Course curriculum

  • 1

    Key documents

    • Form for Reflective practice Group submissions

    • Portfolio documents and scheme of work
  • 2

    Pre-course viewing

    • Polyvagal theory - an introduction

    • Some key terms

    • Foundations for Safe Trauma Therapy

    • Developing observational skills

    • Principles for trauma work

    • Choosing Therapy's top 10 trauma books
  • 3

    Month 1

    • Self study - how it works

    • Orienting part 1

    • Quest for Self - chapter

    • Top-down and bottom-up processing

    • The nervous system

    • The vagus nerve

    • A journey through the vagus nerve

    • The window of tolerance
  • 4

    Month 2

    • Exploring your relationship with your body

    • Brain structures in processing trauma

    • The Stress response

    • Chapter: the neurobiology of stress and trauma

    • Working with dreams and nightmares

    • Flip your lid

    • Test your learning so far
  • 5

    Month 2 - putting on the breaks

    • Orienting part 2

    • Grounding

    • The 5 senses

    • The 4 elements exercise

    • Anoint an object

    • Self-touch for soothing and grounding

    • Bilateral movement / cross crawl

    • Blanket, warm milk, hotwater bottle

    • Equilibrioception - a sense of balance

    • Breathwork

    • Guardian Article: the 7 types of rest
  • 6

    Month 2 - slamming on the brakes

    • Crisis situations

    • Exteroception
  • 7

    Month 3 - somatic resource library

    • Containing - hand on heart 1

    • Holding and Containment

    • Containing - hand on heart 2

    • Alignment

    • Mindfulness exercise - awareness

    • Mindfulness exercise - body scan

    • Earths support and breathwork sequence

    • Felt sense resources

    • recording of 2-hour breathwork for anxiety and trauma recovery workshop
  • 8

    Somatic resources - breathwork

    • What is breathwork?

    • Contra-indications & safety

    • Breath awareness exercise and teaching tips

    • Natural breath

    • Walking breath and meditation

    • Belly breathing

    • Diaphragmatic training exercise

    • Straw breathing

    • Humming bee breath

    • Legs up the wall - restorative

    • Energiser Bunny breath
  • 9

    Month 3 - Somatic Resources Cont.

    • Body tapping

    • Tension and release

    • Movement and radical movement

    • Standing movement and breath
  • 10

    Month 3 - strengthening

    • Subtle strengthening exercises

    • Resource oriented skill training - Merete Holm Brantbjerg Article
  • 11

    Month 4 - complex & relational trauma

    • Relational Trauma

    • Developmental Trauma (ACES)

    • Article: Satisfaction Cycle
  • 12

    Month 4 - Visualisations

    • Visualisation - the theory

    • Wise Self Visualisation

    • Compassionate friend visualisation

    • Unhooking visualisation

    • Family of origin meditation

    • Father mediation
  • 13

    Month 5

    • Attachment theory free course

    • EFT - an introduction

    • EFT - the sequence

    • EFT - more on EFT
  • 14

    complex trauma

    • Integration - art work
  • 15

    Month Seven - Racial Trauma

    • Racial Identity and racism

    • Working with Migrants and Refugees

    • resource - cultural somatic free course

    • Racial identity and experiences of racism

  • 16

    Additional resources - toning the vagus nerve

    • Eye movements and vagal tone by Arielle Schwartz

    • Ear massage for vagal tone
  • 17

    Month 7 - transgenerational trauma

    • Transgenerational Trauma

    • BACP interview with Mick & Maya Cooper

    • 1hr 20m Recorded session: Timelines from a trauma perspective
  • 18

    Yoga Nidra

    • Yoga Nidra for deep relaxation
  • 19

    Month 10

    • 'I am a survivor'

    • Post-traumatic Strength with Kalanit Ben-Ari

    • Strength out of trauma exercise

    • Healthy internal boundaries