Section 1. Course Overview.

Kathy Steele is pretty amazing. (I think I might be saying that about most of the people that I've included in this course!)

She's been on the podcast twice, she's been a featured Master Class Interviewee in my membership community, Trauma Therapist | 2.0, and here she is again.

She just has what I consider to be that perfect combination of compassion and wisdom that is so crucial for this work.

Kathy's been offering consultation and training for the past 30 years in the areas of complex trauma, dissociation, and attachment.

She is sought as a consultant and supervisor, and as an international lecturer and trainer.

Kathy is a Past President and Fellow of the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISSTD), and has served on the Board of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS), as well as served on the International Task Force that developed treatment guidelines for Dissociative Disorders.

Currently Kathy is on a Joint Task Force that is developing treatment guidelines for Complex PTSD.

Kathy has authored and co-authored numerous book chapters, journal articles, and two award winning books on trauma and dissociation with Dutch colleagues: The Haunted Self: Structural Dissociation and the Treatment of Chronic Traumatization (Norton Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology), and Coping with Trauma Related Dissociation Skills Training for Patients and Therapists. One of her current projects is a third book on treatment of trauma-related dissociation focused on the issues that clinicians often bring to supervision.

Congratulations! You've made it to Section 2.

In this section, following up on our Reflection on Kathy Steele in the previous module, we continue our exploration of inner-work.

We begin with recognizing and raising our awareness of who we are, and what that means within the context of being a new trauma worker.

Here we go!

Peter Bernstein is incredible. There, I said it.

If you've been listening to the podcast and heard his first interview, then you heard him share the story of his life.

I've selected only a portion of his interview here because it is a pretty amazing example of how one individual not only learned to come to terms with the...texture of his life, but also how he's grown to incorporate that and into the life he's now leading as a healer.

Dr. Peter Bernstein is founder and director of the Bernstein Institute for Trauma Treatment in Petaluma, CA. In private practice since 1974, Peter holds a doctorate in clinical psychology as a California licensed Marriage and Family Therapist.

Dr. Bernstein specializes in the field of emotional and physical trauma and is the author of Trauma: Healing the Hidden Epidemic. A veteran of the Vietnam War era, Peter completed advanced infantry training at Fort Ord on the Monterrey peninsula.

The Bernstein Institute offers individual, couples, and group therapy and uses Reichian-Myofascial Release Therapy (RMFR), a unique and proprietary modality developed by Dr. Bernstein for healing trauma, PTS, and other behavioral health issues.

We now come to our 2nd Reflection Activity. Peter reflects back on the journey of his life.

He shares his story in some detail, and I think what impressed me the most in the way he spoke was that he had recognized how the less than stellar parts of his life--and he'd acted during those times--shaped him and continues to impact and influence the work he does with his clients.

It is obvious to me that this isn't the first time Peter's reflected back on his life within the context of his role as a healer.

This reflection is what I'm inviting you to begin.

I'm not suggesting that you embark on some major therapeutic endeavor, but rather simply begin to look at your story.

And to consider how certain aspects of it can, might, will definitely, flavor your role as a new trauma worker.

This 3-part process of 1) recognizing and 2) processing, and then 3) coming to terms with his story and past has given Peter the freedom to be authentic with those he works with.

Going through this process (and of course, it may look somewhat different for you) is the inner-work which will allow you to move and be with authenticity and presence.

Reflect:

Begin to think of your own past and your own story. (In a later exercise I'll invite you to begin to write certain elements down. For now, though, I'm inviting you to simply think about your story.)

Questions:

What are the parts of yourself that you have yet to explore, or what parts have you perhaps let lie there back in the shadows?

Begin to gently contemplate these. And as you do, simply notice what happens...with your thoughts, your body sensations.

What emotions come up?

Dr. Sharon Stanley has educated thousands of healthcare professionals internationally in the principles and practices of somatic psychotherapy. Building on her research on empathy with traumatized youth, Sharon founded Somatic Transformation (ST), a trauma model and professional curriculum. ST is based on emerging research in Interpersonal Neurobiology and a phenomenological, intersubjective approach to transform relational and shock trauma.

Sharon participates in Dr. Allan Schore’s Seattle Study Group, and her work with First Nations, the study of Afro-Brazilian healing with on-going research into clinical practice has led to a fluid convergence of neurological research and professional skills.

