Childhood trauma can manifest itself in a variety of ways and isn't always the easiest experience to know how to properly address.
Bethany Hall, a licensed family nurse practitioner in Grand Rapids, is uniquely familiar with understanding and addressing childhood trauma. Through the creation of a new trauma-informed resource—Healing Connection—she is using her knowledge to help create trauma-informed networks in the hopes of transforming the lives of traumatized children and adolescents.
Hall specializes—and is a nationally-recognized expert—in Complex Developmental Trauma (CDT), in addition to being a certified affiliate trainer in trauma competent caregiving by Trauma Free World, a nonprofit organization that provides training all around the world to those dedicated to ending childhood trauma. She also utilizes in-person and virtual platforms to teach the neuroscience of trauma, as well as conduct screenings, assessments and interventions, which can be utilized to increase therapeutic and healing interactions for those working with, or caring for children who have experienced CDT.
"As a veteran healthcare worker specialized in childhood trauma and a former pediatric nurse, I've learned so much about the underlying factors of childhood trauma, and how delicate these circumstances are in a child's life," said Hall. "I created Healing Connection as a way to train and educate those involved in a child's life about CDT and how they, themselves, can become instrumental in helping children overcome trauma."
Healing Connection supports children and adolescents who have experienced childhood trauma by raising community awareness and seeks to create community partners through centers of worship, schools and families that are trauma-informed. Healing Connection offers services to those who have an influential role in a child's life, including parents and guardians, foster care providers, adoptive families, educators, social workers and daycare providers, among others.
Industry experts at Healing Connection provide online or in-person support, parent coaching and focused training with audience specific curriculum. Additionally, Healing Connection offers community networking opportunities through consultations, conference presentations, speaking engagements and panel discussions.
"We are able to identify the needs of children suffering from trauma, including CDT, the most severe and detrimental form of trauma, caused during a child's first three years of life," Hall said. "Our extensive training and work experience are valuable resources for those who closely work with children suffering from CDT and may even have a mitigating effect on the long-term outcomes associated with chronic and acute trauma."
In addition to her work in medicine, Hall spent three years as a missionary with Back2Back Ministries in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, providing medical services and trauma competent trainings to at-risk children and youth, and short- and- long term caregivers.
Learn more at Healing Connection.
Written by Sarah Suydam, Managing Editor for West Michigan Woman.
Photo courtesy of Bethany Hall.
