In the face of a traumatic experience, some clients become unable to move. This can sometimes indicate that a client is experiencing either a freeze response or a shutdown response to trauma. And according to Ruth Lanius, MD, PhD, there are key neurological differences that can help us distinguish between the two . . . […]
2 Strategies for Working with the Freeze Response
As therapists, we may sometimes feel unsure about what to do when a client enters a freeze response and loses their ability to speak. What’s more, it can be difficult to gauge a client’s sense of safety when they’re unable to talk to us. So in the video below, Janina Fisher, PhD walks us through […]
Working with Emotional Distress – with Janina Fisher, PhD
When it comes to treating trauma, we’re often working with clients who have a low tolerance for distress. And when faced with traumatic memories or difficult emotions, they may respond by slipping into a state of hypoarousal to defend against the pain. So in the video below, Janina Fisher, PhD shares how she helps hypoaroused […]
Working with the Freeze Response in the Treatment of Trauma with Stephen Porges, PhD
When a client freezes during a session, how do you help them come out of their trauma response (without further triggering them)? This can be challenging because proximity, movement, and eye contact can all feel threatening to a client who is frozen and hyper-aware of danger. So in the video below, Stephen Porges, PhD, shares […]
Working with the Nervous System via Telehealth
For many practitioners, it’s been months since they’ve seen patients in person. Telehealth has been critical during the pandemic, but it also comes with some challenges – not the least of which is working with your patient’s nervous system through a screen. In the video below, Deb Dana, LCSW will walk you through how she […]