Growing up in a traumatic environment with an abusive family, led to a lifetime of post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental illnesses. My story isn’t that different from countless others, and yet, there are many stories that are not heard enough. Stories that slip under the cracks. Trauma, whether obvious or not, physical or emotional, always leaves its mark and mental health doesn’t exist in a vacuum but is intertwined with the experiences we have in our lives. I was in recovery for years with no progress – until I started recognising and understanding the impact of trauma and how our bodies remember. Trauma-informed care helps us put together missing pieces and understand why many people act the way they do. I am passionate about trauma informed care in our society and communities- in schools, healthcare, law, mental healthcare, social work and more – trauma-informed care is a vital step in understanding not just ourselves but the people around us, a vital step in more empathy and more care.