{"id":32201,"date":"2023-04-04T18:11:09","date_gmt":"2023-04-05T01:11:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/?p=32201"},"modified":"2023-04-04T18:11:09","modified_gmt":"2023-04-05T01:11:09","slug":"body-keeps-the-score-warning-dont-miss-this-what-it-means-to-be-there","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/body-keeps-the-score-warning-dont-miss-this-what-it-means-to-be-there\/","title":{"rendered":"Body Keeps the Score- Warning (Don’t Miss This!)\/What it means to “Be There”"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Body Keeps the Score<\/span><\/i> by Bessel Van Der Kolk is the \u201cgo to\u201d book on trauma and interventions in treating those who have suffered from horrible events.\u00a0 I thoroughly enjoyed taking the online course Dr. Van Der Kolk provides and learning the interventions and theories he proposes for a practitioner\u2019s clinical use. Dr. Van Der Kolk has expertise in applying medicinal practice to psychology, this takes years of education and practice to learn. Van Der Kolk says of himself: \u201cIt took me many years to learn how to effectively treat flashbacks\u201d [1] If we believe we are to \u201ctreat\u201d (make therapeutic interventions) people with trauma, I believe we need to reconsider this notion. We must cautiously work with those who have been subject to traumatic events. The author warns, \u201cWhen we encourage them (those suffering from trauma) to talk about the precise details of a traumatic event, we often inadvertently trigger a full-blown flash back, rather than helping them resolve the issue.\u201d[2] How might we not cause greater harm to those we minister to? In this blog I will highlight what we, as students in our leadership doctoral program, might make use of what we learn from <\/span>The Body Keeps the Score<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n

With this opportunity to explore trauma, I was excited to read at the end of the second chapter a closing paragraph of what the author titled Adaptation or Disease? The closing comments of this chapter give a hopeful prospect for those who will not become doctors specializing in psychotropic medicine but who are able practitioners in helping professions. Listed are four different points outlined in this closing paragraph; I will unpack three of these ideas in this blog.<\/span><\/p>\n

The brain disease model overlooks four fundamental truths: 1) Our capacity to destroy one another is matched by our capacity to heal one another. Restoring relationships and community is central to restoring wellbeing. 2) Language gives us the power to change ourselves and others by communicating our experiences, helping us define what we know, and finding a common sense of meaning. 3) We have the ability to regulate our own physiology, including some of the so-called involuntary functions of the body and brain, through such basic activities as breathing, moving and touching; and 4) We can change social conditions to create environments in which children and adults can feel safe and thrive.[3]<\/span><\/p>\n

Capacity to Heal\/Restore Relationships and Community<\/b><\/p>\n

There is hope for healing for those suffering trauma. Suffering is meant to be met by a loving touch, a listening ear, a watchful eye, encouraging words, a prayer for healing or intercession and a comforting presence. This healing comes in the shape of a person who is present, listening, and available. \u201cBeing validated by feeling heard and seen is a precondition for feeling safe.\u201d[4] How do people come into relationships where this can take place? A relationship with Jesus Christ brings this healing. Listen to the words of Albert Ellis, a leading cognitive behavioral therapist, who does not profess to have faith: \u201cI and some of my REBT colleagues have found that profound faith in God\u2013 especially in a kindly, forgiving God\u2013 or in other religious and spiritual ideas that I personally disbelieve, can definitely help some clients.\u201d [5] A relationship with God is irrefutable.<\/span><\/p>\n

As a Marriage and Family Therapist, I am focused on helping set therapeutic goals, similar to Van De Kolk who describes his clients: \u201cphysically reexperiencing the past in the present and then reworking it in a safe and supportive \u201ccontainer\u201d(which) can be powerful enough to create new, supplemental memories: simulated experiences of growing up in an attuned, affectionate setting where (they) are protected from harm.\u201d[6]\u00a0 A supportive \u201ccontainer\u201d is only achieved in a relationship where a great amount of trust has been established. With a certain level of trust, clients may be willing to role play, which is practicing real life scenarios. \u201cRole playing is a technique that can be used for a wide variety of purposes….uncover automatic thoughts, develop an adaptive response, and modify intermediate and core beliefs. Role plays are also useful in learning and practicing social skills.\u201d[7]\u00a0 Working with traumatized clients involves providing a safe container where trust is built and interventions like role playing can be practiced.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Language gives us power when we communicate our experiences<\/b><\/p>\n

