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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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?

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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?

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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