There are traumas that, due to their severity, require psychiatric interventions. Others, not so extreme in their consequences, tend to be barriers to leading a normal life. For these, the following pieces of advice are offered:

1. Accept the past and focus on the future. The past cannot be changed and it is futile to attempt to blame events and persons that have had an adverse influence. If you get stuck in the past, you will not be able to look at the future with the necessary trust.

2. Verbalize the traumatic event. Talking (or writing) about the event that produced the trauma in a relaxing and secure context is an extremely important step. Look for a person you can trust and confide what happened to you. It is also highly beneficial to get involved in group counselling. This entails people who went through the same experience.

3. Look for the positive side. Disasters and calamities tend to draw survivors, families and communities together. Be thankful for the human togetherness caused by misfortune.

4. Resort to forgiveness and reconciliation. Although difficult, it is possible to avoid holding grudges or resentment towards those who produced the trauma. This is an important step for the resolution of the past. It is not only applicable to others, but to oneself as well: self-forgiveness and self-reconciliation.

But forgiveness does not always come easily, as our capacity to love (and forgiving is loving) is limited. Appeal to the source of forgiveness, a God of love who – according to the gospel – longs to make us his friends and can help us to overcome the incapacitating past.