Managing Dissociation through the Use of Soothing & Grounding Skills (Live Online)

*Participants should have knowledge of the link between trauma and current behaviors and symptoms through previous trauma-related workshops.

Social workers and mental health practitioners are often faced with attachment related concerns in their clients, which leads to dissociative symptoms. Practitioners struggle with keeping their clients grounded in order to effectively resolve traumatic experiences.

This training provides an opportunity for staff and clinicians working with children, adolescents and young adults to increase their confidence in talking to clients about trauma, identifying dissociative symptoms, and how to effectively manage these symptoms through creative and play-based soothing and grounding tools.

This workshop will provide scripts, demonstration videos, and photo images of varied ways of using the techniques. Participants will also practice a variety of the 30 soothing and grounding tools.

These easy to learn, practical, hands-on techniques are for use with children, adolescents and young adults.

Learning Objectives:

• Apply “What is” Trauma and Dissociation scripts to adults, teens and children
• Explain dissociation to parents and ways to help support their children through grounding and soothing strategies
• Apply interviewing questions for parents, teens and children to inquire more about dissociative symptoms
• Use movement interventions to manage trauma and dissociation in the body by learning physical relaxation strategies
• Gain knowledge of the Window of Tolerance and an understanding of Hyper and Hypoarousal, also the nervous system responses to trauma.
• Manage the symptoms of dissociation, intrusive thoughts and hyperarousal using grounding techniques including scents, TV Tool, Dial, Container, and Lisa Najavitis Seeking Safety grounding techniques.
• Demonstrate in a practice session at least 10 soothing tools to reduce distress and increase a sense of calm. Techniques include Eraser, Shield, EFT, and Laughing Yoga.

This course will utilize hands on demonstrations as well as video examples with clients.

Research:

Seeking Safety, A Treatment Manual for PTSD and Substance Abuse, Lisa Najavits (book)
Healing Trauma, Peter Levine PHD (book)
https://www.isst-d.org/ (International Society for the Study of Trauma & Dissociation)

Target Audience: social workers, mental health practitioners, case managers, creative arts therapists, marriage and facility therapists, psychologists, addiction professionals, and other interested individuals.