A Network of Containment

We are a non-profit association of socially dedicated people of various professions. Our goal is to support traumatized people, offer preventive measures and educate the public. Psychological trauma has gotten more attention within the past years, organizing quick help for victims and specialized training for professionals is still an important issue though. Trauma results in multiple problems, for instance attachment and relational problems, addictions and dissociative response patterns as well as physiological effects all of which need to be understood and acknowledged in society to better integrate the needs of traumatized people.
It is our vision to build a center in Leipzig that can serve as a contact point and a place to go for these issues – the Psychotrauma Center Leipzig. We have been working as a non-profit association for the past seven years by offering presentations, workshops, information stands, courses and consultation. Now we want to extend our field of action and be more present in the city by becoming more visible and approachable for persons affected, interested professionals and the general public.

Starting in February 2015 we would like to rent the representative rooms of the Elsterpalais in Leipzig, close to the city center to establish the Psychotrauma Center Leipzig. Our goal is to offer the resources each of us brings into the project to traumatized, dissociative individuals, and professionals working in the field, as well as the general public. We aim to support traumatized, dissociative people, educate professionals, raise awareness in the general public and offer preventive measures with the following approaches:

• Trauma Counseling for stabilization in people with traumatic experiences .
• Art Therapy Counseling to access and understand internal images and try out creative solutions.
• Workshops and Presentations on a variety of current scientific issues regarding trauma and dissociation for parents, teachers, social workers, care workers and others.
• Training workshops on how to deal with trauma and dissociation, especially in children and adolescents.
• SAFE®-Workshops: Sichere Ausbildung für Eltern (Safe Education for Parents), a preventive measure for expectant parents before and after the birth of their child.
• Relaxation Techniques: Qi-Gong, Yoga, Progressive Muscle Relaxation and stress-reduction workshops with trauma savvy teachers.
• Cooperation with the clowning association Leipziger Nasen e.V.: Clinical clowning for children and adults (see also: www.Leipziger-Nasen.de).
• Vocal Pedagogy and vocal training for children, adolescents and adults by a trauma savvy teacher.
• HIV-Counseling to deal with resulting psychological problems when faced with the diagnosis.
• Lactation Consultation for mothers with breastfeeding difficulties by a trauma savvy midwife
• Grandparent Workshops to support grandparents in becoming supportive to their children.
• Seminars and counseling in Nonvolent Communication
• Mediation for conflict-resolution
• Room rental for self-help groups and professional peer intervision

These are interesting for a number of different target groups:
Traumatized individuals, therapists, foster parents, care takers, teachers, children, midwifes, nurses, speech therapists, doctors, parents, families, social workers, child welfare officers, psychologists, family aides, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, and many more.

Your contribution helps to found a center that brings together all of the above under one roof – a center that encourages and inspires people, increases individual zest for life, fosters relational values und thus contributes to a positively social society.

Why is this an important social issue and why does it concern you personally?

➢ Trauma is not something that happens to others: one out of four girls and one out of seven boys experiences sexual abuse and the number of unreported cases is higher. Every 7. adult female has experienced sexual violence. Domestic violence happens in all walks of life and is so common that 25 % of all women and men and even more kids have been affected. Every 10. person grew up with severe physical or emotional neglect. Bullying in shools, mobbing in the workplace and cybermobbing increase the risk to become a victim of traumatizing violence in our society. What these statistics show us is that everyone is either directly affected or knows people who are.

➢ Trauma happens between people: in families, schools, workplaces, relationships. A trauma is not an illness, it is a serious social life experience and a societal problem. It’s the reason why we need social approaches to face the results and to foster a non-violent society.

The Psychotrauma Center Leipzig is a place to go for traumatized people, their carers and friends as well as for members of all professions who deal with this issue. We want to show ways out of the helplessness and at the same time we aim to educate the public and offer preventive measures, training and networking.

There is no Health Without Mental Health.

With your help we can make this center a reality as soon as the beginning of 2015

With the financial aid from the crowd we will rent an appropriate space, pay for the security deposit and furnish the place sufficiently for the whole range of activities that are to take place: seatings, a kitchen with equipment, curtains, lamps, shelfs, tables, mats, even houseplants and garbage cans...
We will also overhaul and relaunch our current website:
www.psychotraumazentrum-leipzig.de
and install an electronic booking system to coordinate the use of the rooms.