You are not your trauma
At some point we all go through trauma. However our trauma doesn’t have to define us. Life can be more than just resilience and survival, labels and pills. With the right tools and connection with others we can heal ourselves. We want to create a trauma-informed society, where trauma is understood, tools and support are accessible, and people are empowered to self heal.
Conventional trauma treatment is frankly depressing
Talking about trauma doesn’t always help. The cognitive approach has failed far too many of us. It’s not about labels, and it doesn’t have to be about taking medication indefinitely. When we understand how trauma works, and the role that our body and nervous system plays within our mental health, we can learn the tools we need to heal. Moreover, when we know how to manage our own nervous system we can also be there for others.
We are all touched by trauma
People who may benefit from the Trauma Healing Summit include:
Professionals who wish to further understand trauma, grow their expertise and to help others heal.
Anyone who is dealing with or has struggled with trauma and wishes to improve their physical and mental wellbeing.
Those in the people business who could benefit from understanding both trauma and its signs - such as teachers, care workers, parents.
Anyone who wishes to help someone struggling with trauma.
A breath of fresh air for trauma
An inspiring day to dive deep into understanding and healing trauma.
Learn from a variety of experts.
A safe and inspiring place to heal
De Duif. Both a church and a beautiful space to learn, connect and share togetherness. A safe place of reflection in the heart of the city.
Location
An invitation to all mental health professionals to see things from a different perspective, so we can move on from shame and guilt, and give people the tools they need to heal.
De Duif
Prinsengracht 756
1017 LH Amsterdam
Chairperson of the Trauma Healing Summit 2023
Hanna Verboom
Filmmaker and founder of Cinetree and the Get it done foundation, Hanna Verboom, combines social entrepreneurship with storytelling. She feels strongly that there is a profound importance in sharing personal stories. In 2021 she shared her own story of battling mental illness and stigma. From her teenage years Hanna struggled with depression and was diagnosed as bipolar. Being advised to keep this a secret, she subsequently battled her depressions all alone for two decades.
In her documentary ‘Uit de schaduw’ (2021) Hanna shared her story and cast a different perspective on mental health: or ‘mental variations’ as she prefers to call it. “We are not telling the entire story. When we talk about mental health issues; we simply reduce them to an illness. Ignoring all the beauty, creativity and strength that resides in people with this sensitivity”.
Hanna is an ambassador of celebrating ones differences and sharing experiences in order to grow and heal. We are therefore very happy that she will be chairperson of this first Summit.
Once we understand trauma and begin to see it as a wound, then the real work of healing can actually begin
We can Heal
Triggers are always there. The better you know your needs, the more you learn how to respond to them. When people start to feel that there’s something they can do themselves, they feel empowered to make choices. This facilitates healing. We want to make people aware of the subtle changes in their body, that they don’t have to be stuck forever, to give them hope and kick start wellbeing.
