Get Isabel Certified

Welcome to the Caboose! We're starting at the back of the train, because that's what it feels like to solve a problem sometimes. In this unit you are going to learn more about the psychological and sociological principles Anna studied BEFORE writing the Isabel script.

Fun Fact: Anna was influenced by Brechtian theatre when she wrote Isabel. That's why the name of each scene is called out to the audience DURING the production. The FIRST scene in the Isabel and the Runaway Train is labeled "SCENE TWO" in order to immediately jar the audience and make them feel like they are missing something.

Learn about two key concepts that Anna researched BEFORE she began to write the script for Isabel and the Runaway Train. These concepts will be essential to YOUR understanding of survivor support.

Fun Fact: Isabel is a success in both the entertainment AND the educational industries because Anna's educational skills were honed WELL BEFORE she began a professional clear as a playwright. She led her first educational programming gig at 11 years old (yup, that young).

Research Source:

Want to learn more about the Drama Triangle? Check out Dr. Karpman's Website below.

Dr. Stephen B. Karpman, M.D

karpmandramatriangle.com

Here in the Isabel community, we REALLY like triangles. Here's our triangulated version of modern theories on common responses to trauma.

Bonus Tip: By now many people have learned about PTSD (post - traumatic stress disorder). But there's a more complicated version called C-PTSD (complex post-traumatic stress disorder), often associated with repeat experiences. Be open to modifying your support responses if someone has experienced repeated traumatic experiences. Their needs will be highly individualized.

Research Sources:

1) Want to learn more about the physiological responses associated with the the original fight - flight response theory? Check out the Psychology Tools article below:

Fight-Flight by American Physiologist Walter Bradford Cannon

Fight Or Flight Response - Psychology Tools

https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/fight-or-flight-response/

2) Want to learn more about the additional responses of Freeze and Fawn? Here's a great article from Psychology Today:

Understanding Fight, Flight, Freeze and the Fawn Response | Psychology Today

https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/fight-or-flight-response/

3) Want to read more about PTSD and Complex PTSD? Here's an article from the American Psychiatric Association.

What Is PTSD? (psychiatry.org)

https://www.psychologytools.com/resource/fight-or-flight-response/

When you help a survivor, you run the risk of behaving dramatically, which puts you at risk for NOT actually helping. Learn more about how to spot this problem.

Bonus Tip: If you don't like the triangulated version of these concepts, you can make your own version. Feel free to reorganize this info as you see fit.

Intro: About the Scene

Welcome to the Baggage Car. In this lesson we are going to identify your go - to dramatic tendencies and make a plan for stepping outside of the drama triangle.

Fun Fact: Fern met Anna the summer after he graduated from college and they have worked together even since. He has witnessed and contributed to the entire arc of the Isabel Community's development.

We have hosted many valuable discussions about the connection between drama and trauma. Watch this video and learn from the experiences of some of our most recent Passengers.

Fun Fact: A few of the Passengers featured here are Isabel Interns. Check out our student intern options if you're interested in working with us to normalize #metoo survivor support.

Learn More at https://isabelandtherunawaytrain.org/students

Now that you have identified your dramatic tendencies and reflected on the connection between the triangles, it's time to create your own alternative triangle.

Bonus Tip: No one is ever going to successfully step outside of the drama triangle ALL the time. We don't expect you to be perfect. We're not perfect. But we can say that when we follow our drama - free models, our lives go more smoothly and we feel more confidence about our choices.

Research Source:

Want to learn more about the replacement Drama Triangle referenced by Dr. Karpman? Look through his website below.

Dr. Stephen B. Karpman, M.D

karpmandramatriangle.com

This is Anna's favorite part of the training. In this unit you will hear the Isabel Team's unique advice for survivor support. Thanks for looking in the mirror first, that experience prepares you to better follow through with the action steps in this lesson.

