Trauma & the Nervous System
Dr. Bruce Perry — Sequence of Engagement: Regulate, Relate, Reason
Dr. Perry explains why our ability to think and reason changes depending on the state of our nervous system, and why regulation and connection often need to happen before problem-solving.
Watch from The Neurosequential Network
Dr. Dan Siegel--- Hand Model of the Brain
Dr. Siegel uses the hand model to illustrate what can happen when we're overwhelmed and “flip our lid,” including why access to higher-level thinking becomes more difficult when we're highly activated. His official site has the Hand Model video/resource here:
Childhood Trauma and the Brain
If you've ever wondered how experiences from childhood can continue to affect the way you respond to stress as an adult, this short animation is a really good place to start. It explains how the developing brain adapts to difficult or threatening environments and why some of those adaptations can continue even after the original danger has passed.
Childhood Trauma and the Brain Video
Shame, Vulnerability & Self-Compassion
Brené Brown — The Power of Vulnerability
This is probably an obvious one, but I would still include it. It's accessible, funny, and gives clients a way into conversations about vulnerability, connection, shame, and belonging without feeling like they're watching a therapy lecture.
Watch the TED Talk
Brené Brown — Listening to Shame
I might actually recommend this one after The Power of Vulnerability. It goes more directly into shame and what happens when we begin talking about experiences we'd rather hide. It would pair beautifully with your Understanding Shame & Guilt page.
Watch the TED Talk
Kristin Neff — The Space Between Self-Esteem and Self-Compassion
A very approachable introduction to why self-compassion is different from simply trying to feel better about yourself.
Relationships & Attachment
Esther Perel — The Secret to Desire in a Long-Term Relationship
A TED Talk about the tension between security and novelty in long-term relationships and why desire can change as relationships become more familiar. This would be particularly good for couples browsing your library.
Watch the TED Talk
Sue Johnson — The Laws of Love
A really nice introduction to attachment in adult relationships from the developer of Emotionally Focused Therapy. It helps explain why our closest relationships can bring out such powerful emotional responses.
Understanding Your Mind
When uncomfortable thoughts or feelings show up, our natural reaction is often to try to get rid of them. We worry about being anxious, get frustrated with ourselves for feeling sad, or become angry that we're still thinking about something we wish we could move past. Before long, we're struggling with our reaction to the original feeling as much as the feeling itself.
In this short animated video, ACT therapist Dr. Russ Harris explains the “Struggle Switch” and what can happen when we stop putting so much energy into fighting our internal experiences.
We make hundreds of choices every day, and many of them are small enough that we barely notice them. Over time, though, those choices can move us closer to the life and relationships we want, or pull us farther away from them.
In this short video, Dr. Russ Harris introduces the Choice Point, a simple way of noticing what tends to pull you away from the person you want to be and identifying the small actions that can move you back toward what matters to you.
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