"Restoring the Self"
Integrative treatment for traumatic dissociation.

Module 1

 How to Manage Hyperarousal and Intense Negative Affect: Expanding the Window of Tolerance Traumatized clients sometimes face extreme hyperarousal and associated emotions, including fear, anger, guilt and shame. How do we help clients to become aware of these intense feeling states before they become overwhelming? What strategies can we teach our clients to maintain a feeling of control when they are overwhelmed by intense negative emotions? How can we help clients to avoid self-punishment following intense emotional experiences? This section of the workshop will address these questions using specific case examples. Neurobiological aspects of hyperarousal and intense emotional experiences will also be described.

After this module, participants will be able to:

• Discuss the implications of the Window of Tolerance
• Construct teaching materials for clients about the window of tolerance
• Appraise strategies to build clients’ self-awareness about where they are at on the window of tolerance
• Outline 3 verbal, 3 somatic and 2 art-therapy strategies

• Identify core emotions in clients: Fear, Anger, Guilt, Shame.
• Teach clients and therapists how trauma shapes the brain.

Module 2

 “At War with the Body: Overcoming Emotional Detachment and Self-Mutilation” Many traumatized clients have become alienated from their own bodies. Feelings experienced during the trauma were often futile and led clients to become detached from their feelings to the point where they experience profound emotional numbing, detachment, and have a decreased ability to be aware of the feelings of others. In addition, clients are often disgusted and ashamed of their bodies and emotions and resort to self-mutilation. This section of the workshop will describe and illustrate how to assist a client with reconnecting to their feelings using trauma-informed body scans. Moreover, identifying different causes of self-mutilation and how to address them therapeutically will be discussed and illustrated through role-plays. Neurobiological aspects of embodiment will also be described. Finally, neurofeedback will be discussed as a potential adjunctive treatment for complex emotion dysregulation issues.

After this module participants will be able to:

• Arrange expositions that teach clients about the reasons why they have disconnected from their bodies
• Discuss how the body holds the impact of intense emotions
• Discuss strategies to overcome self-harm and self-mutilation
• Practice teachable skills to help clients re-inhabit their body in the aftermath of Trauma.
• Discuss brain patterns that underlie emotional detachment.

Module 3

Overcoming Positive Emotion Intolerance and Building Capacity for Self-Compassion  Traumatized clients are often flooded with negative emotions after experiencing positive feelings. Moreover, shame can frequently be associated with the feeling of being non-deserving of experiencing positive emotions, including pride, passion, and love. How can we teach clients to overcome intense experiences of shame? How can we teach traumatized clients to be more self-compassionate and thus increase their capacity for positive affect tolerance? This section of the workshop will address specific strategies of dealing with shame and related self-dysfunction, including self-loathing. Moreover, specific interventions that can help to increase self-compassion will be illustrated through case examples. Neurobiological aspects of positive emotion intolerance will also be described.

After this module participants will be able to:

• Discuss why is so hard for traumatized individuals to experience positive feelings
• Point to ways for clients to become more comfortable with positive feelings
• Identify strategies to recruit Self-Compassion in the aftermath of Trauma
• Propose Skills for Self-Compassion
• Express how shame can decrease feelings of Self-Compassion and Love
• Prescribe ways how to reverse the toxicity of Shame

Module 4

 Challenging Moments in Trauma Treatment: Self Fragmentation Challenges around working with ego states will be discussed using clinical case examples. A particular focus on how to approach inner critics/perpetrator introjects early in therapy will be discussed; this will be followed by a role play illustrating barriers that can arise when working with perpetrator introjects.

After this module participants will be able to:

• Explain the assessment of Self-Fragmentation
• Conduct mapping of internal States
• Organize resourcing to Internal States
• Formulate treatment internalized perpetrators, inner critics, and child parts
• Plan Treatment Goals towards re-stablishing wholeness.
• Prepare for Assessment and Treatment of the Internal Barriers between dissociated parts

Module 5

How to Integrate Neurofeedback into Complex Trauma Treatment  The last module will discuss how clinicians can integrate neurofeedback in the treatment of complex trauma. This will be illustrated through case examples. The current evidence for neurofeedback for trauma-related disorders will also be described. Finally, the audience will be invited to reflect on their experiences over the last five modules, which will include a discussion of how to avoid and mitigate the effects of vicarious traumatization.

After this module participants will be able to:

• Describe what is Neurofeedback
• Outline 3 ways the brain will change in response to neurofeedback
• Discuss Neurofeedback integration with other modalities such as: DBT, IFS, Sensory-Motor, EMDR, CBT, Deep Brain Reorienting, Ego State Therapy, Mindfulness and Psychedelics
• Evaluate what is an integrated approach to Trauma Treatment
• Summarize the entire 5 modules learning into a cohesive treatment strategy
• Prescribe strategies to make neuro-feedback available for trauma therapists.