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
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I am a counseling student who is studying trauma this year. This was really helpful. I am grateful for these sessions being offered free while I am a student and have no income..I appreciate that. Looking forward to the next session.
What a revelation! Thank you so much for sharing this for free. I look forward to using these teaching in my own life ans that of my clients as we shall cross paths.
Incorporate body work!
Thank you so much for sharing this webinar
It was really interesting as how i have been disassociated for quite some time and how I can see and use that information with future clients
Appreciate this integration of trauma for us. Finally an area which I had requested in the past, regarding left and right hemispheres finally started to be addressed. If one has been through trauma this integration of information and functioning make it clear as to process so many of us have been through in our own lives and clarity regarding the lives of our clients.
Much of this was a further clarification from the past trauma series with additional specification. What I would like to see added is developmental stages, intrauterine reflexes as components to trauma understanding from the onset of life in tandem with ACES.
My own awareness of trauma was easier to integrate due to my family system. My family of origin was not available to me as an only child totally the brunt of parental discord eventually resulting in divorce, plus lack of sibling input during that chaos. Would like to see some Adlerian sibling order affects in early trauma. This is often commonly approached by the clients in treatment and needs to be honored instead of dismissed.
War started the detachment for me even before birth. A broken marriage probably from war led to open hostility in a marriage gone awry. With no siblings to navigate understanding during the marriage, coupled with a sexually deviant caretaker put in place to further traumatize the child, leaving a child to raise herself. This led to a total overwhelmed sense of self with acute ability of observation, wondering totally if people actually thought. Since I basically raised myself, this probably allowed me to solve problems on my own. Being born with an introverted personality it was easier to take it all in with total memory and no dissociation but a lack of honoring the nervous system needs. Was not allowed to eat as I chose or run as I so wanted to do. These are so important for a child to determine without negative feedback that so often accompanies poor parenting.
It became evident how isolated life was at that time, much like it feels now in present day in a chaotic society. Had to rise above the chaos daily back then. Isolation and personality saved me in many ways. That is what, additionally, I might like to see in subsequent talks—stages of development, neurodevelopment, personality traits and more specificity of the impact of family systems.
Thanks for a great informative presentation.
Hello and thank you.
You asked about our interest in your presentation.
I started seriously working on a teaching memoir while I was isolated during the pandemic. My educational background is in arts and education— not psychology. But, I have had to deal with trauma since the late 60s, when I was 15. That’s when I was raped for the first time. I was forced into a marriage to the rapist. We divorced about eight years later and I went off to get a photography degree and start over in south Florida. There I was attacked and raped by an intruder. Following that, I became involved with a group of gangsters/smugglers because- in a twisted way- I thought they would keep me safe.
It’s a pretty good story actually and I am so lucky that I lived to tell it!
I learned about your work as I tried to explain the turns in my life. The changes in attitudes and knowledge about mental health are wonderful! In the 60s and 70s a person could be written off professionally and socially merely for seeking therapy. And the available therapy varied in its range of effectiveness.
I’m not trying to be a therapist. I just want to write a book that might encourage some young woman who is recovering from rape. I want to give her the book I wish I’d had.
I read your comment and I am in admiration of you for deciding to use your experience to benefit others by writing your book. What a generous gift it will be for the young women who read it. Thank you.
Good morning everyone and thanks for this informative talk. My area of work is peer support in mental health. My position is slightly different from the one of a professional therapist, as I engage with clients on the basis of my own personal experience of severe trauma. Most of my peer clients are also affected by traumatic experiences, be them sexual abuse, bereavement, homelessness, etc. and struggling with a variety of issues that were mentioned in the talk, from PTSD, memory issues, lack of self-regulation, no sense of self, difficult interpersonal relationships for example. Understanding more about my own trauma and recovery experience will support my work per se, but, from the talk I also learned two concepts that I should explore more in depth and apply more in my work: how to support/promote brain integration by focusing on awareness of what is going on in the body and at the emotional level, and also, Mindfulness as a useful tool to achieve brain integration and healing.
I plan on sharing the science of what’s happening in the brain when a person experiences trauma so they can begin to understand what is happening in their body.
I will focus on teaching my clients/patients how there brain work; so they will understand that they are not ‘crazy’ but learning to cope with being overwelmed.
* Being aware of what happens inside but not totally ‘being’ the experience
* Integration as goal for therapy… understanding but stay out of being overwelmed
* Vulnerablity from unorganised attachment
* Pay more attention to and Listen to body signals. Give names words for sensations ( Eugene Gendlins: Focussing)
Thanks!
Annemarie
I am learning as much as I can in order to be present in the most productive ways possible as I facilitate the learning of participants, many of whom have experienced trauma and/or are experiencing current and ongoing stress in their daily lives.
My challenge now is to really learn this material and integrate it so that I am able to utilize the key points seamlessly, in the moment as I interact with clients individually or in small groups. Many of my clients are high functioning contributors in various sectors and yet ‘carry’ the effects of various forms of historical experiences which are leading to less than optimal lives. I am grateful for the opportunity to support their journey to wholeness.
