Indigenous trauma training offers 'window of hope'

Nine graduates of a trauma training program gathered with family, friends and current students Dec.10 to celebrate a learning experience that help people heal from complex traumatic experiences.

The program is offered by Timmins therapist and traditional healer Jules Tapas, and his wife Charlene Gunner-Tapas, which involves seven modules of training over the course of a year.

Tapas said the program, now into second year of training, offers mental health workers a human-based approach to healing that is particularly effective for Indigenous people, something he said is deeply needed right now.

"We need a lot of trained therapists out there who can deal with trauma comfortably, without being afraid of it,” Tapas said.

"It helps the front-line workers deal with these atrocities, so they can help people."

LACK OF CULTURALLY-SENSITIVE HEALING

There has been a lack of services to help Indigenous people recover from the generational trauma inflicted by the residential school system, Tapas said.

Survivors were scarred by the abuses they experienced, often resulting in toxic family atmospheres that lead to further abuse, addictions and mental health issues.

Western mental health care has been under-equipped to help Indigenous people with these issues in a culturally-sensitive manner, Tapas said.

This is why he feels his program, which he spent over a decade studying himself, helps tackle the heart of people's trauma by exploring its connections to abusive families, relationships and institutions.

"It all comes down to nurturing the spirit, getting your life back and getting your feelings back," said Tapas.

"You're able to have a window of hope."

HEAL YOURSELF TO HEAL OTHERS

A key aspect of the program has students explore their own traumatic experiences with classmates, as they learn techniques to help each other.

Social worker Lisa Wesley completed the program and said it was an uncomfortable but necessary and fulfilling experience that ended up helping her heal from her own issues.

"You really don't want people to know your darkest, deepest secrets, but at the same time, you want to heal those dark secrets and those dark places," said Wesley.

“It helped me look at myself and ... help heal those parts that were broken. Being able to do that, I can help other people go through that too."

Speaking to graduates about the importance of the program and reflecting on the traumas many in the room have faced, Tapas felt a celebration was well-deserved.

Doug Davey, a child and youth program coordinator at the Misiway Milopemahtesewin Community Health Centre, was one of the graduates that received a certificate for completing the program.

Davey said he wanted to expand his knowledge to better work with young Indigenous people and said that it was an insightful experience into his own trauma.

"It's important to recognize your own shortcomings, some your own issues ... some of them are very deep," Davey said.

"The more you look at yourself as a worker - even being an effective parent, being an effective leader - you have to really look in, to help yourself, before you start helping others."

'IT CHANGED OUR MARRIAGE'

Tapas said the program is applicable to different cultures and can be taken by anyone who works with Indigenous communities.

Glen Sutherland and his wife and business partner Jennifer enrolled in the program together, not as mental health workers but to strengthen their relationship and relate better to their clients.

Sutherland, an electrical contractor, said working in remote Indigenous communities can be challenging, especially dealing with people who are grappling with generational trauma while struggling with those issues himself.

"There's a lot of triggers. we trigger one another," Sutherland said.

"So I think it's going to help me understand more, as well, understand the people I'm working with."

Jennifer said the program helped address unresolved issues in her and her husband's lives, which in turn was beneficial for their relationship.

She said they were able to share their vulnerabilities with each other and talk about their issues in a way they had not been able to before.

"This trauma training, it really opened a door," Jennifer said.

"It changed our marriage, it really did."

DEMAND GROWING, PROGRAM EXPANDING

Tapas said the demand for this type of training is growing, so much so that he is offering it to two groups in Quebec, as well as in Timmins.

He said it was heartwarming to see how much his students grew throughout the year, the difficult conversations they endured and the tools he hopes they'll put to good use.

"They worked hard to get to where they are today, it's amazing," said Tapas.