TRAUMA, RELATIONSHIP AND THE ARTSHOW SCIENCE SAYS WE SHOULD SUPPORT AND HEAL TRAUMA

• We change brain wiring when we have repeated experiences

• the chemicals that help us remember and absorb new experiences are also released in interactions

PSYCHOLOGY

• from a psychological perspective, we learn who we are and how to be in the world-schema.

• challenging these schema with new experiences, especially in the context of a new “story” about who we and others are, is how you change these early lessons.

SOCIAL

• Trauma changes our ability to view ourselves accurately, and it damages our ability to see the intentions of others accurately

THE BRAIN, THE BODY, THE MIND AND THE GROUP

• Trauma interventions need to:

• shift brain function

• calm the signals from the brain to the body and vice versa

• change the story of the self

• heal the relations between the individual and her community

VAN DER KOLK

• body work focuses on movement and rhythm for the individual,

• then pairs with another person for attunement, reciprocity and modulation

• then incorporates larger groupings and a circle for community

PERRY

• Experiences need to be

• rhythmic

• relevant

• repetitive

• respectful

• relational

• rewarding

HARVEY

• individuals can be helped to create a new story of self, a positive story based on character strengths

COZOLINO

• The elements of psychotherapy

• trusting relationship

• mild to moderate risk

• activating emotion while maintaining thinking

• co-construction of a new narrative

SAFE, CONNECTED AND IN CONTROL

• Safe (limbic system, vagus nerve)

• Connected (dopamine and serotonin)

• In Control (cortex on line; neurally integrated)

UNIVERSAL PRECAUTION

• Catches big T and little t trauma

• is non-invasive

• links to basic first aid training

FOCUSED ON DSPS

• the most prevalent relationships our individuals have

• increases feelings of competence

• teaches self-regulation skills applicable in all settings, not just work

• positively impacts job satisfaction, sense of purpose and morale

PUTTING THIS TOGETHER

• a relational foundation for all interactions is the doorway to these experiences

TRC IS THE PLATFORM AGENCIES CAN USE

• based in relationship

• informed by brain science (trauma, neuroplasticity, neural integration, e.g.)

• mindfulness and positive psychology at its core

• compatible with Gentle Teaching Person-Centered Planning

AT THE FOREFRONT OF TRAUMA SCIENCE: BRAIN BODY WORK

• For early trauma, chronic or complex trauma, brain/body work is at the forefront of therapeutic approaches

• Brain/body focus is also accessible for people who are mostly or completely non-verbal

• sometimes these two conditions occur simultaneously.

INTENSE PRESENCE: THE ARTS

• In some ways artists are trained for this kind of work better than therapists

• Artists have to be deeply aware of themselves and their interior states

• they have to be finely attuned to the movements and emotions of others

• create safe space for experimentation and “failure”

• can focus on process

ARTISTS CAN BE AT THE VANGUARD OF TEACHING INDIVIDUALS AND STAFF

• affective awareness

• self awareness

• emotions and cognition integrated in real time

• risk taking

• joy (reward)

• movement and expression

• narrative

KENYA: VAN DER KOLK, PERRY AND DANCE

• stories of individuals participating

• links to Perry and vdKolk

• a dancer’s view of relating

DEMONSTRATION

• How did you feel before the warm-up? Scared, anxious, curious?

• How did you feel afterward?

• Whether you are a professional dancer, recreational dancer or never dance, the process is the same.

TRAUMA AND ART

• Art offers everyone a common ground to work, play and create.

VAN DER KOLK AND DANCE

• Dance aligns directly with van der kolk’s suggestions for body work for trauma healing:

• it gives everyone the opportunity to work individually on body movement, awareness and rhythm.

• then when comfortable with self, individuals make a smoother transition to work with partners, then

• small groups and larger groups.

• examples: learning to partner in ballet, salsa, modern dance hand -to-hand connection (Pilobolus)

PERRY AND DANCE

• Dance aligns directly with Perry’s work:

• relational

• Dance provides a safe physical and mental open space in which to work

• Relevant

• dance is developmentally matched to the individual. It leads us to discover music and sounds that appeal to the tastes of the individual.

• Repetitive and Rhythmic

• Dance is patterned (repetitive) and resonant with neural patterns (Rhythmic).

• Dance builds/rebuilds ‘muscle memory’ through the use of physical and mental rhythms and repetition.

• Respectful of the individual, family and culture

• Dance can be framed in culturally meaningful ways and allows us the opportunity to check in with ourselves.

• Rewarding (pleasurable)

• Dance freely and instantly gives us a feeling of accomplishment. Usually there is a buildup of accomplishment and this is heightened by the end of the session

THREE STORIES

• Ray

• Muffy (including Manny and Sister)

• Ryan

ROSE-MARY CENTER IS A BELLWETHER

• most challenging population

• high demands placed on staff

• ready to do whatever works

SOURCES AND FURTHER READING• Cozolino, J. The Neuroscience of Psychotherapy. W.W. Norton and Co. 2010.

• Doige, N .The Brain That Changes Itself. James H Silberman Books, 2007.

• Harvey, K. Trauma-Informed Behavioral Interventions: What Works and What Doesn’t. American Association of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. 2012.

• Herman, J. Trauma and Recovery. Basic Books, 1992.

• Perry, B. “Applying Principles of Neurodevelopment to Clinical Work With Maltreated and Traumatized Children”, from Working With Traumatized Youth In Child Welfare, chapter 3, Ed. N. Boyd, Guilford Press, 2006.

• Perry, B. Integrating Principles of Neurodevelopment into Clinical Practice. Presentation, Child Trauma Academy, 2011.

SOURCES AND FURTHER READING

• Seligman, M. Authentic Happiness. Simon and Schuster, 2002.

• Siegel, D. The Mindful Brain: Reflection and Attunement in the Cultivation of Well-Being. New York: Norton and Co., 2007.

• Sobsey, D. Violence and Abuse in the Lives of People with Disabilities: The End of Silent Acceptance? Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co,1994.

• van der Kolk, B. Trauma, Attachment and Neuroscience: New Therapeutic Treatments. Webcast, 12/2012.

• van der Kolk, B. The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind and Body in the Healing Of Trauma. New York: Random House, 2014.

LARA PALAY, LISW-S

This presentation was developed by Aldridge Palay and cannot be reproduced without permission. All rights reserved.

lara@aldridgepalay.com

www.aldridgepalay.com