In Homer's, "The Odyssey," our hero and warrior, Odysseus, encountered many challenges on his ten year journey home to his family after the Trojan War. Along his journey, he encountered turbulent storms, rough seas, deception, and lurking monsters. Like our hero, we have all journeyed across a dark sea of suffering and inevitable passages each one of us must face during our lifetime... birth, maturation, setbacks, betrayals, accomplishments, pain, pleasure, marriage, aging and death. It is how we handle these challenges that greatly influences and determines the quality of our lives.

Today, we live in a world of war, terrorism, natural disasters and trauma. We live in a world in which the media bombards us with the destructive sights and sounds of violence. We watch 24 hour cable newscasts that show us the horrors of war and terrorism around the world. In some of our own communities, gangs and drive-by shootings are the norm, and throughout the country, domestic violence seems to be on the rise. All forms of violence we experience or merely witness create trauma and stress. Sometimes we are not even aware of the effects of these occurrences, or we fail to connect them to the daily assault on our senses. Traumatic experiences continue to have an effect even after the initial shock of the trauma has passed. Sometimes we are unaware of how the trauma impacts us, or that new traumas, or triggering events build up in our psyches over old traumas. Not only are traumas held in our psyches and our memories, they are also held in our bodies.

While trauma is a fact of life, it does not have to lead to emotional paralysis, physical disease and spiritual self-destruction. We can heal from trauma. In fact, with proper guidance and support, the healing journey can bring about a positive transformation to, not only the individual, but their families and the communities in which they live.

How can we heal from the effects of trauma in our lives? By applying comprehensive, intervention strategies that address the whole person-mind, body and spirit-that include:

Odyssey Quest, Inc. is a non-profit organization committed to facilitating the holistic healing journey of humanity from the effects of violence and trauma. We offer a wide range of services and programs that utilize effective "self-help" tools and provide the proper guidance, social support, and safe environment for healing and personal transformation. Whether you are experiencing the effects of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), personal crisis or life transition, Odyssey Quest is committed to empowering you on your personal path to wellness, self-healing and spiritual wholeness.

Odyssey Quest, Inc., is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) that offers holistic and integrative health care interventions, multi-cultural spiritual counseling, clinical services, and preventative educational strategies to individuals and families through educational programs and conferences, wellness programs, consulting services, training workshops, community forums and discussion groups.