Neurobiology, stress and trauma

The field of stress and trauma is where neurobiology and psychotherapy are really meeting and informing each other these days, where psychotherapy provides new challenges and directions for neurobiological research and also neurobiology provides new impulses and narratives for psychotherapy.

This presentation addresses some of the processes involved in the formation and resolution of post-traumatic stress states as well as ordinary, non-traumatic, stress, where trauma is conceptualised as a form of extreme and transmarginal stress. It presents ways of helping clients to live better with traumatic memories and also clinical considerations helpful in the processing of trauma memories.

The presentation combines theory and clinical case material. It focuses on how we can make use of neuroscience to work therapeutically with our clients.

Viewers will:

• Learn about the structure and function of the autonomic nervous system;
• Learn the basics of polyvagal theory;
• Learn something about pathways in the brain involved in basic self-regulatory processes;
• Learn some principles of how self-regulation is affected in states of stress, both short-term and chronic;
• Learn something about the parts of the brain involved in memory formation, both ordinary memories and traumatic memories;
• Learn ways of helping dys-regulated clients to self regulate better and become less vulnerable to flashbacks and intrusive traumatic memories;
• Learn about treatment options for processing traumatic memories.

Trainer Feedback

“The training was rich, rewarding and very enlightening.”

“Kathrin has a great manner. She is respectful, affirming and empathic – thank you.”

“This training was excellent. So accessible and interesting. Kathrin had a breadth of experience and brought it back to actual practice.”