Thank you very much for a powerful session filled with evidence-based research, very helpful. Don MacInnis
Wow- who knew? Now I do… So if knowledge-applied is power, and power feels good, and feeling good is my favorite thing to do, then Thank you)
This has confirmed and enlightened me to the complexities of how trauma impacts the developing brain. I will be more present with the people I serve as now I am more aware that the mind is not just the brain but it is our bodies, social and semantic worlds. I see the relationship with the Therapist as key to being with others in that dual attunement space and to be with them as they observe their body sensations and emotions. Thank you for offering these sessions, it has come at a time I need to hear this, Kate Walker-Corbiere, MSW, RSW
Absolutely fascinating! As a student entering into social work I feel I will far more precise tools in my tool kit to help treat survivors of trauma. Thank you for all your astounding work.
Thank you so much for this work you are sharing. I am a RN and work on psychiatric crisis stabilization inpatient units. Although I do not do direct therapy, your work helps me to understand how my patient’s brains might be reacting in the moments of their crisis. Following your work feels like a bit of self care for me. It reminds me (and rejuvenates me) to show up to work daily with presence of mind, and a heartfelt compassionate approach. Thank you!
We’re only on the first day of this series and my eyes are welling up with tears of joy from appreciation for NICABM and its presenters. As noted we are so fortunate to be living at this time! Yet so much needs to be done for those in our world who suffer not only due to traumatic histories but due to the ignorance of others who add suffering by being insensitive.
It was helpful to be reminded by Pat Ogden of the importance of staying with the detail of all that a person is experiencing in those moments when the problem is in the room, to assist the integrative process.
Proverbs 23:7 As a man thinks in his heart, so is he…
Matthew 22:37, 39 Love the Lord God with all your heart, all your soul and all your mind…and your neighbor as yourself.
1 Peter 4:8 Above all love one another deeply because love covers a multitude of sins.
I love that the research is validating the truths in what the Bible has let us know!
The neurobiological explanation of how trauma impacts the body and brain may be very freeing and empowering for people who have experienced trauma. Hope and agency are such powerful factors in recovery so this information and how mindfulness can impact neurobiology is wonderful. I am a volunteer clinical counsellor and certainly, I will provide this information to my clients. It would be great to have printed information on this topic but I can’t afford the gold subscription at this time.
Our understanding of BrainBody Physiology / MindBody connection has expanded exponentially.
‘Mind affecting the Molecules ” and Dissociation is Curable.
Such sweet words to Hear and See it happen during the sessions with the Patients.
Extremely Well Put
Thank you and Congratulations
Thank you so much for this opportunity to attend these incredible and informative sessions. The work that you are putting so much support, effort, knowledge into is something that I have been interested in for years. This is due to trauma that I experienced as a young child into teen years. Due to your work and sessions that I hv been able to attend, I understand so much more even at this late stage of my life. It is putting more pieces of the puzzle of life into place with more understanding. It gives me hope that I can continue my curiosity and educating myself by studying this more so that I may again revive my coaching idea and put it into reality and continue educating myself to assist others and myself. I hope to be able to study your work further. The Covid affected so much of my existing situation and now hope to create income to further my studies. Thank you so much for these session. I am very appreciative. Diane Schaffer
Very very insightful. I will be joining Gold subscription this week. Thank you so much.
Above (and beneath) all, this information is about hope. Clients knee-capped by shame and fear/terror now have substantiated reason to believe integration is possible. Courage is required as is trust. What a compelling invitation for us to continuously discover, feel, grieve, and clear ourselves of what gets in our way.
Excellent brief comments about dissociation. Interesting to hear that “Pathological dissociation is a continuum. 20% develop PTSD” This creates a framework to perceive that PTSD is not automatic after a traumatizing event. That term is tossed around by people and the media to such a degree that it seems that PTSD is commonplace.
I would like to hear you discuss Complex PTSD relative to PTSD.
I am going to use the information that “80% of us utilize dissociation as a coping mechanism” to normalize people’s disintegration.
Furthermore, the idea that mental presence can bring about positive changes at epigenetic level can be hope-giving for people traumatized by their disintegration and dysregulation.
Hi, I loved this introductory session. I am a first year psychotherapy student and would also like to know if you offer a student price for the gold subscription?
As an advocate for survivors of intimate partner violence I often find myself noticing that the survivor is triggered in providing what might seem like innocuous information that I need to help with safety planning options. Additionally, a client may become extremely dysregulated, become angry with the lack of solutions available in the moment and take it out on me. This session has helped me understand the neurobiology of processes in the brain related to trauma in those moments (my own and the person I’m assisting). It will help me in knowing my place to hold space for this response and not add to the trauma. I look forward to seeing additional sessions. Thank you. Marianne
It’s helped me identify the dissassociation a client is experiencing when he leaves his home and feel more confident that this is a sign of PTSD
I found information helpful is recognizing lack of integration and my awareness of brain changes will inform my practice and support working on thinking emotions and bodily sensation awareness in treatment.
