Raising the Barre
By Kayla Davenport
I have had the honor of working as a survivor care coordinator at End Slavery Tennessee for almost 3 years. This has been one of the most rewarding, challenging, and eye-opening experiences of my life. The survivors we work with have experienced horrific and intense trauma, sometimes ongoing for most of their lifetime. At End Slavery Tennessee, we strive to help survivors work through the trauma they have experienced through therapy, support groups, and intensive case management. As a direct service staff member, vicarious trauma is one of the realities we face.
Vicarious trauma, also known as secondary trauma, can be described as indirect exposure to a traumatic event through first-hand account or narrative of that event.
End Slavery Tennessee understands the demands of working as a direct service provider and offers us ongoing therapy, ample mental health days, and a wonderful work environment. The tricky thing with secondary trauma and stress is that if you don’t manage it, it’s really difficult to do your job well. Our great friends at Barre3Nashville also understand trauma and are working to help us manage it. Barre3Nashville generously offers memberships to our survivors and direct service team and I am HERE FOR IT! Barre3 is a full-body workout that combines strength conditioning, cardio, and mindfulness.
Personally, Barre3 has had a huge impact on my ability to manage my work and life stress. I can walk into a Barre3 studio feeling completely overwhelmed with the heaviness of the world. After an intense sweat session, I leave feeling renewed and balanced again. It has given me the ability to find my own strength from within and be more in tune with my body and what it needs. We all deal with stressful things in life. I mean come on, life is hard people!! Listening to what your body and mind need is the best thing you can do for yourself and for the other people in your life. Have you heard the saying “you can’t fill others from an empty cup”? These words could not be more true. As a direct service team member, I know the importance of taking care of myself so I can better serve the survivors I work with. Trauma, stress, and life, in general, can sometimes feel like it can knock you right off your feet, but we are all strong and sometimes just need to be reminded of that strength that is within you!
To learn more about Barre3 click the link below: