Introduction
In recent years, mental health practice has been evolving towards a more nuanced understanding of trauma and resilience, thanks to frameworks that broaden our perspectives on what it means to heal. Traditionally, trauma-informed care has provided crucial support for individuals working through the layers of traumatic experience. However, as Dr. Shawn Ginwright (2018) highlights in his transformative article, The Future of Healing: Shifting From Trauma-Informed Care to Healing-Centered Engagement, this approach—while impactful—often remains too focused on the individual. By concentrating on isolated symptoms and coping mechanisms, trauma-informed care can sometimes overlook the broader social, cultural, and systemic contexts that deeply influence personal well-being. Ginwright introduces healing-centred engagement as a transformative and holistic approach that not only addresses individual trauma but also considers the collective wounds and strengths within communities.
Healing-centred engagement invites us to see trauma not as a purely personal experience but as one rooted in shared histories, identities, and social structures. In doing so, it calls for a shift from mere symptom management to fostering empowerment, resilience, and collective well-being. For those affected by systemic marginalization and oppression, this approach offers an expansive view of healing that integrates identity, community, and culture as core components of recovery. In this blog, we will delve into the foundational elements of healing-centred engagement, examining insights from Ginwright, as well as the perspectives of key thinkers like Resmaa Menakem, adrienne maree brown, Bessel van der Kolk, and Audre Lorde. Together, these voices illuminate how collective care can reshape therapeutic practices, fostering environments where true healing thrives.
Reframing Trauma: From Individual Care to Collective Healing
Trauma-informed care has been pivotal in mental health practice, offering critical tools to help individuals manage symptoms and develop coping strategies. However, as Dr. Shawn Ginwright (2016, 2018) observes, trauma-informed care often frames trauma as an isolated experience, centring interventions on the individual without fully addressing the complex, systemic origins of their pain. Ginwright calls us to broaden our understanding through healing-centred engagement, which acknowledges the collective and systemic nature of trauma. This approach integrates the social, cultural, and political dimensions of distress, recognizing that experiences of trauma are often inseparable from issues of identity, community, and societal structures.
Healing-centred engagement moves beyond individual symptom management, encouraging people to see themselves as resilient participants in their own healing processes and as active agents within their communities. Instead of focusing primarily on the question, “What happened to you?” healing-centred engagement asks, “What strengths and potential do you hold, both individually and within your community?” (Ginwright, 2018). This shift repositions clients as empowered individuals whose resilience is a source of growth and change not only for themselves but also for the communities they belong to.
Resmaa Menakem (2017), author of My Grandmother’s Hands, provides valuable insights into the embodied nature of trauma, particularly as it pertains to racialized communities. Menakem emphasizes that trauma is not only a psychological experience but one deeply rooted in the body, passed down through generations and influenced by systemic inequities. Healing-centred engagement aligns with this view, as it embraces the idea that trauma cannot be healed solely within the individual; instead, it requires acknowledging and transforming the social and historical structures that perpetuate harm. In this way, healing becomes a culturally and collectively grounded process.
“Healing-centred engagement is strength-based, advances a collective view of healing, and re-centres culture as a central feature in well-being” (Ginwright, 2018).
By focusing on strengths and collective empowerment, healing-centred engagement seeks to create spaces where people can reconnect with their identities and cultural values as sources of resilience. This framework also draws from the teachings of adrienne maree brown (2017), who advocates for community as an essential component of resilience and healing. In Emergent Strategy, brown emphasizes the interconnectedness of individuals within their communities and suggests that true healing occurs within networks of supportive relationships. This collective approach reinforces the idea that healing is not merely about reducing individual symptoms but about fostering environments where individuals feel seen, valued, and empowered.
The Power of Culture and Identity in the Healing Process
In healing-centred engagement, culture and identity are not peripheral considerations; they are foundational to the way people experience, interpret, and recover from trauma. Dr. Shawn Ginwright (2016) asserts that cultural identity is a critical anchor, helping individuals find resilience through a sense of belonging, continuity, and collective strength. For many, cultural connections serve as vital reminders of heritage, history, and shared experiences, offering a grounded perspective that fosters resilience even in the face of systemic challenges.
