For many people of color, the fight for racial justice and equality is a lifelong struggle . . . . . . but the effort required to constantly work toward social change can easily consume a person – especially when they continue to witness traumatic acts of injustice. So in the video below, Eboni Webb, […]
An Exercise for Working with Hypoarousal – with Eboni Webb, PsyD
There are times when a client may get triggered and overwhelmed in the middle of difficult trauma work. For some clients this can look like anger, irritability, a rapid heart rate, and other signs of hyperarousal. But for other clients, you might see them become less and less responsive as their arousal drops. And this […]
Bessel van der Kolk, MD, On Trauma-Induced Shame
Trauma can leave clients with deep, debilitating feelings of shame. And for clients who experienced trauma in early childhood, those feelings may have shaped their self-narrative for years. So in the video below, Bessel van der Kolk, MD shares how he approaches trauma-induced shame that stems from childhood trauma. Have a look. […]
Enhancing Trauma Therapy with Compassion – with Dennis Tirch, PhD
Sharing a traumatic memory can be a challenging and painful part of therapy for clients. It’s a time when we have to be particularly alert for signs that the client is getting either too hypo- or hyperaroused to safely continue. But compassion-based approaches increase a client’s capacity to revisit traumatic memories and explore difficult sensations. […]
Treating Severe Trauma in Iraq
Trauma doesn’t discriminate. It can affect anyone, anywhere throughout the world and, unfortunately . . . . . . not everyone has similar access to resources for treating trauma or PTSD. So, what can we do to reach survivors of trauma who have limited access to treatment options? Paul Bolton, MBBS and a team of […]