It is difficult to conceive that \u201call trauma is preverbal.\u201d[8] Trauma puts us in a place where we are at a loss for words. We can attempt to paint a picture for others, explaining what has happened, but this falls short of how things were truly experienced. Van De Kolk summarizes trauma well:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTrauma by nature drives us to the edge of comprehension, cutting us off from language based on common experience or an imaginable past.\u201d\u00a0 People can \u201ccome up with what many call their \u201ccover story\u201d that offers some explanation for their symptoms and behavior for public consumption. These stories, however, rarely capture the inner truth of the experience.\u201d[9]<\/span><\/p>\n

When people have lived through traumatic experiences, they need to have the opportunity to imagine what exceptions may have come to relieve or free them of the traumatic experience.\u00a0 Imagine asking someone who has suffered the worst experience you can imagine these questions: \u201cWhat would you have wanted to happen to get out of that experience?\u201d\u00a0 \u201cWhat can you imagine taking place in order to give you a means of escape?\u201d Making this connection for people and listening to them with hopeful attention will provide healing. \u201cMiracles will always be partly based on hopes for the future and partly on experiences from the past.\u201d[10] Reimagining unlocks the ability to heal.<\/span><\/p>\n

Change Social Conditions to Create Environments to Feel Safe<\/strong><\/p>\n

We can encourage those who have been traumatized by promoting their relationship with God, building a safe relationship with them personally, and hearing their stories. There is power in \u201cbeing there\u201d for others. \u201cTrauma almost invariably involves not being seen, not being mirrored, and not being taken into account. Treatment needs to reactivate the capacity to safely mirror, and be mirrored, by others.\u201d[11]\u00a0 In addition to mirroring, recognizing people\u2019s strengths and where they are currently finding success can be transformative, even among those who are unwilling to budge. Albert Ellis proposes five directives in helping clients who are resisting change in his book <\/span>Overcoming Resistance<\/span><\/i>. Most of these directives would not work well with highly traumatized people, but I found one to be inspiring: \u201cEncourage their constructivism and their positive values of reconstructing their lives.\u201d [12] Constructivism is the ability to construct or envisage life differently.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Van De Kolk outlines fundamental truths in working with those who have been traumatized.\u00a0 I believe he says it best in these words:<\/span><\/p>\n

In order to change, people need to become viscerally familiar with realities that directly contradict the static feelings of the frozen or panicked self of trauma, replacing them with sensations rooted in safety, mastery, delight, and connection. Of course, we can never undo what happened, but we can create new emotional scenarios intense and real enough to defuse and counter some of those old ones.[13]<\/span><\/p>\n

How might we help people be \u201cwelcomed into a world where people delight in them, protect them, meet their needs, and make (them) feel at home?\u201d[14]\u00a0 This is my work.\u00a0 This is your work.\u00a0 I pray God leads us to help many out of their trauma.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

[1] Bessel Van Der Kolk, <\/span>The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma, <\/span><\/i>2014, p.16<\/span><\/p>\n

[2] Ibid. p.19<\/span><\/p>\n

[3] Ibid. p.38<\/span><\/p>\n

[4] Ibid. p.303<\/span><\/p>\n

[5] Albert Ellis, <\/span>Overcoming Resistance: A Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy Integrated \u00a0 Approach<\/span><\/i>, 2002, p.132<\/span><\/p>\n

[6] Ibid.\u00a0 p.302<\/span><\/p>\n

[7] Judith S. Beck, <\/span>Cognitive Behavior Therapy: Basics and Beyond<\/span><\/i>, 2021, p.334<\/span><\/p>\n

[8] Bessel Van Der Kolk, p.43<\/span><\/p>\n

[9] Ibid. p.43<\/span><\/p>\n

[10] Steve DE Shazer, More Than Miracles: The State of the Art Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, 2021, p.41<\/span><\/p>\n

[11] Bessel Van Der Kolk, p.59<\/span><\/p>\n

[12] Albert Ellis,\u00a0 p.157<\/span><\/p>\n

[13] Bessel Van Der Kolk, p.310<\/span><\/p>\n

[14] Ibid. p.310<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel Van Der Kolk is the \u201cgo to\u201d book on trauma and interventions in treating those who have suffered from horrible events.\u00a0 I thoroughly enjoyed taking the online course Dr. Van Der Kolk provides and learning the interventions and theories he proposes for a practitioner\u2019s clinical use. Dr. Van […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":165,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[2293,2737],"class_list":["post-32201","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-vanderkolk","tag-body-keeps-the-score","cohort-dlgp01"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32201","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/165"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32201"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32201\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32202,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32201\/revisions\/32202"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32201"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32201"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32201"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}