Healing From Unresolved Trauma
video series

Exploring the Possibility of Past Trauma’s Effect Today

In previous years, people have assumed that trauma manifests itself as flashbacks. However, current trauma research shows that many mental and emotional health symptoms have their roots in unresolved trauma, and many people who are triggered experience the emotion of the traumatic incident as if it were happening in real-time, even years or decades later. In this video, registered psychotherapist Tara Lalonde offers practical ways to explore if unresolved trauma is part of your story.

Get more out of this series!

After watching video 3, follow these steps to get the most out of this part of the series:

// Step 1

Read and meditate on this verse: “The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them.” (Psalm 145:18-19)

// Step 2

Download and work through the PDF “Is Unresolved Trauma Part of My Story?” to go through the same steps Tara outlines in the video above.

// Step 3

Ask yourself the following questions:

1. 1. “A vast number of mental and emotional health symptoms often have their roots in unresolved trauma.” What do you think of this statement?
   2. If something like depression or anxiety is directly connected to unresolved trauma, why is it important to ensure treatments are trauma-informed?
   3. Procedural maps and mistaken beliefs can be difficult to identify in our own lives. How can slowing down and inviting God into the process be beneficial as you seek to explore where they came from?

// Step 4

Read the article “Bursting negative thought bubbles” for a list of cognitive distortions, or negative procedural maps. While these are often talked about in the context of anxiety, they may also be the result of unresolved trauma.

// Step 5

Listen to the Focus on the Family Broadcast “Finding Hope Again” with Kay Warren as she explains how childhood trauma and/or mental illness can make people susceptible to depression and even suicidal thoughts, and encourages us to focus on what Jesus accomplished on the cross.