Resmaa Menakem (2017), in My Grandmother’s Hands, builds on this by illustrating how trauma, particularly racialized trauma, is not just an individual affliction but one carried within and across generations. Menakem’s concept of “body-centred healing” emphasizes that our bodies retain the effects of cultural and systemic traumas, necessitating approaches that honour both the individual and collective layers of experience. Healing, in this sense, requires acknowledgment of these embodied histories, as well as practices that help release and transform this inherited pain. By integrating these cultural and identity-driven practices, healing-centred engagement recognizes that trauma affects communities at large, shaping not only individual lives but also collective identities.
This focus on culture and identity means that healing practices must be adapted to resonate with clients’ unique backgrounds. Cultural rituals, shared stories, and traditions passed down through generations can serve as powerful tools for reconnection and resilience. By tapping into these practices, therapists can help clients access strengths rooted in their cultural identities, enhancing their sense of self and fostering a deeper connection to their community. Adrienne maree brown (2017) notes in Emergent Strategy that community connections and cultural identity offer a form of resilience that is both profound and transformative. For those whose histories include oppression or marginalization, reconnecting with cultural practices becomes not only a means of personal healing but also a reclamation of identity and agency.
Ginwright (2016) eloquently articulates this, noting that, “The pathway to restoring well-being among young people who experience trauma can be found in culture and identity” (p. 72). Recognizing cultural identity as a wellspring of strength challenges traditional therapeutic models, which can sometimes overlook or underplay the power of collective resilience. By embracing these dimensions, healing-centred engagement provides a more comprehensive and compassionate approach, validating not only individual experiences but also the cultural contexts that shape them.
For therapists, this approach is an invitation to understand each client within the broader tapestry of their cultural identity, fostering a therapeutic environment where cultural values and communal ties are sources of strength and resilience.
Embodied Trauma: Healing Through the Body
A vital element of healing-centred engagement is its recognition that trauma lives not only in the mind but also within the body. Bessel van der Kolk (2014), in his influential work The Body Keeps the Score, explains how traumatic experiences are imprinted on the body’s nervous system and can deeply impact both physical and mental health. He emphasizes that trauma affects the body’s physiological responses, often leading to chronic tension, hypervigilance, and patterns of distress that cannot be fully resolved through talk therapy alone. In this context, somatic approaches—those that centre on body awareness—become essential, as they help individuals reconnect with their physical selves and work through trauma in a holistic way.
Healing-centred engagement embraces this somatic perspective, encouraging practices such as mindfulness, movement, and breathwork that allow individuals to access and release stored trauma. These practices help clients re-establish a relationship with their bodies, often countering the sense of disconnection or alienation they may feel. Resmaa Menakem (2017) expands on this in My Grandmother’s Hands, discussing the profound impact of racialized trauma on the body. Menakem asserts that trauma is often transmitted through generational and collective experiences, and that healing, therefore, must involve not only the mind but also the body, where trauma is stored. His work highlights how systemic and racialized trauma manifests in physical symptoms, underscoring the importance of body-centred practices to address these deeply embedded wounds.
In healing-centred engagement, somatic practices such as grounding exercises, mindful movement, and breathwork are integrated into therapy, providing clients with tools to feel safe within their own bodies again. These practices allow individuals to reconnect with their embodied selves, reducing symptoms of anxiety, disassociation, and chronic stress. Adrienne maree brown (2017) echoes this sentiment in Emergent Strategy, where she discusses the importance of learning from the body as a site of wisdom and resilience. By incorporating somatic techniques, healing-centred engagement not only helps clients process trauma but also empowers them to reclaim their physical space, restoring a sense of agency and presence within their bodies.
For those who have endured systemic or complex trauma, the body can become a site of both vulnerability and power. Healing-centred engagement respects this duality, creating therapeutic spaces where individuals are encouraged to safely explore their physical experiences and gradually release the pain stored within. This approach validates the body’s role in trauma and healing, supporting a path forward that honours both the mind and the body as interconnected realms of resilience and growth.
