Essential Trauma Concepts
Basic theory and concepts that are essential to all trauma-informed care.
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A Tale of Three States
We live in a story that originates in our autonomic state, is sent through autonomic pathways from the body to the brain, and is then translated by the brain into the beliefs that guide our daily living. The mind narrates what the nervous system knows. Story follows state. (The Polyvagal Theory in Therapy, p. 35)…
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Window of Tolerance
You might already be familiar with the Window of Tolerance (WofT) from Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, as developed by Pat Ogden. It is an amazing tool for navigating our own inner sensory landscape as we move through life! WOT also provides a great framework for thinking about mindfulness practices, including iRest Yoga Nidra. Through deeper self-understanding, we can explore…
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Sex – a Mindful Exploration of the Experience of Pleasure in the Body
Bringing mindfulness to your sexual experience can begin to offer a more nuanced understanding of your own experience in your body. It’s often true that unless something is wrong, we don’t spend much time noticing what’s right. And when it comes to sex, our feelings and experiences can be complicated by trauma or fear, which…
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Mental Health, Nutrition, and Depression
As mental health treatment becomes more integrative in its approach, diet, along with such other lifestyle factors as exercise and sleep is now being studied. Recent studies, especially one randomized controlled study, are supporting what many have known, at least anecdotally, all along: food affects mood. Any discussion of mood must begin with the brain…
