“no mind without mindfulness”
– Bessel van der Kolk
“we are all traumatised by life, by its unpredictability,
its lack of regard for your feelings
and the losses it brings”
– Mark Epstein
“I define trauma as any event that is too intense,
too painful-emotionally or physically-or
too confusing to be fully received”
– Judith Blackstone
Within our psychotherapeutic practice trauma used to be regarded as the client domain of PTSD-scarred veterans, victims of road traffic accidents, domestic violence or rape. Over the past few years there has been a growing recognition that trauma and traumatic episodes can intervene in our life at many more points and in many different ways, often without us seeing the impact as traumatic; we live on, carrying the cognitive, emotional and somatic shift inside and adapting our lives (or trying to adapt the world) to it.
Mindfulness used to be seen as a set of practices that were specific to meditation, to monks or high lamas-or at least to those who wished to aspire to some kind of enlightenment project. In the last 10 years or more mindfulness has grown (dare we say grown up?) with U.K. universities now specialising in masters and doctorate programmes in Studies in Mindfulness. There is a growing body of solid research that supports the efficacy of mindfulness in multiple contexts. But mindfulness as a practice is not mindfulness alone; like a bird with two wings its flight is best accompanied with compassion, notably self-compassion
This experiential workshop explores via research, text, video, discussion and by practice how we might integrate “east and west” or growing up and waking up approaches to trauma. We will be referencing the following, all of whom have worked in the context of mindfulness, compassion and/or trauma: Paul Gilbert, Mark Epstein, Judith Blackstone, Reginald Ray, Bessel van der Kolk, Choden and Heather Regan-Addis, Ken Wilber, Brown and Gerbarg and Deborah Lee.
We will explore
• What is trauma?
• The trauma of everyday life: my splits, me and my shadow
• The pain body and the power of presence: Eckhart Tolle’s work
• What is mindfulness?
• What is compassion and why are we not more compassionate?
• The compassionate mess
• Growing up and waking up: the content of our thoughts and the nature of our thoughts
• Trauma and awakening
• What is the window of tolerance?
• How do I traumatise thee? Let me count the ways.
• The impact of trauma: the emotional regulation system or why zebras don’t get ulcers
• Mr Duffy
• Fight, flight, freeze, submit -and the mighty thaw
• The impact of shame
• Welcome to my nightmare; trauma memory
• How can mindfulness help?
• How can mindfulness hurt?
• Why compassion? Why does being nice matter?
• Do I need, or need to be, a trauma specialist?
• How the body keeps the score: Bessel van der Kolk’s and Reginald Ray’s work
• Somatics: trauma and the unbound body: the work of Judith Blackstone
• Embraceable me: the touching work of Risa Kaparo and Peter A Levine
• Secret number one: attention into the body
• Secret number two: titration
• Secret number three: pendulation, or between the lost and found
• No cure for being human
• Mindfulness and compassion are not enough. Or are they?
• Practices can include
This workshop is facilitated by Graeme Armstrong and provides 6 hours of CPD.
The course will be run in person from Jesmond Therapy Centre and is not available online.
This workshop is provided for continuing professional development (CPD) and does not confer accreditation or certification in any therapeutic modality. Participants are responsible for applying any learning within the limits of their own training, competence and professional ethical framework. Any clinical material or case examples discussed must be appropriately anonymised and shared in accordance with professional confidentiality obligations.
Jesmond Therapy Centre provides the venue and administrative support; the content, materials and delivery are provided by the facilitator and reflect their professional approach and clinical framework.
Click here to view our CPD Booking Terms and Conditions.
Please note, the room in which we hold our courses is on the first floor and is accessed by stairs. If you have any special requirements, or if you need to advise us of anything before booking or attending the course, then please contact us.
Our Early Bird Discount has now expired.
Graeme has been a therapist since 1998. Originally trained in the person centred approach he then continued his training with Relate in Rugby using psychodynamic and behavioural approaches to counsel couples in their relationships.
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Trauma and traumatic episodes can intervene in our life at many points and in many different ways, often without us seeing the impact as traumatic. This experiential workshop explores how we might integrate mindfulness in our approaches to trauma.
This workshop introduces participants to a range of evidence-informed techniques, psychological insights and interventions drawn from compassion- and mindfulness-based approaches
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When we speak with you, if you go ahead in booking an appointment with one of our therapists, payment for your first session will be collected in advance on confirmation of your booking.
