Lvl 2 Mod 10

Question 1

What is modulating an active defense (with two examples) and what situations is it useful for?

Answer 1

It is intentionally scaling back/slowing down an active defense. Example 1: going in slow motion
Example 2: stop after engaging the active defense after 5 seconds. It is useful for people stuck in fight response that is so strong they dissociate when engaging it.

Question 2

What 3 things can we tell clients about anger in general to help them understand its importance?

Answer 2

Anger makes us stronger
It teaches us to do something
It may tell us an important boundary was crossed

Question 3

What are the 5 vehement emotions and what are their constituent parts (animal defenses and primary emotion)?

Answer 3

Frantic terror = Cry for Help + fear
Rage = Fight + Anger
Panic= Flight + Fear
Terror= Freeze + Fear
Despair/hopeless/helpless = Submit/collapse + sadness

Question 4

If a client is in a submit/collapse trauma response and having a hard time accessing active defenses, what 3 things can we do

Answer 4

1. Try experiments to help establish a relational resource with you, like a sense of protection (E.g. stand up and protect them against their parents with your body)
2. Ask them if you could’ve done something, what would’ve you done?
3. Put more distance between stimulus and response (e.g. further back in narrative)

Question 5

What are 9 different types of somatic resourcing activities that can be done in phase 1?

Answer 5

Body Awareness
Pushing
Grounding
Containing
Breath
Alignment
Orienting
Centering
Boundary work

Question 6

Is sequencing preferred over reinstating active defenses

Answer 6

Sequencing is preferred because the body will do exactly what it needs to do but more difficult than the voluntary actions of reinstating active defense/orienting response

Question 7

Symptoms of stuck in cry for help

Answer 7

difficulty leaving/letting go
stalking/chain calling
constantly in crisis
reaching with eyes, etc.
frantic/clinging
psychosomatic symptoms

Question 8

Symptoms of stuck in fight

Answer 8

Acting out:
1. homicide
2. bullying/abusive

Acting in:
1. Suicide part
2. self-harm
3. internal critic
4. paranoia

Question 9

Symptoms of stuck in flight

Answer 9

fleeing
avoidance
addictions
eating disorders
electronics/screens
fantasy/mania
spiritual bypass
workaholism
extreme sports/risk-taking

Question 10

Symptoms of stuck in freeze

Answer 10

panic attacks
hypervigilance
chronic pain/tension
obsessions
phobias

Question 11

Symptoms of stuck in submit

Answer 11

chronic depression
Numbing
dissociation
Enuresis (bedwetting)/encopresis (soiling oneself)
catatonia
loss of functioning

Question 12

Rebecca’s suggestions for working with self-harm, suicidal ideation, internal critic without processing the trauma itself (4 steps)

Answer 12

Psychoed - That is a fight response you have turned against yourself
Is there a sense of anybody you would want to defend yourself against
Complete an active defense against an external object/therapist
Assign homework for retraining the self-directed anger strategy to instead repeat the external action that worked in therapy

Question 13

4 studying &
befriending Strategy experiments to help funnel and deepen

Answer 13

Exaggerate or do opposite tension/movement
Slowing down movements
Probes
Taking Over: Physical or Verbal

Question 14

2 Experiments to support transformation in child state

Answer 14

Differentiating
Offering the missing experience (either directly to child state or through the client)

Question 15

During integration of developmental trauma where do we take the new sense of self?

Answer 15

Take it to the other parts (child plus EPs), even if it needs to happen in the next session

Question 16

During integration of developmental injury where do we take the new sense of self?

Answer 16

Take it to the child, even if it needs to happen in the next session

Question 17

The compressing down somatic mechanism can result in what frustrating dynamic in therapy? What are some suggestions to working with that?

Answer 17

Client not really going with anything therapist is suggesting – a “Yes but…”
Gotta find a way to invite humor and bring in a sense of movement (aka dance)

Question 18

If a client is having trouble dropping into the trauma/childhood pain because there are adaptive strategies present, what can we try in terms of resourcing?

Answer 18

Try bringing in a relational resource which will help the adaptive strategy soften. The resource could be something associated with the missing experience associated with that type of adaptive strategy. The goal is to help make them feel safe with you and help you hold them so they can work with you.

E.g. holding in – I will protect you or it’s safe to be in this body because I will be gentle with you.

Question 19

Underneath every sealing off there is a … (and why?)

Answer 19

Underneath every sealing off there is a pliant collapse. Pliant collapse decided it would be best to not try. Then, it learned to seal off my needs because there is no support.

Question 20

What kind of homework can we give clients who use pliant collapse?

Answer 20

Learn to do adult things - they might not want to grow up but they need to. Go to the gym, etc.

Question 21

Very intellectual strategies are indicative of what adaptive strategy?

Answer 21

Holding in

Question 22

Doing the opposite movement/posture associated with an adaptive strategy can sometimes give us this valuable thing?

Answer 22

A resource

Question 23

What mindfulness exercise does Rebecca do in each first session and why? If they don’t want to do that, what does she offer instead?

Answer 23

Rebecca does a body scan to understand the connection to the body. From there she can find a lot of resources. Always finds a resource in the first session of sensorimotor. If they don’t want to do internal body scan she does an external mindfulness exercise.