Patterns
of the Past: the Human Givens approach to working successfully with trauma
with Rosalind Townsend
trauma
Any negative life event
LIFE THREATENING/ HIGHLY DISTRESSING EXPERIENCE (or one that is perceived to be such)
Developmentalincluding childhood neglect
What are the symptoms?
▪ Flashbacks
▪ Nightmares
▪ Hypervigilance
▪ Fear & Anxiety
▪ Anger
▪ Panic
▪ Poor Sleep
▪ Poor Memory
▪ Difficulty thinking / concentrating
▪ Fragmented sense of self
▪ Dissociating from reality
Not feeling ‘normal’ emotions
Emotional dysregulation
Physical pain and tension
Digestive disturbances
Low mood
Feelings of guilt, shame or blame ▪ Difficulties with social relationships ▪ Withdrawal from friends / activities
Faulty coping strategies (alcohol / drugs / comfort eating / excessive exercise)
….the list goes on
The jigsaw for each client
A physical model that works
A model for a healthy life
What
do we need?
Our innate emotional needs
Purpose and meaning Control
Status
The jigsaw for each client
A metaphor to support recovery: psychoeducation to address confusion
and stigma
Fight or flight
Starting the day stressed
What happens during a traumatic event?
A calm brain
The Secretary –
anterior cingulate gyrus
The Boss – you!
pre-frontal cortex
Filing System –interplay of many different brain regions
Security guard –amygdala
A highly emotionally-aroused
‘fight-or-flight’ switched on
brain:
The Secretary –anterior cingulate gyrus
The Boss – you! pre-frontal cortex
Filing System –interplay of many different brain regions
Security guard –amygdala
Security guard – job description
Part 1: take over when stress levels reach a critical point in order to be ready to take split-second, life-saving decisions
Part 2: store templates relating to current threat for future reference
Why has our brain evolved this way?
We evolved to recover from distressing experiences
Channels of communication open up
The Secretary –
anterior cingulate gyrus
The Boss – you!
pre-frontal cortex
Filing System –
interplay of many different brain regions
Security guard –amygdala
…but sometimes things get in the way of
that happening
An holistic model for working with the whole picture
We evolved to recover from distressing experiences
Rewind: a key technique in the HG toolkit
▪ Fulfils the three key criteria for success
▪ Minimum distress for client
▪ Non-voyeuristic: does not require lengthy or repeated retelling
Supporting recovery from trauma
▪ Fewer symptoms
▪ Learn more effectively
▪ Trauma can be processed
▪ Fewer triggers
The shape sorter
Key ways to access the recovery zone
▪ Exercise
▪ Breathing
▪ Resource Activities
▪ Social engagement (connection)
▪ Grounding, awareness and embodiment techniques: remaining present and engaged
… we get good at what we practice
The ‘magic wand’
From small acorns…
Purpose and meaning Control
Status