The S.E.L.F. compass visually represents the circular nature of recovery. Recovery is a process that we engage in throughout our lives. Each time we experience a traumatic, or stressful event or situation, we begin again in a process of recovery that is never linear but always fluid.

As human beings we are biologically programmed to respond to any trauma with a “fight or flight” safety response. Whenever we experience a trauma, we must first regain our sense of safety before we deal with the next stage of recovery. All stressful situations and events create strong emotions. The more serious the traumatic experience, the more intense the emotions. Sometimes those emotions are so intense that we will do anything to avoid the pain of those intense emotions. In order to move through recovery, then, we must find a way to experience and manage these difficult emotions.

All life changes involve losing something we are used to. It may not even be a good thing, but we are used to it being part of our life. Recovery requires that we find a way to readjust to our new circumstances.Recovery means the process of finding a new future to replace the situation that is lost. To recover from a trauma, we must change and grow. Being able to envision a better future is the first step to living it.

Safety
 

Physical Safety

  • Is my body protected from danger and/or can I see danger coming?

Psychological Safety

  • Can I trust and manage my thoughts and feelings?

Social Safety

  • Will my peers, family, and community support and protect me?

Moral Safety

  • Am I free to choose between right and wrong
Emotions
 

Identification

  • What am I feeling? Can I name my felling or am I avoiding it?

Managing

  • How am I coping with these strong emotions? Am I expressing them(either verbally or physically) or suppressing them?

Words

  • Can I use words to manage my feeling instead of actions so I can learn from them?
Loss
 

Grieving

  • I must experience the feelings that come with losing something.

Re-enactment

  • Am I trying to re-create the situation I am used to in order to avoid the feeling of grieving?

Letting Go

  • Have I accepted that things have changed and will not go back to what I’m used to?

Saying Goodbye

  • Am I able to acknowledge the loss verbally and finally?

Moving On

  • Have I made that situation part of my past?
Future
 

Changing Trajectory

  • Am I doing things differently or am I stuck in old patterns because they are comfortable?

Attracting Good Things

  • Am I open to new thoughts, actions, friends, supports? Do I feel the power to find good things?

Different Choices

  • Am I making different choices that will have different results?

Imagination and Vision

  • Can I imagine a new and better life after this loss or trauma?