People engaged in trauma work will encounter suffering in profound and intimate ways. Social workers, law enforcement professionals, doctors, nurses, therapists, community organizers, advocates, along with many others, all play an important role in helping survivors of traumatic events address and heal from their experiences. While most of us feel privileged to play a role in the healing of others, this sense of purpose and accomplishment doesn't come without a cost. The repeated exposure to stories of violence, abuse and suffering often begins to affect our sense of self and our view of the world. We experience what is often called "vicarious trauma." At Joyful Heart, we recognize and have tremendous respect for those who help others cope with trauma. Our Heal the Healers program was designed to address the issue of trauma exposure response that can result from their work. Our program’s mission is to make each of us more aware of how we are impacted by witnessing and responding to the suffering of others, and to help professionals explore their own trauma exposure response and introduce them to self-care tools and practices. We do this by first educating professionals about the impact of vicarious trauma: exhaustion, numbness, a sense overwhelm, cynicism or feeling like we are never doing enough, among others. Once we have identified the signs, we introduce therapies that engage the body through movement, the mind through creative expression, and the spirit through group sharing experience. In a safe and nurturing environment, modalities we may use include creative arts therapy, guided writing, body work, yoga and meditation, music, dance, movement, play and mindfulness. Our goal is to help professionals restore balance and renew their sense of hope and possibility. Our Heal the Healers program has been developed in collaboration with researchers, wellness practitioners and clinical consultants, among others, as well as our partner Laura van Dernoot Lipsky and material from her book, Trauma Stewardship. Today we're introducing Healing is Happening, a new series featuring the caring professionals who do this work. It is our intention that by sharing their stories, we inspire not just the professionals in the field to take care of themselves while taking care of others, but also the courageous survivors for whom we do this work.

"Lend yourself to others, but give yourself to yourself." --Michel de Montaigne