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STAR-BASICS SELF PACED CLASS

Created and led by Carolyn Yoder, Psychotherapist

Founding Director *STAR www.emu.edu/star

(*Strategies for Trauma Awareness and Resilience)

Copyright 2016 by Carolyn Yoder

CLASS SESSION 2

What’s “normal?” How trauma impacts the body & brain

(belief and behavior)

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Introduction and objectives

Input • Objectives

• Understand and be able to explain normal brain/body trauma responses

• Understand the role trapped energy plays in trauma responses/symptoms, recognize the signs that indicate it, and name ways to release it

and suggestions for implementing this week Exercise • Objectives

• Develop awareness of when you or others go into fight/flight and “flip their lids”

• Identify two ways to release trauma energy and where to get more training

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What are normal trauma responses?

?

? ? ?

Is what I’m experiencing normal or am I “crazy”?

Does it mean I’m weak if I’m having nightmares or feel shaky and teary?

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TRAUMATIC STRESS

BRAIN (MIND)

Cognitive (thinking) Emotional

BEHAVIOR

Actions/Habits Relationships

What are signs of high stress and/or traumatic stress?

BODY

Physical Somatic (body)

BELIEFS

Meaning Spiritual

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Stress Distress

Name signs of trauma you see in your setting that fit these categories:

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Exercise

BRAIN (MIND)

Cognitive (thinking) Emotional

BEHAVIOR

Actions/Habits Relationships

BODY

Physical Somatic (body)

BELIEFS

Meaning of life / tragedy

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Trauma and the body/brain

Cerebral cortex/ rational brain

Limbic system/

Emotional brain

Brain stem/

Instinctual brain

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When we feel in danger, threatened or humiliated….

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Fight

Flight

….fear triggers the fight/flight/freeze response in the brain

Copyright © Eastern Mennonite University http://www.emu.edu/ctp/star 540-432-4651 9

Freeze

The 3-part brain

Cerebral Cortex

Rational, thinking brain

Limbic system/

Emotional brain

Brain stem/

Instinctual brain

Planning, creative

Past, present, future

Memory and emotion

THREAT First Alert!!

NOW! Survival

Automatic reactions

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Fight

Flight

Freeze

Medial Prefrontal Cortex

Video: The Three Main Parts Of Your Brain by Dr. Russ Harris

Video can be viewed at:

https://youtu.be/5CpRY9-MIHA

The link is also available in the class

resources (included as part of your

download).

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Pause the class video while you watch the video above.

The 3-part brain under high stress, trauma and retriggering

Limbic system/

Emotional brain

Brain stem/

Instinctual brain

Memory and emotion

THREAT First Alert!!

NOW! Survival!

Automatic reactions

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The body responds with an avalanche of chemicals and

stress hormones. This produces a tornado-like energy

in the body to help us survive.

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Fight

Flight

The freeze response: when fight/flight isn’t possible or fails

Being trapped, unable to

escape

Extreme terror

Paralyzing fear that you are

not going to survive

Also, the “initial gasp”

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What freeze looks like on the outside

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What freeze looks like on the inside

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The freeze response traps the fight/flight energy in

the body---- in the nervous system and muscles. (Peter Levine in Waking the Tiger, 1997)

What happens to this tornado-like energy?

If the tornado-like energy is not released, it stays trapped

and creates havoc in our bodies in the form of stress or

trauma reactions. (Peter Levine)

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Trauma experience

© STAR Team at Eastern Mennonite University. Adapted from Olga Botcharova's model © 1998..Published in Forgiveness and Reconciliation, Templeton Foundation Press, 2001

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Trauma diagnoses, the medical view

Individual Trauma

Acute Stress Disorder

(similar to trauma

experience diagram):

reactions last up to one

month

Post Traumatic Stress

Disorder (PTSD) (after

30 days) Symptoms are:

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• Intrusive memories: Dreams, nightmares or flashbacks (feeling the traumatic

event is happening again) or unwanted thoughts and images about the event(s)

• Avoiding reminders---people, places, events, memories, thoughts or feelings

related to the event(s)

• Negative changes in thoughts, beliefs and mood

• Inability to remember import parts of the event(s). Feeling detached from

others, Inability to feel happiness or satisfaction

• Changes in body activation that shows up as hypervigilance, problems

concentrating, sleep disturbances, exaggerated startle response, self-

destructiveness

Peter Levine and Gabor Mate. In an Unspoken Voice:

How the Body Releases Trauma and Restores Goodness, 2010.

Many typical trauma

responses will go away if the

trauma is dealt with in ways

that allow the interrupted

(and blocked) energy to be

discharged.

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Wild animals instinctual responses after freezing

• Shaking

• Deep breathing

• Cavorting

• Snorting

This discharges the compressed energy completing a natural, physiological process.

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Wild animals instinctual responses after freezing

• Shaking

• Deep breathing

• Cavorting

• Snorting

This discharges the compressed energy completing a natural, physiological process.

