can hold and heal theirs.

What does it take to hold space for your own healing and the healing of others? How do you understand trauma, repeated trauma and what it takes to heal? What does it mean to use your own life experience in the work you do as a clinician and still create an environment that is about your client and your client’s work, and not about your history? How can we lean into our shared humanity and compassion to create environments that are safer and more conducive to growth and healing for everyone--clients and therapists alike? 

Gretchen Schmelzer, PhD, author of Journey Through Trauma (Avery, 2018) will bring her experience as a trauma survivor, therapist and international consultant to talk about the ways that our stories can serve and interfere with healing individuals and communities. And the complexity of understanding context, the healing process and the culture and levels of system that are engaged. For more information: http://gretchenschmelzer.com/about-gretchen-schmelzer-1/


Hosted By: *Students Impacted by Ableism* offers support for students with a wide range of abilities and intersectional identities. We unite to challnege ableism at all levels at Smith School for Social Work and beyond. We meet weekly to build community and develop programming to raise awareness about how ableism intersects with other forms of oppression.

More Information and RSVP HERE