Applying a Trauma-Informed Lens to Your Therapy Approach

This lecture will help you define what trauma is and reviews the body's threat (fight-flight-freeze) response.

This section describes the important structures and functions of the brain to understand what responses and reactions occur during a traumatic event (or highly disturbing or distressing experience), and/or during a trigger or reactivation of a trauma.

This section further describes the effects of a traumatic experience on the brain and specifically how traumatic memories are formed and stored differently than other memories.

These slides review the diagnostic criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex posttraumatic stress (C-PTSD), as well as discuss the long-term effects of traumatic experiences on an individual's window of tolerance, personality, and belief systems.

This section covers the different types of traumatic events an individual might experience, including Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), and some prevalence rates in the United States. Racial trauma and transgenerational trauma are also briefly covered.

This lecture defines the underlying central concepts and tenets of Trauma-Informed Care, including the Four Rs and the 6 Guiding Principles, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

This section discusses the importance of using informal or formal screening and assessment tools to understand your client's trauma history.

This lecture defines the stages of trauma recovery, based on the seminal work by Judith Herman and new work by Courtney Armstrong. Additional slides discuss Stephanie Covington's Upward Spiral of recovery, and posttraumatic growth.

This lecture outlines the major evidence-based practices for trauma-informed interventions, and lays the groundwork for how to integrate trauma-informed interventions into your own therapeutic approach. Trauma recovery stage one interventions are introduced, including psychoeducation, nervous system regulation strategies, coping skills, and self-compassion.

This lecture covers trauma recovery stages two and three interventions, including memory reconsolidation, cognitive-behavioral, interpersonal/relational, creative and expressive arts, and strengths-based approaches.

This section briefly covers the various impacts that trauma work can have on you - the helping professional! Vicarious trauma, retraumatization, compassion fatigue, and burnout are defined.
If you believe you are suffering from clinician burnout, check out my other Udemy course: Preventing Preventing Burnout with Self-Compassion: Practical Strategies for Helping Professionals to learn mindfulness and self-compassion interventions to heal yourself in this line of work.

This is a mindfulness exercise called Five Breaths (to Change Your Life). Depending on what you need right now in your life (more focus, relaxation, etc.), choose one set of the mantras then repeat the first word on the in-breath/inhale, and the second word on the out-breath/exhale - for five breath cycles.

Thank you for enrolling in this course! Please make sure to check out the references and resources slides for additional information, education, and sources used. Feel free to reach out with any questions or follow-ups!

Here is a copy of the PPT slides.