FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What is SOS?

Survivors Overcoming Silence (SOS) is a trauma-sensitive education + advocacy platform to support Healing Humans in Overcoming silence of childhood & other traumas. There are various services offered to be used as information to build self-awareness & understanding of trauma & other healing components.

SOS aims to break barriers in education of what is studied in trauma, empower survivors in healing loudly & boldly blossom, as they reclaim their true & wonderful selves from lifelong masking, and layers from survival responses. SOS also has an (upcoming) branch for professionals & supporters of survivors – teaching the importance building blocks of trauma-sensitive care, to better support Healing Humans unique needs.

How can SOS help me?

In a nutshell, with SOS, you can expect plenty of resources & avenues of support such as the free social media content, rotating online courses, 1:1 coaching resources, & allowing space for the steps forward that seem right for you in survivor-led healing. Some of those services, but certainly not limited to, are:

How does Dr. Taelor, OTD serve SOS?

Dr. Taelor has a Doctor of Occupational Therapy degree (learn more about that below), in which she focused on trauma & project development. She’s a Certified Trauma Professional – meaning she’s fully qualified in specialty knowledge about trauma & recovery to support educationally. And more importantly, she’s just like you: a healing human being committed to breaking generational trauma. To learn more, check out her full bio here.

What experience does Taelor have?

Well, a bit… Not only is she a Doctor of Occupational Therapy & Certified Trauma Professional (like mentioned above), but she is also a trauma survivor with over a decade’s worth of healing – in & out of therapy – and three years of experience supporting survivors within SOS.
Some other notables:

  • Been a social media curator for 5+ years, OT for 4+
  • Presented 4x nationally on childhood trauma
  • Collaborated as a guest on multiple mental health & trauma advocacy platforms & podcasts
  • Created (& continue to create) online resources & Courses to support survivors’ healing journeys
  • Designed a month-long, trauma-sensitive group curriculum for those managing addiction recovery Ran educational groups focused on holistic
  • Development & self-growth
  • Coach(ed) survivors 1:1 & in small groups
  • Been doing therapy (in & out) since 16 – currently
  • EMDR for 3+ years
  • Trained professional groups on trauma-sensitive care
    … and that is just some of it!

What is occupational therapy?
And what does Taelor as an OT bring to SOS?

Occupational therapy is a holistic rehabilitation profession rooted in “occupation” – essentially meaning anything that takes up time in someone’s day. An occupational therapist is an expert & informed problem solver to support any barriers that someone may encounter due to injury, illness, or other challenge – that impacts what they want & need to do. OT is considered like a “sister profession” to speech therapy and physical therapy, yet are rooted in mental health – and helping people find meaning & fulfillment in their lives. This is not the same type of “therapy” you may be familiar with – like a social worker, psychologist, or psychiatrist. Though OTs can work closely with a variety of health, wellness, mental health professionals, and community organizations.

Occupational therapists are trained in understanding a variety of conditions, and trained to support within health & wellness aspects – including physical, mental, sensory, emotional, social and cognitive areas (to name a few). OTs are creative yet scientific problem solvers, to support their clients in overcoming whatever barriers are ahead – whether that be teaching them skills, working on specific goals in physical rehabilitation, or teaching communities at large (like we do here).

What is a Doctor of OT?

A Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) is a title earned after completing a Doctor of Occupational Therapy degree, which is a clinical doctorate in the OT field. In Taelor’s case, she added something new to her field by way of a specific project that she spent extra time & research on. She presented her final project in order to graduate with her OTD.

Taelor had a specialty research focus & continuing education within understanding trauma & trauma-sensitive care, within her degree focused primarily on occupational therapy. The OT background (in this case) is not therapy for processing trauma – it’s for promoting engagement in daily life, based on how trauma has impacted you. Taelor supports this global audience in a health promotion approach – which occupational therapists are primed & equipped to do based on knowledge & understanding of humans and the systems around us!

Please note: This is DIFFERENT than a medical “doctor” or psychologist / typical “therapist” you might think of when you hear the title.

What specialty knowledge does Taelor have in trauma, and how is she skilled to support survivors?

Taelor is a Certified Trauma Professional*, through Evergreen Certifications. This is additional, specialty training & understanding of trauma *outside* of what she completed for her research focus in her OTD that is only open to certain professional roles. Within this certification, she stays up-to-date on professional development with research & education from top leaders in the field, and maintains this yearly to be best informed for you. *please note: there is another certification called CCTP, for those who TREAT trauma (psych/social work) which the CTP does not. As a CTP, Taelor is allowed to support with an educational lens, and is trained alongside those who do treat, yet she does not do the treating or processing of trauma, which is outside of her scope.

