Trauma and PTSD Relief Therapy: Bessel A. van der Kolk, M.D.

TRAUMA AND PTSD RELIEF THERAPY

Trauma is ubiquitous in all of our clinical practices – from accidents and domestic violence to the aftereffects of early childhood abuse, instability and neglect (Developmental Trauma). Trauma changes people’s orientation to their self-worth and efficacy, their capacity to deal with conflict and intimacy, as well as emotion regulation and long-term planning. Trauma at different developmental levels changes brain circuitry differently, and thus: perception, self-regulation and reciprocity.

This updated course will present the most recent findings of the brain science of traumatic stress and demonstrate a wide range of treatment approaches appropriate to each individuals’ specific difficulties, including the therapeutic relationship, affect regulation techniques, including yoga, breath work, acupressure, singing and movement; EMDR, neurofeedback, psychodrama and the legitimate use of psychedelic agents.

About Bessel A. van der Kolk, M.D.

Bessel A. van der Kolk M.D. is a pioneer clinician, researcher and teacher in the area of posttraumatic stress. His work uniquely integrates developmental, neurobiological, psychodynamic, somatic and interpersonal aspects of the impact of trauma and its treatment. 

His #1 New York Times Science best seller, The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Treatment of Trauma transforms our understanding of traumatic stress, revealing how it literally rearranges the brain’s wiring—specifically areas dedicated to pleasure, engagement, control, and trust. He shows how these areas can be reactivated through innovative treatments including body work, psychodrama, mindfulness techniques, parts work, yoga, and neurofeedback, Dr. van der Kolk and his various collaborators have published extensively on the impact of trauma on development, such as dissociative problems, borderline personality and self-mutilation, cognitive development, memory, and the psychobiology of trauma. He has published over 150 peer reviewed scientific articles on such diverse topics as neuroimaging, self-injury, memory, neurofeedback, Developmental Trauma, yoga, theater and EMDR. 

He is founder of the Trauma Center (now the Trauma Research Foundation) in Boston, MA; past President of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, and Professor of Psychiatry at Boston University Medical School. He regularly teaches at universities and hospitals around the world. 

Course Objectives

At the conclusion of this course, participants will be able to:

1. Examine & explain how traumatized people process information
2. Distinguish between the impact of trauma (i.e. a specific overwhelming experience) and disruptions of attachment, as in neglect and abuse.
3. Describe how  somatic processing can alleviate traumatic re-experiencing
4. Examine how trauma, abuse and neglect affects the therapeutic relationship.
5. Describe the range of adaptations to trauma early in the life cycle
6. Examine the role of self – leadership.
7. Describe how early attachment trauma leads to fragmentation and development of distinct parts. The more trauma the less internal communication.

Continuing Education Information

The Kaiser Permanente Northern California Mental Health Training Programs is approved by the California Psychological Association, Office of Professional Development, to sponsor continuing professional education for psychologists in California. The California Psychological Association is authorized by the Board of Behavioral Sciences to approve continuing education providers. The Kaiser Permanente Northern California Mental Health Training Programs maintains responsibility for this program and its contents.

Kaiser Permanente Northern California Mental Health Training Programs designate this live activity for three hours continuing education credits for the above-identified licensed professionals.