Sharon has a clinical practice on Bainbridge Island, Washington.

Reflect:

The ability to be with someone, to feel with someone, to have empathy for them, requires us to in turn, feel what we're going through in our own bodies, in the present moment.

And to somatically track those feelings and to work through those feelings.

This takes awareness.

This takes an ability on our part to walk into that river, in a sense.

And this is what I'm inviting you to practice in this Reflection Session.

Sharon invites us to cultivate somatic empathy, to recognize what we're experiencing in our own body.

This is the inner-work.

And it's often the inner-work that many of us don't do...until it's too late. Until we've been triggered or experience our own bodies being hijacked by sensations or emotions.

Practice:

Meditation in and of itself can be useful for many of us.

This practice asks us to sit in silence within the context of your trauma-informed journey--whether you're a survivor, therapist, teacher or student.

Somatic Empathy Meditation:

1. Find a place to settle in comfortably, whether seated or lying down.

2. Breathe in deeply through the nose, and then exhale through the mouth.

3. Do this 3 times.

4. As you're sitting or lying in silence, reflect on a specific experience you've had with client which brought up some emotional content for you.

5. As you reflect on that, notice what's going on in your body.

   1. For example, if you're experiencing a sensation in your chest, just notice that.

6. Then describe this sensation?

   1. For example, is the sensation sharp or dull? Is it constant, throbbing, or piercing? Is it moving from one area to another, and if so, is it traveling quickly or slowly?

7. Just sit with this experience, with your noticing. And continue to notice, without judgement or wishing for something to shift or change.

8. This is the inner-work. This practice of noticing what's going on, cognitively and somatically (here, we're doing the somatic work) with yourself within the context of your journey as a new trauma worker, survivor, and/or student etc.

9. The degree to which you practice and become comfortable with this meditation will determine your ability to cultivate somatic awareness, which in turn, will influence your ability to be with and remain present while in-relationship.

Several years ago when I had just started my Sensorimotor Psychotherapy training with Janina Fisher, one of the other and much more experienced students said something to me I'll never forget. She said this:

If Janina's ever teaching a course--and it can be about anything--I go. And I'd recommend that to you, too. She's that good.

Well, I'd say the same thing about Nancy Morgan. She's that good.

Nancy has been on the podcast and I remember thinking after her interview that, This is exactly the kind of person that epitomizes what I'm trying to do with my podcast, my membership community, and Trauma Therapist | 2.0. She exudes a genuineness and authenticity that is so inspiring and something I aspire to.

So, if this is your first time hearing about Nancy, welcome. You're in for a treat. This is a small one, because it's only a clip, but it's a gem.

Nancy Morgan specializes both in working with adults with severe mental health challenges whose traumatic histories influence and inform their thoughts and behaviors, and in providing Trauma-Focused training and supervision to future therapists.

Her primary work has been in Partial Hospitalization Program settings, Secure Residential Treatment Facilities, and Intensive Outpatient Programs, where she’s served as a clinician, manager, or most often as program clinical supervisor.

Currently, Dr. Morgan works as the Director of Behavioral Health at LifeMoves, Northern California’s largest agency dedicated to breaking the cycle of homelessness where she has developed a Trauma-Focused Mindfulness-Based training curriculum whereby she provides didactics, supervises, and mentors graduate psychology students.

I love Marshall!

Marshall was a guest on the podcast, and also a guest on Trauma Therapist | 2.0. It wass a no-brainer for me to invite him to share his expertise for this course.

After all--this is his specialty.

Marshall Lyles, LMFT-S, LPC-S, RPT-S, serves as the Director of Training, Supervision and Consultation at the Center for Relational Care in Austin, Texas.

Most of Marshall’s clinical practice has focused on attachment trauma and its effect on family relationships. In addition to seeing clients, Marshall conducts supervision and consultation sessions with counseling professionals and leads trainings in both parenting and professional settings; much of his consultation and training focuses on the use of sandtray therapy within a trauma-informed context.

As Marshall is nearing the completion of his Ph.D. in Marriage and Family Therapy, more writing opportunities are emerging which have become a passionate point of interest for him.

Resources:

Download the transcript for Marshall Lyles' interview here.

Watch Marshall's interview below:

Discussion

This interview with Marshall is awesome!

