Supporting a person who has been through trauma calls for sensitivity, patience and understanding.

Here are a few ways you can offer effective and careful support:

1. Do not rescue unless asked:

Accept what the person says, without criticism or attempts to «fix» the situation.

2. Avoid Insistent Questions:

Avoid pressure or insistent questions about the details of the trauma. Let the person control what they share and when.

3. Offer Emotional Support:

Express compassion and understanding. Often simply being there, even in silence, is the best support of all.

4. Support the Person in Seeking Help:

Encourage, but do not force, them to seek professional help if it is needed.

5. Respect Their Space and Time:

Recognise that recovery can be a long process and may require personal space. Be patient.

6. Help with Everyday Matters:

Offer practical help, such as help with housework or looking after the children, to reduce stress.
Do not ask «How can I help you?» — offer specific help instead.

7. Avoid Clichés:

Avoid standard phrases that may be heard as belittling the person’s experience.

8. Stay Consistent:

Keep in regular contact and be dependable and very consistent; this helps restore a sense of stability and trust.

9. Support Their Right to Autonomy:

Support their right to make their own decisions and to be in charge of their own life — even if it seems to you that the person is not yet able to take care of themselves.

10. Take care of yourself:
Supporting another person is a noble thing. But it is worth doing when you have the resource for it. If you are supporting on your last reserves, there is a good chance that you will soon need help yourself.

Take care of yourself!