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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So very informative – greatly appreciated|
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Ruth, you give so much to so many. Thank you!
Excellent class! It was very informative and clarified in a very clear way how biology of trauma can be addressed particularly by mindfulness – which is an important tool for clients to apply in their everyday life experiences and become autonomous in their own healing process.
This is so helpful! I am doing research on all of this and trying to figure out how to do differential diagnosis of developmental trauma disorders such as cPTSD and neurodivergent conditions/neurotypes like autism. If anyone else is interested in this work, feel free to reach out!
Hi Jax, I was interested in your comment. I sometimes work with children in bereavement, and I am struck by the number of these clients who have been diagnosed with autism or other similar neurodivergence. I wonder if the diagnostician is missing the point regarding trauma, disassociation, and grief. Good luck with your study.
When will CPTSD be recognized by the profession?
Thank you.I spent my life in teaching and counseling at the community college level. Currently, I am teaching yoga (and writing) with a focus on aging, trauma, and neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Parkinsons. I appreciated this information packed session. I have a fuller understanding on the impact of precursors and misfortunes on brain, body, and relational health. I have expanded views and increased insights to anticipate patterns of manifestations of trauma and emotional and physical dysregulation. I appreciate your fresh frameworks for “reassociation” and other tools for integration. This information will help me create a more mindful working environment and to intentionally bring safety and trust into the energy field that surrounds our work together. Plus much more.
Petina Walker MBACP Get Clarity Counselling
To educate, to provide biological facts to explain the strategies that the body/brain has developed and provide reasons for feelings/behaviours re-occurring in the here and now (“a normal response to trauma”).
Validates, in fact has emphasises the benefits of mindfulness/grounding/being present during the treatment of trauma.
Has provided me with more confidence to use “repeating” in connection with the traumatic event (obviously when client is ready – relationship and trust, sense of safety established).
Thank you so much for allowing therapists like myself who are not high earners to access this cutting edge material . As mentioned in the talk back it’s an exciting time to do this work. I believe in a holistic approach to our wellbeing and to hear scientists at the top of their game talking about the importance of mindfulness alongside the emerging science is music to my ears and a game changer for our profession. I appreciate hearing about interventions we can try with clients , especially the ones they can apply themselves between sessions and after the end of therapy so that they can feel more empowered in their own recovery.
Thanks again
Claire Murrell (UK)
Wow! Outstanding information from professionals around the world on the BRAIN! I am fluidly seeking new knowledge on the brain, and to be able to understand my clients framework. Thank you so much for your expertise, wisdom, and knowledge! There are so many takeaways from this first session; I took 5 pages of notes, and highlighted many bullet points. One piece of information, that I can certainly add, as psychoeducation I will implement with clients in session, is the adaptation of mindfullness practices and techniques. What a simple concept, that can help to form healthy molecules, enzymes, immunity, and gene structure, to name a few. To imagine that our body and brain adapt and respond so quickly to a mind-body-soul exercise, has certainly always been my personal philosophy. While there are so many layers to the therapeutic process, and understanding the intricacies of the brain, we know now, that the brain is malleable and healing is possible! THANK YOU!
Thanks for sharing this resource. Promoting mindful practice backed by the science is something I can implement immediately.
I work with spiritual leaders. Heretofore, we probably never considered trauma as a possible cause in disassociation. I will incorporate this in my training with these spiritual leaders.
Tommy Snow, LPC
This is going to help so much with my therapeutic work with adoption families
Thank you
One of my most memorable moments was the day one of my clients worked through his dissociation using integration, right in front of my eyes. His symptoms began decreasing shortly after. This was from military-related PTSD, one of the more severe cases I saw. I am grateful to be in a time when we have these tools. They’re saving lives.
I am a parent of a teen with an eating disorder: this helped me understand that I have a broader/deeper role to play to effectively support my daughter’s therapy work with her therapist. I need to learn how to support my daughter when she dissociates outside of her therapy sessions.
