From Little “T’s” to Big “T’s”; Alleviating Stressors Using Trauma Focused Therapy Approaches

by Kathleen Krol, LCSW, RPT 

Life is stressful! No one is immune from experiencing stress, whether it is the day to day little “T’s” or the bigger life changing “T’s”. Little “T’s” are the fender-bender accidents, dissatisfaction with a critical boss, fear of giving a presentation or navigating through your child’s terrible two’s. Big “T’s” are the events that have a lasting impact; loss of a loved one, involvement in major accident, experiencing or witnessing violence or abuse. Little “T’s” are the situations that cause some sleepless nights, muscle tension, worry, intestinal problems, poor concentration, anxious or sad mood. Big “T’s” may include the same disturbances as the smaller “T’s” but may occur with more intensity or for longer duration of time. Big “T” symptoms also may include recurrent dreams or flashbacks of the event, detachment from others, irritability or angry outbursts, psychological distress and physiological reactivity to internal or external stimuli that remind one of the trauma.

In this article, I’d like to highlight three modalities; Sand Tray, Trauma Art Narrative Therapy and EMDR, that can be used in alleviating symptoms from little or big “T’s”.  All three approaches can be used with children, teens and adults.

Sand Tray provides choice of using either wet or dry trays of sand along with selected “miniatures”, objects which provide the medium for emotional expression and communicating one’s experience. Trauma is sensory based in that traumatic memories are encoded in both the body as well as the brain. The modality of sand has a kinesthetic quality that addresses the sensory component of trauma, the deeper emotional experience that is retained in the body itself. For children, sand tray provides a safe, natural way for them to express themselves without re-experiencing the traumatization of the original event. Adolescents and adults may experience emotional release through the use of symbolism and projection of feelings until the sand tray and miniatures.

Trauma Art Narrative Therapy (TANT) is a structured cognitively oriented technique which uses art as a modality for healing from trauma. With trauma, memories are often disconnected and fragmented. Trauma art pieces together these memories by guiding one to narrate the traumatic experience through a series of sequential drawings. As one draws “snapshots” of the event, integration of the emotional and cognitive components of the brain takes place and promotes healing. Preparation for this trauma work always includes establishing a safe point before and after the trauma. TANT is effective with both minor single incidents to major events that have had significant impact. Artistic ability is not needed to benefit from this modality and more spontaneous drawing is most effective.  

Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) uses bilateral stimulation techniques such as eye movements, tapping or audio which stimulate both sides of the brain. When a traumatic event occurs, pieces of the trauma can remain stuck or frozen in the brain and nervous system. Bilateral stimulation helps “unlock stuck material” thereby allowing the mind and body to process the traumatic event. EMDR is often used with big “T” traumas but equally can be beneficial in alleviating symptoms of general anxiety and phobias or working through little “T’s” that can impact daily functioning, assist one in better managing stressors related to job, family, relationships and overcoming roadblocks to growth and development. Preparation includes developing resources in stress management and relaxation.

Kathleen Krol, LCSW, RPT is a independent practitioner at the Resiliency Center and also a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Registered Play Therapist, who uses these three modalities along with Family and Play Therapy and Parent Education.  She works with children, teens and adults experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, grief and loss, abuse and behavior issues. To learn more about any of these specialties’ or discuss how she might help you and your family, email kasiakrol17@verizon.net or call 215-289-3101, mailbox #1.

Accidents? by Dean Solon

are there accidents, truly accidents?  are there only accidents?  is each thing and every thing and any thing circumstantial, unrelated, uncaused, disconnected?  incidental and accidental, no more than coincidental?

is there sense, are there reasons?  is there continuity, and synchronicity, and co-incide-nce?  is there a God?  are there Masters, is there Mastery?

the hindus and the buddhists defy a finding...made after much seeking and soul searching, to accept what arises and to live with what is and to be ascribing no primal cause, no Determinable beginning and no explicable end...by deciding, by hypothesizing and theorizing, by determining, there is karma---Karma---giving cause, and effect, and reason, and explanation of this reality we are living in and of this consciousness we are living with.

