In the ever-evolving landscape of mental health and wellness, Shared Wellness, a service provider in Warrington currently supporting people with intellectual disabilities and their families, has embarked on a transformative journey to become a trauma-informed organization.

This commitment led to the creation of the Shared Wellness Community Center in 2023.

Building on this success, Shared Wellness has now broken ground on a major renovation of its Warrington office. The new center, set to open in July, will provide wellness resources, support, and events for the entire community.

This journey began with a simple yet profound question: How do we truly make people feel safe?

Trauma has a significant impact on individuals and communities. According to Dr. John Thvedt, a psychologist and co-founder at Shared Wellness, “Trauma isn’t just a one-time event; it fundamentally changes a person’s response to the world.” Individuals who have experienced significant trauma often remain in a heightened state of alert, making it difficult to differentiate between past and present threats.

Shared Wellness realized that managing behaviors without addressing trauma was ineffective—like “trying to mop up a flood without turning off the faucet.” To truly help people, they needed to focus on creating safety and addressing the root causes of distress.

Dr. Thvedt explained, “The first step in this shift was examining our existing attitudes and beliefs about negative behavior. Traditionally, behavioral approaches focused on controlling behavior externally, but Shared Wellness realized they needed a different perspective.”

They moved from asking “What’s wrong with you?” to “What happened to you?” This shift led them to explore new frameworks, such as mindfulness and polyvagal theory.

Polyvagal theory explains how the nervous system responds to both threats and safety. When individuals feel safe, they engage in social connection, relaxation, and learning. However, when we sense danger, we enter fight-or-flight mode. Trauma can cause individuals to become stuck in these heightened states, making self-regulation difficult.

To counteract this, Shared Wellness began prioritizing the creation of safe environments—both physically and emotionally—where people could regulate themselves, engage meaningfully, and heal from past trauma.

To learn more about the new center and how Shared Wellness is expanding its reach within the community, visit Shared Wellness.