Beyond the Individual: Why Trauma Is a Collective and Systemic Issue

Trauma is often seen as a deeply personal experience—an individual’s response to overwhelming events that disrupt their emotional or physical well-being. While this perspective has its merits, it can also obscure a critical truth: trauma doesn’t occur in isolation. It is deeply tied to relationships, systems, and histories that shape our lives.

By focusing solely on the individual, we risk ignoring the collective and systemic dimensions of trauma. This narrow view frames healing as a private journey rather than a shared process of repairing relationships and addressing systemic harms. To truly understand trauma, we must look beyond the individual and recognize it as a reflection of disconnection—between people, communities, and the world.

Trauma as a Relational Rupture

At its core, trauma is a rupture in relationality. It disrupts our connections with ourselves, with others, and with the systems that surround us. For example, systemic racism doesn’t just harm individuals—it fractures entire communities, creating cycles of mistrust, fear, and alienation. Similarly, the trauma of colonization is not confined to those who lived through it; its ripple effects continue to harm generations through loss of land, culture, and identity.

In this context, trauma is not simply a mental or physical ailment; it is a symptom of broken relationships—between people, communities, and the Earth. When we focus only on individual recovery, we fail to address the root causes of trauma, allowing systemic harms to persist and perpetuate further disconnection.

The Role of Systems in Perpetuating Trauma

Systems of power—such as colonialism, capitalism, and patriarchy—play a significant role in creating and sustaining trauma. These systems prioritize productivity, control, and hierarchy over care, reciprocity, and equity. They sever relationships, reduce people to their utility, and dismiss the importance of collective well-being.

For example, consider the trauma experienced by marginalized communities in environments shaped by systemic inequities. These traumas are not random or isolated; they are the result of systems that devalue certain lives while privileging others. Addressing this kind of trauma requires more than individual healing—it demands systemic transformation.

A Collective Approach to Healing

If trauma is a rupture in relationality, then healing must involve repairing those relationships. This means moving beyond individual therapy and self-care to embrace collective and systemic approaches to healing. It means recognizing that our well-being is tied to the well-being of others and that true healing requires addressing the systems that create harm.

A relational approach to trauma acknowledges the importance of community, mutual care, and shared accountability. It invites us to see healing not as a solitary endeavor but as a collective process—a weaving back together of the threads that connect us to each other and to the Earth.

An Invitation

What if we saw trauma not as an individual burden but as a call to reconnect? What if healing wasn’t just about self-improvement but about collective transformation? By looking beyond the individual, we can begin to address the systemic and relational dimensions of trauma, creating pathways for deeper, more lasting healing.

The journey toward collective healing is not easy, but it is necessary. Together, we can challenge the systems that perpetuate harm, rebuild relationships, and imagine a world where trauma no longer defines us. Let’s begin this work—together.