How to Cope with Collective Trauma (And Why You Might Need to Touch Grass)
Passive aggressive title, I’m aware! Stick with me. This a post for those who feel unseen in this climate. For those who scroll past “self care” tips and feel resentment. For those who simply CANNOT journal one more time. For all my folks who ask me “how the HELL do I sit with these feelings?” after reading more horrific news.
To be honest? Sometimes therapy isn’t enough. Journaling isn’t enough. FEELING won’t be enough. I promise not to ask “where do you feel this in your body?” because frankly, if you’re anything like me, this is a full body experience of rage, fear, grief, and disbelief.
Look, I’ve been sitting in front of clients since 2018. I was a STAUNCH believer that with being the right therapist with the right method and the right couch brand that I could save the world! Since then I’ve gone through elections from hell, a pandemic, economic decline, and what feels like over 500 “unprecedented events in history”. As our neighbors are being kidnapped, as genocides continue to rage, as we’re learning just how deep corruption and harm has existed for our children, just HOW do we continue to show up?
My advice? Touch some grass…
Let me explain.
The way I see it, there’s a few things happening for our nervous systems right now. But it boils down to how our entire beings process trauma. The American Psychological Association defines trauma as
“Any disturbing experience that results in significant fear, helplessness, dissociation, confusion, or other disruptive feelings intense enough to have a long-lasting negative effect on a person’s attitudes, behavior, and other aspects of functioning.”
Safe to say, we’ve all got some at this point. And if you don’t….book a session with me, because I don’t believe you. (kidding—sorta).
When it comes to trauma, the brain is constantly battling feelings of fear and uncertainty. The brain likes certainty, it’s a lovely little resting pad for us to process information. It helps with predictability and safety. But in 2026, certainty is somewhat lost. What we ARE certain of right now is that shit is on FIRE and we’re all feeling it in one realm or another. So what do we do?
In my practice, I utilize a lot of Adlerian principles in processing trauma and navigating the world as we know it. Adler valued belonging, community, and values based intervention for holistic wellness! In a world filled with inequity and hyper-individualism, Adler emphasized leaning into collectivism and using your empathy powers for good! Now what does that mean for you? In other terms, find your people and get to work. You need to get your hands dirty and channel those feelings into something that responds to the fear you have.
Worried about midterm elections? Join a campaign you believe in. Don’t sit in the panic, be the change to create the world you want!
Food Insecurity creating chronic depression and anxiety? Join your local org like CropSwap LA and volunteer your time for families in need
Feeling alone and gaslit by oppressive systems? Find your people and create spaces for likeminded collective experiences (like protests!)
ICE invading across the country putting you in a state of panic or rage? Support your neighbors, learn your rights, fundraise with CHIRLA!
Experiencing helplessness and freezing up? Sign up for a self defense class and get back into your body. (this is my personal favorite these days)
I can hear it now, but what does that even do?
We can’t move through these moments in a state of panic. Your nervous system will go into fight or flight and you’ll be unable to remain in the present moment…unable to support your community…unable to hold onto moments where you come up for air and experience HOPE. We have to remain grounded in order to enact any kind of change.
We’ve reached the point where thinking, feeling, processing, is truly only the first step. Now if you’re still in the processing of it all, I understand. I hope you have either the community or the right therapist to help you through that. And if you don’t? Schedule a consult, I’m happy to help!
What I encourage all of my clients in this moment is this: you’re responding appropriately to the circumstances at hand, if you’re trying to make sense of it all in a way that will match your preset ideas of right and wrong, you’re going to fail. Radical acceptance of the moment helps you to stay in the present. This is hard. This feels impossible (it’s not). Every day is something horrific. All of this is true. Doom scrolling won’t resolve these feelings, it’ll only amplify them. Educate yourself, but don’t flood yourself.
If you’re on your 10th Stitch of commentary on tiktok re a single topic, maybe it’s time to step away and touch some grass!
Community awaits you!
Frequently Asked Questions!
What is collective/vicarious trauma?
Per the APA collective trauma “is an event or series of events that impact not only one person but also a group of identified or targeted people. Collective trauma usually refers to traumas rooted in oppression or discrimination toward a minority group by a dominant group, in contrast to interpersonal trauma.” Vicarious trauma happens when we as people are exposed to traumatic events happening to others. Think 9/11! Not all of us were in New York but we all retained some emotional residue from the event. As a result, our emotional response often mirrors that of PTSD! Read more here: https://www.apa.org/about/governance/president/grief-toolkit/collective-trauma.pdf
Why am I so stressed when it hasn’t happened to me?
That’s that pesky vicarious trauma experience. Events can be traumatizing in and of itself, you don’t have to be personally affected for your nervous to have a response to sensory information. On a VERY watered down scale, its a similar process in the system that happens when you see a scary movie too young. I’m sure you remember which movie, which scene, and probably still feel your heart speed up, to this day, when you think about it.
How do I cope with political stress?
The easy answer is you have to balance it out. Know your body’s cues for when its time to take an intentional break from exposure. Yes, please educate yourself!! But please also know the difference between educating yourself and flooding your system with so much sensory input, that it begins to shut down on you. Log off, take breaks, seek community, with the intention being to reset and recharge (not avoid/ostrich in the sand). There will be more news, we have to be regulated enough to receive it when it comes.
How does therapy help me?
Trauma informed therapy gives you a safe space to process your feelings about your micro and macro experiences. In sessions, you’ll learn to identify your emotional responses, identify coping tailored for YOU (not just an insta-rec), and be able to understand how you brain, body, and spirit are all communicating to you during traumatizing ass times. Therapy gives you the WHY and the HOW in navigating the landscape of today.
McCluskey MC. Revitalizing Alfred Adler: An Echo for Equality. Clin Soc Work J. 2022;50(4):387-399. doi: 10.1007/s10615-021-00793-0. Epub 2021 Mar 5. PMID: 33688108; PMCID: PMC7932831.
