Healing TREE's Mission:
Healing TREE (Trauma Resources, Education & Entertainment) advocates healing from abuse and trauma rather than coping with the symptoms, in order to transform lives and, ultimately, society. They achieve this by providing trauma-focused resources and education and by producing and partnering with relevant film, television, and theatre, empowering the social change necessary to create a healing movement.
The Issue:
Leading studies show that trauma is a public health crisis and the root cause behind much mental and physical illness, addiction, crime, domestic violence, homelessness and suicide. Effective treatments are available but there is a lack of integration between the trauma, mental health and medical fields and of general awareness on the issue. Healing TREE exists to change that so that healing from trauma becomes the new normal.
The ACE Study & Suicide:
The CDC-Kaiser Permanente Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study is one of the largest investigations of childhood abuse and neglect and later-life health and well-being. Study findings repeatedly reveal a graded dose-response relationship between ACEs and negative health and well-being outcomes across the life course. As the number of ACEs increases, so does the risk for several of the leading causes of death, including suicide. People with 4 or more ACEs had up to 12 times the likelihood of suicide attempts compared to those with no ACEs. According to the CDC, "Preventing ACEs could reduce many health conditions. For example, preventing ACEs could reduce suicide attempts among high school students by as much as 89%.”
In order to prevent - and reduce the impact of - ACEs, and therefore reduce suicide, effective treatment for trauma is imperative. Cycles of abuse and trauma must be broken and those who are currently suffering with the impact of trauma must get effective care that properly addresses the root of their symptoms. An estimated 90% of mental health professionals are not trained in the treatment modalities that engage the part of the brain that is injured during trauma, leaving the majority of those seeking treatment left to simply cope with their symptoms lifelong. Effective trauma treatment, such as EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) exists, but despite its incredible body of research and efficacy, many clinicians are not trained in it due to it being cost-prohibitive. This is especially true for clinicians outside of private practice who serve under-resourced communities, which leaves the most marginalized populations without this quality of care.
EMDR Therapy is a leading, evidence-based, trauma-focused treatment modality, which is highly effective in treating the widespread conditions related to trauma. Healing TREE sponsors and facilitates EMDRIA-approved EMDR Therapy Trainings in order to make cutting edge trauma treatment accessible to underserved populations. As of January 2026, Healing TREE has provided trainings for nearly 550 therapists (90% of whom were on full scholarship), serving approximately 27,500 youth in the foster care, child welfare and juvenile justice systems, as well as youth at risk of developing Opioid Use Disorder, per year. EMDR is recommended by the World Health Organization, American Psychological Association, American Psychiatric Association, Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense, International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. EMDR has been shown as superior to Fluoxetine in treating PTSD and depression (Van der Kolk et al., 2007). In a comparison of CBT and EMDR for sexually abused Iranian girls, both EMDR and CBT produced significant reduction in PTSD and behavior problems but EMDR was significantly more efficient, using approximately half the number of sessions to achieve results. (Jaberghaderi, N., et al., 2004). Three 90-minute sessions of EMDR eliminated post-traumatic stress disorder in 90% of rape victims. (Rothbaum, B., 1997.) Two sessions of EMDR reduced psychological distress in traumatized adolescents/ young women and brought scores within one standard deviation of the norm. (Scheck, M., et al., 1998)
We know that a trauma history, depression, anxiety and PTSD are all major risk factors for suicide, so by making this evidence-based treatment accessible to populations that wouldn’t otherwise have access to it, Healing TREE is proudly doing its part to prevent suicide by providing effective treatment. Furthermore, all of Healing TREE's core programming, from EMDR Therapy Training to their Approved Care Network, to their Silk Screenings + Workshops to their recent play The Big Bad and recent short film The Knock Shadow, centers on helping folks heal from the trauma underlying their suffering, therefore reducing the risk for suicide and other leading causes of death and dysfunction.
You can learn more and donate
directly to Healing TREE at www.healingtreenonprofit.org
