Survivor leader, Eva Eakins (they/them) and trauma expert, Charlee Borg (she/hers) provide an overview of the abuse experienced by labor trafficking survivors and the trauma symptoms they cause. Topics include research on the trauma, survivor stories on the importance of naming trafficking experiences, and practical recommendations to develop client policies and procedures.
0:04 – Introduction of panelist and facilitator
1:20 – Learning Objectives
1:40 – Judith Herman quote about the need for truth to be told in healing, and the importance of being able to identify the experiences of survivors. 3:30 – Misconceptions in the field directly reflect the types of services available for survivors.
4:47 – Survivor’s quote
5:15 – Amy Fleischauer’s video on the importance of naming exploitation for what it is.
7:02 – Common experiences of trauma for survivors of labor trafficking.
10:40 – Example pictures of working conditions of labor trafficking survivors.
13:30 – List of identities that might increase an individual’s vulnerability to trafficking as perpetrators take advantage of the individual’s lack of support from society/their community.
13:58 – Definition of “Marginalized”
14:34 – Diagram visualizing marginalization
16:24 – How overlapping identities affect one’s access to services as well as how preconceived notions about a person’s identity can lead to a survivor being overlooked as a potential survivor of labor trafficking.
17:22 – Minors’ experience with trafficking.
19:25 – Discussion around trauma bonding and personal survivor experience. 22:00 – The role of statistics
26:48 – Every reaction to an abnormal situation is a normal reaction.
28:50 – Symptoms of Trauma
30:25 – What are some things people say when they’ve experienced trauma?
31:21 – Opportunities to decrease re-traumatization
35:02 – Judith Herman quote about the power of naming trauma.
36:06 – The interpersonal nature of labor trafficking trauma
37:51 – Thought experiment on what we see and our biases
38:42 – The impact of social interactions on clients
39:53 – Microaggressions
42:39 – Eva Eakins shares a piece of art they made when processing their trauma.
43:44 – Poem and discussion on the importance of self-compassion in healing
47:58 – Eva’s personal experience with trafficking and self-compassion
51:15 – Kabir Dass quote about kindness. Discussion about basing your service on compassion and not results.
53:54 – What prevents self-compassion
59:00 – Ways to encourage your client to practice self-compassion
59:59 – Who are peer-support specialists?
1:00:24 – Importance of being a peer-support specialist
1:02:45 – What to prioritize at your agency and closing thoughts Q&A 1:04:25 – “How can being self-compassionate make us better providers?”
1:07:47 – “What should I do if my client has a lot of trauma, but says that they’re fine and only want help with more logistical issues? (housing, legal, etc..)”
1:15:50 – “What is your advice for people who might be hesitant to address trauma in their non-clinical role. How do you define the barrier between compassion-based support and the role of a more formally trained clinical worker? How do we address this in a responsible way?”
1:23:14 – “How would you help identify the labor trafficking that people may be experiencing in order to help them heal from that specific type of exploitation?”
Review the Event Takeaways Sheet here.
Topic(s): Foreign Nationals, Helpful Data, Service Delivery, Survivor Experiences
Resource Type: Event Recording
Date: May 18, 2022
