The New Normal That Never Happened: Faculty and Students Navigating through Collective and Shared Trauma

Authors

Keywords:

collective trauma, cultural trauma, social work education, COVID-19 pandemic, shared trauma, feminist trauma theory framework

Abstract

This article explores our experiences as four social work professionals in higher education during COVID-19. Utilizing the lens of collective, cultural, and shared trauma, we reflect on our experiences as academic educators, field educators, and academic administrators across three institutions. Our perspectives and responses from a large public institution, small private religious institutions, Hispanic Serving Institutions, and a Primarily White Institution are shared. We highlight the role of trauma-informed teaching in supporting students, staff, and faculty to explore approaches to promote professional post-traumatic growth outcomes.

Author Biography

Jennifer Vasquez, Texas State University

Dr. Vasquez is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Board Approved Supervisor (LCSW-S), NeuroAffective Relational Model (NARM) Therapist, Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP), EMDR Trained Clinician, Integral Somatic Psychology (ISP) Practitioner, International Association of Yoga Therapy (IAYT-C) Certified Yoga Therapist, and Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT-500) with a specialization in trauma. She is an Assistant Professor at Texas State University School of Social Work. Dr. Vasquez’ research focuses on trauma and yoga therapy. 

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Published

2023-07-21

How to Cite

Galan-Cisneros, P. ., Hildebrandt, E., Vasquez, J., & Gomez, R. (2023). The New Normal That Never Happened: Faculty and Students Navigating through Collective and Shared Trauma. Reflections: Narratives of Professional Helping, 29(1), 8–25. Retrieved from https://reflectionsnarrativesofprofessionalhelping.org/index.php/Reflections/article/view/1880