How can the body become a resource for a patient who’s experienced trauma? Polyvagal Theory helps us answer this question by explaining how people process their environment and how the body regulates itself in the face of stress and trauma. Watch the video below as Stephen Porges, PhD shares one way to apply Polyvagal Theory […]
How to Use the Wisdom of the Body to Heal Trauma – with Pat Ogden, PhD
You may have heard that if you put on a happy face, you’ll actually start to feel better. But did you know that the physical patterns of our body not only reflect how we’re feeling inside but can actually cause those feelings? When it comes to working with trauma patients, noticing patterns and changes in […]
Two Chemical Reactions That Happen in the Brain during Trauma
When a traumatic event triggers our internal alarm system, the body goes into fight, flight, or freeze . . . . . . but what happens in the brain during trauma? According to Dan Siegel, MD, there are two key chemical reactions to trauma (and one can play a role in actually shrinking part of […]
Three Ways Trauma Changes the Brain
The treatment of trauma can be some of the most complex work practitioners face. And for years, this challenge was complicated by not having a clear picture of the impact that trauma has on the brain. But scientific advances within just the past few years have opened the eyes of practitioners to what actually happens […]
An Exercise to Boost the Brain’s Natural Anti-Anxiety Drug?
Is there an exercise that can boost feel-good chemicals in your brain while reducing anxiety and improving your mood? The answer is yes – it’s yoga. Now yoga isn’t the only exercise that’s been shown to be effective in reducing anxiety, but Chris Streeter, MD and her colleagues from the Boston University School of Medicine […]