Understanding How Your Brain Influences You: Strategies for Control

How Your Brain Is
Taking You Hostage
(and what you can do about it)!
Kim Long, MC, CCC, R. Psych (Alberta)
Director, Dochas Psychological Services, Inc.
Spruce Grove, Alberta
Agenda
Disclaimer
Goals
Science stuff
Research 
 stress, resilience, how our brains work
Strategies
Lists of
Practice: Calm Place/Grounding
Wrap up
Disclaimer
Video recording
Implied consent
No affiliation with Young Living/No profit from
sales of their product
Participation:
Your choice
Triggers
Disclaimer Continued
YOU are the expert of YOU
Advice = grain of salt
These are my opinions based in:
Research
Experiences
2013 Masters of Counselling; 2015 R. Psych
Teacher 
 10 years 
 Elementary and Junior High levels
Base Brat (aka military kid)
Confidentiality 
 focus will be on my experiences
No identifying information given
What About You?
Take a moment to think about who YOU are.  How
do you want to live your life’s purpose?
Are the choices you make on a daily basis serving
that life’s purpose?
Airplane analogy:  Who do you put the oxygen
mask on first and why?
Are you doing that?
Goals:
Education about:
The brain and how it works (or doesn’t work)
Wellness from a mental health perspective
Science research
Experience
Tools that can be used immediately
How to Tell if I Need
Therapy
Oil change (my bias)
Winter blues (Kwong, 2015)
35% of Canadians
10-15% seasonal depression
2-5% SAD
How do you tell the difference between “blues”,
“nerves”, and something clinical, like Seasonal
Affective Disorder (SAD), Anxiety, or Depression?
Interferes with daily life function (work, relationships, self-
care)
Others notice
Genetic predisposition?
Stress
What is stress?
A physical, chemical, or emotional factor that
causes bodily or mental tension and may be a
factor in disease causation or
A state resulting from stress; especially: one of
bodily or mental tension resulting from factors
that tend to alter an existent equilibrium
(
Merriam-Webster.com
, 2017)
Equilibrium/homeostasis
Don’t like change
Containers
Analogy: suitcase, pop bottle, tupperware container, etc.
Shove emotions/sensations/thoughts away
Think: What is your container?
Not really paying attention to how much putting away
Splits open/Leaks
Worst time
Under stress/overwhelmed or trying to relax/sleep
Having a great day
How to make space?
i.e. friend who’s father died
Types of Stress
Environmental:
Light (Lambert, Reid, Kaye, Jennings, & Esler, 2002)
Serotonin (n.a. 
(c), 2017)
Edmonton Public Library; BTU 10 000 (
Johnson, D.,
2014)
Pollution (Heeken & Polivka, 2015)
i.e. China or even smog warnings in Toronto
Overcrowding (Burton, 1990)
Increased crime and health issues
Financial/Situational (Heeken & Polivka, 2015)
Lower SES/change in SES
Recession/layoffs
Types of Stress Continued
Physical:
Illness (n.a., 2013)
i.e. Brain tumor
Pain (n.a., 2013; Wilcox, Veggeberg, Lemme, Hodkinson, Scrivani,
