A Trauma Therapist’s Response to the Uvalde Shooting
Khesed’s Texas State Manager and Licensed Therapist Danae Crume breaks down her response to the Uvalde shooting and provides some tools for coping with traumatic events.
Shock. Despair. Heartbreak. An avalanche of feelings when the news broke of the Uvalde school shooting. After a short moment, I noticed urges to shove aside these big emotions with thoughts like, These are not my kids,” or, “That is so far away,” or, “I just need to be grateful for what I have.” And yet, I was deeply impacted as most of the children who died were the same age as mine. I found myself glued to the screen to find out all the details— to try and understand the unfathomable. Soon I found myself in empathy fatigue, blending into the collective trauma to the many others in the community, around the state, in the country, and around the world. We are not alright.
This is not the first school shooting, and unfortunately will not be the last. Gun violence is rampant in our country. In fact, 41,000 Americans die from gun violence every year, an average of more than 110 per day (1). The trauma on one community ripples to become collective trauma on countless others. Texans historically are independent, stubborn, and strong. However, situations like Uvalde bring us to our knees and create an opportunity to reflect, take action, and/or reach out for help.
Questions to ask when navigating difficult emotions:
Where do I feel this in my body?
If the feeling was a color, what color would it be?
If this feeling had a shape, what shape would it be?
How big is this shape? (my hand, my whole core, my whole head, etc)
What color is this feeling?
Is there a name for this feeling? It is totally okay if a name doesn’t come to mind here.
What is a healing color for me right now?
Cleansing Breath Activity:
Sit or lay down on the floor and uncross everything (arms, legs, etc.)
Intentionally deepen your breath. Try breathing in for a count of 4, hold for a count of 4, breathe out slowly for a count of 6-8. Repeat as many times as needed.
Breathe in all the way down to your belly button (we call these belly breaths).
Mindfully breathe in the healing color and imagine it swirling around with the feeling color then breathe out. Repeat as many times as you need until the feeling color is smaller (or gone) and the healing color is deeper and prominent.
Ask yourself: What do I need right now? And care for yourself in meaningful ways.
As a trauma therapist, I sit and empathize with people’s stories and trauma every day. Current events are creating situations that may feel overwhelming. So overwhelming that we may feel flooded with emotions, as I did when the news broke. We may even feel the effects of Acute Stress Disorder or even Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Reaching out for help when we feel this way is probably one of the bravest things to do. As I’ve learned through personal and professional experience, we cannot have courage without the presence of fear. We may do it scared, but at least we are doing what we need to do for ourselves, others, and the communities around us.
Khesed Wellness provides outpatient mental health and wellness services and we are expanding in Texas. We invite anyone affected by gun violence, job loss, COVID-19, inflation costs, or just struggling to make sense of life in today’s world a safe place to process. We invite you to dream what a life of authenticity, wholeness, and freedom might look like. We provide affordable mental health therapy to the uninsured and underinsured, and anyone who needs additional help and support. We also have multiple Pro Bono Programs that provide free mental health services. We offer in-person services at our office in Lewisville, Texas, and also offer online telehealth options.
If you are ready to get started with a therapist, please take some time to fill out our intake form and schedule an intake session. We look forward to working with you!
