Peter Levine – Peter Levine PhD on Trauma: How the Body Releases Trauma and Restores Goodness

Outline

Child Development: The Signs of Trauma in Each Developmental Period:Child Development: The Signs of Trauma in Each Developmental Period:

• Pre-Natal Pre-Natal
  • Hormonal interactions between mother and childHormonal interactions between mother and child
  • Birth StressBirth Stress
• Year One Year One
  • Safety, affection and containmentSafety, affection and containment
  • Proprioceptive developmentProprioceptive development
  • The Dopamine SystemThe Dopamine System
  • The space to explore one’s effect on the worldThe space to explore one’s effect on the world
  • The formation of a self that is different from Mom and DadThe formation of a self that is different from Mom and Dad
  • Testing boundariesTesting boundaries
• Age 3-5 Age 3-5
  • The Biology and balance of shameThe Biology and balance of shame
  • The importance of shame in societyThe importance of shame in society
  • The signs of overshamingThe signs of overshaming
  • The signs of undershaming The signs of undershaming
    • The initial forays into sexuality The initial forays into sexuality
      • The importance of flirtingThe importance of flirting
      • How these sames stages replay themselves out in later lifeHow these sames stages replay themselves out in later life

The Naturalistic Mechanisms of TraumaThe Naturalistic Mechanisms of Trauma

• Understanding our primary survival tactics and how they play out in the body: Flight, fight, freeze and collapseUnderstanding our primary survival tactics and how they play out in the body: Flight, fight, freeze and collapse
• 500 million years of evolution: Our Polyvagal underpinnings 500 million years of evolution: Our Polyvagal underpinnings
  • How the Dorsal Vagal System is related to shutdown and collapseHow the Dorsal Vagal System is related to shutdown and collapse
  • Fight or flight: Sympathetic/adrenal System mobilization, Returning to our Mammalian birthright: The Ventral vagal system and social engagementFight or flight: Sympathetic/adrenal System mobilization, Returning to our Mammalian birthright: The Ventral vagal system and social engagement
• How we get “stuck” How we get “stuck”
  • Tonic immobility – The fallback to freezeTonic immobility – The fallback to freeze
  • Freeze couples with Fear Freeze couples with Fear
    • DissociationDissociation
    • Bracing and terrorBracing and terror
    • Euphoric dissociationEuphoric dissociation
  • CollapseCollapse
• Somatic and emotional – syndromes and complexes Somatic and emotional – syndromes and complexes
  • Emotional – anxiety, depressionEmotional – anxiety, depression
  • Somatic – chronic pain, fibromyalgiaSomatic – chronic pain, fibromyalgia
  • Autonomic – migraines, irritable bowelAutonomic – migraines, irritable bowel

Resolving Traumatic ReactionsResolving Traumatic Reactions

• The importance of “Bottom-Up” processing The importance of “Bottom-Up” processing
  • The Paul MacLean’s Triune BrainThe Paul MacLean’s Triune Brain
  • In an Unspoken VoiceIn an Unspoken Voice
• Somatic Experiencing©Somatic Experiencing©
• Renegotiation vs. Reliving Renegotiation vs. Reliving
  • Restoration of self-regulationRestoration of self-regulation
  • Trauma isn’t about the event, but the body’s inability to process and integrate the nervous system chargeTrauma isn’t about the event, but the body’s inability to process and integrate the nervous system charge
  • The importance of developing a felt senseThe importance of developing a felt sense
• The nine basic stages of trauma treatment The nine basic stages of trauma treatment
  • Containment of strong sensation and emotionContainment of strong sensation and emotion
  • Pendulation – The dual opposites of sensationPendulation – The dual opposites of sensation
  • Titration – going graduallyTitration – going gradually
  • Completion Completion
    • Renegotiation of active for passive responsesRenegotiation of active for passive responses
  • Simple exercises that you can use in your practiceSimple exercises that you can use in your practice

Spirituality and TraumaSpirituality and Trauma

• Trauma as one of the 4 avenues to enlightment Trauma as one of the 4 avenues to enlightment
  • Lessons from the KundaliniLessons from the Kundalini
  • A feeling of “okayness”, wholeness and trust in the world A feeling of “okayness”, wholeness and trust in the world
    • And other side effects of effective trauma treatmentAnd other side effects of effective trauma treatment
  • The importance of maintaining balance in one’s lifeThe importance of maintaining balance in one’s life