Burstein, Beccerra, & Borsook, 2016)
i.e. Migraines
Emotional:
Family/Relationships  (Heeken & Polivka, 2015)
Graduating/leaving home
Grief and loss
Divorce/death/significant changes = loss
Chronic Stress (n.a., 2013) 
 Impact?
Incl. ineffective coping strategies that used to work
After mom’s diagnosis = stuffing
Resilience Factors
“caring, supportive relationships” (American Psychological
Association (APA), 2017)
Family/friends (n.a. (b), 2017)
= safe place to come back to after exploring world
“able to plan and carry out plan” (APA, 2017)
“positive view of self and confidence in strengths and abilities”
(APA, 2017)
Self-efficacy (n.a. (b), 2017)
“skills in communication and problem solving” (APA, 2017)
Dual awareness: frontal lobe and emotional center (limbic system)
“capacity to manage strong feelings and impulses”
i.e. The Hulk
Science Stuff
OR: Why Mind, Body, and Emotion?
The Three Brains/Triune Brain
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-m2YcdMdFw
Three brain model (Siegel, 2017)
Wrist = spinal cord
Palm = brain stem (Reptilian brain; Fisher, 2016)
Thumb = limbic system/emotional center (Mammalian
brain; Fisher, 2016)
5 senses
Palm and thumb = regulate arousal, emotions, and 3 Fs
Sensory cortices = store info specific to emotional
meaning of senses (Rettner, 2010)
The Brain
Fingers = Frontal lobe/cortex
Perceive outside world, think, and reason
Behind eyes = Prefrontal cortex
Regulates subcortical regions (limbic system/brain stem)
Limbic system tries to react to perceived threat;
prefrontal cortex tries to shut the reaction off
“Flipping Your Lid”
Prefrontal cortex and Cortex offline
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0T_2NNoC68  Flipping
Your Lid
Thumb and palm triggered again and again
Like static electricity
i.e. Sister and truck drive home - staring
“Amygdala Hijack”  (Ahuja, Myat, Cervantes, & Zahn,  n.d.)
Straw that broke the camel’s back
i.e. Vacuum and furnace
Memories
Hippocampus, prefrontal and frontal cortices, and
amygdala
Directly linked in memory formation and retrieval (Jin &
Maren, 2015; n.a. (a), 2017)
Offline = major problem in forming clear memories
Triggers are reactions to current events
“Trigger” our body/emotional memories of something
not so great
Can’t id triggers or don’t know why we’re reacting the
way we are 
 no language/story for trigger, just
sensation
No explanation to label it/reduce charge
Window of Tolerance
Steffensen, T., 2010)
Window of Tolerance
Stress (esp. chronic) + coping mechanisms that no longer work =
vice on either end
i.e. Master’s degree and laundry
Relief the trigger
Chronic stress without proper care after =
Continuum of illness and symptoms (Arber, 2014)
Fatigue/illness
Pain
Hypervigilance (looking over shoulder, waiting for shoe to drop)
Rumination (stewing about events/trying to predict future)
Harder to deal with uncertainty
Hopelessness
Poor memory formation and recall
Note: symptoms of anxiety, depression, and PTSD
 
