The Neurobiology of Trauma – What’s Going On In the Brain When Someone Experiences Trauma?
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with Bessel van der Kolk, MD;
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with Bessel van der Kolk, MD; Pat Ogden, PhD; Ruth Lanius, MD; PhD Dan Siegel, MD; and Ruth Buczynski, PhD
Sign up for a Gold Membership
Beautiful job weaving together the neurobiological concepts of attachment, trauma, dissociation, and fragmentation on one hand, and mindfulness, safety, somatics, social engagement and integration on the other. Thank you to these exceptional presenters!
I will further research how disassociation and detachment hinders clients from making progress towards treatment goals
As a momma of three amazing kids from very hard places, this information is so helpful in guiding me as I parent them and help them heal. Thank you so much for providing this free! What a gift!
I am a medically licensed Massage Therapist and very much appreciate the opportunity to understand this topic better. Thank you for making it available for the public!
Biggest ‘takeaway’ is the idea that understanding our neuro-biology, through psycho-education, helps those who have suffered from early developmental traumas to soften the ‘blame’, shame, self-criticism, and to become ACTIVELY involved in the collaboration of healing, through the social engagement system.
REALLY appreciate free access. Having recently qualified, I am still building up my practice. Unfortunately my WiFi dropped in and out but what I was able to glean …
I was encouraged by the positive link with building a strong therapeutic alliance, something I will focus on. Ruth’s brief description of brain integration in this context was helpful. I will look to developing skills especially in left to right integration.
Attachment: the impact of disorganised attachment highlights my need to be aware of attachment patterns in clients.
Pathological dissociation: link to attachment and impaired integration resulting in fragmentation of sense of self … better understanding of the process was helpful.
A clearer understanding of the role of mindful practices – will develop mindfulness skills.
Hearing the mind described as ‘your whole body and your relational world’ (WiFi unfortunately cut out the preceding section), was helpful. It incorporates more than just the rational brain and makes more sense of the emotional impact of trauma, necessitating the need for multiple skills and modalities.
In general, do you know if an experience like prescription drug withdrawal, can be remedied more quickly thru brain integration work?
After learning all of this information, it seems this would be more helpful than a treatment program which uses more drugs to get a person off the drugs and gradually stop the withdrawal symptoms such as shaking, short term memory problems, and balance issues.
All of the information was very interesting; however, I particularly liked the information about the positive changes that can occur in the body with respect to the inflammatory disease, with the use of mindfulness. I also find it encouraging t hear that dissociation is a curable condition.
I am not actually working right now so I cannot apply this information with a client. I am interested in keeping up with the latest research about effective strategies to use with survivors of trauma.
Wow the brain is amazing, I didn’t completely understand all the science I’d need to read and study more. Unable to sign up for Gold but look forward to hearing and learning from comments. Thank you
Amazing information. thank you for the training!
I appreciated this lesson a lot because it partially gave me a clue of why my work with borderline patients in a Therapeutic Community (TC), with its aggregation of actions, confrontation and sharing, experience of safely living together, containment and emotional awareness is so effective in making people change. I will pay more care to assemble therapies that will promote even further the experience of a secure attachment to the TC and consequent experience of subjective integration for its members.
Among others, a stimulating information is the healing power of mindfulness which makes me consider to allot more time to this discipline in the therapeutic week which I now wish to introduce as daily therapeutic practice.
Thank you very much.
Very nice breakdown on how the brain and hormones function as they relate to trauma. Look forward to the next trainings!
I find the way this session explained the links between disturbed attachment can predispose the person to experiencing dissociation if subjected to overwhelming experiences, and how a disintegrated brain can be supported to become more integrated through Mindfulness within the session really useful. ie., being present and aware of what is happening if or when a client may describe their traumatic experiences to the therapist. The thought that I might be able to sustain the client’s capacity to regulate her experience in the sharing of it with me, so long as she is safe in the relationship with me and that I try to tune into her in a specifically meaningful way to see body posture, her feelings, and thoughts very helpful.
In this way I better understand how the social engagement between us in the room is effectively useing a part of the brain that supports regulation, as opposed to disregulation can help the brain to become better integrated.