Thank you for this wonderful training. I am a volunteer on the national suicide and crisis hotlines and frequently encounter people who are suffering from trauma. Getting them integrated enough to get to therapy is our biggest challenge. Many are dissociating and reliving past trauma. I hope in future sessions you will talk about how to stop ruminating and replaying. People get so stuck there.
Thank you … a lot of words, concepts in such a short period of time. My work at this time is studying and teaching medical qigong forms and working with my small rural community to wake them up to, what Joanna Macy and Co call the first maxim of climate change: 1) Work hard to realize the immensity of the changes. I attended a webinar by Joanna where there was a 12 minute evidence-based presentation on “the immensity of the changes.” Being a survivor of sustained infant (almost starved to death at five months from lack of care) to adult family trauma (complete rejection by parents and siblings), of course the climate predictions triggered me. Although I’m 76, and won’t be staying on earth for the long haul, I’m experience grief, horror, terror and helplessness. I completely understand how parents of young children cannot bare to face this reality. It seems to me that we, the people, are in a state of severe dissociation when it comes to the reality of the effects of our changing climate.
One key take away… it reminded me of a client that I am working with now and how during a recent session it would have been useful to reconnect back with their bodily response and working at that level, as well as emotion (in the moment). during the session, I found myself working more at the thoughts level, which is something my client tends to probably do. I felt that they were perhaps re-experiencing something that put them back in touch with helpless feelings and old ways of dealing with such feelings.
It also reminded me of how useful mindfulness can be for myself and clients.
This video was very interesting and informative. I enjoyed learning about epigenetics and the impact it has. As a therapist, I am looking forward to include more mindfulness practices to help my clients. I was happy to see that information on ACE was included in this video because it is so important to identify individuals who are at a high risk of health behavior in adulthood.
As a Pastor, this helps me when talking with folks and listening for cues for the presence of trauma and PTSD. Not only that, but it gives me helpful tools to recognize when I need to refer to professionals who are more knowledgeable and skilled than I am. It also helps me understand my own PTSD better and stop blaming myself for my “weirdness.” Thanks!
I found the information about how hormones effect the body very useful and also the part that epigenetics has to play. The fact that genes can be enabled to change by the individual, through, for instance, Mindfulness practice, was very useful to know.
Such a useful presentation for me in my counselling placement. The section on dissociation, disorganised attachment and impaired integration seemed particularly relevant to one of my clients and will be an area that I will look into further.
Thank you!
I have my undergrad studies in Psychology and Education, my masters in bilingual education, and I am currently teaching in NYC Public Schools. Would these credits be valid for salary differential at the New York City Department of Education? This is great for knowledge but also I need some credits.
I plan to educate clients about inflammation and the role of mindfulness. I will also encourage people to start with doing some mindfulness activity daily.
Eileen D.
Nice to know and refresh my knowledge. Well expressed. Thanku.
In my practice with my clients when I qualify as a Counselling Practitioner. In my own life too.
Thank you, such a helpful training. I”m currently training as a Yoga Therapist so there was so much here that is valuable to me. I’m reading When the Body Says No and have just read The Body Keeps the Score so I feel very well equipped now to support clients with both trauma and chronic stress. This training just helped to cement the science behind the theories I’ve learned.
Thanks,
Emily Bruce
I am not a therapist but this is great information for me in my increasing knowledge of trauma and how it has impacted my family across generations. Thank you
It was a fantastic summary. It served as a great refresher. Thank you very much. The inspiring invitation to change is important.
There were so many salient points to refer back to and I was taking copious notes that I plan to review. Off the top of my head, here are a few “take-away points “:
1) I will use the ideas of inflammation and stress- especially with eating disordered clientele.
2) that cortisol is not always the enemy
3) cortisol shuts down integration
4) The body is the manifestation of the unconscious!
Great start!
Excellent well integrated portrayal of the biology of life events.
You have reminded us of the importance of seeing past events as just that.
In session training (perhaps even with chair-work or even post-hypnotic suggestion or however) gets a big tick.
Looking forward the rest of the week.