What Are Strategies You Used To Use
That Aren’t Working So Great Now?
Distraction/Numbness
Addictions
Stuffing/Ignoring
Body issues = IBS
Outbursts and Deal with Fallout
Relationship casualty
Staying Silent/Retreating/Hiding
Lack of connection to others/self
Note what’s missing here
Body and emotion strategies, yet effects on body and
emotion.
So What?
Think about the information in the realms of:
Decision making
Conversations and relationships
Living a full life?
Managing stress?
What do you think?
Discussion Time
5 minutes
Discussion Time
4 minutes
Discussion Time
3 minutes
Discussion Time
2 minutes
Discussion Time
1 minute
So What?
What do you think?
If you can stay in all three brains, you will have the
ability to fully process trauma/stress; integrate the
events
Western culture 
 usually only neck up
Cortex doesn’t function well when triggered
Roller coaster of 3 F’s and sometimes feeling ok
Increased anxiety/tension from being overwhelmed
Increased numbness from checking out
Technology anyone?
To Consider:
Key points:
Not about making it go away 
 “No Mud, No
Lotus” 
 Thich Nhat Hanh; “Inside Out” movie
(Chamary, 2015).
Harmony
Practice when calm 
 easier to access when
activated
Practice every day 
 reflexive
Your choice
Mind:
Distraction 
Mindful change of pattern (reframe): Joe DiSpenza
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8l2nvTv9_Xw&t=8s
Grass path: gives hope
Pay attention to body instead and notice moment by
moment changes
Hexaflexercise activity (ACT; Harris, 2017)
Misophonia: know reaction doesn’t make sense = NCs
Hexaflex helps empower and refocus attention
Do something you haven’t done in a while to use a different
part of the brain:
Phone a friend, sudoku, crosswords etc. (i.e. Virtual Hopebox
application)
PTSD, anxiety, depression
Body:
Breath:  Usually first resource (intake for client and self)
4 count breath
Sighing breath
Left/Right breath
Light Stream
Imagination and visualization
Specific body location i.e. ball in throat
4 Elements activity
General chronic discomfort
Specific trauma protocol but can use parts of it (or all) once used to it
Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR/Jacobsonian Relaxation)
Beware injury!
Yoga
Note:  You cannot maintain a trauma response in a relaxed muscle body!  (Gentry & Rhoton, 2017)
Emotion:
Use the 5 senses:
Hearing
Music 
 especially with teens
Rain, Rain app
Touch 
 i.e. Garnet/Max
Smell
“It reminds me of
Memories, strong reactions
What emotion goes with that memory?
What happens in your body when you smell the scent?
Note:   Scents can help us feel something different i.e. lilacs = happy childhood
More pure the better (Rago, 2017)
Taste
Why do you think there’s such a thing as a food addiction?  Because it accesses emotions. 
Sight
Colors (i.e. Dawn/Aspire and grey)
Familiar settings (i.e. driving to Cold Lake)
Calm Place activity
To Ponder
Notice overlap
Explore what works best for you
Pick and choose what suits situation
Body reaction = body strategy
Emotion reaction = 5 senses
Mind reaction = distraction/use mind in a
completely different way
In Practice:  Scents
Whatever tool depending on client needs
NOTE: I have no training in aromatherapy, choices
come from client feedback and my own reactions
Self-regulation with clients (emotion strategy, Sacred
Mountain, Lemon, etc.)
Grounding, Calm Place, Muscle tightness
“YES!” reaction
Self-regulation for me (Bergamot, Release, etc.)
Space “feels” off (i.e. Jack’s and Wilhauk’s )
My own mood/body sensations
Samples + Chalkboard  (Thanks, Yvonne!)
Activities: Calm Place and
Grounding
Take a moment to notice
 where you are on a scale from 0-10
0 = meh (no activation)
10 = pulling out your hair, rocking and sobbing in a corner
AND body sensations (i.e. where your breath gets stuck)
Take a moment after to notice
Scale from 0-10
Body sensations
A shift of 1 is considered awesome!
NOTE:  If you are already at a 0-1, think of something that was
mildly annoying to you today or yesterday
Brings you to a 2-4 on scale
Questions?
Calm Place
Place in adult life
Comfortable, calm, secure
Nature, home, or imagination
What do you:
See
Hear
Smell
Feel (touch)
Sense in body?
Calm Place Con’t…
Tap/Butterfly Hug
Word/Phrase/Symbol
Practice every day when calm
Building reflex
Grounding
Pick an object
Hold in hand
Can use scent as well if you prefer!
Two adjectives 
 to notice moment by moment
experience
These can change with each pass
Word/phrase
Goes to heart/emotional center
Breath
Usually use sighing, but up to you
Use as needed
Whew
 You Made It!
Checklist of goals:
Toolbox of strategies you can use
Understand to use strategies that fit the
symptom
Understand brains are amazing, but sometimes
they need help too
Recognize ways to tell if you or someone you
love needs clinical help
Questions?
Recordings and presentation available
 for ONE WEEK at
www.dochaspsych.com
Contact Info:
Kim Long
Dochas Psychological Services, Inc.
301, 131 First Avenue, Spruce Grove
www.dochaspsych.com
klong@dochaspsych.com
780-446-8634
To provide 
feedback
, please go to
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/T87TCN2 (the link is also on my website
and Facebook page) or please complete the forms on your tables
References
Ahuja, N., Myat, W., Cervantes, A., Zahn, N. (n.d.) 
Amygdala Hijack
.  Retrieved from
http://neurosciencefundamentals.unsw.wikispaces.net/The+limbic+System
American Psychological Association. (2017).  The road to resilience.  
APA Psychology Help Center.  
  Retrieved from
http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/road-resilience.aspx
Arber, C., (2014).  Post-traumatic stress and the brain.  
Worthit2Be Me.  
Retrieved from https://worthit2bme.com/post-
traumatic-stress-the-brain/
Burton, I. (1990, March).  Factors in urban stress. 
Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare. 17
(1), Article 5
. 
 Retrieved from
http://scholarworks.wmich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1928&context=jssw
Chamary, J.V. (2015, August 30).  How  “inside out” explains the science of memory.
 
