Janina Fisher's Trauma Treatment Certification Training (CCTP)

What is a ‘trauma’? 

• The neurobiological effects of traumatic experience 
• Impact of trauma on brain development 
• Threat and the developing brain 

How Trauma is Encoded in the Brain and Body 

• Implicit versus explicit memory  
• Procedural learning  
• Assessment of trauma-related symptoms and co-morbidities 
• Differential diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder, C-PTSD, developmental trauma 
• Assessment tools and scales 

Applications of Neurobiological Research to Treatment 

• Assumptions of neurobiologically-informed treatment 
• Helping clients increase activity in the prefrontal cortex 
• Fostering the growth of new neural pathways  
• Research risks and limitations     

Trauma-informed Treatment Planning 

• Addressing ongoing neurobiological effects of the trauma 
• Phase-oriented treatment model 
• Well-accepted trauma treatment approaches 
• Evidence-based treatments 
• Strategies from EMDR, IFS and SP  
• Contraindications for treatment  
• Stabilization Phase Treatment   
• Assist clients to identify and differentiate trauma-related symptoms  
• Observing triggers and triggering 
• Dis-identifying from implicit memories 
• Reframing the symptoms to reduce shame 

Use of Mindfulness-based Interventions  

• Mindfulness in the context of therapy 
• The effect of mindfulness on the brain 
• Using mindful language and interventions to promote neuroplastic change 

Implementing the Principles of Neuroplastic Change in Therapy 

• Inhibition of old patterns of thinking/behaving 
• Intensive repetition of new patterns or skills 
• Role of mindful concentration 

Treatment of Traumatic Memories 

• Implicit versus explicit memory 
• A neurobiologically-informed approach to processing explicit memory 
• Risk factors and complications of memory processing 
• Approaches to treatment of traumatic memory 

Resolving Implicit Memory 

• Treatment approaches for addressing implicit memory  
• Overcoming the fear of traumatic memory 
• Assessing when memory has been adequately processed 

Traumatic Attachment 

• When the source of safety is the source of threat 
• “Frightened” and “Frightening” caregiving 
• Disorganized-unresolved attachment as survival defense 
• Impact of disorganized attachment on affect regulation/dysregulation 

Effects of Disorganized Attachment in Therapy 

• Phobia of therapy and the therapist 
• Traumatic transference and disorganized attachment 
• Affect dysregulating effects of psychotherapy 
• Increasing regulatory ability in therapy 
• Right brain-to-right brain communication 

Addressing Disorganized Attachment 

• The therapist as neurobiological regulator 
• Minimizing negative affect 
• Maximizing positive affect 
• Playfulness, acceptance, curiosity, and empathy 

Dissociation as a Complication of Trauma 

• Fragmentation and dissociation as an adaptation to trauma 
• Understanding client symptoms as manifestations of fragmented parts 
• Mindful observation of distress and impulsive behavior as parts-related 
• Dis-identification with the parts and symptoms  

Changing the Client’s Relationship to Themselves and Their Parts 

• Increasing empathy for the parts 
• Facilitating inner dialogue and negotiation 
• Replacing self-hostility with self-compassion 

Treating the Effects of Trauma-shame 

• Understanding shame as a defensive survival response 
• Shame as a source of safety in trauma 
• Combatting shame-based cognitive schemas 
• Treatment of shame as a part of the personality 

Addressing the Effects of Persistent Fear 

• The role of fear as a survival defense 
• A neurobiologically-informed approach to addressing anxiety symptoms 
• Treatment of anxiety as a part of the personality 

Interventions for the Effects of Anger and Hostility 

• The role of anger as a survival defense 
• Discharging anger versus using anger to empower 
• Treatment of anger as a part of the personality