He talks about so much of what this course is about.

Exploring our own identity, vulnerability and our recognition of each of those--within the context of being a trauma worker.

As you begin this next exercise I would like to invite you to jump in with the spirit of gentle curiosity.

This is a term we hear a lot on the podcast and within the healing community, and one which we're often advised to embody when considering our clients.

Now, I'm asking that you take this on for yourself, and as you begin to engage more deeply in these questions and within this practice of exploring...you.

Alright, here we go:

Reflection Questions:

Identity:

Marshall talks about the importance of knowing and embracing one's self-identity.

How would you describe your identity?

How does your identity impact the way you are in-session with your clients, or in relationship with others?

How would you describe your personality?

What are the aspects of your personality that tend to express themselves when you're with clients?

What are those aspects that you consciously try to keep in, or hidden?

Vulnerability:

What does this word mean to you within the context of working with clients?

Motivation:

In defining vulnerability Marshall uses the word motivation. What would you say is motivating you to work with individuals who've been impacted by trauma?

The 5 Events Exercise

The purpose of this exercise is to bring to the light of consciousness what might be subconscious within the context of what's inspiring you to pursue your trauma-informed journey.

This is important because the degree to which we understand, and can become conscious (both intellectually and somatically) of our previous experiences, and how these events impact us, will in turn determine our ability to be present and authentic with the following:

1. Our interactions with others (read: interventions).

2. The impact our experiences may have on our thoughts and actions (read: triggers).

We all know that our experiences influence, and in a way, define, who we are. Yet they also describe the kind of clinician you are, as well.

Again, something you probably know.

But to explore the inner workings of this, and to understand this, is crucial.

Are you in?

Here we go.

Directions

1. Grab a piece of paper. (Or you can simply write this out using Word or Google Docs on your computer).

2. If your using a piece of paper, orient it in landscape mode, (see my example below) and draw a horizontal line across the page. This will be your time-line.

3. Write down 5 events (whether positive or negative) in order of occurrence, which you feel have had a major impact on your life.

Reflect

1. What do you notice about the events you chose to put down?

2. Go through each of these events in turn. And as you do this, notice the following:

   1. What do you notice happening with your thoughts?

   2. Simply reflect on this.

   1. What do you notice happenings somatically, with your body?

      1. Reflect on this, begin to think about how you might describe these specific sensations you're experiencing. (e.g. are they sharp, moving, throbbing, searing, dull etc.)

Section 3. The Art of Cultivating Presence & Authenticity.

Reflect: Nancy Morgan, PhD

There is a gentleness that I associate with kindness that I had to find within myself, personally and professionally, before I was able to do the deeper work with clients that led to the transformation and true healing that I was aspiring to facilitate. --Nancy Morgan, PhD

Questions:

1. How would you define helping?

2. What's your motivation for working with individuals who've been impacted by trauma?

3. What do you feel you need to find within yourself to do this work?

​Manuela Mischke-Reeds, MA, MFT is a licensed Somatic Psychotherapist. She is an International teacher of psychology and trains health professionals in California, Australia, New Zealand, Israel and Europe and starting in China next year.

Manuela co-directs and teaches at the Hakomi Institute of California that hosts her trauma training: From Trauma to Dharma. (starts again in April 2016) This training integrates current neuroscience of trauma theory, somatic and mindfulness-based interventions with dharmic teachings and embodied meditation practices.

In addition Manuela has trained in various methods of working with trauma (e.g.Somatic Experiencing) and counseled survivors of political oppression, torture and trauma for the past 25 years. Her recent book: 8 Keys to Practicing Mindfulness. Practical Strategies for Emotional Health and Wellbeing, has been published by by W.W. Norton. (2015)

Manuela quotes the Buddhist teacher, Chogyam Trungpa, and talks about the idea of inspiring full human-beingness.

She talks about this within the context of what it means for a client's healing and identity, as well as when considering the motivation of the trauma worker for doing this work.

Questions:

Manuela doesn't actually define full human-beingness. We can certainly guess what that might mean and what some of its constituents might be.

Yet, this is exactly what I'm talking about when I talk about Inner-Work--It's this process of taking the time to deconstruct your motivations and ideas about why you're doing this work, and what's inspiring you, and to consider closely what things mean, how you define them, and how that in turn impacts the work you're doing, i.e., your relationship with your clients.