Retrieved from
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jvchamary/2015/08/30/inside-out-science/#4c5123355184
DiSpenza, J. [GlobalSchoolNet]. (2012, August 21).  
Three brains 
 Thinking to doing to being 
[Video file]
.
  Retrieved
from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8l2nvTv9_Xw&t=8s
Fisher, J. (2003). 
Triune Brain
 [PowerPoiint Slide].  Retrieved from
https://i.pinimg.com/736x/5c/4f/f0/5c4ff0143a1340eea15b0d2316b2bcec--ptsd-trauma.jpg
Fisher, J. (2016).  
Working with the neurobiological legacy of trauma 
[Video recording, course pack].  Jack Hirose
and Associates.
References
Gentry, E., & Rhoton, R.  (2017, May 1).  Certified clinical trauma professional (CCTP)
intensive training course.  
PESI.com.
  Retrieved from
https://www.pesi.com/store/onlinecourse.
Harris, R. (2017).  The Hexaflexercise. [Audio recording]  Retrieved from
http://thehappinesstrap.com/free-resources/
Heeken, K., & Polivka, L. (2015, November). 
Environmental and economic factors
associated with mental illness.
  Retrieved from:
http://coss.fsu.edu/subdomains/claudepeppercenter.fsu.edu_wp/wp-
content/uploads/2016/02/Environmental-and-Economic-Factors-Associated-with-
Mental-Illness-Manuscript.pdf
Jin, J., Maren, S. (2015).  Prefrontal-hippocampal interactions in memory and emotion.
Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience
, 9(170).  Retrieved from
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4678200/
Johnson, D. (2014, February 2).  Edmonton public library’s Stanley A. Milner branch now
sports three mood lights to combat Seasonal Affective Disorder.
EdmontonExaminer.com.
 Retrieved from
http://www.edmontonexaminer.com/2014/01/29/edmonton-public-librarys-stanley-
a-milner-branch-now-sports-three-mood-lights-to-combat-seasonal-affective-
disorder
References
Kwong, M. 2015, March 5. Why winter brings us down but won’t for long.  
Canadian
Broadcasting Corporation
. Retrieved from http:// www.cbc.ca/news/health/sad-
science-why-winter-brings-us-down-but-won-t-for-long-1.2981920
Lambert, GW., Reid, C. Kaye, GM., Jennings, GL, & Esler, MD. (2002).  Effect of sunlight
and season on serotonin turnover in the brain.  
The Lancet.  
Retrieved from:
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(02)11737-5/fulltext
n.a. (2013). Stress.  
University of Maryland Medical Center.  
Retrieved from
http://www.umm.edu/health/medical/reports/articles/stress
n.a.(a). (2017).  Emotions and memory.  
Psychologists World.
 Retrieved from
https://www.psychologistworld.com/emotion/emotion-memory-
psychology#references
n.a. (b) (2017).  Resilience.  
Center on the Developing Child: Harvard University.  
Retrieved
from https://developingchild.harvard.edu/science/key-concepts/resilience/
n.a. 
(c) 
(2017).  Serotonin: What you need to know.  
Healthline
. Retrieved from
https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/serotonin#overview1
References
Rago, R. (2017, December 7).  Emotion on the brain [Web log post].  
Tufts University.
Retrieved from http://sites.tufts.edu/emotiononthebrain/author/rrago01/
Rettner, R. (2010, August 5).  Brain’s link between sounds, smells, and memory revealed.
Live Science
  Retrieved from https://www.livescience.com/8426-brain-link-sounds-
smells-memory-revealed.html
Siegel, D. [Dr. Dan Siegel] (2017, August 9).  
Dr. Dan Siegel’s hand model of the brain
[Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-m2YcdMdFw
Steffensen, T., (2010, September 30-October 3). 
Trauma and the challenge of sexual
addiction.  
PowerPoint presentation at Society for the Advancement of Sexual
Health, Boston, MA.
Stress. (2017). In 
Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary (11
th
 ed.).
 Retrieved from
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stress.
Nhat Hanh Thich. (2014). 
No mud, no lotus: The art of transforming suffering.
 Berkeley,
California: Parallax Pr.
Wilcox, S. L., Veggeberg, R., Lemme, J., Hodkinson, D. J., Scrivani, S., Brustein, R., Becerra,
L., & Borsook, D. (2016, July 26). Increased functional activation of limbic brain
regions during negative emotional processing in migraine.  
Frontiers in Human
Neuroscience. 
doi: https://doilorg/10.3389/fnhum.2016.00366
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Delve into the intricate workings of the brain with Kim Long, exploring stress, resilience, and practical strategies to regain control. Learn to differentiate between everyday blues and clinical conditions like SAD, anxiety, and depression. Discover the impact of stress on mental and physical well-being and gain insights on living a purpose-driven life.


