The Theory
5Rs for Healing and Growth After Trauma
Running
The Running phase represents “fleeing feet” as Somali girls run from violence, war, or crisis. You are scared about threats and chaos. You are just running to survive and cannot pause and reflect on your feelings and needs. You feel like escaping, freezing, hiding, staying silent, and problem-solving even after finding a refuge.
Notice the person fleeing with bare feet. The girl is running in a humble Somali Baati (Somali traditional dress). She desperately seeks refuge and safety. Notice the small squares of hope she moves towards.
PAUSE & REFLECT
How do your feet ground you when you need stability? How do they carry you when it's time to run or find a new path?
Resettlement
The Resettlement phase represents “living in a tent.” You are in a temporary shelter. You feel relieved but also nervous and worried. You realize that you have lost your very ordinary life. You feel Murug (i.e., profound sadness, grief) and Qaracan (i.e., mental shock, agitation).
Look at the temporary shelter and feel a transient life situation with limited resources. It is hard to see and feel hope. But you believe that hope still exists and grows beneath your feet and across the sky. While things may feel unstable, nature remains a steady source of hope and comfort.
PAUSE & REFLECT
What might you appreciate in this transient moment, even if your life isn’t ideal or stable?
Residual Stagnation
There is a deep sadness within you. You know there is no need to run from danger any more—you have food and a roof over your head. Yet, this sadness has been with you for a very long time...
People may say to you: “You should get over it.” It is challenging to hear at your darkest times. So, you might smile or act like everything is fine. People do not see the emotional pain you are carrying, but inside, you feel broken.
Notice the broken pieces in a crouched body. Where is hope? Who am I now, and who was I before? Is there anyone who could truly understand this sorrow?
PAUSE & REFLECT
What might someone in this phase need from their community? What did you need most from others during your hardest times?
Reconciliation
How do you begin to integrate everything that has happened to you? First, you learn to walk humbly. It is okay not to keep running all the time. You make small steps. You may want to contribute to the well-being of your family, neighbors, and communities. You begin to feel grateful for all you can offer the world.
Notice the young girl who once carried painful memories and used to run from them. She is now embraced by an adult woman who offers compassion, protection, and love. The girl reaches out, too, to the woman who no longer tries to disconnect from herself.
PAUSE & REFLECT
What does feeling whole mean to you? What steps can you take to feel whole in your life?
Resolution
Healing is not linear. It is not a destination, either. You are now a seeker of lifelong growth. You no longer avoid or hide difficult emotions; you accept and share them with people you trust. You care. You listen and show up for others. You take action. You work together to solve community issues. You share— your food, time, energy, hope, story, and vision.
Notice the woman’s hands held together. Her dress is made with emerald green fabric. Her sister, who has passed, used to hold her hands and wear an emerald green dress like this. The woman now carries on her sister’s memory.
PAUSE & REFLECT
What do you need to resolve what still feels unresolved and hard to accept? Which moments of growth from your past still give you strength today?