1. How would you define full human-beingness?

(you can see and read my definition of full human-beingness right here)

2. Manuela talks about individuals who've been impacted by trauma having had their full human-beingness taken away from them.

In what way/s do you think this could play out in session with a client?
What might this look like?
What do you notice arising within yourself as we discuss these questions?

Lee Klinger Lesser, MS, was one of those people who I wished was sitting next to me in my car during my commutes several years ago, when I was thinking and deliberating about the clients I was seeing.

She's the kind of person I'd like to be around anytime, really.

She exudes a kind of calm and strength and wisdom, with a healthy dose of reality mixed in.

Lee has developed and led retreats for Veterans since 2008, integrating her experience of mindfulness and meditation into accessible programming for Veterans. She has been leading workshops in the mindfulness practice of Sensory Awareness since 1976.

She is the co-founder and Executive Director of Honoring the Path of the Warrior, a non-profit program that provides a safe environment for veterans to rediscover meaning, purpose, and joy in their lives through mindfulness, meditation and community.

Lee is just incredibly inspiring.

I love this interview because everything she says here, I want to write down and I want to utilize.

What really came across for me in this interview was the emphasis on the importance of maintaining an awareness of the balance within the therapeutic relationship.

In other words, the importance of recognizing that one person isn’t the expert over the other.

More specifically, she talks about being aware that if you’re someone who’s working with an individual who’s been traumatized, it’s important to remember how you’re coming into the relationship. The role, you’re assuming.

Roles

Lee talks about the different roles we may take on when working with individuals who’ve been impacted by trauma.

She says that the idea (and I’m paraphrasing here), is To help somebody be present for themselves, beyond the labels they live with. Especially when people have diagnoses, and they can get bound by those diagnoses…

To tune in to my breath, to be really, deeply curious and present with oneself, and to help somebody else be really present right there, while at the same time inviting them…and then there's this opportunity to meet and to come towards themselves with a different kind of attention and freedom.

And to me, that’s how we create safety.

So, with that as a little backdrop, let’s get into some questions.

Questions:

1. What do you see your role as within the context of working with people who’ve been impacted by trauma?

2. How might you non-verbally communicate—i.e. either through your behavior or interventions—to your client that they are the expert for their own experience, not you?

3. Lee talks about being a learner, and a practitioner, and the importance of simultaneously maintaining presence. She says, “I’m not here to be the one who knows.” To me, this is a delicate dance. Question: What challenges come up for you in maintaining this balance of being a learner, while at the same time being present with—and owning—your knowledge and experiences, for your client sitting before you?

4. In another story Lee talks about the time she was in the hospital and invited her mother and father to come visit her separately because she wanted to talk to them about what had happened. Lee says that when she tried to talk to her mother about how afraid she’d been, her mother tried to placate her by saying, “Oh, but you’re fine now. You’re okay.” And then Lee said to her, “I don’t want you to take away my pain, I want you to feel it with me.” Question: Where is there pain in your life currently? What do you think it might mean for the client—emotionally—for them to have their pain taken away by you?

Joseph Bobrow is a Zen Roshi, psychoanalyst, and author, who has long been integrating Buddhist practice with depth psychology to create relational settings in which individual and collective anguish can be transformed. Most recently he developed acclaimed reintegration retreats that help veterans, their families, and their caregivers transform the traumas of war and find peace.

While helping thousands heal the wounds of war, Joseph and his team at Coming Home Project, a service of Deep Streams Zen Institute dedicated to alleviating the unseen injuries of war endured by veterans, service members, and their families and caregivers, discovered a healing process called Turning Ghosts into Ancestors. Published research demonstrates how it facilitates post-traumatic growth. Coming Home Project now offers consultation and training to create optimal environments for healing, learning, and individual and social change.

Joseph tells the story of his integrative work and its contemporary applications to building peace in Waking Up From War: A Better Way Home For Veterans And Nations, with a Foreword by His Holiness The Dalai Lama. Joseph’s first book was Zen And Psychotherapy: Partners In Liberation, with comments by Ven. Thich Nhat Hanh. After Midnight: Selected Poems, Joseph’s first collection of poems, was published in February 2017 by Fisher King Press. Joseph lives in Los Angeles, CA. and teaches widely.