An Integrative Neuro-Somatic Focusing Oriented Approach in Trauma Treatment

An Integrative Neuro-Somatic Focusing Oriented Approach in Trauma Treatment Certification Course

Introduction:

Traumatic stress is in the nervous system, its experiences disrupt the normal autonomic nervous system which interferes the pattern of connection to the whole and the co-regulation with others. Any disruptions to the regulatory ability become a feature of dysfunctional development. It poses a threat and distress to life, or the integrity of self or others. When there has been an absence or interruption of the bond, an insecure attachment formed. This attachment trauma is wired into the nervous system in the form of our response and reactivity to our environment and particularly our relationships within it, including the provoke of our deepest insecurities, pains and disconnections. Therefore, profound healing and repatterning comes from making change at the neuro-experiential and body level, by fostering an increased sense of emotional regulation, reducing the bodily reactivity and reclaim access to inner resources, through their body wisdom to restore the innate capacity to reconnect self, to form healthy and adaptive boundaries in relationship, as well as building a self with resilience and autonomy.

Aim of the Training Program Series:

The understanding of Trauma from neurobiological perspective provides a theoretical basis for trauma treatment. This training series of Module I to Module III aim at integrating different neuro-somatic and focusing oriented approaches to address the triggers of neural states that support traumatic emotions, social and defensive behavior, as well as causing relational and collective trauma. The skills and techniques based on focusing and neuro-somatic is to rewire the brain circuit, to promote the sense of safety, connectedness with self, others as well as regaining resilience, thereby facilitate recovery from trauma, attachment failures and collective trauma.

Benefits from taking the Three Modules of Training

1. Over time with repeated practice, can find your authentic and coherence truth self in relational connectedness with others in a bodily way.

2. Can tap into more life energy, inner resources and body wisdom that endure obstacles, make decision and solve problem creatively.

3. Able to attune to client’s verbal and non-verbal expression through therapeutic grounded presence and neuro-somatic experiential process, can be more effective to support clients to complete the healing process, either on individual or group work basis.

4. Overall, can integrate the learning into the current practice to improve competencies in counseling or treatment process.

Target: Social Workers, Counselor, Therapist, Teacher, Medical staff and other helping professionals.

Course Structure

Main Theme and Structure

Module I :

The Neurobiological Understanding of Trauma and Integrative Neuro- Somatic Focusing Oriented Trauma Practice

Module 2

Integrative Neuro-Somatic Focusing Oriented Approach to work on Attachment /Relational Trauma

Module 3

Integrative Neuro-Somatic Focusing Oriented Approach to work on Collective Trauma

Course Requirement:

Certification:

• Participants who complete all the 3 Module of Trauma Healing with at least 80% attendance and completion of all course work requirement will be issued the Certification of Completion.

• lParticipants are highly recommended to complete all the 3 Module of Trauma Healing from individual, relational to collective trauma. Module I is the foundation course for Module II and III.

• However, there is a flexibility to accept participants from taking single level, provided that they have already acquired learning experiences from other somatic and focusing training. But no *PFP (Proficiency Focusing Partner awarded by TIFI) would be awarded.

Proficiency Focusing Partner awarded

• To be awarded as PFP from International Focusing Institute, participants must have to complete Module I, Module II & III as well as the practicum requirement on WBF pair up practice. Recommendation for PFP is based on skills assessment by the Trainer.

• For those who wish to be awarded the PFP, is required to submit one page of personal reflection summary after completing each module. For those who are not intended to be awarded the PFP, weekly or regular practice on WBF after the training is still highly encouraged.

Module I

The Neurobiological Understanding of Trauma and Integrative Neuro-Somatic Focusing Oriented Trauma Practice

Aim:

This training module aims to the reduction of acute, destabilizing emotions and symptoms arising from individual trauma/traumatic event; and to increase client’s general capacity to regulate emotional states and self-integration.

Objectives:

1. To understand the neurobiological perspective of trauma and its impact.

2. Basic understanding on the Polyvagal Theory and its implications on the mind body & clinical practice.

3. Learning Wholebody Focusing and the felt sense to process the traumatic event.

4. Learning the Integrative Neuro-Somatic Focusing Oriented Approach & skills to enhance stabilization, emotional regulation and mind body integration.

Content Outline:

1. Nature and types of trauma and its impact on the brain-body and well-being.

2. The understanding of trauma from neurobiological perspective and polyvagal theory and its implications on trauma treatment.

