Boston Marathon Bombing
I chose to put myself in a Boston Marathon runner’s shoes on the day of the bombing in 2013. Or rather, I chose to feel vulnerable and feel what it was like to remove the protection that shoes give, and feel the texture of the pavement, and the dirt and blood that many people experienced that day.
It was eerie to recreate this scene. My feet were covered in (fake) blood, and it dripped onto the pavement. I felt exposed and unsafe. Though my actual surroundings made me feel safe, I wanted to take the picture so that a viewer could not tell what was happening around me. I wanted to create a feeling of vulnerability and fear.
While looking down at my feet, I realized that people who were actually present for the bombing were probably not looking at their feet. They were probably trying to find a way out and they were probably not standing around. They were likely in shock and wondering what had just happened. They were trying to find their partner, their child, or their friends. While these thoughts were running through my mind, I just tried to capture that chaos simply taking a picture of my feet. Keeping the picture zoomed in and specific leaves space for the imagination of the surroundings.
Through this experience, I was able to tap into the chaos and confusion that the people who were at the marathon might be feeling. I also realized that the perspective of the scene and the event might be different for every person who was there. This is significant as a therapist because it reminds me to put away my assumptions and be curious about their experience and the effects their experience have on their physical and mental health.
I also learned that survivors feel a massive range of emotions during an after an event such as the Boston Marathon bombing. While some people feel sad and isolated, others feel anger and rage. As clinicians, we cannot assume that each person who experienced the same trauma will feel or think the same way. Using psychoeducation with clients can also help to normalize the range of thoughts and emotions they are experiencing (Briere & Scott, 2015, p. 129). We must tailor our treatment to each client’s needs, emotions, and thoughts.
It is important for mental health professionals and medical professionals to have adequate training to respond to a crisis or disaster. As therapists, the way we need to respond to a disaster is far different than responding to a client in a weekly session. Therapists need to be trained in addressing acute stress. For those professionals who did respond on the day of the Boston Marathon bombing, their specific crisis training and expertise allowed them to lessen and begin to heal the psychological effects that the survivors experienced.
