Pyschosocial trauma and grief

 

The Rock and Water program is a universal intervention that focuses on all students aged four to 18 in regular and special education. In addition, special attention can be paid to students with specific support needs for which various Rock & Water specializations have been developed. One of these is the specialization Rock & Water Trauma and Grief. The starting point of the psychophysical Rock & Water methodology is the fact that our primary sense of self is determined by a vital connection with our physical consciousness (body consciousness). Personal development, self-regulation and healing processes depend on being aware of and being able to regulate our emotions and feelings that express themselves in the body. This fact makes it clear why the psychophysical Rock & Water methodology can also be used with children, young people and adults who have had to deal with, or are still dealing with, traumatic experiences.

Trauma has a psychophysical impact on the person who encounters it. It can leave deep marks in your head (cognition, thinking, language, meaning), heart (emotion/feeling) and body (body experience and interpretation). Optimal guidance for children, young people and adults who have been confronted with traumatic experiences therefore ideally consists of a psychophysical approach in which the head, heart and body experience are central. In this way, the psychophysical Rock & Water method in the hands of an experienced, well-trained psychologist can contribute to optimal, complementary guidance for the whole person.

Trauma influences the feeling of (un)safety and the (in)ability to make contact with one’s own feelings and strength. This can also block the ability for social contact and social integration, resulting in feelings of deep loneliness. The surrounding world then seems to move too fast and has no (less) meaning, as a result of which trauma can give the feeling of being outside the community and time.

The use of drugs (such as Prozac or its derivatives) causes, among other things, a decrease in the activity of the Amygdala (in the limbic system), which increases the feeling of security. However, focusing attention on internal body processes such as breathing, muscle tension in shoulders/back/abdomen/knees, the experience of peace and strength in the abdomen, the experience of a vital connection between body, emotions and consciousness has the same effect: the activity of the Amygdala decreases and feelings of relaxation, peace and security increase. This path can initiate a healing process in which the client takes matters into his own hands and/or learns to take control and in collaboration with him. A psychologist or other expert learns to follow (rediscover) a path that leads to healing and self-regulation.

Instead of creating a dependency on medications, and thus perhaps ignoring and/or covering up the client’s underlying psychological problems, a psychophysical approach can therefore also be central to the guidance of clients. In addition to the skills mentioned above, we also focus on developing important skills that contribute to recovery and self-regulation, and we try to rebuild a meaningful life with moments of happiness, no matter how difficult and unattainable that may sometimes seem.

The starting point in guidance is to make contact with the body to promote feelings of peace, relaxation and tranquility. In addition, developing a calm and strong psychophysical basis is central that creates feelings of safety and competence that we can always return to in moments of stress. This is the first and perhaps most important step towards self-regulation and healing. From this safety-increasing psychophysical basis, it is easier to create moments of peace and relaxation in order to self-reflect and initiate a healing process. Important skills are making contact with and learning to use your own (inner) strength (physical and mental). In addition, getting to know and regulate one’s own emotions and feelings better, the development of more self-knowledge, feelings of competence and self-confidence, and the development of social skills using the Rock & Water reference framework. These skills make it possible, step by step, and each at their own pace, to make contacts (again), develop (new) relationships and function in social networks.

This two-day training focuses on the basic skills and concepts of the Rock & Water program related to the specific developmental tasks of children and young people who have (had) to deal with trauma and/or the associated loss experience (grief) in their lives. During this training, participants learn how to use the various Rock & Water skills together with other, new exercises to appeal to these children and young people about their own resilience. Rock & Water contributes to normalizing the symptoms of trauma that trigger activation of stress responses. We do this by addressing restorative action patterns so that obstructive survival strategies can be neutralized safely and step by step. In addition to theoretical underpinnings about trauma, trauma reactions and grief, we will mainly work practically with various working methods during the training.

 

The two-day trauma training is a specialization training. The training is intended for professionals who work with this target group and may only be used afterwards within the setting in which you were trained. To participate in the training you must be a certified Rock and Water trainer. It is therefore mandatory to first complete the three-day Rock and Water Basic Training to gain a full insight and understanding of the Rock and Water program before participating in these two-day specializations. Therefore, please indicate when and where you attended the three-day event when registering. All trainers are stored in the Rock and Water database. Only by following the three-day Rock and Water basic training can you obtain the Rock and Water Trainer accreditation.

This training can also be purchased as an in-company training where the entire team can be trained. An in-company training may provide an organization with financial benefits.