Cheers
Tony
As a 72-year-old survivor of trauma as a young adult and also as a senior citizen, and not a psychologist or psychiatrist, I am very encouraged by what I learned today. Spurred by the idea that mindfulness can increase telomerase in my system and help lengthen my telomeres, I’m going to begin practising mindfulness each morning. Also, the information you share helps me understand better why the therapy I’m receiving is helping me heal: because it’s very specifically improving my “brain integration.” While your focus today is on the effects and remedies related to childhood trauma, it’s clear to me that much of this teaching is applicable as well to trauma experienced later in life. Even so, I do wish that sometime you would consider providing at least one lesson that delves into the effects of trauma on the brain of a 26-year-old, the age at which I was pulled into the worst trauma of my life. According to a forensic psychologist I consulted (Dr. Peter Jaffe) my brain was still maleable such that the response I got when I sought help could have helped me enormously in my recovery from the trauma, had the response been supportive rather than blaming. Whether or not you ever decide to present a series on the impact of trauma experienced after childhood, I’m most grateful for what you’ve shared today — thank you!
Thank you so much for making this available and a reminder of all the great science behind it.
I’m wondering whether Clinical EFT will be explored in the Masterclass Series as an effective treatment for Trauma?
With gratitude and appreciation
Noelle
AUSTRALIA
I’m not a clinical, but a periodic client who’s been in therapy off and on for a number of years, and discovered in the 2010s that I was dealing with trauma but didn’t know it. It’s been a mixture of capital-T Trauma and little-t trauma, which I’ve experienced as recently as 2019 when I had a stroke. I wish I could find a clinical who is skilled in the sorts of things that you cover in your presentations, and who also accepts my insurance.
Hi Beth, while our company does not offer referrals, we can, however, recommend that you check out this database through Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us
Through this site, you’re able to search for therapists and support groups based on location, and filter through the results based on a variety of factors – specialties, approaches, and methods.
I just watched Neurobiology of Trauma as a parent of 2 children who have experienced a tremendous amount of trauma & now as a result have significant mental & physical health issues as adults. First & foremost, I recvd a message of hope! There are treatment options that work & life can be different for them. Secondly, as parent, searching for effective treatment this gave me a far better understanding of what specifically to look for in a mental health provider ; it goes so far beyond just being “trauma informed”. Being “trauma informed” is perhaps only the starting point. My girls have experienced such shame from providers & other people helpers who didn’t know any better, who didn’t understand what’s going on with neurobiology. Thank you!!
Thank you for this extremely important topic. There are so many things that stood out for me on so many levels! Itj also links in with research I did entitled: “Lives unseen: unacknowledged trauma of non-disordered, competent Adult Children Of Parents with a Severe Mental Illness” at The University of Melbourne, Australia. If people google my name Suzette Misrachi that research should come up. It also touches on the short articles I’ve been invited to write by a psychiatrist in NSW for an e-publication (aimed at psychiatrists and other mental health practitioners) which I then put on medium.com for free for the general public, again googling my full name should bring those short articles up on the medium.com website. What a terrific program this is. Thanks to the NICABM team and all the wonderful presenters!
Suzette
Great info! I am Trish Causey, SacredSex Shaman. I have done many trainings via the Arizona Trauma Institute. I’m very glad to add your trainings to my scope of experience in helping those who have survived various types of sexual trauma. Thank you for your work!
trish
Hi, I have a question. How can I help someone who lives in isolation but wants to share and communicate with others but cannot find the opportunities to do so because of Covid lockdown?
I actually didn’t know this was more for practitioners but it still was very informative and it opened my eyes and ears to know what i should be asking for help with. As someone who has dealt with so much trauma from a very young age I didn’t know what i needed help with because I’ve just learned to survive and get through it. But my brain is surely letting me know that that’s not gonna cut it anymore, I have been struggling everyday to get through.So I Thank you for this <3
I’m a hypnotherapist and this is hugely helpful in explaining the freeze response clearly and how trauma is (or isn’t) processed. Looking forward to the rest of the series. I’m particularly excited about learning more about dissociation and how to help those clients most effectively.