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  1. How Your Brain Is Taking You Hostage (and what you can do about it)! Kim Long, MC, CCC, R. Psych (Alberta) Director, Dochas Psychological Services, Inc. Spruce Grove, Alberta

  2. Agenda Disclaimer Goals Science stuff Research stress, resilience, how our brains work Strategies Lists of Practice: Calm Place/Grounding Wrap up

  3. Disclaimer Video recording Implied consent No affiliation with Young Living/No profit from sales of their product Participation: Your choice Triggers

  4. Disclaimer Continued YOU are the expert of YOU Advice = grain of salt These are my opinions based in: Research Experiences 2013 Masters of Counselling; 2015 R. Psych Teacher 10 years Elementary and Junior High levels Base Brat (aka military kid) Confidentiality focus will be on my experiences No identifying information given

  5. What About You? Take a moment to think about who YOU are. How do you want to live your life s purpose? Are the choices you make on a daily basis serving that life s purpose? Airplane analogy: Who do you put the oxygen mask on first and why? Are you doing that?

  6. Goals: Education about: The brain and how it works (or doesn t work) Wellness from a mental health perspective Science research Experience Tools that can be used immediately

  7. How to Tell if I Need Therapy Oil change (my bias) Winter blues (Kwong, 2015) 35% of Canadians 10-15% seasonal depression 2-5% SAD How do you tell the difference between blues , nerves , and something clinical, like Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), Anxiety, or Depression? Interferes with daily life function (work, relationships, self- care) Others notice Genetic predisposition?

  8. Stress What is stress? A physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension and may be a factor in disease causation or A state resulting from stress; especially: one of bodily or mental tension resulting from factors that tend to alter an existent equilibrium (Merriam-Webster.com, 2017) Equilibrium/homeostasis Don t like change

  9. Containers Analogy: suitcase, pop bottle, tupperware container, etc. Shove emotions/sensations/thoughts away Think: What is your container? Not really paying attention to how much putting away Splits open/Leaks Worst time Under stress/overwhelmed or trying to relax/sleep Having a great day How to make space? i.e. friend who s father died

  10. Types of Stress Environmental: Light (Lambert, Reid, Kaye, Jennings, & Esler, 2002) Serotonin (n.a. (c), 2017) Edmonton Public Library; BTU 10 000 (Johnson, D., 2014) Pollution (Heeken & Polivka, 2015) i.e. China or even smog warnings in Toronto Overcrowding (Burton, 1990) Increased crime and health issues Financial/Situational (Heeken & Polivka, 2015) Lower SES/change in SES Recession/layoffs

  11. Types of Stress Continued Physical: Illness (n.a., 2013) i.e. Brain tumor Pain (n.a., 2013; Wilcox, Veggeberg, Lemme, Hodkinson, Scrivani, Burstein, Beccerra, & Borsook, 2016) i.e. Migraines Emotional: Family/Relationships (Heeken & Polivka, 2015) Graduating/leaving home Grief and loss Divorce/death/significant changes = loss Chronic Stress (n.a., 2013) Impact? Incl. ineffective coping strategies that used to work After mom s diagnosis = stuffing