I am a student in counseling, I am not working in the field yet. But, as the panelist spoke describing the patient’s feelings of trauma of PTSD, It came to mind the feelings my husband described (he is not a vet or been in any branch), at the time I did not put 2 and 2 together, I wish I had known about mindfulness then, perhaps I could have been able to help him be more aware of the rush of feelings prior exploiting with anger. Not having the knowledge or experience in the subject, I had the common sense or insight of asking him to describe the feelings in an attempt to calm him down and avoid being the recipient of his anger. I love the information provided.
Thank you for this great up-date on the treatment of trauma symptoms and consequences. It became much clearer to me why the feeling of safety, trust and focus is so important for the person who comes for treatment, while in-session. I particularly gained deeper understanding of the hypo-and hyper-arousal post- traumatic reactions, where the patients is being treated for the hormonal insufficiency or over- activity (such as thyroid function) and the skilled psychotherapy perhaps should aid the healing and re-integrating those dys-regulated functions of the body and. I’m glad that the the understanding of the consequences of trauma has grown from the belief that it effects the bran alone and is “in the mind” to the knowledge that the whole body and its functional systems are effected, down to the molecular level. And that the mindfulness practice can change that! Great session, thank you for your generosity.
Thank you all so much for this great work!
As a parent trainer helping parents of kids from “hard places,” I will use this to assist parents in learning more about their own brain integration and how being present as well as applying mindfulness strategies can help them process early childhood experiences and have a more integrated brain and maintain overall health. Then they will be more emotionally present for their own children who have experienced trauma, grief, and loss. Hopefully, they will learn to recognize states of hyper or hypo arousal in both themselves and their children, rather than just seeing behavior as an intentional or willful response that needs a behavioral modification model. Those have repeatedly been proven ineffective with severely harmed children.
Dan, I feel like I know you as I worked closely with Dr. Karyn Purvis during the time you participated in their video trainings. Our son, adopted from Romania, was part of the Institute’s early research. Your part of the TCU Institute’s message is so vital to healing families, and I’m so grateful for this life-changing work. Our family will be forever grateful for all we’ve learned about our brains through this healing work and professionals such as yourselves.
Keep up the great work, and I want to also express that all of you are getting better and better at explaining this in less “Science-Heavy” terminology that the general population can understand, even a Special Ed teacher such as myself with no science background. Excellent training today that I feel counselors, educators, and parents can all benefit from!
Look forward to the next sessions.
Thankfully,
Debra
I will use this in conjunction with EMDR in treatment of PTSD. The psychoeducation and integration pieces, plus the
piece about dissociation and its cure (a word not often used in out profession) were very helpful. Thank you for
providing this. I will definitely consider a gold membership in the near future.
I have been working with Dr. Patch Adams and his Gesundheit! Institute to provide a Humanitarian Clowning Experience for Veterans with PTSD, Anxiety, depression, and moral injury, resistant to usual treatment modalities. We found, anecdotally, that people who went on one of these trips had an amazing, immediate change of countenance, and awareness, with a renewed ability to love and appreciate their life as a survivor. (I was one of them after my 2012 trip to Russia with Patch.) We have now taken two cohorts of Veterans, men and women, all Services, from the USA and Canada, on a Clowning trip to Guatemala and are following them longitudinally on returning from the 8 day experience. I am listening to your presentations again, convinced all you are presenting about neurotransmitters, relationships, and neuroplasticity are at play bringing these Veterans (and Civilians) recovery and relief. COL (Ret-Army) George Patrin, MD, MHA, FAAP, FACHE
As a traditional Indigenous American Healer I see many similarities in healing. And, I greatly appreciate the technical aspects of biological reintegration. We have always believed that which comes through the mother is absorbed by the child. And, that which has been passed on from our ancestors in within us ( Mind, body, Spirit, Emotions, Actions). These videos assist with our insight toward assistive integration for trauma patients, offer practical exercises for betterment of self and patient, and set medical precedence for ancient wisdom.
Our mindset is the literal basis for change and self healing.
Know thyself in order to heal thyself and have a strong respectful presence.