I already share a lot of the science with clients because I’ve also found that understanding it helps client to let go of self-blame. Now I have more knowledge to share with clients on how the science works in regards to mindfulness, reintegration, and science of how healing trauma works, which I think will help provide clients with increased hope that the trauma can be healed.
Thank you for sharing this information.. It is so appreciated. I use EMDR to process trauma as well as other somatic tools. I watch healing happen and feel so blessed to be part of that process. This series is helping me improve my knowledge and that will help clients to learn and understand more, as well. . Thank you again.
I agree with Dr. Siegel’s comment. While there’s still a lot to learn, our understanding of the impacts of and treatment of trauma is starting to mature.
The link between dissociation and integration is new information for me. This will help me in guiding clients who are dissociating to stay present through answering questions about their current experience, body sensations, thoughts, feelings etc. Thank you for making this excellent presentation available to us!!
I am not a practitioner but I would like to help my son and daughter-in-law deal with their PTSD .. I wish I had the money to purchase the gold package but not at this time
to be able to say to the patient that Trauma can be curable
It is so gratifying to know and to be able say to the patients through Neuroscience of Brain Mind Body and Interpersonal Relationships of Human Mammal animal via Evolution . Psycoeducation helps takes the Self Blame out of it and and Mindfulness is understandable as a powerful
Scientific Tool along with the Art of practicing it with confidence ,Insight and pleasure as an agent of change.
I am very fortunate to have bought the course having retired as a pathologist, before Retraining as a psychotherapist with bent towards Budhist Philosophy.
Webinars like these must be made a Mandatory Course to All Family Physicians.
With Gratitude,
Aging Physician Psychotherapist from Canada
Hi, my name is Nickie Godfrey, and I’m a licensed marriage family therapist with a several decades long private practice in the Los Angeles area. for the bulk of this time, my specialty has been crisis and trauma, and more specifically, survivors of abuse. I’ve also earned professional certification as a gestalt therapist. First I want to express my appreciation to you for these very valuable presentation on the neurobiology of trauma.
Several years ago, I attended a presentation by Pat Ogden at UCLA. Hearing her then, and her presentation on this seminar, I’m still struck by the similarity of her concepts to some of the basic concepts and teachings in gestalt therapy. When I first heard said comments, I was excited to realize how ahead of his time Perls was with some of his thoughts (especially the importance of “presence”).Strangely, tho, when I engaged privately with Dr. Ogden at aforementioned presentation, she was rather brusque in denying any knowledge or not even having heard of Fritz Perls, nor gestalt therap(???!!?). Mindfulness was not a concept when gestalt therapy was studied or practiced Perls died in 1970); nonetheless, the more I hear and read about it, and specifically the concepts that Ogden emphasizes, the more I realize how ahead of his time that both he and Lore Perls were in their practice and writings.I’d appreciate your reaction to my comments.
I would love to see diagrams to help “connect the dots”. I hope to continue learning and applying this knowledge. Thank you!
I don’t work as a practitioner in this field. Instead I have been following closely every piece of information, through buying the books as they are published by ones such as Bessel Van Der Kolk, Peter Levine, Janina Fisher and others, as well as reading articles, listening to talks such as presented today and taking the time to digest what is presented. I am 70 years old and for nearly sixty of those years I was completely dissociated with no sense of self or reality. I lived through characters I invented as a child who became more real to me than any human. Through seeking to know how to change from someone who saw life as a choice between enduring or dying, I have, through the work of such ones as mentioned above, at last begun to feel whole, to have a core and to feel emotions. I am building real friendships and learning how to be present with others. There is no way I can afford to buy the series but what you do put out I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Thank you all!
I am a body worker and occupational therapy practitioner. I will use this information when I educate clients on mindfulness and body scanning. I will allow and encourage emotional processing to occur in real time whenever it may come up. We are often too quick to console or change the subject if things become intense. I have learned this in other seminars but this one reaffirms that it is blocking progress with integration that may be happening on its own!