Thanks
Jean
God bless to the healing community around the globe. Thank you for all that you do. I am a survivor of early childhood trauma since birth (emotional, sexual). My ongoing self-care blessings focus on self-education resources, such as NICABM. You are saving lives, and we love you.
Hello Ruth, thank you once again for this information. As Ron exressed, how much we know about neurobiology hello us to see it l4esse personally. This was my experience listening to many of your guests, specially Dr. Bessel Van Der Kolk long ago, and understanding in that moment how my mind had been working took off me so much guilt and I felt so released. After that I try to explain to my clients about it and many people had benefited from those informations.
This was an amazing lecture. For me I feel like I knew some of the basics but this explained it so well. I feel I will use this to help my clients / family / systems understand the traumatised brain better, hopefully reducing the stigmatism attached to trauma. Also the disorganised attachment part was really thought provoking. I will keep this in mind when formulating and most likely explore attachment more with my clients to help better understand their experience. Thank you again
The language used by Dr. Sigal was very useful in normalizing trauma symptoms. I plan to use Dr. Sigal’s language to help my clients decrease guilt and self-blame about their trauma symptoms: “this is just how the human brain responds when it isn’t properly cared for during childhood or when it experiences overwhelming events”. Also, I am interested in learning more about sensorimotor psychotherapy; developing and growing the mind-body connection and mindfulness is already part of my practice. I would like to ground my practice further by learning more about sensorimotor theory.
More than ever we need to create safe classrooms environments that support the SES for children living with ACE. Training teachers in Socratic dialogue, mindfulness and movement is my way.
Working with pregnancy loss – either termination, miscarriage or missed miscarriage – client response & resilience issometimes linked to not only physical & emotional trauma of the event but to previous trauma – this might be abusive relationships, family violence, poor attachment.
A big thank you to all the experts 🙂 Thank you Ruth for making it easily accessible for us across the globe.
The fact that therapeutic interventions can reverse the changes due to trauma is the biggest gift we as therapists can give to our clients.
I am a patient that has had many different forms of trauma in my life. Starting with the dissociation mentioned where you feel secure as a child but also afraid. and sometimes not even secure….hard to explain. I am enjoying learning all this while going thru some EMDR therapy. which I don’t fully understand but need.
thanks,
Kristen
The findings about the epigenetics was amazing to know. Also the fact that mindfulness can help in this regard was very new information for me. I do use mindfulness in my sessions…Now I will be able to use it more with my trauma cases. Thank you!!
One critical application for my clients is that I can speak about hope for change with conviction. As Dr. Dan Siegal said, “dissociation is curable.” Understanding trauma in the brain and intentional ways or helping the brain heal can give us permission to speak hope and truth to clients suffering with trauma.
Beautifully said
It has been such a wonderfully informative session and enhanced my knowledge base towards understanding and working with trauma clients.
What a gift of health and life this free video (and the following) is for me. I have had complex PTSD for 60 yrs – when there was no term let alone this level of info.
Your organization’s work continues to improved by life and set me free.
What an amazing blessing. Deborah
Encourage mindfulness and meditation as a real way to assist with our healing by decreasing inflammation. !!!!
Excellent information and so clearly explained. Helpful understanding for me to continue to have with my clients who struggle with addiction. Thank you so much!🙏
Thanks for a great session. information fills the gaps in what I have learned.
Wonderful. So much hope on offer through the insights into presence and epigenetics.
🙏🏼
Thank you for this series! I am an RN training to be a Certified Trauma Recovery Coach, and I plan to encourage my clients to develop a robust Mindfulness practice – and now I can share with them the science behind that. Great series, very helpful to me.
I am a Trauma Recovery Coach in training and found this incredibly helpful. Thank you for what you do. When I can, I will become a paid subscriber at NICABM.
Hi Sherry! We are in the same training – glad to see you here. ~Annie
Amazing, thank you! Wondering if you offer a student price for the gold subscription. MSW grad student working toward being a child and adolescent trauma therapist.
Thanks!
Excellent presentation. However the regular occurence of announcements at the bottom of the screen is distractive enough to interfere with the concentration of the listener [ = me ] and make the listener lose the content of what the presenter is saying at the moment. I have signed up to the Gold Subscription. I am hoping that these announcements will not be presented in the recordings in order to not interfere with the attention of the listener.
Also it looks like there is no way to see the video in the full screen of my computer during this presentation. I am hoping that this limitation will not be present in the recordings.
Greetings fellow distractable person! You can tape a piece of paper over the bottom of your monitor to cover the scrolling text. Card stock works well. Make sure the tape stays only on the frame not the screen itself.
Its amazing how far the field has gone. This is really a great milestone
THANK YOU!!!!! WOW!!!