The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma

About the Course:

This book provides the reader with an overview of the various types of events or circumstances that are experienced as trauma, many of which can lead to the development of PTSD.  The aim of this book is to demonstrate that there are predictable differences in the body, brain, and behavior patterns of those who are the victims of trauma, depending partly on the type of trauma experienced and the age (or developmental stage) at which it occurred, and to help practitioners understand how to approach these patients. Traumatic experiences are encoded in the brain differently from non-traumatic experiences, and are also expressed physically.  The effects of trauma also can limit the emotional and practical resources that are available to children and adults with these experiences in their past. This course will help practitioners identify behaviors that might be indicators of past trauma, understand the ways that patients access and express those memories, and learn about practices that can help their patients begin to integrate their experiences to lessen the impact of past trauma on their current functioning. Keywords: PTSD, Trauma, Sexual Abuse, Children, Adolescents, Domestic Violence, Crisis

This course is based on the book, The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma created by Bessel Van Der Kolk, MD in 2015.

Publication Date:

2015

Course Material Author

Course Creator

Recommended For:

Counselors, marriage and family therapists, psychologists and social workers. This course is appropriate for all levels of knowledge.

Course Objectives:

1. The Rediscovery of Trauma – differentiate between the way PTSD is experienced and expressed in the mind, body, and behaviors of patients who have experienced acute vs. chronic trauma.

2. This is Your Brain on Trauma – identify the parts of the brain which are altered through the experience of trauma, and discuss how those changes translate into changes in behavior and functioning in everyday life.

3. The Minds of Children – describe the way that parental and social relationships can mitigate or exacerbate the effects of traumatic experiences for children.

4. The Imprint of Trauma – explain the way that traumatic memories are stored in the brain and experienced, in contrast to the way non-traumatic memories are stored and experienced.

5. Paths to Recovery – list multiple techniques which have proven to be effective with patients who have experienced trauma and / or developed PTSD as a result of traumatic experience, integrating some of these techniques into their counseling practice, and/or identifying areas for further education and training.