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• This educational clip of the

polar bear is from the video:

• Polar Bear Alert

• National Geographic,1982

Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT)

Somatic Experiencing

Deep Breathing

Trauma Release

Exercise (TRE)

Massage

Yoga

Sports

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Tools to physically release trauma energy

Singing

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In addition to the physical brain body reactions,

we assign meaning to what happened

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Beliefs: trauma shatters many of the beliefs(meaning-

making assumptions) we have about life.

Unmet needs: We have unmet needs---for safety,

justice/vindication, dignity, resources, etc.,

The brain/body and on going fear, threat or cumulative traumas

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Repression

APPLICATION & EXERCISES

Class Session 2: What’s Normal

Trauma and the Body/Brain

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Video: Dr Daniel Siegel presenting a Hand Model of the Brain

Video can be viewed at:

https://youtu.be/gm9CIJ74Oxw

The link is also available in the class

resources (included as part of your

download).

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Pause the class video while you watch the video above.

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“That just

wasn’t me.”

“I totally lost it.”

“I don’t know what got

into me.”

“Flipping our lids” helps us :

• Understand what happens to our brain in high stress and trauma

• Understand our own reactions and the actions/reactions of others

• Consider “which brain” we are working with when planning

programs, curriculum, interventions

The 3-part brain under high stress, trauma and retriggering

Limbic system/

Emotional brain

Brain stem/

Instinctual brain

Memory and emotion

THREAT First Alert!!

NOW! Survival!

Automatic reactions

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EXERCISE

Describe a time you “flipped your lid” or observed someone else

or even a group “flip their lid.” What was it like?

What helped you / them return to equilibrium?

Resources for physical release exercises

• Use psychoeducation to help people understand why this is important

• Shake & Awake exercise can be used to demonstrate

• Use physical release exercises people already know and use in everyday life, then add new ones

• Capacitar

http://capacitar.org/index.htm

• Download a free emergency kit

(available in multiple languages)

•

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http://capacitar.org/store.html

The Brain in the Palm of Your Hand, Daniel J. Siegel, MD

Click Images for more information

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Resources on trauma and the body/brain

TO PRACTICE OR TO LEARN MORE

Class Session 2: What’s Normal?

Trauma and the Body/Brain

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• Review Interpersonal Neurobiology expert Daniel Siegel

MD and Russ Harris MD, Brain in the palm of your hand

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gm9CIJ74Oxw

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CpRY9-MIHA

Suggested assignment

If you work with children, watch :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_dxnYhdyuY (4:25 minutes)

Hand Model of the Brain for KIDS - by Jeanette Yoffem MFW

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“That just

wasn’t me.”

“I totally lost it.”

“I don’t know what got

into me.”

Assignment:

• Be aware: When do you see yourself or others “flip your lid?”

• What is the threat?

• What do you feel in your body?

Practice: Tap the EFT points and saying what you are experiencing OR

Do deep breathing to counter the hyperarousal of your body

To ponder: What does it look like when groups or nations

are operating from the lower brain? “Flipping their lids?”

BONUS SECTION: Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) Carolyn’s #1 favorite tool for releasing trauma from the body, brain, and

your energy system!

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Trauma creates “static” in your energy system.

EFT can be safely used by individuals and groups (even children) for trauma,

physical physical pain, anxiety, learning issues, and improving performance.

www

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Research at www.energypsych.org/?Research_Landing

EFT Step 1: Learn the EFT tapping points

Pictures ©2008 Dr. Alexander Lees, PhD All rights reserved.

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• A specific emotion or thought

• A physical feeling or sensation

• A specific event

EFT Step 1: Select a specific issue/problem

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Step 2: Rate the problem on a scale of 10 (SUDS: subjective units of distress scale)

• Extreme intensity

(as extreme as it gets)

• Moderate intensity

• No intensity

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Step 3: Do the simple EFT process

Tap on the acupoints points

“Stream of consciousness” say aloud (if in a private place) :

• Any thoughts running through your mind

• Any emotions you feel

• Any body sensations (e.g. can’t breathe, knot in stomach, etc)

• Or you can simply make sounds, or cry as you tap without words

• Pause occasionally and take a deep breath, in through the nose and letting it

out through the mouth

• Continue tapping the points until you feel calmer.

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2010 Ann Adams

How do we know when we are done?

I feel pity instead of anger.

I thought of a

solution! I feel so

peaceful!

I can see it happening but I

can’t feel it anymore.

The BAD

feeling is

gone!

The problem

looks distant.

I was NOT responsible for the

tragedy! I was just there!

I feel sooo relaxed.

If I were not

experiencing this

calm, I’d never

believe it.

Watch for the natural shift in thinking (a cognitive shift).

Step 4: Measuring Success Step 5 Learn the more formal EFT process

While tapping the karate point say aloud:

Even though I have this (name problem, or thought or feeling or physical sensation),

I acknowledge it’s there and I want to love myself anyway. (affirmation).

(Repeat 3x) Get a free manual at www.eftuniverse.com

Drawing from www.serenityenergyhealing.com

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Acknowledgments

Monica Bauman, Admin Assistant

Eve Knepp, PowerPoint Slides

Clay Showalter, Audio/Video Editor