In Colombia I travelled from the central capital, to the Caribbean northeast and the Pacific southwest. During my time there, I connected with Fundación Dunna, a Bogotá non-profit that design and deliver social innovation models for mental health and peaceful coexistence for communities affected by violence in Colombia. Their protocol blends restorative practices like sharing circles and active listening with ‘bottom-up’ mind-body methods like yoga, breath-work, authentic movement and play to affect profound positive change among the many communities that they engage with. With Dunna, I observed first hand how an oral sharing culture, attention to evaluative detail and cultural competency are advancing the positive impact of trauma-informed approaches to non clinical mental health support.
In the USA, I visited Anchorage, the largest city in the state of Alaska. During my time there, I connected with Southcentral Foundation (SCF), SCF integrate trauma-informed behavioural health consultancy into their primary care services for the Alaskan Native population. Their model regards restorative practices rooted in indigenous traditions such as circle based sharing methods as a significant component of their core clinical offering. During my time immersed in learning from SCF, I witnessed the value of true, active listening and the power of integrating trauma-informed behavioural health support within primary care models.
The 5 chapters listed here capture the principal insights that I brought home with me and describe the encounters that move me to reimagine my social impact work here in the UK.