Sunday, September 1, 2024
Triumphing Over Trauma, How to help yourself, loved ones and strangers
Christa Shiflett
View the service video on YouTube
According to Vincent Felitti, MD, one of the original researchers that discovered the impact of adverse childhood experiences, “ACEs are the main determinants of the health and social well-being of the nation.” ACEs are the number one chronic health epidemic in the US. As Dr. Rob Anda, the other original researcher for the ACEs study says, “What is predictable is preventable.” While none of us can prevent a child from having a parent who struggles with mental illness, we all have the power to do something to help that child-even if we don’t know them personally. It is important to understand that the majority of us have suffered a trauma in childhood (about 67%) and the exact same event may be seen by one person who experiences it as traumatic, but this may not be true of another person. The great thing is that offering the “cure” for trauma to everyone we meet will cause no one any harm, regardless of their trauma status. The “cure” is the gift of being seen, lifted up, and taught to be resilient. It is NEVER too late to learn, and can in some cases add 20 years to a life.
Christa Shifflett completed her collegiate studies at the College of William and Mary earning Bachelor’s degrees in Government and Economics. She earned a Master’s Degree in Education from James Madison University.
She has served as a Coalition Executive Director for 24 years. Christa is a Certified Trauma Professional, a Certified Trauma Informed, Trauma Supportive and Getting Relationships Right trainer and ACEs Interface Trainer for Virginia. She is also a certified anger management and anxiety and a Forward Facing Trauma specialist with the court systems who works at RSW Regional Jail days per two week. Christa has spoken at many and national/international conferences on building healthier communities.