Outline

Integrating neuroscience and psychotherapy is what Experiential Treatments is about.

• Necessity of utilizing physical, emotional and relationship aspects in therapeutic intervention

There are problems with phase oriented treatment.

• Negative evaluation of symptoms – ignoring their protective function

The family systems are internal.

• Understanding symptom presentation as positive efforts pushed to extremes
• Welcoming and integrating all parts of an individual
• Identifying intent of symptomology, importance of avoiding shaming

Redefining trauma related diagnoses.

• Disorganized attachment
• Borderline Personality Disorder, Dissociative Identity Disorder

Therapist factors are vulnerabilities.

• Impact of therapist parts acting as separately as the clients we work with
• Responding effectively to personal triggers

There are symptoms of post trauma.

• Hyperarousal, hyperarousal, psychic wounds
• Importance of obtaining permission before addressing psychic wounds

Experiential exercise is self-awareness. There are mind-brain relationships.

• Neuroplasticity, neural integration
• Neural networks associated with trauma
• Implicit nature of trauma memories

The nervous system isnomic.

• Role of cortisol
• Sympathetic hyper-arousal
• Characteristics of extreme symptom activation and mixed states

The responses are therapeutic.

• Choosing compassion or empathic responses
• Providing auxiliary cognition
• Strategies to avoid contributing to hyperarousal
• Top down strategies to separate or unblend

Permission seeking, direct access and unblending are examples of case presentation. The theory of polyvagal.

• Dorsal and ventral branches
• Activating strategies, responding to hypo-arousal, blunting