The biggest reminder from the day was: You are a helper, but you are human too. You cannot pour from an empty cup. Seeking support is not a weakness, and caring for your mental health should not be a once-off effort. Sometimes, it requires a continuous commitment to your own well-being. Because those who dedicate their lives to helping others deserve care and support, too. #TraumaAwareness #MentalHealthMatters

One key highlight was understanding how vicarious trauma can change a helper’s view of safety and trust. Through repeated exposure to clients’ traumatic experiences, helpers may become overprotective of their loved ones, struggle to trust others, or begin to see the world through the lens of fear. Through group assessments and real-life case scenarios, participants reflected on their experiences at work and explored what they could control, where they could influence outcomes, and what was beyond their control.

Behind every frontline service provider is a human being who listens to painful stories, supports people through difficult experiences, and carries the responsibility of helping others heal. But what happens when the work begins to affect the helper, too? Day 2 of the debriefing session explored this reality. Participants explored secondary and vicarious trauma, and healthier ways to process difficult experiences.

Tomorrow’s full-day session will continue with exploring secondary trauma, grounding techniques, control, and peer support to equip these frontline heroes with healthier ways to process difficult experiences. #TraumaAwareness #MentalHealthMatters

Participants engaged in personality assessments to better understand themselves, those they work with, and the clients they serve, as well as a creative “backpack” group activity to better understand the differences and similarities in their roles and how they complement each other. A central discussion highlighted the emotional weight of balancing extreme professional crises, like responding to rape and mental health cases, with personal roles like parenting.

Today’s session provided a safe, non-judgmental space to explore how trauma affects emotions, thoughts, behavior, and service delivery.

Frontline service providers are dedicated helpers, but they are also human. Given the intense nature of their work, they need time to step back, debrief, and prioritise their mental health. To support them, the #BreakFree pillar is hosting a day-and-a-half trauma debriefing session for 35 social workers and police officers at the #BeFree Youth Campus, facilitated by Ms. Charlene Uakuruamenua, a professional social worker and lecturer at Welwitchia University.

Pastor Wimpie Vernooy reminded participants: “Respect your grief and give others the space to grieve in their own way. Allow yourself to feel the pain, acknowledge what you have lost, and take the time you need to process it. But don’t allow yourself to get stuck in it.”

These may include building healthy routines, gradually returning to everyday activities, and finding meaningful ways to remember and honour those or things we have lost.

The session covered trauma responses, including fight, flight and freeze, recognising personal triggers, managing emotions, and distinguishing between healthy and unhealthy coping mechanisms. Grief and forgiveness were also explored, highlighting the importance of acknowledging loss, allowing oneself to grieve and respecting how others process their pain and finding healthy ways to move forward.