1. Acknowledge What Happened
Give yourself permission to name the experience as racial trauma. Whether it was overt racism, microaggressions, or systemic injustice—your feelings are real and valid.
2. Prioritize Your Safety
Focus on grounding techniques: take deep breaths, drink water, find a safe space, and pause before reacting. Emotional regulation is key to recovery and clarity.
3. Feel What You Feel
Allow space for anger, grief, sadness, or confusion. Suppressing your emotions can deepen trauma. Journaling or speaking with someone trusted can help process these feelings.
4. Connect With Supportive People
Reach out to those who understand your lived experience—trusted friends, cultural or spiritual communities, or a trauma-informed therapist.
5. Set Boundaries
You are not obligated to educate others or justify your pain. It’s okay to disengage from environments or people who invalidate or minimize your experience.
6. Practice Cultural and Racial Affirmation
Engage in practices that reconnect you with pride in your identity—read, create, dance, listen to empowering music, or affirm your beauty and heritage.
7. Seek Professional Help
A trauma-informed, culturally competent therapist can help you process the experience, develop coping strategies, and begin healing. Therapy is a powerful step in reclaiming your peace.
8. Rest and Restore
Racial trauma is exhausting. Make rest a priority. Sleep, meditate, disconnect from media, or do what nourishes your body and soul.
9. Reclaim Joy
You deserve joy. Watch something funny. Create. Laugh with friends. Racial trauma doesn’t define your worth or your future.
10. Remember You Are Not Alone
Many people walk this path. You are part of a legacy of strength, survival, and resilience. Healing is possible, and support is available.
The Social Work Concierge, LLC 
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