3. The learning of concepts, attitudes and six Steps of Wholebody Focusing (WBF)Therapy. Through the step process to approach the traumatic experience with the emergence of felt sense and complete the process with its inner-directed movement and body wisdom.

4. Learning to integrate Neuro-Somatic and Focusing Oriented skills to meet with Life Stoppages/Trauma causing activation, avoidance, anxiety, or any other unprocessed emotions and stored tensions in the body.

5. Basic skills in grounded presence, focusing listening skills, five senses bodily sensation, resource gazespotting, increasing vagal tone and other somatic process skills to regulate the rhythm of the Autonomic Nervous System for stabilization, regulation, re-connection, co-regulation and the restoration of sense of security, connectedness & sense of self through the mind body felt sensing.

6. Introduce the general process of integrative Neuro-Somatic Focusing Oriented experiential approach on trauma treatment, aiming at releasing the stored tension that contribute to the activation of unresolved individual trauma/traumatic event.

7. Enhancing the positive neuroplasticity to foster resilience for trauma prevention and healing.

8. Self-care and building the authentic and coherence self as a therapist.

Course Structure & Requirement:

*Three lecture days + 2 practice sessions (3 hours per session)

*1 practice & supervision session (3 hours in the following month)

*Participants shall practice one month of WBF in pairs, once a week for half an hour each as Focuser and Listener (in pair practice, online or in person).

Suitable Participants:

*This training is suitable for participants who provide clinical work to individuals, couples and parents.

Module 2

Integrative Neuro-Somatic Focusing Oriented Approach to work on Attachment /Relational Trauma

Aim : This level of training aims at deepening focusing and somatic healing journey around the attachment injuries, and to explore the transformation power of neuro-somatic and focusing oriented approach to foster the healing in the form of compassionate and connectedness.

Objectives:

1. Learning the effects of attachment trauma and Attachment Theory from the neuroscience and Polyvagal perspective.

2. Liberating attachment difficulties/disruptions through releasing stored tension in body that contribute to traumatic/distress response including defensives, anxiety, ambivalence and avoidance.

3. Helping client expand the capacity to process the traumatic memories and unprocessed emotions.

4. Compassionately renew a felt sense of secure attachment to self.

5. Restore the broken connections through self-connectedness and in relationships.

Content Outline:

1. The neurobiological understanding of the transgenerational/ developmental/ relational attachment trauma from the Polyvagal Theory and Attachment Theory.

2. Understanding the impact of child adversity, abusive /oppressive relationship and its impact on later development on different levels of psychological, social and the mind-body.

3. Acquire the basic practice skills learnt from Integrative Neuro Somatic Focusing Oriented Process (skills learning from Module I ) and Somatic Attachment Therapy, including the felt sense and Wholebody heartfelt connection, basic skills such as pendulation of Somatic Experiencing, the parts work of Somatic Internal Family System Therapy, Embodied Somatic Movement & resource gazespotting of Brainspotting etc., to work on the insecure self and inner critical parts, the violation of boundary issues and the attachment wounds in neuro-experiential treatment process.

4. Learning the Mindful emotional regulation and compassionately renew a felt sense of connection and security by expanding the distress tolerance level to process the relational attachment traumatic emotional experiences.

5. Creating autonomy and reclaiming boundaries through building of inner strength and self-reflective capacity.

Course Structure & Requirement:

1. Two lecture days + 2 practice sessions

2. 2 practice & supervision sessions (3 hours per session in the following 2 months)

3. Participants shall practice two months of WBF in pairs once a week for half an hour each as Focuser and Listener (in pair practice, online or in person).

Suitable Participants:

• This training is suitable for participants who provides clinical work to individuals, couples and parents.

Module 3

Integrative Neuro-Somatic Focusing Oriented Approach to work on Collective Trauma

Aim :

In our realities of systemic oppression and marginalization, people need to re-awakening their awareness of being oppressed and is ready to

respond to the social justice issues, through felt sensing the oppression and experiencing its connection to the whole. This training aims at somatic

focusing on the collective liberation, unpacking oppressive social norms and systems, restoring inner strength through coherence building as a resource

for collective trauma.

Objectives:

1. Learning how the socio-cultural & structural institutions shaped our social norms and dominant behaviors that have power over the oppressed; this understanding can empower our approaches to healing, resilience building, and to social change.