  12. Resilience Factors caring, supportive relationships (American Psychological Association (APA), 2017) Family/friends (n.a. (b), 2017) = safe place to come back to after exploring world able to plan and carry out plan (APA, 2017) positive view of self and confidence in strengths and abilities (APA, 2017) Self-efficacy (n.a. (b), 2017) skills in communication and problem solving (APA, 2017) Dual awareness: frontal lobe and emotional center (limbic system) capacity to manage strong feelings and impulses i.e. The Hulk

  13. Science Stuff OR: Why Mind, Body, and Emotion? The Three Brains/Triune Brain https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-m2YcdMdFw Three brain model (Siegel, 2017) Wrist = spinal cord Palm = brain stem (Reptilian brain; Fisher, 2016) Thumb = limbic system/emotional center (Mammalian brain; Fisher, 2016) 5 senses Palm and thumb = regulate arousal, emotions, and 3 Fs Sensory cortices = store info specific to emotional meaning of senses (Rettner, 2010)

  14. The Brain Fingers = Frontal lobe/cortex Perceive outside world, think, and reason Behind eyes = Prefrontal cortex Regulates subcortical regions (limbic system/brain stem) Limbic system tries to react to perceived threat; prefrontal cortex tries to shut the reaction off

  15. Flipping Your Lid Prefrontal cortex and Cortex offline https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0T_2NNoC68 Flipping Your Lid Thumb and palm triggered again and again Like static electricity i.e. Sister and truck drive home - staring Amygdala Hijack (Ahuja, Myat, Cervantes, & Zahn, n.d.) Straw that broke the camel s back i.e. Vacuum and furnace

  16. Memories Hippocampus, prefrontal and frontal cortices, and amygdala Directly linked in memory formation and retrieval (Jin & Maren, 2015; n.a. (a), 2017) Offline = major problem in forming clear memories Triggers are reactions to current events Trigger our body/emotional memories of something not so great Can t id triggers or don t know why we re reacting the way we are no language/story for trigger, just sensation No explanation to label it/reduce charge

  17. Window of Tolerance Steffensen, T., 2010)

  18. Window of Tolerance Stress (esp. chronic) + coping mechanisms that no longer work = vice on either end i.e. Master s degree and laundry Relief the trigger Chronic stress without proper care after = Continuum of illness and symptoms (Arber, 2014) Fatigue/illness Pain Hypervigilance (looking over shoulder, waiting for shoe to drop) Rumination (stewing about events/trying to predict future) Harder to deal with uncertainty Hopelessness Poor memory formation and recall Note: symptoms of anxiety, depression, and PTSD

  19. What Are Strategies You Used To Use That Aren t Working So Great Now? Distraction/Numbness Addictions Stuffing/Ignoring Body issues = IBS Outbursts and Deal with Fallout Relationship casualty Staying Silent/Retreating/Hiding Lack of connection to others/self Note what s missing here Body and emotion strategies, yet effects on body and emotion.

  20. So What? Think about the information in the realms of: Decision making Conversations and relationships Living a full life? Managing stress? What do you think?

  21. Discussion Time 5 minutes

  22. Discussion Time 4 minutes

  23. Discussion Time 3 minutes

  24. Discussion Time 2 minutes

  25. Discussion Time 1 minute

  26. So What? What do you think? If you can stay in all three brains, you will have the ability to fully process trauma/stress; integrate the events Western culture usually only neck up Cortex doesn t function well when triggered Roller coaster of 3 F s and sometimes feeling ok Increased anxiety/tension from being overwhelmed Increased numbness from checking out Technology anyone?

