Section 1. Flashcards
TRAUMA
“Any event that overwhelm [s] the ordinary human adaptations to life.”
~ Judith Herman, Trauma and Recovery
33). What is true about emotion and all forms of energy?
It occurs in waves
Energy is everywhere
Emotion is not the same as other forms of energy
All energy eventually dissipates
34). Post-traumatic stress is diagnosed when the effects of trauma persist beyond how many weeks?
One week
Three weeks
Four weeks
Two months
35). Complex PTSD is defined by what?
More than one traumatic event in a year
Traumatic events that are difficult to understand
Traumatic events related to natural disasters
Repeated, prolonged exposure to traumatic events
36). What part of our nervous system draws our attention inwardly?
Sympathetic
Parasympathetic
Central nervous system
Dorsal nervous system
38). What type of attachment promotes the expression of feelings and communication?
Disorganized
Confused
Secure
Ambivalent
39). What type of research reminds us that we continue to be shaped by our ongoing experiences?
Neuroplasticity research
Attachment research
Relational research
genetic research
40). What role do our defenses play?
Defences teach about our self
Defences keep people away
Defences are always unhelpful
Defences prevent awareness of unresolved material
41). What can cause and mobilization into helplessness and collapse?
A trauma in which there is nothing a person can do to change the outcome
Natural disaster trauma
Sudden trauma
Only adult drama
42). What part of our nervous system is involved in social engagement?
Dorsal vagal system
Cranial nerves
Sublingual vagal system
Ventral vagal system
43). In nature, what is one of the differences between a predator and a scavenger?
Size difference
Speed difference
Predators may lose interest in dead meat
Scavengers may lose interest in dead meat
44). Which of the adaptive survival strategies has a collapsed immobility associated with it?
Faint
Freeze
Fight
Flight
45). Whose concept is window of tolerance or window of capacity?
Alfred Adler
Albert Ellis
Carl Rogers
Dan Siegel
46). How does a therapist help a client expand their “window of tolerance”?
Psychoeducation
Co-regulation
Exposure therapy
Repetition
47). What part of the nervous system helps people feel safe and connected?
Autonomic
Ventral vagal
Sympathetic
Dorsal vagal
48). What should a therapist do before offering any interventions aimed toward regulation?
Ask permission
Map out a treatment plan
Challenge the patient
Reflect and accept who they are
49). What is a clue that someone is leaving their window of tolerance?
The evidence of somatic processes
They stop talking
Their eyes lose focus
They become angry
50). What can become an “Co regulator” alongside the therapist in the session?
Solid theoretical base
Treatment plans
The natural world
Journaling
51). How long does it take for the nervous system to register a threat?
A millisecond
2/10 of a second
Half of a second
A full second
52). According to one consultant, what should a therapist do when they find something that works?
Do once and move on
Make a note of it to come back to it later
Do it again and again
Pointed out to the client
53). What is the first and foremost goal of EMDR?
Build rapport with your client
Understand the client’s history
Find value in themselves
Activate the brain’s natural healing process (AIP)
54). What is one of the main components of EMDR?
Rhetorical questions
Paraphrasing
Bilateral stimulation
Journaling
55). What is the first phase of EMDR?
History / treatment planning
Report building
Installation
Desensitisation
56). What does a sense of safety and security do for the brain?
**Creates a repetitive loop
It takes us out of the fight flight or freeze response
Allows us to rest
Highlights things we’re confused about
57). What do we know about the hippocampus region of the brain in survivors of complex trauma?
There is no change
It is larger
It is smaller
It ceases to function
58). People who are in a state of stress or having a trauma response are more attuned to what type of sounds?
High frequency
Low frequency
Extremely loud
Extremely soft
59). What should be our main focus when taking a trauma history?
Being very thorough
Not interrupting
Looking for ways they have learned to cope and survive
Getting a quick overview
60). How many questions are in the brief trauma questionnaire?
5
7
9
10
61). When a client is finally feeling safe enough to tune into their body, what might happen?
Their somatic symptoms would decrease
Their somatic symptoms may increase
They may become angry
They may stop coming to therapy
62). What is one way the presenter views AIP?
Deep intrinsic wisdom that resides within everybody
Mystical truth that can never be known
A semantic experience
A protocol that must be followed
63). When thinking about EMDR within the context of “parts work”, what is an important thought to keep in mind?
EMDR functions the same within all frameworks
We need to work with a single part
We ignore the possibility of parts
We need “buy in” from all of the parts
64). What can be true about depression that is linked to trauma?
It will be fairly mild
It will respond well to medication
It will not respond well to medication
It will respond best to exercise
65). Case conceptualisation can be most challenging with what type of patient?
Those were single incident trauma
Those with complex trauma
Those with Co occurring disorders
Those with a history of multiple therapists
66). What is a key for working with complex trauma and relational trauma?
Treatment modality
Length of treatment
Journal work
The therapeutic relationship
67). What area does the second question on the adverse childhood experiences questionnaire focus on?
Verbal abuse
Neglect
Physical violence
Sexual abuse
68). What could happen if we only assess for hard things ignoring protective factors?
Clients can leave a session feeling depressed
Clients can think we only care about negative things
Clients can completely forget there are good things in life
Clients can become angry with us
69). What is the primary belief of neuroplasticity?
Everyone is different
We can only learn certain things at certain times
Memory changes throughout our lifespan
Our brain changes with every experience
70). When thinking about traumatic memories, what is the primary working mechanism of EMDR therapy?