Bonus Tip: The best way to know if you are helping a survivor is for them to say directly that you helped them. But asking them directly for that validation centers YOU instead of THEM. So instead of asking them "Am I helping," we suggest saying something like "My intention is to help, so if I am saying or doing something that is actually UNHELPFUL, please let me know." Then, if they tell you that your behavior is not helping them, BELIEVE them and CHANGE the behavior. The fact that you WANT to help is great, but it cannot be the CENTER of the story.

There are three main action steps that you'll learn about in this video: Maintain, Establish, and Advocate. Remember to check your Engine Packet and take notes as you follow along.

Bonus Tip: For other great training opportunities we encourage you to join a local or statewide organization such as Texas Association Against Sexual Assault (aka TAASA).

Introduction: Taking Care of Yourself

Didn't download your Engine Packet at the start of the training? We've got you. Here's a quick link to a PDF version of our advice for Self Care After a Story.

But seriously...go back and download that. #justdoit

Welcome to the Engine! In this Unit, you'll meet several Isabel characters and begin using your new knowledge of drama, trauma and survivorship to analyze their behaviors.

Fun Fact: During the 2018 production, we named the pit band "The Engines" and had the actors with scenes in the Engine of the train interact with the band members.

Meet Christopher Vance and Sierra Boudoin, the two actors who played Isabel's parents in our 2018 premiere.

Fun Fact: Both Chris and Sierra have returned for various Isabel projects in the past three years. You can hear all their songs on the 2019 Isabel Album on your preferred listening platform.

In the scene before this song, Isabel's parents have realized that Isabel ran away and get into a fight about the stress of searching for her. They both feel like they are completely spent and have nothing to give, and they express that feeling of emptiness in this song.

Reminder: A lyric sheet to Empty is in your Engine Packet. Can't find it? There's a direct link to the lyric sheet below.

You've met the actors who play Isabel's parents, and you've listened to the Empty lyric video. Now it's time to nerd out with the composer and learn her take on the drama triangles within Empty.

Fun Fact: The mother's fast vocal part in the bridge was added to the score just before rehearsals for the Isabel premiere began. Anna realized that instead of singing in unison with the father, the mother should be singing MUCH faster and share more insight into the pain she feels at being left out.

Welcome to the Crash! Get ready for more scene analysis and to hear some valuable insight from former Isabel Passengers.

Fun Fact: During the staged show, Isabel sings the song "Crumble" while the train crashes. Does that song sound familiar? Well, it should. You heard Mykk singing excerpts from it during the opening video of this webinar.

Watch: Isabel's Parents Find Her

Can't find the lyric sheet in your Engine Packet? Here's a direct download.

Scene Study: Isabel Comes Home

Write a letter to Isabel showing your support.

Welcome Home! Isabel's parents successfully convinced her to come home. But that's not the end of the story is it? No, it's not. We can learn from the way Isabel's parents interact with her AFTER she gets back home.

Bonus Tip: It is important to be patient with ourselves when we practice survivor support for the first time. No one is going to get this right 100% of the time, and we are going to make mistakes, especially in the beginning.

Scene Study: Isabel's Mom

Can't find the lyric sheet in your Engine Packet? Here's a direct download.

Intro: Writing to Isabel's Mom

Welcome to your offboarding process! You've been working so hard on this train ride and we couldn't be prouder. In this unit, you'll review what you learned, hear an inspirational message from Anna about survivors who feel supported, and take a final quiz to confirm your mastery of the training concepts.

We have talked a lot about how you can support survivors. Now let's take a moment to talk about how it FEELS to be a survivor who has received support.

Anna wrote the song "Lend Me Your Hand," about the experience of ACCEPTING help from others during the healing process. She has only performed this publicly ONCE, at our 2019 album release show. Check out the footage in the video above.

Congrats! You are officially Isabel Certified! The video above is full of credits and bloopers. But more importantly....

It's time for your Isabel Certificate!!!

Fill out the Google Form below and you'll receive an email with your signed and PERSONALIZED certificate within 2 - 3 business days.

We'd be THRILLED if you tagged us in a celebration post.

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