Revolutionizing the Clinical Frame: Individual and Social Advocacy Practice on Behalf of Trauma Survivors

In this article, we discuss the role of individual and social advocacy as practices that promote resilience and enhance the ecological relationship between trauma survivors and their communities. Issues of access, comprehension, linguistic and social isolation, cultural disorientation and displacement, and feelings of powerlessness within governmental and non-governmental systems encompass common challenges that trauma survivors experience. We discuss two composite cases that explore what individual advocacy and social action entail, how these activities can change a victim's relationship with, inform and mobilize health-promoting competencies within the larger community that assist in the healing from trauma. Included in the article are guidelines and handouts intended to be useful for service providers who are interested in incorporating advocacy into their work settings.