Relaxation techniques
Medication
Dual attention or dual awareness
Solid theoretical foundation
71). What is the 6th “R” of neuro-psychotherapy?
Resilience
Reframing
Reflecting
Relating
72). What is the first step in relational repair in therapy?
Stop the session and point out that you are the leader
Push through and address the issue at the end of the session
Acknowledge the disconnection
Wait for the client to address the issue
73). In the tree of life exercise, what does the trunk represent?
Early childhood experiences
Sources of nourishment
Anything that keeps you upright and standing tall
Our outer shell
74). What can occasionally happen if we are too quick to build resources for dealing with distress in the midst of a counseling session?
The client can feel that their distress is not welcome in the session
The client can fail to complete their story
The client can terminate therapy too early
The client can become confused
75). Once an unmet need has been identified, what should happen next?
Write it down to come back to it later
Remember that most people have unmet needs
Work on moving past it
Create an imagined repair for that “part”
76). What is one of the fastest ways to regulate the autonomic nervous system?
Visualization
Breathing exercises
Physical exercises
Meditation
77). Low distress tolerance is associated with an increase in developing what disorder?
Obsessive compulsive disorder
Generalized anxiety disorder
Bipolar disorder
Post traumatic stress disorder
78). When using the stop light analogy of the brain, what part of the brain uses reasoning and logic?
All parts at different times
The red back brain
The green frontal lobe
The yellow amygdala brain
79). What is the first thing we want to do in phase two or the preparation phase?
Establish your role in the process
Educate them on EMDR
Outline the process of healing
Review their history
80). What is the relationship between EMDR and exposure therapy?
They are one and the same
EMDR uses some exposure therapy
EMDR Is fundamentally exposure therapy
EMDR is not exposure therapy
81). When using the movie theatre or the video metaphor, what are we asking the client to do?
Write a new script
Safely observe from a distance
Act out the events for us
Compare their life to a known movie
82). What is the client’s “job” during EMDR?
Direct the session
Remember to regulate their emotions
Pay attention to what is happening on the inside
Reframe their past
Your Answer: Reframe their past - Incorrect
83). What is one of the best ways to learn EMDR?
Have your own experience
Read books from different authors
Memorize the rules
Repetition
84). What does the presenter recommend if the client chooses audio bilateral stimulation?
Use classical music
Use a metronome
Use headphones
Use computer desktop speakers
85). What form of bilateral stimulation tends to be used quite frequently?
Sound
Tapping
Eye movement
They are all used equally
86). What is one way to create congruence with the client?
Familiarity with each other’s histories
Agreement on techniques
Congruent breathing
Similar belief structures
87). What is it called within adaptive information processing when we can touch the distress but not get stuck there?
Oscillation
Variation
Visiting
Removing
88). What should we do if clients can’t identify any external allies?
Challenge their belief that there is no one to help them
Help them identify strong internal parts of themselves
Point out allies they have forgotten about
Remind them that we do not necessarily need allies in our life
89). What is true about working with children and adolescents in phase two?
They already have good internal resources
Internal resources don’t work with them
You will spend a lot of time working on internal resources
They are easier to help than adults
90). Why might it be better to use the word calm rather than safe?
Some clients who have experienced trauma have never had the experience of feeling safe
Calm is an easier word to understand
The words can be used interchangeably
Safe is a word that is associated with other treatment modalities
91). An exercise that is used to help the client temporary relief from disturbances that are not completely processed or resolved between sessions is called what?
Holding exercise
Delaying exercise
Remedial exercise
Container exercise
92). Why do we need to remember to go back to the “container” and talk about situations the client is storing there?
The “container” can become too full to function
We do not want this exercise to serve as a means of avoidance
It may seem we don’t think the client’s past is important
It is always good to resolve all past conflicts
93). Once the client has symbolically placed the event in the container, what is the next thing they should do?
Review the other events they have placed there
Remind the clinician they want to come back to it
Employ some sort of distancing strategy
Review for possible themes
We can skip this exercise or skill with this client
95). What is NOT a part of the “restoration team”?
Ideal self
Protectors
Nurturers
Critics
96). What member of our “restoration team” is most known for a sense of confidence and certainty?
Ideal self
Wise figures
Spiritual figures
Protectors
97). What is something a therapist can help a client do when they’re having trouble maintaining the visualization of their calm place?
Distract them from whatever is troubling them
Remind them that they control their calm place
Help them visualize bringing protectors into the calm place
End the session early
98). If EMDR does not help us “get rid of the experience” of the trauma, what does it help us do?
Forget the experience
Clearly identify good elements
Make peace with the experience
Decrease the intensity of the experience
99). PTSD has two primary patterns. Some clients dissociate from their emotions, and others do what?
Easily incorporate them
Are flooded by them
Experience no distress by them
Learn from them
100). How can we anticipate potential “minefields” in our EMDR patients?
Simply ask them
Keep a list of common minefields
Have a good sense of their history
Remember what has happened in past sessions
101). What is the goal of teaching resourcing skills?
Help the client develop their own internal strength
Point out to the client what is work for others
Help keep the sessions more manageable
Teach the client when and where it’s appropriate to have emotions
102). What does the anchoring exercise focus on?
An overview childhood
Common traumatic experiences
Identifying a time, memory or experience that was positive
Their favorite character
103). What is a good resource for helping clients deal with a current crisis or stressor that is going on during the week?
Concrete resource
Imaginary resource
Formal resource
Reciprocal resource
