Journal of Psychiatry

The therapists role in trauma treatment A neuropsychological approach

11^th International Conference on Depression, Anxiety and Stress Management

January 27-28, 2025 Webinar

Sarah Boss

The Balance Rehab Clinic, Spain

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Psychiatry

Abstract:

Given current crisis, an increased awareness of trauma and its impact with immense, social, and economic costs, new approaches seem necessary to face this. Recent findings emphasize the critical role of the nervous system in shaping the perception and understanding of trauma. Trauma manifests itself in our physiology, creating many different symptoms, and holding us frozen as prisoners in a certain state.New methods like Somatic Experiencing (Peter Levine), or the polyvagal-informed therapy have been developed to transform trauma - understanding evolution, neuroplasticity, and the innate capacity of mammals to autoregulate. The access through the body, our physiology, the Felt Sense, makes it possible to process trauma in a powerful way and without many words.In this the vagus nerve plays a crucial role as in emotion regulation, social connection, and response to fear. Our nervous system is automatically scanning the environment for cues of danger (Neuroception). It determines whether we are in states of ventral vagal, sympathetic, or dorsal vagal - depending on the intensity of threats. (Polyvagal Theory of Stephen Porges).For trauma patients, the nervous system has become fixed in a state and symptoms can be seen as the result of an incomplete biological response or defense reaction.The beauty of the new understanding of trauma therapy is the human, loving and caring way to support through letting the body regulate itself and social connection. The goal is to establish a sense of safety, a profound and deep need of each human being. Knowledge of the physiology and our own self-regulation as therapists are fundamental, as we accompany on a journey towards more awareness within all involved; creating space for containment, change and more resilience. For us and future generations.