Somatic Mindfulness Inquiry: Trauma Informed Stillpoint Method
Healing ourselves Helping others
About this self-paced course:
First, we learn the basics of trauma, the hypervigilance and negativity bias of our nervous system, and how to regulate ourselves.
Second, we get to know ourselves somatically (in our body). We practice tools to work with the uncomfortable sensations and energy that we’ve disconnected from. We use powerful tools to stay grounded in the safety of the present moment and break the trance of catastrophic thinking.
Third, building on the knowledge, awareness and resilience from the earlier sections, we learn to support others in this exploration and healing.
This self-paced course originated as a 10 week intensive Trauma Informed Stillpoint Method for Coaches and Counselors in spring 2023.
Section One: Safety IS the Treatment
In this section, we explore the elements that create a foundation of feeling safe.
We review the basics of trauma, hypervigilance in the nervous system, and self-regulation.
Safety IS the treatment is a quote from Dr Stephen Porges, founder of the Polyvagal Institute.
Somatic Mindfulness
Nervous system regulation
Why do we need trauma informed coaching and counseling?
Trauma basics and neuroception
Healing ourselves and others
Accurate neuroception
Go to strategy: fight, flight, freeze, fawn
Polyvagal ladder, somatic inquiry
Hypervigilance, trauma informed
Breathing when in freeze
New neuroscience, nervous system
Somatic inquiry: Need to fix
Section Two: Thoughts and Sensations
In this section, we continue with elements of feeling safer.
Something generates fear in our body, we begin to hold our breath, and our thoughts move into imagining worse case scenarios in an attempt to protect ourselves. We can work with interrupting the cycle of hypervigilance and become friends with our mind.
We witness trauma stored as sensations and energy in our body and become more comfortable with our inner experience.
Traumatic memory/ the past
Types of thoughts
Tools to witness thoughts
Somatic Inquiry
I am friends with my mind
Stored trauma as sensation in body
Somatic inquiry: locate, describe, witness thought
Section Three: Protecting and Connecting With Our Younger Self
We trust people who are kind, reliable, fair, emotionally regulated, and who want to get to know us.
With people we trust, we can relax and have fun, rely on them, and experience unconditional love and acceptance.
We can develop a deep and empathetic connection with our younger self.
Co-regulating
Trusting our adult self
Somatic Inquiry
Our adult self with our younger self
Experiences and forming core deficiency beliefs
Section Four: Minimizing and Dismissing Trauma
We explore why we minimize our traumatic experiences.
We are impatient with others and might blame them for what happened because we are afraid it could happen to us.
We live in a culture that praises toughness and shuts down vulnerability. You don’t have to be the “worst hurt” to deserve kindness and empathy.
Minimizing and dismissing trauma
Comparing trauma and shaming
Somatic Inquiry
My trauma is legitimate too
Tonglen: Breathing in suffering, breathing out relief
Section Five: Low Vigilance Relationships
We let down our guard with some people. We walk on eggshells around others.
We explore staying in relationships where we’re trauma bonded and in a survival response like freeze.
Can I afford to be myself in this relationship? Should I stay or go? Our history and nervous system survival responses can cloud our view.
Vigilance in Relationships/
Safe Enough Relationships
Homework Inquiry: On Facilitating and Being Facilitated
Somatic Inquiry: Vigilance in Relationships/ Safe Enough Relationships
Somatic Inquiry: Changing Our Relationships
Section Six: Intergenerational and Systemic Trauma
What historical circumstances shaped your parents and grandparents?
What personal experiences shaped them?
What values were passed on to you that you accept and what do you reject?
What lives in you as intergenerational trauma and intergenerational resilience?
What Shaped Your Parents and Grandparents?
Somatic Inquiry: Intergenerational Healing, Resilience, Compassion
Section Seven: Connection and Inclusion
Can I be myself with you? We’re always assessing that and so are our clients.
Normalizing a range of trauma responses helps people understand their experience.
Do you “get me”? Will you misgender me? Will I feel welcome and understood?
Will you help me build my strength and resilience too?
Nervous System Reading and Regulating
Somatic Inquiry: You Can Be Yourself With Me
Can I Be Myself With You?
What Happens When We Facilitate Someone
Normalizing Trauma and Language
Somatic Inquiry on facilitating each other
Section Eight: Releasing Shame
Our brains naturally work in different ways and affects everything about how we move through life. How does neurodiversity affect how we facilitate?
Healthy shame is when we see a behavior to change. Toxic shame is when we feel flawed and unworthy of belonging.
To heal shame, we need to be seen (witnessed), felt and understood with compassion.
Neurodiversity and Shame
Preparing Ourselves to Facilitate
Shame and Exclusion
Facilitating on Shame
Section Nine: Neuroception and Emotional Regulation
Neuroception is our nervous system’s assessment of safety and threat. We have a tendency to over emphasize past negative experience.
Building our capacity for emotional self-regulation helps us to assess more accurately.
What needs to change for me to feel safe? We can set boundaries and work with building our own resilience.
What Is Trauma Informed Somatic Mindfulness?
Regulating While Feeling Threatened
Signaling Our Nervous System
Section Ten: Integration
All of our experiences, feelings, emotions, perceptions are inseparable from our body due to interoception and affect.
In this section we delve into working with clients in fight/ flight/ freeze/ fawn nervous system responses.
We don’t have to be fully healed to be valid and lovable. When you are one step ahead, reach your hand back.
Interoception, Polyvagal System
Working With Someone In A Fight Response
Working with Someone in Freeze or Shut-Down
Fawning, People Pleasing, Compliance
Flight Response and Anxiety Talking
Reach Your Hand Back
Regulating Practices: Guided
Breath
4 7 8 Breathing pattern
Extended Exhale Breathing
Cyclic Sighing
Long exhales with Vooo
2 Minute Breath Awareness in Nostrils
Body
Welcoming Sensations in the Body
Grounded In Your Body
Face Massage
Tapping
Face Heart Connection
5 Point Body Scan
Senses
Being in nature
Eye Gazing
Memories of Friends
Mindfulness Practices
LovingKindness
Tonglen