Reflections on Trauma

Children and young people in Australia have the right to grow up safe, connected and supported in their family, community and cultures. They have the right to grow up in an environment that enables them to thrive. In communities like the Fitzroy Valley, and many other communities across the country, we see all types of trauma, mostly related to the cumulative and ongoing effects of colonisation.

The burden of disease in Kimberley communities is a direct result of the lived experiences and generational harms of many of the families accessing our services. 

Many health professionals and the families we work with have normalised these cumulative impacts of trauma in such a way that they dismiss them rather than recognise and respond to them.

It is imperative that we understand that when First Nations people talk about their struggles, or we see some of the challenges they face, these are the effects of complex trauma that has been passed down from generation to generation and continues to be seen today.

Health Professionals can be the first contact point for people with a lived experience of trauma. We have a professional responsibility to learn about First Nations peoples and their histories for our own personal and professional development.

The best way to do this is by listening and observing without judgement, applying these Community Informed Principles.

Trauma Talk

Jadnah Davies reflects on the impacts of trauma in the Fitzroy Valley.

Watch the longer version here.

Length: 4:03

Flipping your lid - trauma response

Jadnah Davies

The behaviours you see when a person is struggling and in distress can be indicators of a trauma response. Approach the interaction with empathy and understanding. This video explains the neuroscience behind the trauma responses you are seeing.