following a trail, always attributing reason(s), wanting, wanting so much, for there to be sense, comfort, security, a floor and a ground to be standing on, sitting on, sleeping on, awaking on.

so the hold again loosens, as it must loosen.
so the need for answers, for the Answer, abates, subsides, falls aside, as it must abate, subside, fall aside.
perhaps there is a floor and a ground of all being.
perhaps there is no floor no ground.
perhaps there is this and that, perhaps there is not-this not-that.
perhaps there are limits and are terms of agreement.
perhaps there are no limitations, no regulations, no certainties.
perhaps there are rules relating and laws defining.
perhaps there is only experiencing and expressing the mysterious and the ineffable.

perhaps there is knowing.
perhaps there only is not-knowing.

As If by Dean Solon

we think, we believe this is our world.
OUR world.
as if     as if     as if
any world, let alone this world, is ours.
as if     as if     as if
any body, let alone this body, is mine.
as if     as if     as if
any body, let alone that body, is yours.

as if     as if     as if
any thought, any theory, is real and true.

as if
as if 
as if

Transitioning with Children Following Divorce

By Jeff Katowitz, LMFT

       When two people divorce it can be a difficult process both emotionally and financially in making an adjustment to a new way a living. Through a shift in life style, never ending schedule changes and negotiations if there are children, and seeking a predicable flow and consistency in routines can be very challenging.  Many parents attempt to create a new family too quickly and are motivated out of a desire to put back together or establish an image of a family from one that had been broken. Parents, however, need to engage in a process of their own healing and reflect regarding what had transpired in their previous marriage or relationship first prior to establishing new relationships. Awareness is the key here, where many parents tend to find themselves feeling lost, trapped by their own pain and may seek refuge in a new relationship to cover over quickly the negative experiences that they had in their marriage.

      But what about the children of these divorcing couples. It is not within their control to pick a new partner for their parents (although some have a great deal of influence in this process). They too may have a similar need for normalcy and predictability but their parents’ judgment and timing of their decisions may be in question. Some children may carry and harbor resentment toward one or both parents for their decision to divorce. They struggle with their own feelings of abandonment and many feel that no one has considered the impact that the divorce has had on their lives.  It is therefore critical to assess how their children are transitioning and may need to work towards developing or reestablishing trust with their children if it has been compromised. But how do parents initiate a process in which they help their children feel acknowledged and cared for?  Parents seem stuck in a quagmire - between their own sense of entitlement and desire or need to transition out of an unfulfilling relationship and the guilt over hurting their children and not knowing what the most appropriate next step should be.

    Depending on the circumstances and the ages of the children parents may want to consider engaging them in an open discussion - asking for feedback and opinions regarding what had transpired specifically relating to the divorce. Many parents are unaware of how to gauge where their children are emotionally following a divorce and make assumptions about how their children feel. Without a clear understanding directly from their children parents may experience resistance and a great deal of conflict in their relationship with their children. From experience in treating very complex family systems and those transitioning through divorce and healing post divorce I have found that those parents who show compassion and patience with their children regarding the pace of their transition receive positive results.   It is not uncommon to hear children openly articulate that they want to “see their parents happy” and this suggests that they have made a shift towards letting go of past pain and resentments – they can now see more clearly of what is in the best interest of not only themselves but also of their parents. Those children who have been permitted and encouraged to draw their own conclusions are not only able to think about what will make them happy but also able to think about their parents’ happiness. It is also a strong indicator that their needs are being met and that they have been able to transition through a difficult chapter in their lives by forgiving their parents for the decisions that they have made.

Jeff Katowitz, LMFT is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist providing individual, couples, family counseling. Specialties include adolescent development, separation, divorce, adoption, and blended families. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call Jeff at 215-307-0055 or email him at jpkatowitz@verizon.net.

