When we’re working with clients who have experienced trauma, targeting the limbic system can make our interventions more effective.
But what is the limbic system, and why is limbic system therapy so useful in treating trauma?
In the video below, Bessel van der Kolk, MD answers these questions and explains why he uses this kind of approach with his patients.
Take a look – it’s just under 5 minutes.
Dr. van der Kolk: There’s a metaphor I like to use in that so much of trauma is in the limbic system, or what people used to call the limbic system. And that all these areas of the brain have to do with danger, safety, perception of the world get changed. Basically most of the therapies that I’m advocating here is limbic system therapy. It’s all about understanding or figuring things out, because that’s not really where the trauma sits. Trauma sits in your automatic reactions and your dispositions and how you interpret the world. In order to really rewire those automatic perceptions, you need to have deep experiences that for your survival brain contradicts how you are now disposed to think.
Dr. Buczynski: Bessel just mentioned the limbic system. Broadly speaking, it’s the emotional part of the brain. It contains both the hippocampus and the amygdala, the hippocampus is associated with memory, and the amygdala is involved in detecting threat. Now you might have noticed that he said, “what people used to call the limbic system. ” That’s because there’s some question about whether or not it’s still useful to think of all the parts of the brain that make up the limbic system as a unified system. However, what’s important to take away here is this. Trauma doesn’t necessarily live in the part of the brain that’s concerned with reason and insight. It inhabits the parts that shape our temperament, the way we understand the world, and our automatic reactions. So when we target the part of the brain that’s feeling and reacting automatically, when we create a new experience that contradicts the lesson that that part of the brain has learned from trauma, that can change the way a person with a trauma history is wired to respond. So what does it look like to have an experience like that, an experience that re-wires the brain?
Dr. van der Kolk: For example, if you grow up thinking that you’re helpless and that anybody can do anything to you unless you yell at them, that becomes your disposition. But now if you take a martial arts course and you get to deeply feel like wow, I can kick anybody in the groin at any time because I feel like it, and I can protect myself. If you have experienced this, of becoming a martial artist, then that feeling of I’m always helpless will dramatically change. You cannot do that abstractly, and so you need to have experiences that directly contradict how your body is disposed. Who understands this best is the us army, who learned it from the Dutch army, that learned it from the Roman army over 2000 years. And that if you want to take a bunch of young recruits, the best way to get them to do things is to do basic training. In basic training you march, and you climb, and you crawl through the mud, and every night you go to bed and say, “Oh my god, I’m amazing, I survived this. I thought I could never do this, but I can.” By the end of 12 weeks, these kids are transformed because they have experiences that have brought them to the max of new challenges. We should have experiences like that in every mental health center. That is limbic system therapy.
Dr. Buczynski: So to change the way a client’s body reacts after trauma, we need physical experiences that directly contradict what the body has learned. Now I’d like to hear from you. How will you use this idea in your work with your patients? Please leave a comment below and thanks for watching.
For more on how to work with the limbic system to reverse the physiological imprint of trauma, please check out the Treating Trauma Master Series.
You’ll get insights from: Bessel van der Kolk, MD; Peter Levine, PhD; Pat Ogden, PhD; and Ruth Lanius, MD, PhD.
Now we’d like to hear from you. How will you use this idea in your work? Please leave a comment below.
I am not seeing a lot of positive results using limbic system therapy in reversing trauma related acquired aphantasia. The ability to be able to visualize an end goal, seems to ether by natural, subconscious or divine intervention bring with it, the steps in the process to reach that goal. Both in eastern philosophy thinking and in Christianity, there are plentiful references to this being true. Post traumaaphantasia needs specific address. I wonder if the ability to visualize end goal is about as important as relationships in the healing process. Surely, the ability to set and reach a goal. Thereby accomplishing is crucial accomplishment is crucial in the healing process.
This makes so much sense as to why forms of therapy such as CBT, DBT, Gestalt, REBT ect. are helpful for some patients and not others. if at an early age the prefrontal cortex was less active, and the limbic system was trained to constantly be working, using survival type thinking in place of your rational thinking, and present themselves as mental illnesses later in life with somatic conversions typical therapies as mentioned above would be extremely less helpful for the patient. The damage has to be reversed the same way that it was placed, through re-experiencing things that convince the brain that it’s survival response is not needed in these triggering areas of life.
