Shared Trauma: Group Reflections on the COVID-19 Pandemic

This essay describes the experiences of the instructor’s class in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, comparing these experiences to those of a previous class that lived through the 9/11 disaster. Both experienced shared trauma; that is, both cohorts were exposed directly as citizens of the impacted region and secondarily through the traumatic narratives of their clients. Students living through the pandemic described their choice of living arrangements and the meaning that “home” and family held for them; the use of existing coping mechanisms, development of new ones, or the exacerbation of bad habits brought about by the uncertain course of the pandemic; the role of social media in maintaining connectivity while potentially stoking fears and spreading false information; the challenges of social isolation and self-quarantining and their contribution to the discovery of new sources of strength and aspects of self; the importance of maintaining self-care and connection to others; the transition to teletherapy and remote learning and the attendant difficulties; the concerns about impending graduation into a post-COVID-19 professional landscape; and the need for the social work profession to focus on macro-level issues of social injustice and racial inequality highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic.