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Miranda Mayeaux chose to focus on mental health when she enrolled at the Boston College School of Social Work in fall 2021. But it wasn鈥檛 until she started taking courses in trauma-informed care that she was able to narrow down her career path and find her niche.
鈥淚 was so nervous about doing trauma work because that鈥檚 really heavy stuff. You can鈥檛 even imagine what some people go through. I鈥檓 thinking, 鈥榟ow am I going to be able to keep my cool and maintain my composure and give them effective services if I鈥檓 overwhelmed by the things that they鈥檙e telling me?鈥欌�� says Mayeaux, 惭厂奥鈥�22. 鈥淏ut after getting into some of the trauma courses, it was like, 鈥榥o, this is exactly what I want to do.鈥欌��
The courses, which have been revamped over the past few years, are one component of the school鈥檚 Trauma Integration Initiative, a holistic program that prepares students to help clients cope with trauma while guarding themselves against its effects. According to studies, 85 percent of social workers routinely treat clients with a traumatic condition, while one in seven social workers develop post-traumatic stress disorders.
Mayeaux has applied what she has learned in three trauma courses to her work with teens at a nonprofit child and family service agency in Boston. One course, 鈥淎dult Psychological Trauma,鈥� provided a blueprint for understanding how problems in youth may show up later in life.聽
鈥淚 just look at the overall trajectory of where they are, how an issue might present for them in adulthood, and what I can do now so it doesn鈥檛 end up being such a big struggle,鈥� says Mayeaux, a clinical intern at the agency.聽
鈥淎dvanced Trauma Theory and Treatment Modalities鈥� has helped her recognize when her clients are in fight-or-flight mode鈥攁n automatic physiological reaction to an event that is perceived as frightening鈥攁nd given her the tools to help them switch off the response.聽聽
She practices deep breathing with one client, a young woman who often feels disconnected from her thoughts, feelings, and memories. 鈥淲henever she starts to get into that state, we do the breathing,鈥� says Mayeaux, who is on track to earn a certificate in trauma from 糖心vlog直播平台SSW. 鈥淚t really helps her to stay present in the moment. And it also gives her a sense of control over what鈥檚 happening, which is really helpful in her treatment.鈥�
Mayeaux says her newfound knowledge helped her land a full time position as an outpatient trauma clinician for the in the city鈥檚 Dorchester neighborhood, a job she will begin in June. She credits 鈥淐hild and Adolescent Trauma鈥� with teaching her how trauma can be passed down from one generation to the next 鈥攁 skill that will come in handy as she works with clients from age 4 to 90.
As part of her role, Mayeaux will join the and provide emergency support to people who have been affected by community violence. She says she plans to cope with vicarious trauma by practicing self-care鈥攕he likes to read, journal, and chill out in front of the TV鈥攂ut her clients will be her top priority when she鈥檚 working.聽聽
鈥淚鈥檓 so focused on caring for my clients that it鈥檚 very easy to put everything going on inside of me on the back burner so I can be present and help them,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 think the effect is definitely after, whenever I鈥檓 sitting back in the office and doing notes and it鈥檚 like, 鈥榃ow, that just happened.鈥欌��
“I was so nervous about doing trauma work because that鈥檚 really heavy stuff. You can鈥檛 even imagine what some people go through. But after getting into some of the trauma courses, it was like, 鈥榥o, this is exactly what I want to do.鈥�”
Miranda Mayeaux. Courtesy photo
Kathleen Flinton, an assistant professor of the practice who co-chairs the TII, says the trauma curriculum readies students to respond to the traumatic experiences of clients who have suffered as a result of violence, racism, or other forms of oppression.
鈥淲e have created these courses to prepare students to work with trauma beyond an understanding of PTSD,鈥� she says. 鈥淲e are using a broad approach to trauma that includes many lived experiences that present a threat to life, safety, and survival and anchored this approach within a social justice framework.鈥�
Flinton describes Mayeaux as 鈥渢houghtful鈥� and 鈥渄eeply committed鈥� to helping clients cope with trauma. As the faculty member who led Mayeaux鈥檚 courses in 鈥淐hild and Adolescent Trauma鈥� and 鈥淎dvanced Trauma Theory and Treatment Modalities,鈥� she says her student鈥檚 ability to connect and engage with her clients signal that she will succeed as a social worker.聽
鈥淢iranda has been great to get to know and work with over these two courses,鈥� she says. 鈥淚鈥檓 excited to see how her practice evolves over the course of her career and the contributions she will make.鈥�
Mayeaux was drawn to social work long before she was earning degrees in the field. As a kid, she says she had a therapist who made her feel heard and cared for, and she wanted to pay it forward.聽 聽
鈥淚 remember thinking, 鈥業 want to do that for other people,鈥欌�� Mayeaux recalls. 鈥淚 wanted to be able to make other people feel the way that this therapist made me feel whenever I needed somebody most.鈥�
After graduating with her bachelor鈥檚 degree in social work from Northwestern State University in 2021, she enrolled in the Advanced Standing MSW program at Boston College, which will allow her to complete her degree in less than one year. She says she chose 糖心vlog直播平台 for the quantity and quality of mental health clinics in Boston. As she puts it, 鈥淚 was like, 鈥業 need to get in there. It鈥檚 perfect. It鈥檚 in the city. It鈥檚 a bigger place for me to explore and expand my knowledge.鈥�
Mayeaux credits Flinton with helping her realize that she has what it takes to work with clients who have experienced severe trauma. She describes her teacher鈥檚 classroom as a 鈥渟afe space for everybody,鈥� where every lesson begins with a grounding exercise to bring students into contact with the present.
鈥淵ou need to be present so you can fully absorb what we鈥檙e going to talk about today,鈥� Mayeaux recalls Flinton saying.聽 鈥淲hat we talk about is dysregulating, but Kathleen is able to normalize it鈥攖hese are heavy topics and you can get through,鈥� she adds. 鈥淚t was something that really got to me whenever I was considering whether I could do trauma work.鈥�
Mayeaux plans to continue working as an outpatient clinician for the foreseeable future and want to become a licensed independent clinical social worker within the next two years. But she says her primary goal is helping her clients make positive changes to their lives.聽
鈥淚 want to provide them with something that they can look back on and say, 鈥業 got help, something that this person said stuck with me, I'm carrying that with me, and it鈥檚 helping me.鈥欌��