Trauma Dumping
January 2022
Trauma Dumping is a term that has recently made its way into the social media discourse on mental health. The term refers to sharing one’s traumatic experiences with someone who is not consenting or prepared to hear and process them. Unfortunately, widespread use of the term in some virtual spaces has distorted it somewhat, leaving many young people unsure when, where, and with whom it is socially acceptable to discuss trauma.
Discussion around the way we talk about trauma is certainly valuable. We could all benefit from reminders to ask about and respect the emotional boundaries of others. We could all also benefit from skill-building in establishing our own boundaries with others. However, framing this discussion as a problem with “trauma dumping” implies carelessness on the part of the traumatized individual, and might have the effect of shaming a person who is reaching out for support.
Your friends and loved ones will all have unique emotional boundaries, strengths, and limitations. For many reasons, members of your personal support network may at times be unable to empathize with your traumatic experiences or sit with you as you process them. This does not apply to your therapist. When you meet with your therapist, they are responsible for ensuring that they have the emotional bandwidth to actively listen, reflect, and sit with you as you tell your story.
Every person, including your therapist, has boundaries and is deserving of respect; however, talking about your trauma does not cross any therapeutic boundary. Your therapist will be there to actively guide you as you share your trauma narrative in the interest of helping you to regulate the emotions that are stirred up in the process of sharing. The ultimate goal is that you are able to share as much of your story as you need to in order to heal.
At Roamers Therapy, our psychotherapists are here to support you through anxiety, depression, trauma, and relationship issues, race-ethnicity issues, LGBTQIA+ issues, ADHD, Autism, or any challenges you encounter. Our psychotherapists are trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Psychodynamic Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Person-Centered Therapy, and Gottman Therapy.
Whether you’re seeking guidance on a specific issue or need help navigating difficult emotions, we’re ready to assist you every step of the way.
Contact us today to learn more about our services and schedule a session with our mental health professionals to begin your healing journey. To get started with therapy, you can fill out our inquiry form. You may use this form whether you plan to use insurance benefits, self-pay, or out-of-network benefits, and to receive details about your out-of-pocket costs and our therapists’ availability. Once your appointment is confirmed, you’ll receive intake documents to complete before your first session.
This page is also part of the Roamers Therapy Glossary; a collection of mental-health-related definitions that are written by our therapists.
While our offices are currently located at the South Loop neighborhood of Downtown Chicago and Lakeview on Chicago’s North Side, Illinois, we also welcome and serve clients for online therapy from anywhere in Illinois and Washington, D.C. Clients from the Chicagoland area may choose in-office or online therapy and usually commute from surrounding areas such as River North, West Loop, Gold Coast, Old Town, Lincoln Park, Rogers Park, Logan Square, Pilsen, Bridgeport, Little Village, Bronzeville, South Shore, Hyde Park, Back of the Yards, Wicker Park, Bucktown and many more. You can visit our contact page to access detailed information on our office location.