Fascinating, inspirational stuff! Amazing findings on neurobiology clearly presented. Looking forward to learning more about the effect of attachment style, and practical integration involving thoughts, emotions and the body. Thank you!
Thank you for this valuable information. I will be using this information to help reassure myself in my work, the neurobiology is important for client self understanding and hopefully will help normalise my clients response to trauma and give another perspective other than shame that will resonate with them.
Dear All
Well my background is in Psychodrama and I am Narrative Exposure Therapy trained where the work with survivors of trauma is concerned.
So I WILL tell my clients..even if it isn’t NET I am doing with them, that when we talk about their difficult experiences I will be asking them to report to me their physical sensations, feelings and thoughts, from then from now, and that this is part of the treatment, because of how the brain works. Get them onside with this style of talking to each other, possibly being physical as well in a slow and controlled way, so they have a map of what it is I am doing and why. I will explain a little more about integration being the healing factor and that the brain, mind and body need to come together in our processing of their traumatic responses.
I work for torture survivors, who are often in the traumatic frozen waiting room of asylum seeking, being kept destitute, not allowed to work or become social beings. The approaches in the two places that I work, focus on the whole person, and psychosocial work, as well as more ‘traditional’ psychotherapy.
So bless these lectures I hope to enjoy all of them Thank you so much for making this accessible.
I am a pediatric nurse of over 35 yrs….not psych. My oldest child was diagnosed at age 6yrs with GAD….She has had constant support with psychiatrist and therapy since that time. she has had “in home” services, outpatient, or partial hospitalization as a pre teen, and then in patient as a young teen. Always the focus was anxiety, and even on meds with lots of therapy no better. Main presentation is “avoidance, esp school”
She is a twice exceptional child, very bright but anxiety is her disability. She had complete neuro psych eval at 8 yrs. A few months abo I had her re tested as she is almost 17…..the psychologist asked alot about the pregnancy, C section and childhood……The overarching results pointed to “sensory processing”, although she is NOT autistic, and anxiety as a symptom.
As a newly single parent, I would love to purchase this series, but cannot at this time… I will when I am able. The docs keep focus on treating anxiety……I realize now why that has not worked and she is struggling with same issue 10 yrs later.
This program is fantastic, and my Tess does indeed exhibit PTSD….father was abusive, as well as Aspergers, so not “safe” I have been a stay at home parent since she was born…but.
I am so grateful to have come across this, and as soon as I can I will get a Gold Membership. At almost 17, this has the potential to get her the help that will make a difference and change the course of her life, or even “give” her a real live.
Many Thanks!!
Amy Rubacky, RN BSN
This presentation was full of useful information that I can utilize in my Yoga practice. This understanding of re-association versus disassociation is useful particularly when a client is having an emotional response during practice. In yoga our focus should be on integration for the entire human being, not just the body. Awareness of the mind – body connection is so important and my knowledge has improved as a by-product of taking this session. I look forward to future sessions and will consider becoming a Gold subscriber. Thank you for the amazing work.
Thank you so much for making this available for free. I found the epigenitics section particularly interesting. The similarity in percentages for disorganized attachment and PTSD is very thought provoking, and important to examine with patients experiencing PTSD. It’s encouraging to see how those who dissociate can improve so much. Thanks again.
Really great webinar – so valuable to be able to hear straight from those that are at the cutting edge of developments in this field. Unfortunately, many psychiatrists are still stuck on the ‘chemical imbalance’ theory, but things have truly moved so far beyond that. The neuroscience of trauma is the key to unlocking understanding and intervention. Many thanks – looking forward to the next one!
Thank you! Learning about the connection between disorganized attachment and dissociation and the profound effect of mindfulness on integrating the brain was very helpful.
Excellent. Thank you for this resource. As I listened, I couldn’t help but hope that there might be some discussion about IFS in this series. With regard to working with my clients, I appreciated what Dr. Ron Siegel said about helping to take away the self-blame by introducing the concepts of neurobiology. I often talk about re-wiring the brain through therapy, but have not used this specificity. What a great way to help clients differentiate from their symptoms. Thank you!