Who are the therapists in Southern California who have training and experience in this area of trauma? I have a child that is in much need for someone who understands her.
Thanks so much.
–Linda
Good evening. Do you have an office or clinic to take care of a patient.?
Best Regards
Juan Castanos
juancastanos01@gmail.com
I am a trauma survivor. The treatment the helped me the most was Impact Model Mugging. You actually kick And hit a safely padded model full force. Yes I had that experience of losing my fear during events that would trigger me. It took awhile. When triggered I would practice my fight moves and shout.
I am so thankful for the CE offered by NICABM. Those have helped me in my work and for the other one I care deeply about. My brother has started therapy for a concussion TBI. No diagnosis and still I am sure that this is going to be a long haul for him but he isn’t aware of his change in his mood, temper. I am trying my best to help him with what I have learned about traumatic stress and I doubt this is going to bring a fast result. He first felt the guilt of getting into the accident and avoided to let me know because I will be very angry. It is too late now because he went to a surgery for his sciatic and back pain, after his feeling weakness in his left leg, and felt outside work. Now in disability for 6 months, only 2 months left. He is now being under the influenced of drinking and socializing to forget the pain, and started smoking. I know that giving up on his is not an option, and still I just can’t think of a better way to get help than getting more of those courses and learn more about Trauma because it is in our daily life. I have the read the book “The Body keep Score” and gave copies away to my friends who needs them.
The body knows everything from the first moment on , even from within the mother womb.
If. You can talk to your body , to organs in your body and even ask questions. It is a wonderfull world ❤️
Keep up the good work .
Rob
The body knows everything from the first moment on , even from within the mother womb.
If. You can talk to your body , to organs in your body and even ask questions. It is a wonderfull world ❤️
Keep up the good work .
Rob
I train people in businesses where very often people are carrying trauma which blocks learning. Given the Limbic system and need to really experience I am thinking of a more intensive program on the work floor. I also think this makes it accessible for people who otherwise would not go and reach for help. Furthermore we prevent leaders in organisations make decisions based on their trauma. My ambition is to stop this proces and help heal society as a whole.
Nothing like cancer to put things in order for a while anyway. Still dealing with the first half of my life being filled with this. Cancer survivor of 30 years but still feel the loss of the 20 before, even more so as I’m _70 this year and one can never regain. In some ways since breast cancer where my best years but facing my mortality I’m still regretful and the protective fat suit stays on. Childhood sexual abuse all too common and resulting man emotional abuse through my best years. Even with therapy which certainly saved my life along with being an accomplished and prolific artist and meeting the good man are the keys to my survival. Yeah dont like the military as a reference either. Choose another life changing event! Oh yeah and as far as occupations are, recognize artists, creative, etc.
I think it is unfortunate that the example of ‘Basic Training’ was used in this video to explain how limbic system therapy works. Surely he can find a better example as most of the service members I know have expressed how humiliating and disheartening the rigor of basic training really is. Yes, there is a sense of accomplishment in completing something that was extremely difficult in the end, but at what expense?
I survived an extremely abusive childhood and I feel a sense of accomplishment that I am still alive and in many ways thriving, but the trauma of the abuse is still there. Merely surviving that abuse is different than overcoming what I experienced. I was sexually abused by an adult outside my home only to come home to a physically and emotionally abusive father – but I survived it and did something really hard. How is the abuse that soldiers suffer and endure in basic training any different?
Furthermore, the average person will never experience the kind of extreme experience basic training brings. One of my biggest accomplishments (as measured by me) was learning to snow ski at 32. I became really good at it and I loved it. It was the first time I had felt a sense of accomplishment participating in a physical sport in my life. At 55 I took up horseback riding and love that just as much.
I really wish this video could be expanded on or redone to use examples that are more commonly found among the masses whether it is martial arts, skiing, horseback riding, yoga, biking, hiking or any number of activities, or no activity at all, but an exercise of the brain. It seems to me it is not so much the actual physical participation as it is the mindset and processing that goes with it and that can be accomplished in infinite ways.