  27. To Consider: Key points: Not about making it go away No Mud, No Lotus Thich Nhat Hanh; Inside Out movie (Chamary, 2015). Harmony Practice when calm easier to access when activated Practice every day reflexive Your choice

  28. Mind: Distraction Mindful change of pattern (reframe): Joe DiSpenza https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8l2nvTv9_Xw&t=8s Grass path: gives hope Pay attention to body instead and notice moment by moment changes Hexaflexercise activity (ACT; Harris, 2017) Misophonia: know reaction doesn t make sense = NCs Hexaflex helps empower and refocus attention Do something you haven t done in a while to use a different part of the brain: Phone a friend, sudoku, crosswords etc. (i.e. Virtual Hopebox application) PTSD, anxiety, depression

  29. Body: Breath: Usually first resource (intake for client and self) 4 count breath Sighing breath Left/Right breath Light Stream Imagination and visualization Specific body location i.e. ball in throat 4 Elements activity General chronic discomfort Specific trauma protocol but can use parts of it (or all) once used to it Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR/Jacobsonian Relaxation) Beware injury! Yoga Note: You cannot maintain a trauma response in a relaxed muscle body! (Gentry & Rhoton, 2017)

  30. Emotion: Use the 5 senses: Hearing Music especially with teens Rain, Rain app Touch i.e. Garnet/Max Smell It reminds me of Memories, strong reactions What emotion goes with that memory? What happens in your body when you smell the scent? Note: Scents can help us feel something different i.e. lilacs = happy childhood More pure the better (Rago, 2017) Taste Why do you think there s such a thing as a food addiction? Because it accesses emotions. Sight Colors (i.e. Dawn/Aspire and grey) Familiar settings (i.e. driving to Cold Lake) Calm Place activity

  31. To Ponder Notice overlap Explore what works best for you Pick and choose what suits situation Body reaction = body strategy Emotion reaction = 5 senses Mind reaction = distraction/use mind in a completely different way

  32. In Practice: Scents Whatever tool depending on client needs NOTE: I have no training in aromatherapy, choices come from client feedback and my own reactions Self-regulation with clients (emotion strategy, Sacred Mountain, Lemon, etc.) Grounding, Calm Place, Muscle tightness YES! reaction Self-regulation for me (Bergamot, Release, etc.) Space feels off (i.e. Jack s and Wilhauk s ) My own mood/body sensations Samples + Chalkboard (Thanks, Yvonne!)

  33. Activities: Calm Place and Grounding Take a moment to notice where you are on a scale from 0-10 0 = meh (no activation) 10 = pulling out your hair, rocking and sobbing in a corner AND body sensations (i.e. where your breath gets stuck) Take a moment after to notice Scale from 0-10 Body sensations A shift of 1 is considered awesome! NOTE: If you are already at a 0-1, think of something that was mildly annoying to you today or yesterday Brings you to a 2-4 on scale Questions?

  34. Calm Place Place in adult life Comfortable, calm, secure Nature, home, or imagination What do you: See Hear Smell Feel (touch) Sense in body?

  35. Calm Place Cont Tap/Butterfly Hug Word/Phrase/Symbol Practice every day when calm Building reflex

  36. Grounding Pick an object Hold in hand Can use scent as well if you prefer! Two adjectives to notice moment by moment experience These can change with each pass Word/phrase Goes to heart/emotional center Breath Usually use sighing, but up to you Use as needed

  37. Whew You Made It! Checklist of goals: Toolbox of strategies you can use Understand to use strategies that fit the symptom Understand brains are amazing, but sometimes they need help too Recognize ways to tell if you or someone you love needs clinical help

  38. Questions? Recordings and presentation available for ONE WEEK at www.dochaspsych.com Contact Info: Kim Long Dochas Psychological Services, Inc. 301, 131 First Avenue, Spruce Grove www.dochaspsych.com klong@dochaspsych.com 780-446-8634 To provide feedback, please go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/T87TCN2 (the link is also on my website and Facebook page) or please complete the forms on your tables

  39. References Ahuja, N., Myat, W., Cervantes, A., Zahn, N. (n.d.) Amygdala Hijack. Retrieved from http://neurosciencefundamentals.unsw.wikispaces.net/The+limbic+System American Psychological Association. (2017). The road to resilience. APA Psychology Help Center. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/road-resilience.aspx Arber, C., (2014). Post-traumatic stress and the brain. Worthit2Be Me. Retrieved from https://worthit2bme.com/post- traumatic-stress-the-brain/ Burton, I. (1990, March). Factors in urban stress. Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare. 17(1), Article 5. Retrieved from http://scholarworks.wmich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1928&context=jssw Chamary, J.V. (2015, August 30). How inside out explains the science of memory.Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/jvchamary/2015/08/30/inside-out-science/#4c5123355184 DiSpenza, J. [GlobalSchoolNet]. (2012, August 21). Three brains Thinking to doing to being [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8l2nvTv9_Xw&t=8s Fisher, J. (2003). Triune Brain [PowerPoiint Slide]. Retrieved from https://i.pinimg.com/736x/5c/4f/f0/5c4ff0143a1340eea15b0d2316b2bcec--ptsd-trauma.jpg Fisher, J. (2016). Working with the neurobiological legacy of trauma [Video recording, course pack]. Jack Hirose and Associates.

