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    Are you a mother looking for trauma-informed postpartum support? Jennifer offers a variety of programs and services to meet your needs. SCROLL TO BOTTOM >

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    Are you a helping professional looking for trauma-informed soul care training? Jennifer offers a variety of programs and services to meet your needs. KEEP READING >

Hi, Nice to Meet You...

I am passionate about teaching trauma-informed SOUL care programs because I have been through the muck and yuck of restoring my heart, mind, and soul back to health personally and professionally ... And I want this for you!

Here is the truth, I was taken down fast and hard by the symptoms of compassion fatigue (burnout) as a practicing psychotherapist. Forced to stop everything. That meant: stop seeing clients; stop attending births; stop being creative; stop building a business; stop being of service; stop writing; and stop generating an income to care for my family. 

Not only was I physically sick due to a compromised immune system, I was forced to look at the remaining unresolved trauma from my past that was contributing to the crash.

I was officially SOUL sick (for the second time around). 

I knew that the terms: compassion fatigue and burnout, did not do justice to what I was experiencing. As a trauma-informed Psychotherapist and previously, a practicing Doula and Traditional Birth Attendant, I had held a lot and witnessed a lot. 

Like you, I thought I was invincible to what I was witnessing, hearing, and holding. 

I believed that if I was serving and living my passion that I would have unlimited energetic resources and thus, could handle anything and everything - Can you relate? 

Well, I was wrong. 

A traumatic injury, when left unresolved, depletes you (to be frank, it guts you).

I learned that as a helping professional I am not magically protected from 'catching' a traumatic stress injury - nor are you. 

Worse off, because I had already healed from PTSD, I had a vulnerable nervous system. Like with any injury, if you jump back in too fast, too soon, you are at risk of re-injuring. 

This is exactly what happened to me: I dove in too fast and too soon, without nourishing my energy reserves. 

And the result? 

A collapse of the nervous system, immune system, mental system, heart system, and SOUL system. 

Burnout is NOT what is really going on underneath the surface; Burnout is a nice word that lessens the blow of how debilitating traumatic stress injury can be. 

Look, I really don't want you to be gutted emotionally, energetically, financially, relationally, and soulfully. So why wait until the symptoms are bad enough for you to 'relate' to what I went through? 

Start now, by learning how to prevent a traumatic stress injury from setting in! 

I have poured my knowledge, wisdom and soul into developing trauma-informed SOUL care programs and a Deep Dive Signature System that not only teaches you about trauma-informed soul care, but supports you to do the deep work to nourish, strengthen, and replenish your inner reserves so that you can continue to hold space for healing and transformation. 

If you want to learn more about my journey and professional credentials CLICK HERE >

Discover 5 Key Ingredients to (L)EARN the Art of Holding Space

Are you a helping professional? Did you know that you are at risk of secondary traumatic stress (STS) injury A.K.A., Compassion Fatigue? Did you know that STS stops you dead in your tracks and prevents you from being of service, preventing you from doing what you love!

Yes! I want to (L)EARN More About the Art of Holding Space.

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  • Jennifer Summerfeldt

What is Traumatic Stress Injury?

As a helping professional you hold both the glory and the gory of someone's process...

Simply stated, traumatic stress injury is a result of holding and witnessing 'crimes-against-wisdom' A.K.A moral injury. 

Moral injury is inflicted when you witness or hear about procedures, behaviours, or crimes that cause harm and go against your moral code - your heart code.

You felt powerless to do anything about the circumstance. You couldn't stop what was unfolding or you felt helpless to take away the pain in another. 

In other words: What was witnessed or listened to caused too much stress within your system (heart, mind, and body). 


Signs and Symptoms of Traumatic Stress Injury

As a helping professional, have you experienced any of the 7 D symptoms?

  • Depletion in energy and focus; exhaustion; flat

  • Dissatisfaction in vocation; energetically distant from client; lacking empathy

  • Denial that you are being affected; dark intrusive thoughts; cynicism

  • Disheartened; loss of hope or belief that people can change

  • Disbelief that good exist in the world

  • Disoriented; flooded with personal memories; overwhelmed by emotional material

  • Disbelief in your role and purpose; lack of confidence; guilt and/or shameful feelings

The Impact of Ignored Symptoms of STS?

When we push the signs and symptoms of STS down, ignoring them, eventually the following can result.

  • Crash

    The nervous system can only hold so much stress for so long eventually crashing energetically, emotionally, physically, and relationally. This crash slowly shows up as physical or mental sickness.

  • Quit

    With a crashed nervous system that is depleted of vital life force, many end up quitting or going on sick leave. They stop doing what they 'thought' they were called to do; what they loved doing.

  • Directionless

    Without the energy to serve in the ways that you were once inspired by, hopelessness and lack of purpose can creep in. This leaves you confused about your passion and purpose on this planet.

Are You Struggling With Symptoms of Burnout, Compassion Fatigue, or Traumatic Stress Injury?

I offer critical incident debriefing and trauma-informed psychotherapy for helping professionals.

Schedule an In-Person or Phone Session Now!