Community as an Agent of Healing
In the framework of healing-centred engagement, community emerges as a foundational pillar, a source of strength and resilience that is essential to meaningful recovery. Adrienne maree brown (2017) in Emergent Strategy explores the profound power of interconnected relationships, illustrating how resilience and healing are often cultivated within networks of collective support. Brown describes community as a living system, where the well-being of each member is inherently connected to the health of the whole. This view aligns with Dr. Shawn Ginwright’s emphasis on community-centred healing, where individual and collective care are mutually reinforcing. Such an approach moves beyond isolated recovery, inviting individuals to draw strength from shared experiences and a sense of belonging.
By fostering a culture of mutual support, healing-centred engagement encourages individuals to view themselves as integral parts of a larger, interconnected network. This collective care model offers a sanctuary where people can share their healing journeys, witness each other’s growth, and provide validation and empathy. For many, the sense of being truly seen and understood by others who have experienced similar struggles can be a powerful source of healing. Ginwright’s (2016) work highlights that healing is often not about “fixing” oneself in solitude, but about reconnecting with a supportive community that reinforces each individual’s agency and well-being.
In these collective spaces, individuals are empowered to reclaim their narratives within a supportive structure. Resmaa Menakem (2017) speaks to this in My Grandmother’s Hands, describing how communal support can be especially impactful for those who experience intergenerational or systemic trauma. Menakem underscores that trauma is not simply an individual affliction but something that often exists within families and communities over generations, requiring healing that acknowledges these wider social contexts. Community-based healing thus becomes an act of resilience, where shared practices, rituals, and relationships help address both personal and collective wounds.
As brown (2017) poignantly notes, “Emergence emphasizes critical connections over critical mass, building authentic relationships, listening with all the senses of the body and the mind” (p. 10). Healing-centred engagement leverages this principle, fostering environments where individuals can cultivate authentic relationships and feel grounded in collective resilience. These spaces create a sense of unity and strength that supports long-term well-being, reminding each person that healing is not only an individual journey but a collective one that we undertake together.
By embracing community as an active agent of healing, therapists and mental health practitioners can create opportunities for clients to connect with others who share similar experiences, reinforcing the understanding that they are not alone. This approach underscores the importance of interdependence, showing that within these relationships lies the potential for deep healing, resilience, and transformation.
Healing as a Political and Cultural Act
“Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare” (Lorde, 1984, p. 130).
Healing-centred engagement recognizes that for many, particularly within marginalized communities, the act of healing extends beyond personal recovery; it is also a form of resistance. Audre Lorde (1984), in her seminal work Sister Outsider, poignantly describes self-care and healing as acts of political defiance, essential for survival amid systemic oppression. Lorde’s insights underscore that reclaiming one’s identity, self-worth, and dignity is a radical response to forces that seek to marginalize and diminish. This assertion—that healing is inherently political—resonates deeply with Dr. Shawn Ginwright’s (2018) approach, which frames healing-centred engagement as an opportunity to empower individuals and communities to confront and transform the conditions that have caused harm.
Ginwright’s perspective is crucial for therapists and clients alike, as it encourages them to see healing as more than symptom management or coping strategies. Instead, it offers a path for individuals to acknowledge and address the structural inequities that contribute to their experiences of trauma. This shift in focus allows therapy to become a liberatory space, where individuals are not only seen and validated but are also given the tools to challenge the systemic forces that underlie their suffering. Healing-centred engagement thus embraces an anti-oppressive framework, where clients can explore their identities and experiences within a context that recognizes the interplay of cultural, racial, and social dimensions in their lives.
Resmaa Menakem (2017), in My Grandmother’s Hands, expands on this idea by discussing how racialized trauma is often carried in the body, deeply impacting both physical and mental health. Menakem argues that healing for marginalized communities must address these embodied impacts of systemic harm. Through practices that affirm cultural identity and community strength, individuals are empowered to reclaim their sense of self and agency, even in the face of historical and ongoing oppression. This cultural grounding aligns with healing-centred engagement, reinforcing that true healing requires not only personal growth but also collective resilience.
