The unravelling of my unresolved trauma began when I started studying Gestalt Psychotherapy. It was through this education that the lingering impacts of my past became evident. Even though the traumatic events had ended, their effects continued to influence my life in profound ways.

Throughout the four years of my Master’s program in Gestalt Psychotherapy, I underwent 80 hours of personal therapy. This intensive inner work was crucial in helping me see what was outside my conscious awareness. I firmly believe that finding a therapist to support your journey is essential. Inner work is not a destination but a continuing journey of self-discovery and healing.

In this book, I share my experiences of UNnecessary trauma within our systems, aiming to highlight the stark difference between interactions with well-resourced and under-resourced people working within these structures. My intention is to bring awareness to the harm that can occur when those in positions of power or support are not trauma-sensitive.

This book is essential reading for anyone working within our systems—be it healthcare, education, justice, or government. By weaving my lived experiences of UNnecessary trauma throughout the book, I illustrate the contrast between healing experiences and UNnecessarily harmful ones. I hope this book sparks curiosity and an interest in becoming trauma-sensitive in every aspect of your life, reducing, or at least recognising, the impact you may have on others.

​​**Do No Harm!**

Linda’s journey back home to herself has been a long and winding road, marked by hidden domestic violence throughout her childhood. These experiences led her to harbour deep self-hatred, withdrawing inwardly and adopting dysfunctional survival mechanisms. At just 12 years old, she attempted to end her own life, consumed by the overwhelming desire to escape the pain of existence. Risky behaviours in her teenage years like heading to the coast and camping, getting wasted and going into the surf in the middle of the night were common. Alcohol became her solace, granting a reprieve from the internal turmoil and negativity that plagued her. Unknowingly at the time, she continued a family pattern of addiction.

Joining the RAAF at 18 was a bid to escape the past, but she quickly learned that one cannot outrun themselves. She grappled with symptoms of what she now knows to be UNresolved trauma, which manifested as addictions to alcohol, coffee, cigarettes, and unhealthy foods.

As a young mother, she felt she wasn’t prepared for the trauma of her second child being diagnosed with a rare childhood cancer at the age of six months, but perhaps at some level, she was.

Why has she shared these deeply personal experiences? Because, for the longest time, she didn't know that her symptoms were rooted in UNresolved trauma. She didn't comprehend the concept of transgenerational trauma, nor did she recognise the impact it had on her life. Instead, she internalised blame and shame, failing to recognise that the adaptive behaviours were simply attempts to manage the overwhelming charge stored within her body. She normalised her traumatic childhood.

From doing her own trauma recovery, she knows what it takes to assimilate the traumatic experiences and free yourself from repeating patterns and UNresolved trauma reactions.

We all carry our own stories and wounds, which often keep us trapped in cycles of self-sabotage and repetition. Building a strong relationship with ourselves, tapping into our inner wisdom just like the whale, and allowing it to guide us is critical for breaking free from these patterns.

Linda is committed to changing the trajectory of trauma on a collective, cultural, community, family, and individual level.