Trauma Resilience & Self Care

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]To practice peace and justice is to encounter the wounding of the world. This encounter is vastly global and deeply personal. Just as healers must first assess injury before treatment, we must understand the historical and contemporary harms we work to transform. Practitioners, carrying our own individual and historical wounds, cannot help but be impacted by the wounding and trauma we experience on this path. Sustainability in our practice requires trauma awareness and a commitment to nurturing resilience within ourselves and in our relationships. This page offers resources to better understanding the impacts of trauma at individual and collective levels, as well as ways in which to transform this wounding through a range of practices for self and collective care. As part of the Kroc School’s commitment to learning that is holistic and practice-based, these resources are here to help cultivate our courage and capacity as practitioners to engage fully and sustainably in making meaningful change.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_tta_tabs][vc_tta_section title=”Articles” tab_id=”1597430838362-d7118c44-309e”][vc_column_text]

Social Justice, Inner Work and Contemplative Practice (ICEA Journal)

We need each other to be whole. We invite you to dive deeply into these articles that come from many different perspectives and experiences. They return us to ourselves and to (at least a taste of) freedom and the best of what we can be. May we deepen our capacity to practice inner work and contemplative skills and get deep training in social justice and equity, at both individual/interpersonal and institutional/systemic levels. With increased openness, bravery, receptivity, and courage, we have greater awareness and clarity. And with that increased clarity, we have the possibility of significantly changing our actions toward the liberation of all.

Resilience is a Discipline, Part 1 (Headington Institute)

All of the research that is now being done in these areas, including here at Headington, is rather exciting.  In time we will know much more and with more certainty how all of this ties together.  But we don’t need to wait until a gold standard is reached before we can personally address the issue of resilience.  There are already enough hints that indicate you can do something to improve your resilience, regardless of the hand you were dealt in life.  The emphasis here is on ‘do’.  Resilience is not a passive sport. The more passive you are the more stuck you are with the that original hand you were dealt. The more active and disciplined you are in following the hints and leads that are available, the more you can move beyond that hand to being more resilient.  You are not going to get there by simply reading this blog post and thinking about it. So based on the hints we have, what can you do now?  In this and subsequent blog posts I’ll go over some of the key suggestions based on the convergence of various fields of research.

My Definition of Resilience (Dr. Galen Buckwalter, Heading Institute)

If I had a dime for every time someone asked me to define resilience, I would have quite a few by now. But confusion about resilience is quite understandable. Every book and magazine article has a different spin on the definition of resilience, and whether and how you can increase it. I have been fortunate to spend the past couple of years researching and thinking deeply about resilience – my own personal resilience and resilience as a psychological characteristic. This article reflects both of these processes.

The Future of Healing: Shifting from Trauma Informed Care to Healing Centered Engagement

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Trauma Stewardship: An Everyday Guide to Caring for Self While Caring for Others by Laura van Dernoot Lipsky

This book is written for anyone who is doing work with an intention to make the world more sustainable and hopeful—all in all, a better place—and who, through this work, is exposed to the hardship, pain, crisis, trauma, or suffering of other living beings or the planet itself. It is for those who notice that they are not the same people they once were, or are being told by their families, friends, colleagues, or pets that something is different about them. This book is a navigational tool for remembering that we have options at every step of our lives. We choose our own path. We can make a difference without suffering; we can do meaningful work in a way that works for us and for those we serve. We can enjoy the world and set it straight. We can leave a legacy that embodies our deepest wisdom and greatest gifts instead of one that is burdened with our struggles and despair.

The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk

Trauma is a fact of life. Veterans and their families deal with the painful aftermath of combat; one in five Americans has been molested; one in four grew up with alcoholics; one in three couples have engaged in physical violence. Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, one of the world’s foremost experts on trauma, has spent over three decades working with survivors. In The Body Keeps the Score, he uses recent scientific advances to show how trauma literally reshapes both body and brain, compromising sufferers’ capacities for pleasure, engagement, self-control, and trust. He explores innovative treatments—from neurofeedback and meditation to sports, drama, and yoga—that offer new paths to recovery by activating the brain’s natural neuroplasticity. Based on Dr. van der Kolk’s own research and that of other leading specialists, The Body Keeps the Score exposes the tremendous power of our relationships both to hurt and to heal—and offers new hope for reclaiming lives.

Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence – From Domestic Abuse to Political Terror by Judith Herman

When Trauma and Recovery was first published in 1992, it was hailed as a ground-breaking work. In the intervening years, Herman’s volume has changed the way we think about and treat traumatic events and trauma victims. In a new afterword, Herman chronicles the incredible response the book has elicited and explains how the issues surrounding the topic have shifted within the clinical community and the culture at large. Trauma and Recovery brings a new level of understanding to a set of problems usually considered individually. Herman draws on her own cutting-edge research in domestic violence as well as on the vast literature of combat veterans and victims of political terror, to show the parallels between private terrors such as rape and public traumas such as terrorism. The book puts individual experience in a broader political frame, arguing that psychological trauma can be understood only in a social context. Meticulously documented and frequently using the victims’ own words as well as those from classic literary works and prison diaries, Trauma and Recovery is a powerful work that will continue to profoundly impact our thinking.

Creating Sanctuary: Toward the Evolution of Sane Societies by Sandra L. Bloom

Creating Sanctuary is a description of a hospital-based program to treat adults who had been abused as children and the revolutionary knowledge about trauma and adversity that the program was based upon. This book focuses on the biological, psychological, and social aspects of trauma. Fifteen years later, Dr. Sandra Bloom has updated this classic work to include the groundbreaking Adverse Childhood Experiences Study that came out in 1998, information about Epigenetics, and new material about what we know about the brain and violence. This book is for courses in counseling, social work, and clinical psychology on mental health, trauma, and trauma theory.

Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers by Robert M. Sapolsky

Now in a third edition, Robert M. Sapolsky’s acclaimed and successful Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers features new chapters on how stress affects sleep and addiction, as well as new insights into anxiety and personality disorder and the impact of spirituality on managing stress. As Sapolsky explains, most of us do not lie awake at night worrying about whether we have leprosy or malaria. Instead, the diseases we fear – and the ones that plague us now – are illnesses brought on by the slow accumulation of damage, such as heart disease and cancer. When we worry or experience stress, our body turns on the same physiological responses that an animal’s does, but we do not resolve conflict in the same way – through fighting or fleeing. Over time, this activation of a stress response makes us literally sick. Combining cutting-edge research with a healthy dose of good humour and practical advice, Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers explains how prolonged stress causes or intensifies a range of physical and mental afflictions, including depression, ulcers, colitis, heart disease, and more. It also provides essential guidance to controlling our stress responses. This new edition promises to be the most comprehensive and engaging one yet.

How You Can Heal: A Strength-Based Guide to Trauma Recovery by Lisa Danylchuk

How You Can Heal offers strength-based, practical tools for the trauma survivor who’s searching for support in their healing process. In this positive resource guide, readers will find action-oriented practices to help cope with and reduce the emotional overwhelm that many people experience in the wake of traumatic events. This book is a wonderful partner for therapeutic work. Author Lisa Danylchuk offers an encouraging and gentle approach to healing. Founded in both trauma recovery and energy healing, How You Can Healkeeps the whole person in mind as it presents accessible ways to heal and support body, mind, emotions, and spirit.

Aware: The Science and Practice of Presence by Daniel Siegel

Aware provides practical instruction for mastering the Wheel of Awareness, a life-changing tool for cultivating more focus, presence, and peace in one’s day-to-day life. An in-depth look at the science that underlies meditation’s effectiveness, this book teaches readers how to harness the power of the principle “Where attention goes, neural firing flows, and neural connection grows.” Siegel reveals how developing a Wheel of Awareness practice to focus attention, open awareness, and cultivate kind intention can literally help you grow a healthier brain and reduce fear, anxiety, and stress in your life. Whether you have no experience with a reflective practice or are an experienced practitioner, Aware is a hands-on guide that will enable you to become more focused and present, as well as more energized and emotionally resilient in the face of stress and the everyday challenges life throws your way.[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Events” tab_id=”1599067877542-8c40970d-fe5b”][vc_column_text]

Collective Trauma Summit

September 22 to October 1, 2020

A 10-day online event to explore methods for working with unresolved and hidden trauma in individuals, communities, and society.[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Movement/Somatics” tab_id=”1597442369507-0b12850a-0ed6″][vc_column_text]

Let’s Move With Josefin Wikstrom (Trauma Research Foundation)

Recordings of an 8-week program that combines movement sequences with therapeutic yoga.

