Michael Prokop – Trauma, PTSD & Complicated Grief: Effective Assessments and Immediate Interventions for Children, Adolescents and Adults

Outline

Trauma

• Concepts & Definitions
• A historical perspective of trauma
• Stress vs. trauma: Two states, two responses
• The creation of trauma, reactive adaptations, traumagenesis
• Small “t” and Big “T” trauma
  • High-risk characteristics
  • Pre-natal
  • Early life trauma
  • ”On Going” vs. “Single Event” trauma

The Traumatized Brain

• Neurobiology and Tribunal Brain Model
• Activation and hyper-arousal of threat response system
• The sensitized brain through conditioned traumatic cues
• Dissociation and the importance of freeze discharge
• Neuroception, bodily reactions and biological changes

Trauma and Stress-Related Disorders (DSM-5®)

• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
  • 0-6 child definitions of PTSD
  • Reactive Attachment Disorders
  • Acute Stress disorders
  • Adjustment disorders
  • Disinhibited Social Engagement Disorder

Trauma and Working with Children and Adolescents: The Developing Brain, Body, and Mind

• Best practices and innovative tools for assessment
• Subjective imprints of trauma
• Innovative tools for trauma resiliency
• Trauma-Focused CBT for Children
• Eight brain-based interventions to use immediately
• Rapport, hope and empathy during the first session and thereafter

Trauma, Loss, and Complicated Grief

• Grief, bereavement and mourning
• How trauma “freezes” the normal grieving process
• Signs of complicated/traumatic grief
• Factors contributing to complexities in grief
• Grief, bereavement in DSM-5® and viable treatment implications

Healing Trauma: Three Active Ingredients

• Therapeutic Relationships – hope, safety, and calming presence
• Relaxation – reciprocal inhibition, parasympathetic dominance
• Narrative – developing “new” narrative to “transform” memories

Immediate Interventions: The Three-Stage Consensus Model

• Safety/Stabilization
  • The Therapeutic Alliance
  • Felt safe vs real safe
  • Resolution of impeding environment
  • Amelioration of self-destructive thoughts
  • Restructuring victim mentality to proactive survivor identity
  • Stabilization, self-regulation, relaxation, grounding & containment
  • Mindfulness, yoga, recovery resources and holistic strategies

• Reprocessing/Resolution
  • Narrative and Metabolization of Traumatic Memory
  • Mindfulness informed interventions
  • Guided Imagery and Systematic Desensitization
  • Somatic and focusing interventions
  • Forgiveness and gratitude work

• Reintegration/Reconciliation
  • Reconnection to self, family, society and hopes/dreams
  • Resiliency skills training