Trauma-Informed Oral Memory Model: From Survival to Safety

The Trauma-Informed Oral Memory Model is a practical approach to understanding how lived experiences, memory, trauma, and social context shape the ways individuals and communities respond to conflict, displacement, and adversity. Developed through cross-cultural work with women and communities affected by violence and trauma, this approach creates space for lived experience and oral history to inform healing, justice, advocacy, and decision-making. The model encourages practitioners to listen to personal narratives with care, recognize the impact of trauma on memory and behavior, and create safer environments where individuals can share their experiences without being re-traumatized.