These are my thoughts, your mileage may vary – so to speak.
Learning to ski is one of the main reasons I thrived as a teen and adult after a dysfunctional childhood. I’m substantially older yet I still ski from top to bottom like a 20 year old. It has helped me in the trauma of a dysfunctional marriage and I see now that it is a must for my recovery. I’m adding more bike riding and walking. Dance was also a great tool for my confidence as a young adult as an accomplished modern dance student from 10 to adulthood and college.
Very helpful thank you 🙏
I am a teacher of Yin Yoga and have a gentle approach in my classes and workshops. Making participants feel safe and free to let go is where I have been able to teach methods of self awareness and healing. Regular daily practice is paramount to manage the nervous system and remain conscious of emotional balance.
Kind regards
Aaron Schultz
outbackmind.com.au
This makes complete sense. When dealing with patients there was at times something missing having a theory based approach sometimes and a physical defence reaction takes prominence. This hypothesis fills the lack of results that theory alone has. I am very much a believer of boosting confidence through physical achievement. This confirms I am on the right track. I am interested in sitting a PHD although I haven’t decided on my research topic. This area I can relate to and am passionate about and I want to leave my mark in psychology. I experiences a traumatic brain injury where I had a major recovery. I assist other head injured people. This falls into this category of trauma against physical damage but physical damage is easier to deal with rather than reactionary trauma that can be dealt with an experienced practitioner.
Tom Paterson MSc tompatterson05@aol.com
Wonderfully said!
Thank you.
❤️Ruthie
Thank you. This video has confirmed why 45 years of talk therapy had less effect than 5 years of kickboxing classes. In fact, I’m sure that there was improvement before 5 years, but the classes were fun.
Hello, I was in the process of signing up for your course How to Work with the Limbic System to Reverse the Physiological Imprint of Trauma for $147. I’d filled the registration out and then went to get my credit card. When I came back it had all disappeared and I can’t get it back. Would you be able please to help me sign on for this course. Thank you.
Where can I find a practitioner who offers this trauma therapy modality?
You could consider trauma-informed art psychotherapy
It would be great if you had a less expensive version of the Treating Trauma Master Series for those who are fighting trauma themselves.
Agreed. Hope they read you.
Agree
Me too! This course looks good but it’s oriented to therapists. I need tools I can use in my own life with the limited resources I have. I live in a rural area and don’t have access to a trained trauma therapist.
I would like to teach horse handling on the ground to give domestic violence victims an experience of confidence and wetting boundaries and empowering. I have seen this work with girls in their teens. Your information makes sense of what I have been noticing.
This absolutely makes sense to me! I partner with horses to support people to find their “center” and “grounding” somatically, and recognize when they experience peace of mind, which free-roaming, relaxed horses naturally bring us into. Its actually the horse that is the therapist! As the horses live fundamentally in para-sympathetic state, which is where the human therapist is positioned, to support people in trauma recovery.
Rhiannon,
irenelyon.com offers a lot of free resources to help work through trauma particularly on her YouTube channel. Also look for Peter Levine on YouTube, as well as many of the other individuals that speak in the nicabm videos.
I took of risk of learning to skateboard at age 39. Having been overprotected as a child, this was huge for me. Sports were off limits growing up. Skateboarding changed my experience of my body and what I was capable of, my self-perception and my life. I wrote my first of 20 books at the time I learned to skateboard. I was also getting Rolfed at that time. And I had started studying dance ( a dream from childhood that had yet to be fulfilled). It all added put to moving into totally new territory within and in my life and career. I had become an art therapist the year before all this happened.
I have a client who needs this type of therapy. His trauma started when he was 3 and continued thru his teen years. He screams constantly and subsequently his teen son screams. My client has severe back problems so I’m not sure there is a type of martial arts that he can learn. His son has a trauma his dating back to birth. I see where this could be beneficial for the son, however not sure what therapy would be best for the father. Any suggestions?
Bodywork such as Craniosacral Therapy can be excellent at calming the sympathetic nervous system, relieving that stored pain in the back and the emotions that go with it. Pain makes the body irritable. To discover one’s body and find relief of pain down regulates irritability and begins to offer room for awareness of self and reactions.