  40. References Gentry, E., & Rhoton, R. (2017, May 1). Certified clinical trauma professional (CCTP) intensive training course. PESI.com. Retrieved from https://www.pesi.com/store/onlinecourse. Harris, R. (2017). The Hexaflexercise. [Audio recording] Retrieved from http://thehappinesstrap.com/free-resources/ Heeken, K., & Polivka, L. (2015, November). Environmental and economic factors associated with mental illness. Retrieved from: http://coss.fsu.edu/subdomains/claudepeppercenter.fsu.edu_wp/wp- content/uploads/2016/02/Environmental-and-Economic-Factors-Associated-with- Mental-Illness-Manuscript.pdf Jin, J., Maren, S. (2015). Prefrontal-hippocampal interactions in memory and emotion. Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience, 9(170). Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4678200/ Johnson, D. (2014, February 2). Edmonton public library s Stanley A. Milner branch now sports three mood lights to combat Seasonal Affective Disorder. EdmontonExaminer.com. Retrieved from http://www.edmontonexaminer.com/2014/01/29/edmonton-public-librarys-stanley- a-milner-branch-now-sports-three-mood-lights-to-combat-seasonal-affective- disorder

  41. References Kwong, M. 2015, March 5. Why winter brings us down but won t for long. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved from http:// www.cbc.ca/news/health/sad- science-why-winter-brings-us-down-but-won-t-for-long-1.2981920 Lambert, GW., Reid, C. Kaye, GM., Jennings, GL, & Esler, MD. (2002). Effect of sunlight and season on serotonin turnover in the brain. The Lancet. Retrieved from: http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(02)11737-5/fulltext n.a. (2013). Stress. University of Maryland Medical Center. Retrieved from http://www.umm.edu/health/medical/reports/articles/stress n.a.(a). (2017). Emotions and memory. Psychologists World. Retrieved from https://www.psychologistworld.com/emotion/emotion-memory- psychology#references n.a. (b) (2017). Resilience. Center on the Developing Child: Harvard University. Retrieved from https://developingchild.harvard.edu/science/key-concepts/resilience/ n.a. (c) (2017). Serotonin: What you need to know. Healthline. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/serotonin#overview1

  42. References Rago, R. (2017, December 7). Emotion on the brain [Web log post]. Tufts University. Retrieved from http://sites.tufts.edu/emotiononthebrain/author/rrago01/ Rettner, R. (2010, August 5). Brain s link between sounds, smells, and memory revealed. Live Science Retrieved from https://www.livescience.com/8426-brain-link-sounds- smells-memory-revealed.html Siegel, D. [Dr. Dan Siegel] (2017, August 9). Dr. Dan Siegel s hand model of the brain [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-m2YcdMdFw Steffensen, T., (2010, September 30-October 3). Trauma and the challenge of sexual addiction. PowerPoint presentation at Society for the Advancement of Sexual Health, Boston, MA. Stress. (2017). In Merriam-Webster s online dictionary (11th ed.). Retrieved from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stress. Nhat Hanh Thich. (2014). No mud, no lotus: The art of transforming suffering. Berkeley, California: Parallax Pr. Wilcox, S. L., Veggeberg, R., Lemme, J., Hodkinson, D. J., Scrivani, S., Brustein, R., Becerra, L., & Borsook, D. (2016, July 26). Increased functional activation of limbic brain regions during negative emotional processing in migraine. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. doi: https://doilorg/10.3389/fnhum.2016.00366

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