The speakers will address three different impacts, behavioral responses, and needs pertaining to trauma that sex trafficking victims and service providers may experience. The impact on development that trauma has presents itself in many forms: acute, chronic and complex (Peterson, 2018). The speakers will focus on complex trauma, as that is what a majority of sex trafficking victims experience. Secondly, they will explain in-depth the different responses to trauma, such as: fight, flight, freeze, and fawn. These four responses each carry varying implications that are critical for service providers to understand when providing services to victims of sex trafficking or others dealing with complex trauma (Walker). Lastly, the speakers will conclude their presentation with addressing healing needs and treatment approaches to individuals experiencing complex trauma and sex trafficking victims. Trauma impacts the person physically, emotionally and relationally. Trauma has both a short and long term physiological impact on the brain function, immune system, and overall general bodily health. In regard to the emotional impact of trauma, it causes the need for counseling, mindfulness habits, and skills training. This emotional impact in turn affects one's relational health and idea of relational health, such as secure attachment, community, family boundaries, friendships, and intimate relationships (Kolk, 2015). The speakers’ goal is to relay to the audience a deeper understanding of trauma and how having an understanding of it greatly impacts the victims served and gives them the understanding they both need and deserve.
Christa Lynn is a licensed therapist in Florida, certified clinical trauma professional and second-generation survivor of sex trafficking. As Executive Director of Anti-Trafficking at One More Child, Christa has been providing services to sexually exploited persons since 2011 and uses her expertise as a consultant and trainer, both nationally and internationally.
Marianne Thomas has been working with marginalized populations for 15 years and is a lived experience expert in complex trauma and human trafficking. She is the founder of My Name My Voice, an organization that teaches other organizations to work with and hire HT survivors.