2. Understand feeling safe is an embodied experience from the polyvagal perspective which provides a neurophysiologically-based to create strategies for the oppressed. This understanding helps to explain the significance of providing trauma-informed care practice.

3. Using Neuro-Somatic Focusing Oriented process and skills to create a safe, empowering and healing environment for client to address the systemic oppression and collective liberation through the embodiment of self sensing and resilience building.

Content Outline:

1. Understand the individual experiences are shaped by collective experiences, and there are intersections between personal and systemic/collective trauma.

2. From the polyvagal perspective, that the person’s stress/trauma response is adaptive. Explore the strength-based and collective resilience process on trauma prevention, healing and post-traumatic growth at the individual, collective and structural levels causing by inequity or systemic oppression.

3. Using felt sense to bring the somatic awareness & opening to understand the socio-cultural, economic & political world and to identify the mechanism of personal and social domination.

4. Making connection inside of a conscious relational field through experiencing the process of Wholebody Focusing Heartfelt Conversation, Interactive Focusing Model and Somatic Felt Sense Movement for liberation and for social change. Other reference from Non-Violence Communication and Narrative Practice will also be included.

5. Understand the Trauma Informed Care practice is to promote safety, belonging and dignity.

Suitable Participants:

*This training is also suitable for participants doing group/project work besides clinical work.

*Art work, movement or theatre-based activities will also be used as a means for the neuro-experiential felt sensing process.

Course Structure:

*Two lecture days + 2 practice sessions

* 2 practice & supervision sessions +1 assessment exercise (3 hours per session in the following 2 months)

*Participants shall practice one month of WBF in pairs once a week for half an hour each as Focuser and Listener (in pair practice, online or in person).

Additional Information about PFP Award

The ”Proficiency in Focusing Partnership Award” (PFP Award) can be awarded to a Focuser who has demonstrated proficiency in Focusing, listening and partnership skills and is a member of the International Focusing Institute (“TIFI”). Readiness for the PFP Award is at the discretion of the certified Focusing professional recommending the candidate for the award. (Note that this includes any CFP/Trainer, FOT, Coordinator or Coordinator-in-Training.) As a guideline, proficiency skills and competencies might include:

• Ability to identify and utilize the felt sense in your process

• Ability to listen in the Focusing way

• Having Focusing experience with a number of other Focusing partners

The PFP Award can be a first goal for trainees who have selected the path to become a certified Focusing professional or it can be a stand-alone award demonstrating a particular level of Focusing experience.

Who can recommend the candidate for the PFP Award?

Any TIFI certified Focusing professional: Coordinator (CC), Coordinator in Training (CiT), FOT or CFP/Trainer can recommend a student for the award. The award document will be signed by TIFI, and the above-listed recommending teacher.

Fees and Membership

(1) There is a US$25.00 fee to process and mail the PFP Award.

(2) The recipient must be a member of TIFI as a Trainee or in any affiliate membership category (Friend US$25, Supporter US $50, Associate US$75).

Benefits

1. Acknowledgement of your Focusing development and readiness to be a Focusing partner.

2. Connection with the larger Focusing community around the world.

Procedure

When the trainer deems the student ready to receive this PFP Award, the teacher contacts TIFI personnel to inform them of the student’s eligibility. TIFI will contact the student to process the award and mail it to the trainer to sign and issue to the student.

Trainer

Dr. Paulina C.Y. Kwok 郭志英博士, RSW

Certified Wholebody Focusing Oriented Trainer & Therapist (TIFI)

Certified Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP, Trauma Institute, USA)

Certified Brainspotting Practitioner & Level One Facilitator (Brainspotting, LLC)

Certified Ego-State Therapist (MEISA)

lCertified Integral Somatic Psychology Practitioner (ISP)

Certified Counsellor, Approved Counselling Supervisor (HKPCA)

Certified Family Therapist, Clinical Supervisor (HKMFTA)

Consultant Supervisor (HKSWA)

Websites

1. HEAT Professional Course Enrollment

2. Professional Course Schedule

3. Proficiency in Focusing Partnership Award

Contact Information:

http://www.training.caritas.org.hk

Enquiries: 3707 2000

Email:fsheattraining@caritassws.org.hk

Course Enquiries:

For enquiries, please contact Miss Susanna Chan or Mr. Simon Wong at 3707 2000 or visit our website: http://www.training.caritas.org.hk