Trauma
“Neuroscience research shows that the only way we can change the way we feel is by becoming aware of our inner experience and learning to befriend what is going on inside ourselves” — Bessel Van Der Kolk
Trauma is any type of distressing event or experience that can have an impact on a person's ability to cope and function. Trauma can result in emotional, physical, and psychological harm.
Dr. Bessel Van der Kolk, an expert in how children and adults adapt to traumatic experiences. website His book has one of the best understandable explanations of the brain and trauma's impact on it. Van der Kolk's extensive use of case examples from his therapy experiences powerfully expand this understanding: The Body Keeps The Score purchase
Dr. Gabor Mate, an expert in addiction, stress and trauma website video
Janina Fisher, a psychotherapist and expert in the treatment of trauma
Her workbook, Transforming the Living Legacy of Trauma, provides an approachable understanding of the impact of trauma and offers strategies and worksheets to improve coping and support healing. website video
Grief & Loss
Book Recommendations
Bearing the Unbearable, by Joanne Cacciatore, PhD. purchase
Finding Meaning: The 6th Stage of Grief by David Kessler purchase
Motherless Daughters, by Hope Edelman purchase
The Wild Edge of Sorrow: Rituals of Renewal & The Sacred Work of Grief, by Francis Weller purchase
The Wilderness of Grief: Finding Your Way, by Alan Wolfelt purchase
Meditation/Mindfulness
“The real meditation is how you live your life” — Jon Kabat-Zinn
Mindfulness means “paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally” — Jon Kabat-Zinn, creator of the Stress Reduction Clinic and the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School
Courses
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction: Mindfulness-based stress reduction is an eight-week evidence-based program that offers secular, intensive mindfulness training to assist people with stress, anxiety, depression and pain. There are many programs available across the country and online.
Books
How to Meditate, by Pema Chodron
Loving-Kindness, The Revolutionary Art of Happiness and Real Happiness, The Power of Meditation, all by Sharon Salzberg
Turning the Mind into an Ally, by Pema Chodron & Sakyong Mipham
Not Always So, Practicing the true spirit of Zen and Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind, by Shunryu Suzuki
The Miracle of Mindfulness, by Thich Nhat Hahn
Quiet Mind, A Beginner’s Guide to Meditation, by Susan Piver
Meditation for Beginners, by Jack Kornfield
The Experience of Insight, by Joseph Goldstein
Mindfulness in Plain English, by Bhante Gunaratana
Wherever You Go, There You Are, by Jon Kabat-Zinn
Podcasts and Apps
10% Happier by Dan Harris, podcast & mediation app
Being Well Podcast by Dr. Rick Hanson and Forrest Hanson
Apps for Meditation & Mindfulness include: Calm, Insight Timer, Headspace, Relax Now, Simple Habits and UnPlug
Spotify, YouTube and other streaming services include many meditations
The Founder of IFS, Richard Schwartz, guiding a 35-minute meditation, The Path video
A podcast episode from Dr. Rick Hanson’s podcast, Being Well, with the IFS founder, Richard Schwartz, talking about IFS, Trauma and Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapy podcast
Polyvagal Theory
The Polyvagal Theory is a collection of evolutionary, neuroscientific and psychological claims pertaining to the role of the vagus nerve in emotion regulation, social connection and fear response. It describes the autonomic nervous system as having three categories (ventral vagal, sympathetic, and dorsal vagal) that relate to social behavior and connection. It offers a physiological lens to understand how the nervous system responds to traumatic experiences in order to protect oneself through fight, flight, freeze, submit and attach. Combing Polyvagal Theory with therapy can be an illuminating opportunity to better understand oneself and the coping strategies that helped you survive.
Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapy/Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy
The field of mental health is expanding to support well-being through the compassionate and ethical use of expanded states of consciousness.
Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) is a non-profit research and educational organization that develops medical, legal, and cultural contexts for people to benefit from the careful uses of psychedelics and marijuana. website
Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP): Ketamine is a psychoactive drug that was first synthesized in 1962 and has been used in the United States as an anesthetic in medical settings since 1970. It is on the World Health Organization’s List of Essential Medicines. KAP is a therapeutic method used to address a variety of mental health conditions, including depression, post-traumatic stress, chronic pain, addiction, and some forms of anxiety. It involves the use of ketamine to enhance and deepen the therapeutic process, and the use of psychotherapy to amplify the curative effects of ketamine. Psychiatric use of ketamine has become relatively widespread in recent years and has been studied and promoted by researchers at the National Institute of Mental Health, with research continuing and confirming its effectiveness.
I offer integrative therapy for those utilizing ketamine as a therapeutic medicine; in addition, I provide psychotherapeutic support during a ketamine session to assist processing material that arises during sessions. I am a member of the American Society of Ketamine Physicians, Psychotherapists and Providers (ASKP3). website
“Your heart is the size of an ocean. Go find yourself in its hidden depths” — Rumi
Self-Compassion
Dr Kristin Neff is a pioneer in the field of self-compassion research; her website offers guided meditations and exercises. website
The Mission of the Center for Mindful Self Compassion is to is to alleviate human suffering and improve the collective well-being of the planet through the practice of self-compassion. They offer many courses and trainings. website
Tara Brach is a psychotherapist and meditation teacher; she freely offers a variety of meditations and talks with a western Buddhist point of view. website
A loving-kindness meditation lead by meditation teacher and author, Sharon Salzberg video