Imani Robinson

About

There is a moment I have come to look for, usually well into the work: someone refers to what happened in the past tense and does not correct themselves. For a long time people speak about it as though it were still occurring, in the present tense, without noticing they are doing so. Then one day the grammar changes. That shift is not cosmetic. Trauma is stored in a way that keeps it perpetually current, which is exactly why it feels as though it is happening rather than as though it happened. The tense someone uses is a surprisingly accurate indicator of where the work has reached, and I pay close attention to it. I supervise newer clinicians alongside my practice, and this is one of the markers I ask them to notice. Grammar is data. If everything still feels as though it is happening now, get in touch.