Finding a trauma-informed therapist is the first step toward healing after trauma, but there will come a time when you need to take the next step toward healing as you establish community and relationships with other people. Studies have shown that when people find a supportive network of family and friends, they are more likely to recover from traumatic experiences.

Community support is a powerful tool in the healing process. It reduces isolation, can be a safe space to grow, offers emotional support, and provides validation. Community takes many different shapes and forms and, depending on your specific needs and desires, you can almost always find some kind of group that fits you and your circumstances.

Here is a list of several community support groups in the Tampa Bay area:

• Divorce Care: If you’re going through a divorce and find yourself needing someone to talk to, you can find several Divorce Care groups meeting throughout Tampa Bay. Currently, Grace Family Church hosts a group that meets on Thursday evenings through mid-April, and another that meets Tuesday evenings through May. Beulah Baptist Institutional Church will begin hosting a Divorce Care group in April that runs through early July, and in September you can find a group starting on Tuesday evenings at South Tampa Fellowship. Visit this link for more information.

• Celebrate Recovery: When people hear the word “recovery” they often think of it as related to drug and alcohol addiction. Celebrate Recovery takes this a step further to meet the needs of the hurting—those who are recovering from all kinds of life-impacting traumas. From the Celebrate Recovery website: “Celebrate recovery is a Christ-centered, 12 step recovery program for anyone struggling with hurt, hang ups, and habits of any kind. Celebrate Recovery is a safe place to find community and freedom from the issues that are controlling our life.”  There are numerous Celebrate Recovery groups that meet regularly throughout the Tampa Bay area. You can find the one closest to you by clicking this link and searching your zip code.

• Group Trauma Therapy at CCT: Meeting with a group of people who empathize with your healing is an excellent launching point to finding community. At Christian Counseling of South Tampa, we do have a group therapy opportunity for those looking for community trauma healing. During these group therapy sessions, you will learn new life skills to help you cope with complex trauma. As a group, you will work with other group members to learn how to implement those skills. You can learn more about this group session by clicking this link.

• Running Clubs: Exercise is one of the quickest ways to increase endorphins in the body. Endorphins are a chemical released that help lower cortisol levels, reducing inflammation in your body as a whole. This, in turn, alleviates the fight or flight response so often shackling those battling trauma. Are you interested in starting an exercise routine but don’t know where to start? Tampa Bay has several different running groups that meet weekly, and most of them are free. You simply show up and start running. Here is a list of ten different Tampa Bay running groups. There is a group for everyone and every skill level (one of them is even specifically designed for people who hate running!)

• GriefShare: This is a grief recovery support group where you can find help and healing for the hurt of losing a loved one. Find a local GriefShare group here.

• Local Church: Finding community can be as simple as finding a local church where you feel comfortable. We realize that attending church can come with hurt and baggage for some people. It’s true that the Church is a building where hurt people congregate regularly. And sometimes those hurt people hurt others. But the Church is also filled with people who love to serve and meet the needs of those struggling in their communities. If you’re looking for a place to meet people, the church is a great place to start. Look for churches that are actively serving in the community and try visiting a few to see where you feel most comfortable.

Finding a community will always require some effort. It rarely shows up at your front door. One of the keys to healing trauma, however, is found in a supportive group of people who are willing to walk alongside you while you process and grow and implement the tools you’re learning in therapy. If you’re interested in finding a community you can reach out to for healing, take a few minutes to sit down and figure out what is important to you in a healing group. Is it a group that meets outdoors? Is it a group that has open shared opportunities? What do you need to facilitate the next step of your healing? Once you have deciphered the answer to that question, you can find a group that’s best tailored to your specific needs. We at Christian Counseling of Tampa are happy to assist you in finding the place that is the best fit for you this summer.

INTERESTED IN TRAUMA THERAPY IN TAMPA, FL

If you're interested in exploring personalized guidance and counseling services, consider connecting with Christian Counseling of Tampa. Our compassionate team is here to support you every step of the way offering support and guidance, combining faith-based principles with evidence-based techniques to help you heal from trauma. Reach out today to learn more about our services and how we can assist you.

Read more in our Trauma Series:

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