Ginwright’s model, supported by the insights of Lorde and Menakem, suggests that therapy can be a space where clients explore not only their internal struggles but also their broader aspirations and collective identities. As Lorde (1984) famously declared, “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare” (p. 130). Healing-centred engagement honours this view, enabling individuals to reclaim their right to well-being as an assertion of their inherent value and dignity.
For therapists, adopting a healing-centred framework means facilitating an environment where clients can reclaim power over their lives and see themselves as agents of change. This approach allows individuals to use their healing journey as a foundation for broader activism, challenging the systems that perpetuate trauma. By integrating political and cultural dimensions into the therapeutic space, healing-centred engagement offers a path forward that not only supports individual recovery but also fosters collective empowerment, inviting clients to imagine a future of both personal and communal liberation.
Supporting Resilience Through Collective Power and Empowerment
A core tenet of healing-centred engagement is its strengths-based approach, which emphasizes the inherent power, resilience, and agency within each individual. Dr. Shawn Ginwright (2018) advocates for this shift, encouraging therapists to focus not solely on trauma and pathology but on the existing strengths and potential within clients. This approach empowers individuals to reclaim their narratives, moving beyond being viewed as passive recipients of care to active participants and change-makers within their lives and communities. By emphasizing resilience, healing-centred engagement acknowledges that even in the face of adversity, individuals possess significant capacities for growth and transformation.
Resmaa Menakem (2017), in My Grandmother’s Hands, deepens this perspective by exploring the importance of collective resilience, particularly for communities impacted by racial and systemic trauma. Menakem illustrates that trauma is not merely a personal experience; it is embedded within societal structures and passed down through generations, affecting entire communities. Thus, healing cannot be limited to individual empowerment—it must also support the resilience of communities. By recognizing and honouring these community ties, healing-centred engagement fosters a shared sense of purpose and solidarity, encouraging clients to draw strength from the collective power of their networks.
This focus on resilience and empowerment invites therapeutic practices that go beyond symptom relief. Resilience-building activities, such as identifying personal and communal strengths, engaging in meaningful dialogues, or creating opportunities for social connection, allow clients to reconnect with their sense of agency. Ginwright’s approach sees this agency as foundational to healing, enabling individuals to confront their experiences with a renewed sense of purpose, self-worth, and connectedness. In this framework, clients are supported not only in processing trauma but in redefining their role within their communities and taking active steps toward personal and communal growth.
Moreover, adrienne maree brown (2017) in Emergent Strategy echoes the significance of collective empowerment, describing how resilience emerges through intentional, interconnected relationships. Brown emphasizes that resilience is not an isolated achievement but a shared resource cultivated through community bonds. Healing-centred engagement embodies this principle by fostering environments where clients can access both personal and collective sources of strength, reinforcing that healing is not just an individual journey but a communal one that is deeply enriched by relational support.
Ultimately, supporting resilience through collective power transforms the therapeutic process into an empowering experience. It reaffirms the idea that healing is about reclaiming control, redefining identity, and embracing the possibilities within each individual and their community. By encouraging clients to see themselves as integral parts of a larger, supportive network, healing-centred engagement offers a holistic vision for recovery—one that recognizes the immense value of empowerment, community, and resilience in the journey toward well-being.
Community as an Agent of Change and Healing
In the healing-centred engagement framework, community is more than a supportive backdrop—it is an active force for change and resilience. Adrienne maree brown (2017), in Emergent Strategy, discusses how resilient, interconnected communities foster collective well-being, illustrating the transformative power of what she calls “emergent strategy.” This concept suggests that small, intentional actions within communities can accumulate into significant, lasting change. By nurturing relationships and strengthening connections, healing-centred engagement builds an environment where individuals are valued, supported, and empowered to heal not in isolation, but as part of a unified network.