With her training in occupational therapy along with her OTD, she is equipped to support with education & consultation based roles. Please note: occupational therapists have many other skills & roles that are not considered “therapy services.” OTs help in promotion – teaching about impacts of health/mental health, & give holistic education to support someone’s overall well-being (much of what is done here). This is not occupational therapy services.

Taelor also has a Trauma-Sensitive Mentor, Rachel Ashcraft, who is an expert in the field of trauma and occupational therapy. She has presented countless times on various trauma topics, was co-editor on a trauma & occupation textbook, and even designed a graduate certificate program to teach trauma to professionals, called the Multitiered Approach to Trauma. Taelor consults her mentor regularly as well, who supports in keeping research up-to-date and remaining trauma-sensitive.

On top of this, Taelor has an adulthood of self-acquired study, and lived experience in her own healing journey, which she has managed for over a decade in and out of therapy.

What is Taelor primed to do?
  • be an educator/advocate for well-being & quality of life – including trauma education & other skills, using a trauma-sensitive lens
  • design curriculum & support programming (which she does in her online courses, as well as contractually for professionals or companies)
  • give resources & tools for those searching
  • help problem solve barriers in someone’s daily life in a collaborative & educational way

Is this (or any of the SOS services) like trauma therapy?

No. This is is not therapy (for treating/processing trauma), nor should it be treated as a replacement as such. The information is provided as educational tools to add to your self-healing toolkit. You must use your discretion, as you know what is best for you. Also information is meant for a collective, general audience re: trauma survivors or supporters. You are as unique as your trauma is. Please recognize not everything will resonate with you, nor is it meant to. Take what resonates (with discretion) and leave what doesn’t – within social media platforms, online courses, and even smaller group community settings.

While Dr. Taelor is an OT, she’s not “YOUR* OT or therapist. Meaning – she can support you in an educational way – however this is not the place for treating trauma, individualized processing, or crisis support. Dr. Taelor & SOS have a bunch of resources for you to add to your toolbox on your self-healing journey. Dr. Taelor highly, highly recommends that you continue individualized therapy & see a licensed medical/therapy provider for specific needs. Dr. Taelor is loves doing what she does- & is also strict on what is okay ethically as a professional & morally as a human (which brings us to boundaries).

Where can I get help or find therapy for my trauma?

Psychology Today is a wonderful website, designed to help you find a mental health provider that fits you! You can organize your searches by categories such as: location, type of insurance, gender, specialty area, certifications, and more!

Other resources are listed on our SOS Resource Page – which also includes subsections for specific minority communities. Check it out here!

What are the rules & boundaries of SOS?

In short, this is a community for learning, supporting, & self-healing. Disrespect of any kind will not be tolerated – and may lead to removal of services or blocking on social media platforms. People should not engage with information or in educational services if they are experiencing a mental health crisis or are feeling unsafe.

  • Dr. Taelor’s DMs on social media or email are closed for individual advice or trauma dumping stories. Professional inquiries only please. She also doesn’t connect with followers in personal relationships, so please don’t ask. She will not respond. (This is not only for safety of her & ability to run this community smoothly, but also the safety of you. Boundaries are crucial within groups such as these) SOS is a resource & community, not a place for personal friendship
  • Safety & comfort of those here mean a lot to Dr. Taelor! She does what she can to maintain a level of comfort for this community. Please note – There is a trigger warning (TW) re: trauma, abuse, etc. for this whole page & resources.
  • That being said, absolutely read/interact at your own risk. Dr. Taelor will also do her best to filter out hateful/negative/harmful comments. She uses the block button. 🙂 The internet can be the internet – just be kind & respectful to all.

How can I support SOS?

It’s wonderful that you want to show support for this cause & community, thank you!
Here are few ways to support SOS:

  • Interact on posts – the algorithm an social is funny sometimes – & some of you won’t see posts. Just by liking, commenting, saving, sharing, it boosts what can be seen by others – so they can get help, too!
  • Leave a podcast review-feedback always helps!
  • Invest in services/resources – There will be a variety of resources that vary in accessibility/cost. Prioritize this content, and do more deep dives.
  • Donate or sponsor others – There are links to the SOS venmo, paypal, & CashApp in highlights & on website. Also, there will be opportunities to sponsor spots for courses for those unable to do so for themselves financially. Great way to give back!