The Art of Care
for Emotional Wounds in Others
Disclaimer
Legend (Symbols)
License
Latest Updates
...
Launch of Release Version
Your Process/Evolution
managing expectations
... and the included materials are intended to enable anyone who puts in the necessary time and effort to care for emotional wounds in those who are emotionally distressed or (potentially) traumatized.
... shall enable you to ...
... better understand concepts of emotional pain, suffering, wounds and trauma.
Emotional Pain
Wound-Metaphor
Trauma
... effectively stabilize yourself emotionally before, during and after working with individuals or groups in distress.
Self-Stabilization
... safely, effectively, and actively stabilize others emotionally who are in distress.
Stabilizing Others
... unlearn concepts and habits that are potentially ...
... destructive
... causing re-traumatization
Unlearn
its a process
time
depends ...
tied to an inner process
things to un-learn
Fundamental Concepts
how comprehensive does this have to be?
Emotional Stability
ESSP
The goal of any stabilization technique is the emotion
Stabilization should be considered an artful skill
Self-Stabilization
You must ... to prevent
indirect traumatization
Techniques for emotional stabilization are essential when working with emotions
If you work with (vulnerable) individuals you must be able to effectively stabilize emotionally
Care for Own Emotional Wounds
Introduction
Most people who want to learn how to help others emotionally...
... are little aware about their own needs.
Examples for lack of or very little attention for this even in vocational training of humanitarians, caregivers, health-care staff, etc. are abundant.
In my experience, those responsible for the psychological well-being of staff and volunteers all too often ...
... are ignorant towards the needs of helpers
... do not allocate the necessary resources to provide the needed services
... which equals not giving it the priority it deserves
I have seen too many interventions that were not cost-effective and hence considered either a luxury or would not be scaled-up/repeated.
Is Psychology in Crisis?
... are little informed about (cost-)effective means to provide such services ...
... and later implement them as integrated part of the organizational culture.
When present, the content is usually theoretical and little practical/concrete/applicable.
... do not know specific strategies how to take care of those needs.
Those needs can be of two kinds:
own, preexisting emotional wounds (trauma)
the stress caused by ...
exposure to the distressing/traumatic narratives of clients
clients' relationship patterns (with practitioner/"helper")
Guardrails
About Guardrails
You have to be emotionally stable when caring for others who are in emotional distress.
This is ideal. Since many helpers find themselves in difficult contexts for a variety of reasons, the highest possible approximation shall be the aim.
Even though your own circumstances can be difficult (be it profession, personal or both), there is no excuse for not practicing effective stabilization techniques yourself.
The only known way to achieve this is ...
... through practicing techniques for emotional self-stabilization ...
... before
even beginning to work with others' wounds
every session
... during
sessions
... after
sessions & when needed
Self-Stabilization
Stabilization Techniques
Coming soon: UP&Up
Stabilizing Others
Few professionals know how to emotionally stabilize well - and that is a problem
methods
...
Imaginative Methods
Principles
Guardrails
...
...
General Guardrails
Definition
each method has their guardrails
What works for the client works.
What does not work for the clients does not work.
Imaginative Methods:
let client go in step by step
back out in reverse order
can be faster
the steps of the the "going in" sequence can become shorter with increased confidence of the client
clients will often need less time to "get in" a method overtime
however, if a client does not get a good result then
either slow down
chose a different method
...
Methods/Techniques
Principles
Setting
need several techniques
How many?
Closing eyes
guardrails
Emotional Stabilization Standard Protocol (ESSP)
FE WS
redirect sub-domain here?
MM
ESSP
FE
includes PFA
CONT
Introduction
tools
How
When
in what sequence
how the methods connect with each other
Photoshop metaphor
How big is the can of worms that you are opening?
usually larger than it seems
therefore, when already big, be careful!
certain situations need confidence and trust in the methods
checklists!
Reassurance
STABILIZING/DISTANCING METHODS:
Distancing is stabilization
more stab // more dist
sorted by ...
Breathing-Exercises
Resources (R) /
Resource Work (RW)
graphic / Prezi
Protective Cover (PC)
Inner Safe Place (ISP/SP)
Slow+Short Bilateral Stimulation (SS-BLS)
public MM
BLS
ISP
IH
Bird
by CB?
FAQ
Containment (C)
"Safebox/Vault"-Method
Processing (P)
...
caveat
Scope in the AoC Course
Processing of distressing/traumatic experiences
Processing
ICW
FL-BLP
Typical Combinations:
... of individual methods (at the same time):
// ESSP
SS-BLP
+
R(W)
PC
ISP
ISP
+
IH
...
Integration (I)
CB methods
mourning
Case Studies / Examples
The Demonstrations
Aftermath of the Barcelona Attack - Aug 17, 2017
Common Questions
Psychological First Aid
Concept - elaborate
included in AoC
Specific Topics
Stabilizing Groups / Group Setting
Children / Adolescents
...