In February 2021, I experienced a traumatic episode that left me confused, discouraged, an emotionally shaken. I had to leave Marrickville with just four days’ notice. Although I willingly accepted this move as part of God's will, I soon realised that while my mind could rationalise it, my body was telling a different story. I began to suffer from panic attacks and stomach pain - physical symptoms that revealed unresolved trauma.

Seeking psychological help became a turning point. I discovered that my body was not only reacting to the present situation but also to a deeper wound, one that began when I was just five years old, fleeing my home country during war. As a child, I lost everything familiar, and those terrifying memories remained unresolved, quietly stored in my body. Leaving Sydney, my adult “home” of the time, suddenly and unexpectedly, reawakened those early feelings of displacement and fear.

The experience showed me how trauma can remain buried in the body, waiting to surface during moments of sudden change or perceived danger. Even though I consciously trusted in my Passionist calling, my body reacted as though I were once again unsafe and needed to flee. Thankfully, the supportive Passionist community at Holy Cross allowed me to spend time with my family in Adelaide, which brought comfort and healing. Slowly, I began to re-educate my body that I was safe, that this change was voluntary, and that the danger was not real.

During this time, I was also studying at Heart of Life, which helped me deepen my vocational discernment. I felt drawn to work with people who have experienced trauma, especially those affected by war, displacement, and grief. This led me to enrol in a Master of Counselling with a focus on trauma, loss, and grief.

My first placement, in a high school in Dandenong, gave me the opportunity to walk alongside refugee students and children of refugees. Many of these young people carried silent wounds of war trauma, intergenerational trauma, and displacement. It became clear how unresolved trauma affects identity, behaviour, and relationships, especially when experienced during childhood.

One insight I’ve taken to heart comes from Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, who writes in The Body Keeps the Score that trauma shapes how we react to the world - often pushing us to seek safety in ways that may not serve us. I was privileged to attend one of his talks, where he explained how trauma can mislead people into thinking that survival means aggression or avoidance.

When triggered, some of us cope by withdrawing, avoiding situations or even abandoning our dreams - seeking safety in escape, which can lead to substance use or other unhealthy behaviours. Others may feel safer reacting with aggression, hurting others emotionally or physically. But neither response brings true safety; instead, they harm others or diminish our own spirit. True healing begins when we understand the root of those reactions and learn new, safer ways of being.

Working in schools feels meaningful because it’s where young people can begin to heal before those patterns harden. I’ve learned that even though counsellors cannot fix everything, our presence matters. Every little light we shine can help someone find their way.

With the gifts we are given, the skills we develop, and the grace of God, we can accompany others on the journey toward healing. It is a privilege to do this work and I trust God to be the ultimate source of all light and restoration.

By Fr. Erick, CP