The Arizona Trauma Institute’s decision to post a blog about car accidents and PTSD from an attorney’s perspective is a strategic and thoughtful move. Attorneys specialize in the legal aspects of car accidents, including liability and compensation. However, the psychological aftermath of such events, like PTSD, is often overlooked in legal discussions. By bringing an attorney’s viewpoint into the conversation about trauma, the Institute highlights the multidimensional impact of car accidents, bridging the gap between legal processes and mental health. Learn more about PTSD and Car Ac ..read more

CANDICE LIOZU Pioneering Unprecedented Growth and Excellence DEAR FRIENDS, In a significant stride towards realizing our grand vision of transforming the Arizona Trauma Institute into a globally renowned beacon of healing and resilience, we are thrilled to announce the advent of a new era under the dynamic leadership of our newly appointed Co-CEO, Candice Liozu. This strategic addition aligns seamlessly with our concerted efforts to broaden our horizons and cement our reputation as an international institution of excellence. Candice brings over two decades of extensive experience in global en ..read more

Effective Trauma-Informed communication, regardless of your role as a therapist or a coach involves more than just speaking or writing well. Here are the 5 basic skills of an effective communicator: 1 | Listening: Effective communicators actively listen to others, pay attention to what they say, and show interest in their thoughts and feelings. They use nonverbal cues such as nodding and eye contact to show they are engaged in the conversation. True listening requires that: a. We are fully present, not carrying on multiple internal dialogues with ourselves. b. We are curious and tend to expan ..read more

IN HEALING AND PROBLEM-SOLVING   Why does healing fail to happen when the available resources and assets are being ignored, or overlooked because all attention and energy is on the “problem”? With busy lives filled with daily stressors and challenges, it is often easy to forget the importance of embracing the valuable resources and assets at our disposal. These treasures can play a pivotal role in fostering a healing environment for our families, students, co-workers, employees, and ourselves. The jewels assets and resources impact each of us emotionally, psychologically, spiritually, an ..read more

When coming face to face with our vulnerabilities or and in the aftermath of a major setback in our plans, there is a stark difference between surviving and recovering. To fully process and benefit from what is happening, we need transcendent leadership. This is a call for leadership that is more attuned to restoring and building hope, than applying trite aphorisms. When confidence has taken a nosedive, team members need stable, secure influencers who bring constructive, insightful assessments, instead of focusing on deficits and assigning blame. When all gains seem lost and the way forward is ..read more

Trauma is a difficult topic to discuss. It can cause feelings of shame, guilt, and isolation, and may lead to difficulties in interpersonal relationships and self-esteem. While the effects of trauma can be devastating, it is important to remember that there are people trained to help those affected by trauma. Whether it be a trauma therapist or coach, these professionals require compassion, practice mercy, and genuine affection for those they treat. Here’s why. It’s no secret that trauma has an immense impact on one’s mental health. Those who have experienced traumatic events often struggle w ..read more

↪ THE ESSENTIAL ROLE OF REGULATION IN SHAPING OUR QUALITY OF LIFE   Our quality of life is ultimately shaped by our ability to think and reason. We are all equipped with a natural capacity for pre-creation, but unhealthy patterns or beliefs can get in the way of this vital process. Pre-creation necessitates appropriate regulation so that our prefrontal cortex and amygdala can be utilized effectively – providing us access to creating an intentional lifestyle. However, trauma and toxic stress create patterns and belief systems or injunctions that affect our ability to think and reason. Pre ..read more

PPL: Past Painful Learning inflicts all of us. In one moment we feel safe and we are engaging with the world, then a trigger occurs…Our present is interrupted by sentiments, scenes, smells, sounds, or sensations of the past. One or more of which transports our awareness through a time tunnel into a place of darkness and despair. Here we find our brain in one time zone and our body in another. Our brain, in its imagined world, tells us to react with an urgency to survive. Our body, that stayed back in the real world, begins behaving in ways that comprises our integrity, undermines our relation ..read more

Socializing at work is essential for effectively managing stress. Sharing experiences, talking about struggles, and connecting with others actually helps employees and leaders alike to be more adaptive when facing crises or taking a risk to bring forward an innovative solution. Leader-employee relationships that are responsive and attentive to one another, with lots of back-and-forth interactions, build safety, trust, and transparency into the workplace experience. Gossip, however, does not carry the same benefits as socializing, even though it often happens in the same circles. Gossip is defi ..read more

LESSONS FROM TRAUMA AND RESILIENCE LIFE COACH TRAINING   As a Trauma and Resilience Life Coaching program trainer and facilitator, I have gained a new understanding of humanity. Every participant in our program has faced adversity, lost a loved one in tragic circumstances, been subjected to childhood or adult abuse, or carries their own burdens. Despite this, they continue to carry on with life, demonstrating courage and determination to make a positive impact for themselves and others. Witnessing the pain and trauma of each participant has left me in awe of their courage and determinatio ..read more