The OMpowerment Project

Practices for Transforming Stress into Vitality with Gayla and Aaron Styles

A leading teacher in the Garrison Institute’s Contemplative-Based Resilience program, Gayla Stiles teaches mindful practices for resilience and healing. Gayla joined her husband and fellow wellness practitioner, Aaron Stiles, to lead an embodied movement practice designed to transform stress into vitality. Identifying tools that help us move from a place of stress and anxiety into a space of resilience and balance is essential for navigating the uncertainty before us, between us, and within us. For many, stress may manifest as physical, emotional, or social challenges that live in our bodies and charge our living environments. While we are learning to face ourselves and support our loved ones in very intimate ways, we may discover these times may be both testing and rewarding. In this session, Gayla and Aaron led us through mindful movement and self-massage practices that are rooted in the Taoist teachings of Mantak Chia and Chinese Medicine. The practices soothe the nervous system, support immune and respiratory function, promote sleep, and aid with the circulation of the body so that we can connect with ourselves, access our innate resilience, and respond from a place of abundance and grace.

Care for Caregivers: Resilience Through Meditation & Mindful Movements

Care for Caregivers is a Contemplative-Based Resilience (CBR) program of the Garrison Institute dedicated to the cultivation of greater awareness, balance, and connection for caregivers or direct service providers through meditation and mindful movement. Join Sharon Salzberg and Gayla Marie Styles who have each practiced and studied for many years in individual disciplines, using tools of mindfulness and presence, kindness and compassion, in order to enhance wellbeing. Watch and download the individual movements:

Three Ways to Use the Body and Breath to Cope During Crisis with Lisa Danylchuk

In this thirty minute online workshop, we will cover three ways you can use body and breath to cope with crisis, including specific strategies related to the current Covid-19 global pandemic.

Movement Building Practice: Stance, Breath, and Awareness (Movement Strategy Center)

This practice guide was developed to accompany Webinar #3 in MSC and Move to End Violence’s Transformative Movement Building Webinar series.

Simple Deep Breathing and Meditation Practice to Build Resiliency

Here is a simple 10-minute Deep Breathing and Meditation practice to build resilience, calm the nerves, and balance the mind. It’s easy and accessible for everyone. You can do this sitting in a chair, on your couch, laying down in bed. It was the opening meditation for Day 6 of the Candlelight Vigil.[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Podcasts” tab_id=”1597442343378-04215239-9eed”][vc_column_text]

Somatics, Trauma Healing and Social Change (Bioneers)

Staci K. Haines, the founder of “Generative Somatics,” has integrated her extensive experience in both transforming individual and social trauma and in grassroots movements into uniquely powerful work that has proven to be incredibly helpful to a wide range of social justice activists, many of whom have been deeply hurt by oppression or violence. In this panel, leaders from a range of cutting-edge groups, including Prentis Hemphill of Black Organizing for Leadership and Dignity (BOLD), and Raquel Lavina from the National Domestic Workers Alliance, share how they have been able to successfully integrate embodied transformation into their social change work.[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Trainings” tab_id=”1597430743159-ef04eb76-bb2a”][vc_column_text]

Introduction to Strategies for Trauma Awareness and Resilience

When terrible things happen, such as COVID-19, our peace is stolen from us. Most people want to build peace back into their lives. This 2-hour online training teaches basic concepts, models, and strategies of the 5-day Strategies for Trauma Awareness and Resilience – STAR Training. STAR is a research and practice-supported peacebuilding training integrating neuropsychology, trauma healing and resilience, restorative justice, nonviolent conflict transformation, and broadly defined spirituality. All are welcome to join us online. Courses are pay-what-you-can-up-to $30.  Space is limited to 30. This training is in high demand, so please register early. View course dates here.