Healing-centred engagement understands that resilience grows through relationships. By connecting individuals within these networks, it creates an ecosystem of mutual support, where resilience is not simply an individual trait but a shared resource. Ginwright’s model (2018) underscores that in contexts where people experience collective and systemic trauma, the presence of strong community bonds is especially powerful. In these settings, healing becomes not only personal but also a communal experience, where each individual’s recovery is interwoven with that of others.
Resmaa Menakem (2017) complements this view in My Grandmother’s Hands, observing that trauma is often a collective experience, particularly in communities impacted by racial and historical oppression. Menakem emphasizes that healing in these contexts requires both individual and community-based approaches that recognize trauma’s social roots. A strong, resilient community provides individuals with the understanding, validation, and support needed to confront systemic harm together, fostering a sense of shared strength that transcends individual healing.
In fostering this communal approach to resilience, healing-centred engagement redefines therapeutic spaces. Therapists can create opportunities for individuals to build these supportive relationships, whether through group sessions, community partnerships, or simply encouraging engagement with communal resources. Each connection strengthens the community’s capacity to act as a healing agent, where resilience is reinforced by the collective and each member contributes to an overall sense of safety, support, and empowerment.
By embracing community as a powerful agent of change, healing-centred engagement expands the possibilities for therapeutic growth. It shifts the focus from individual treatment to the cultivation of a vibrant, resilient network where healing is co-created. This communal approach honours the power of interdependence, affirming that true healing emerges not only from individual transformation but from collective, shared experiences that empower every member of the community.
Conclusion: A Vision for a Healing-Centred Practice
Healing-centred engagement invites all of us to reimagine therapy as a deeply holistic, culturally enriched, and empowering approach to trauma. This framework shifts the focus from addressing symptoms in isolation to a broader understanding of resilience and recovery rooted in social, cultural, and political awareness. By recognizing the collective contexts that shape individuals’ experiences, healing-centred engagement honours the complexities of trauma and offers a pathway that includes personal strengths, communal bonds, and cultural heritage as foundational elements of the healing process.
Transitioning from trauma-informed care to healing-centred engagement allows therapy to become not just a form of relief but a transformative journey toward self-discovery and empowerment. In this vision, individuals are encouraged to reclaim their power, connect with their sense of purpose, and find healing through relationships that validate and uplift them. Therapy moves beyond the clinical model, evolving into a dynamic space where connection, identity, and community support individuals in rediscovering their capacities for resilience and growth.
Healing-centred engagement calls us to create and nurture spaces where people can not only survive but truly thrive. Supported by their own identities and the collective strength of their communities, individuals are empowered to heal in ways that are expansive and affirming. In embracing this framework, we open doors to a more inclusive and compassionate approach to mental health—one that enables clients to transform their pain into resilience and their experiences into sources of strength for both themselves and the communities around them.
References
brown, a. m. (2017). Emergent strategy: Shaping change, changing worlds. AK Press.
Ginwright, S. (2016). Hope and healing in urban education: How urban activists and teachers are reclaiming matters of the heart. Routledge.
Ginwright, S. (2018). The future of healing: Shifting from trauma informed care to healing centered engagement. Medium. Retrieved from https://ginwright.medium.com/the-future-of-healing-shifting-from-trauma-informed-care-to-healing-centered-engagement-634f557ce69c
Lorde, A. (1984). Sister outsider: Essays and speeches. Crossing Press.
Menakem, R. (2017). My grandmother’s hands: Racialized trauma and the pathway to mending our hearts and bodies. Central Recovery Press.
van der Kolk, B. (2014). The body keeps the score: Brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma. Viking.
Disclaimer: This blog offers general educational information and does not constitute professional advice or establish a therapist-client relationship. Please consult a healthcare provider for personalized guidance. Any decisions based on the content are the reader’s responsibility, and Clayre Sessoms Psychotherapy assumes no liability. All case studies are hypothetical with fictional names and do not reflect actual people. We prioritize your privacy and the confidentiality of all of our clients. We are committed to maintaining a safe, supportive space for 2SLGBTQIA+ community care.