In my work as a crisis counselor, the most useful thing I learned in this video is how to attempt to normalize the stress reactions for clients through psychoeducation about the stress response so that they start to see their PTSD and other trauma symptoms as what their brain does in response to trauma, rather than seeing them as something that is wrong with them or something that they did to hurt themselves or others. Because self-blame and shame are so prominent and pervasive, I believe this is an important first step in working with clients so that they can begin to break down that shame and achieve real healing. Thanks a lot for this wonderful video. I look forward to next week!
This was awesome!I love all of the panelists and their contributions. Thank you!
I’ve specialized in bodywork focused on trauma for decades. Pat Ogden talked about how for vertical integration we need to address the beliefs/thoughts, emotions and body. This is what my work does.
It’s unfortunate that there are not CEU’s for my license.
Elynn, could you post a little more about what work you are doing? Sounds interesting. Also, type of license do you have? Thank you.
I would like to integrate doing attachment questionnaires in the earliest stage of treatment so I can be better informed about how attachment styles impact and influence my clients.
Outstanding presenters and great explanation of how the brain is impacted by trauma. Greatest reminder for me is how to integrate the body in therapy as a way to create more brain integration. Fabulous job everyone!
The ideas from today’s session will help me explain more to my clients for normalisation, validation and give them an understanding that they are simply being human.
Would you be so kind to give some concrete examples from therapy and some new techniques.
You have created such a great resource for us to learn.
Thank you so much!
I liked the organization of the program. I intend to increase psychoeduction on the brain, hormones, etc. as well as the use of mindfulness to help innoculate for trauma.
Thanks so much for some excellent information. I will say I was struck by Ruth’s comment during the talk back regarding DID and would love to hear Bessel’s view of what she stated. I see DID very differently with my clients. Thanks, jane
I’m just a mom of an adopted child.. now age 12, trying to figure out how to deal with her attachment trauma which is destroying our lives. We have been to MANY counselors… all of whom say they “specialize in trauma”. Her trauma was pre-verbal, plus both of our current traumas that go on every single day with all of the opposition, arguing, stealing, lying, peeing, manipulation, etc. I still do not know how to deal with this and have not ever found a solution after looking for over 10 years now. She was adopted at age 2 from a Vietnamese orphanage.
I have a lot of homework to do, especially on mindfulness, body-mind integration, and epigenetics. How I will apply it remains to be seen, simply because I think I need to dive in a lot deeper first.
The information is fascinating and helpful. However, I need more than theories and understanding. My clients aren’t going to listen to me tell them why they are suffering due to neuroscience. They want to know how to fix it and change it. Actual tools and techniques is something I would pay for. My hesitancy in the expenditure is that I need more than theory and understanding. There is the odd suggestion now and again, but is it possible to have a program that has definitive methodology to utilize?
This is also what I am looking for…. as a mom.
I plan on taking trainings to learn how to employ specific methodologies once I graduate from my MA program. For example, Somatic Experiencing trainings are necessary in learning how to actually do SE, and I have heard great things about the trainings. You can check on the Sensorimotor Psychotherrapy Institute’s website for more information about training for Pat Ogden’s type of therapy, or other websites for trainings on any technique you’re wanting to employ.
Excellent. Using brain knowledge to help with writing on clergy sexual abuse survival. Thanks.
Psychoeduction on the brain, hormones, etc. as well as the use of mindfulness to help innoculate for trauma.
Continue to teach mindfulness and meditation to clients who come with trauma and it’s ensuing effects…
I train advocates to work with children who are in foster care. I will definitely use this information to continue building on the body of knowledge that I share with them on trauma and the brain.
Which parts of the brain contribute to depression and anxiety? Thans
Fabulously done! Thank you 🙂
I learned a lot tonight. Thank you for offering it for free.
I am a therapist that has become too overwhelmed with traumas all my life, and now off of work. I need a good therapist in this realm to be healthy again and that includes being productive. =Can you recommend someone who I can speak with in therapy online by video?
Wonderful! I was familiar with dissociation, integration, and a few other terms, but the information about “telomeres” and “telomerase” was new and so profound for my understanding of trauma. Thank you so much for putting this together!
Really well put together seminar. thank you
Liz
perinatal psychotherapist UK