Working with Trauma Victims – Part 1: Trauma Resilience

This free online training will educate participants on the impact of trauma on the brain and provide tools and tips on how to effectively work with clients who are victims of trauma without re-traumatizing them. This training is open to everyone but is tailored to attorneys and social service providers working with trauma victims and survivors. We suggest this training for our pro bono attorney and volunteer network and others working in the anti-trafficking field.
Click the link to register and receive the video recording.

Working with Trauma Victims – Part 2: Overcoming Vicarious Trauma

This free online training will educate participants on the impact of working with trauma victims. Come learn how to identify and respond to vicarious trauma and how to practice self-care.  This training is open to everyone but is tailored to attorneys and social services providers working with trauma victims and survivors. We suggest this training for our pro bono attorney and volunteer network and others working in the anti-trafficking field.
Click the link to register and receive the video recording.

Coping with COVID Part 1: Understanding stress, trauma, and grief

Wednesday, December 2, 2020 from 1:00 – 3:00 PM HST

In this training, we will explore individual reactions of stress, grief, and trauma during the pandemic, and how to better make sense of these interactions on our brain, body, and relationships. The presentation will cover how these interactions affect us from a neurobiological and physiological perspective, in addition to the psychological, emotional, and social impacts. We will discuss the many new barriers to adjusting to a new reality while remaining connected, productive, and healthy. We will also outline specific techniques that can be used to ground ourselves and regain control over our body’s normal reactions to these increasingly difficult times. Registration fee: $35

Coping with COVID Part 2: Managing stress, trauma, and grief 

Thursday, December 3, 2020 from 1:00 – 3:00 PM HST

The second part of our two-part series will focus on practical skills and techniques for managing the cumulative stress and trauma that we, individually and collectively, are experiencing. We will explore ways in which we are being forced to adapt to a new sense of normal and how to learn adaptive management techniques in the face of ongoing uncertainty. We will provide specific intervention techniques from an evidence-based perspective on how to better manage the daily and cumulative stress, ongoing grief, fear, and trauma we may be experiencing. These techniques will help us learn to regain some sense of safety and control to improve health and well-being. We will also offer specific tools for how to maintain productivity, communicate effectively, and adjust to the many new changes to our professional and personal lives. Registration fee: $35[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][vc_tta_section title=”Webinars” tab_id=”1597442295684-63442467-14d8″][vc_column_text]

Cultivating Our Best Selves in Response to COVID-19 (Trauma Resource Institute)

Elaine Miller-Karas, LCSW, and Linda Grabbe, PhD, FNP-BC, PMHNP-BC, provided a FREE 1-Hour presentation on how to use the skills of the Community Resiliency Model (CRM) for self and others to be the calm in the storm as we face the unknown.

The Community Resiliency Model, Part 1 and Part 2 (ACEs Connection)

The overview, which offers information and tools you can use immediately to help re-regulate your central nervous system (and share with your family members) is being offered to members of ACEs Connection as well as to members of the Campaign for Trauma-Informed Policy and Practice (CTIPP) in two 90-minute sessions

Building Resilient Communities with Elaine Miller-Karas (ACEs Connection)

This webinar will explore integrating a biological based model to reduce the impacts of toxic stress for children and adults. It is a model both for prevention and to use in the aftermath of adverse event. The Community Resiliency Model has been integrated into the Social, Emotional, and Ethical (SEE) Learning Program, a curriculum for schools K-12, inspired by his Holiness the Dalai Lama. SEE Learning™ provides educators with the tools they need to foster the development of emotional, social, and ethical intelligence for students and themselves.

Transforming Vicarious Trauma (Heading Institute)

Vicarious Transformation is the process in which we intentionally seek to transform our Vicarious Trauma in a positive way. Dr. Laurie Pearlman offers 3 strategies for this process.[/vc_column_text][/vc_tta_section][/vc_tta_tabs][/vc_column][/vc_row]