The Whole Shebang #2 by Dean Solon

this is the way it is:  i am living in heaven and in hell, at once.
this is where i am.  in one world.  here, now---heavenhell.
this is the whole shebang.  this is the whole works.  this is the context, is the content:
there is one world.  heavenhell.
the delight and the desolation.  the beauty and the banality.  the soaring and the scarring. 
heavenhell on earth.  our eyes witnessing. our minds perceiving, our hearts understanding:  drama, attachment, falling aside, falling away,
revealing no separation,
no stipulation, no condemnation.
revealing THIS...

this is the way it is:  wild world, wild life, a core place, a center, a conviction, where
peace and love and mercy reside, abide, transmit an experience and expression of
abundance and nothingness.
you have done yoga, you have meditated.  what have you found to be real and true, there?  what have you learned? 
what are you knowing, now?

this is the way it is:  the glory and the genocide.

no matter how much we bring our western sensibilities to buddhism, we cannot escape the predicament, we cannot eradicate the possibility, of what the Buddha has presented to us:  you are not becoming IT;  you are IT.
this is the way it is:  not becoming.
                                         being.
in nearly infinite time and space, where there is not-time, where there is not-space, there is, only, here now....there is being.

the universe is not waiting, this planet earth is not waiting, for us to become something.
the accelerated path is urging, is demanding, is insisting:
now, be something, be someone.
now, be the Buddha-self.

now, be awake.  

Flash Flooding by Dean Solon

the expressing of this world is a river running through
every thing, a river overflowing its own furrowed banks,
a flash flood perpetually in the making
and the destroying.
mysteriously, in a moment, any moment
THIS moment
it disappears,
as if it never was, never could be,
as if a drought has overspread the earth.
as if a drought has overcome the heart.

mysteriously, in a moment, any moment
THIS moment
the river reappears,
and the heart again knows sorrow, suffering,
holocaust, again knows hope and loving kindness.
the heart again knows.  

Laughter Yoga by Elizabeth Venart

Laughter Yoga is an exercise and wellness routine that combines fun laughter activities with deep yoga breathing. It was developed in 1995 by Dr. Madan Kataria.  A physician fascinated by medical research demonstrating the positive health benefits of laughter, he decided to start the very first laughter club through an informal “experiment” in which he brought together a group of just five people at a local park in Mumbai, India with just one task: To laugh. They told jokes and funny stories and invited others in the park to join them. Their small group quickly grew to over fifty people! However, Dr. Kataria soon realized being funny was not the best pathway to laughter, as sense of humor is very personal, and offense is as likely to emerge as laughter when jokes are involved.  In his effort to address this challenge, he reviewed laughter research and discovered that the body cannot differentiate between fake and real laughter. We get the same profound health benefits whether we are simulating laughter or engaging in the real deal!

Laughter yoga is based on the principle that anyone can laugh at any time for no reason whatsoever, without relying on humor, jokes, or comedy. Since that first gathering in the park only 16 years ago, laughter yoga has now expanded to over 6000 laughter clubs worldwide.

In laughter yoga, we encourage laughter through simulated body exercises and interactive activities in a group. Using eye contact and childlike playfulness, this “pretend” laughter soon turns into real and contagious laughter. The health benefits from laughter include improved mood, strengthened immune system functioning, decreased stress, lowered blood pressure, and experiences of pain relief. To top it off, laughing is FUN!

For more information on laughter yoga, check out the links below, and enjoy the video of the baby laughing. This baby was born knowing how to laugh. Research has shown that, on average, children laugh approximately 200 times per day, whereas adults laugh only seven times. Laughter yoga helps us reclaim our natural tendency to laugh and helps us learn to take ourselves less seriously. Join Elizabeth Venart on Mondays at 9:30 a.m. at The Resiliency Center for a weekly laughter yoga club. Learn more and RSVP through our Meetup group. 

Laughter yoga can be practiced in groups, done alone, or learned and deepened by working individually with a Laughter Yoga Instructor.  Elizabeth Venart, a Licensed Professional Counselor, and the Founder of The Resiliency Center, gained certification as a Laughter Yoga Instructor in June. Since that time, she has been offering the laughter club and also infusing laughter yoga into her work with individuals and groups.  To learn more about Elizabeth Venart, visit her website or give her a call at 215-542-5004.

Introduction to the Steps of Laughter Yoga 

Dr. Kataria’s Laughter Yoga Website

Laughter Yoga Program on Discovery Channel

Dr. Kataria, Founder of Laughter Yoga, Laughing Silently at 5:00 am

Yang-Sheng Mind-Body Research Update article