A presentation held by the Trauma Resource Institute prepared the community on how to process trauma through different exercises and guided conversations Saturday morning at the Child and Family Center.
The presentation was presented by TRI, a nonprofit based in Claremont that works worldwide to bring the Community Resiliency Model (CRM) to others facing the aftermath of tragedy.
In light of the Saugus High School shooting that occurred on Nov. 14., this presentation was created. TRI wanted to provide resources in the community to process their own trauma, without having to share their stories with the help of CRM.
“When it happens in your backyard, we feel compelled to want to help those in the community,” said Michael Sapp, TRM and CRM master trainer. “You don’t have to talk about the events, but that is not us minimizing the tragedy either.”
Sapp led the presentation with Jan Click, CRM master trainer and licensed therapist in Santa Clarita.
“CRM helps individuals learn to read their nervous system to return to their zone of well being, called the resiliency zone, through the use of simple wellness skills,” said Sapp.
The overall goal of CRM is to widen your resiliency zone, Click says.
Click and Sapp discussed common reactions to trauma, such as anger, depression, insomnia and others. Among different age groups and geological locations, these reactions are equally present.
“These reactions are a sign of biology, not human weakness,” said Sapp.
CRM is made of six skills, but the presentation only touched on four, including tracking, grounding, resourcing and help now.
Throughout the presentation, groups broke out into conversation and exercises to discuss different questions presented by the presenters.
“We really wanted to give something back to the community and we wanted to be able to teach people some practical tools that they could use on a day to day basis,” said Click.
Teachers, Saugus alumni, psychiatrists and other members of the community made up the attendance at the presentation.
Throughout the presentation, members of the audience asked questions and interacted with the material presented.
“CRM is a very powerful stress recovery model,” said Elizabeth Loken, psychiatrist and longtime Santa Clarita resident. “I really want to see the community get all the help they can to recover from trauma and be prepared to recover from other community stressors that might come along in the future.”
For more information about the CRM or TMI visit traumaresourceinstitute.com