3. OUR MISSION ANDVISION
Connecting wounded people
to God’s healing grace using
professional counseling.
People everywhere breaking
the generational cycle of trauma.
5. Adverse Childhood Experiences Study
(ACE)
• 17,000
• 1995 and 1997
• 10 categories of childhood trauma (ACEs),
and health and behavioral outcomes later in
life.
6.
7. Dose-Response Relationship
Higher ACE Score Reliably Predicts Prevalence of
Disease,Addiction, Death
HigherACE Score
Responsegetsbigger
The size of the “dose”—
the number ofACE
categories
Drives the “response”—
the occurrence of
disease, addiction, and
death.
10. ADDITIONAL RESEARCH SHOWSTHAT…
• Childhood trauma impacts a person’s life even 50
years later!
• Adult experiences like chronic marital problems
or divorce can cause as much or more PTSD
symptoms than natural catastrophes.
14. TRAUMA-INFORMEDCARE
“recognition of psychological trauma as a
pivotal force that shapes the mental,
emotional, and physical well-being of those
seeking healing and recovery with the
support of mental health and human
services.” (SAMHSA)
15. Your text goes here. This is a placeholder to display what the
text will look like in application.
Trauma-
Informed
Adopt/Practice Trauma-
specific Intervention
Trauma Expert
Adopt a Trauma Informed
approach
“recognition of psychological trauma as a pivotal force that shapes the mental,
emotional, and physical well-being of those seeking healing and recovery with the
support of mental health and human services.” (SAMHSA)
1
Actively shifting your own perspective and approach to assessment and treatment
from one that asks, "What's wrong with you?" to one that asks, "What has
happened to you?” (SAMHSA)2
Any trauma specific intervention that you learn should understand, anticipate, and
address through education the interrelation between trauma and symptoms of
trauma such as substance abuse, eating disorders, depression, and anxiety.
3
Continue to use trauma-specific treatment models. Seek certification in different models or
a general certification organization such as International Association of Trauma
Professionals or American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress
4
19. GALATIANS5:25-6:2
25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the
Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. 26 Let us
not become conceited, or provoke one another, or
be jealous of one another. (Instead)
Hidden
Wounds
Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer[a] is
overcome by some sin, you who are godly[b] should gently
and humbly help that person
back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation
yourself. 2 Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. (NLT)
(Believers and non-believers)
20. TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE
“recognition of psychological trauma as a pivotal force that
shapes the mental, emotional, and physical well-
being of those seeking healing and recovery with the support
of mental health and human services.” (SAMHSA)
(spiritual),
21. SPIRITUAL IMPACT OF SEXUAL ABUSE AND OTHER
TYPES OF CHILDHOODTRAUMA
• Physical, emotional, and spiritual abuse increases insecurity in
attachment to God
• Leads to God concepts which are less loving and more controlling and
distant (Reinert and Edwards, 2009).
• Psychological distress (depression, anxiety, etc) is the BEST
independent predictor of negative feelings towards God (Eurelings-
Bontekoe, Hekman-Van Steeg, &Verschuur, 2005).
27. 3 PHASESOF S.T.A.R. SYSTEM
Based in resilience. People are resilient.
My definition of resilience is:The wired-in ability to heal from wounds
inflicted by painful experiences. As we heal from past wounds,
resilience to future wounds increases.
Each phase and stage builds on the previous and should propel the
person forward, not keep them stuck. However, each individual moves
through the stages at their own pace.
The of recovery is Phase 2: Reprocessing and Grieving.
Denice Colson, PhD, LPC, MAC, CPCS* Copyright 2014
27
30. THE PHASESAND STAGES …
Provide a roadmap through trauma recovery.
Act as stepping stones strategically placed around the
pitfalls of trauma recovery.
Denice Colson, PhD, LPC, MAC, CPCS* Copyright 2014
31. HOW S.T.A.R. WORKS
Phase 1
Uses “Break EVERY Stinking Chain! Healing
for Hidden Wounds” curriculum.
Class, individual, small “step-study” group.
Can be done by lay-leader at church.
Mostly educational.
Available at Amazon.com.
Phase 2
Can be done individually or in a group
of up to 8 people.
Each stage has a set of handouts and
involves structured writing and structured
processing (reading out loud and processing
feelings).
One source of trauma is addressed at a
time.
Treats addiction as a source of trauma.
“Trauma is the problem and substance use
is the solution; until the solution becomes
the problem.”
Phase 3
Can be done individually, in
marriage counseling or family
counseling, and, optionally the
participant returns to a Phase 1
group to help with others and
provide encouragement and give
back.
Ending point is determined by
participant and Counselor/Recovery
Coach.
Focus on last 2 stages.
NextTraining: February 1-3, 2018–
McDonough,GA—
678-289-6981 or
TraumaEducation.com
32. FLOW OFTREATMENT-OPTION 1
Come to church for
the class (Phase 1)
Move to Phase 2 with
a professional/trained
counselor outside the
church.
Give back in the
church by helping
others. (Phase 3)
33. FLOW OFTREATMENT-OPTION 2
Come to
counselor for the
class (Phase 1)
Move to Phase 2
with counselor.
Give back in the
church by helping
others. (Phase 3)
34. GOALSOFTHE CURRICULUM
To give counselors, pastors, and teachers a useful
tool to introduce trauma recovery to their clients or
parishioners, or students.
To help people begin to identify the sources pain in
their lives.
To begin the healing process.
To prepare them for completing Phase 2:
Reprocessing and Grieving.
35. BREAK EVERY STINKING CHAIN!
HEALING FOR HIDDENWOUNDS
Preface
Let the Healing Begin!
Introduction 1
Chapter 1 Uncovering Hidden Wounds 9
Chapter 2: It’s NotYour Fault, but it isYour Problem 27
Chapter 3: Embrace yourWeakness 45
Chapter 4: StopTrying to FixYourself! 65
Chapter 5: Navigating the Wilderness of Grief 85
Chapter 6: Partnering for Healing 115
Chapter 7: Moving from Faith to Hope 131
36. PHASE ONE-SAFETYAND STABILIZATION:
CHARACTERIZED BY FEEDINGYOUR FAITH
1. I admit that I am wounded and I am accepting that I am powerless over
the wound, the wounding, and the one creating the wound.
2. I have decided to give up trying to fix myself and I will humbly seek
healing from God (or you can say my Higher Power), while fully
understanding that healing will require my participation.
3. I am accepting that I have to grieve in order to heal and I’m determined to
allow myself to feel as I move through the healing process even though it
will be painful and scary at times.
4. I am forming a partnership with at least one other person (counselor or
recovery coach) with whom I will move on to Phase 2 in order to boldly
identify (and finish grieving the sources of) my wounds in a focused and
structured manner. Denice Colson, PhD, LPC, MAC, CPCS* Copyright 2014
36
37. PHASE 1, STAGE 1:
I admit that I am wounded and I am
accepting that I am powerless over the
wound, the wounding, and the one
creating the wound.
37
Denice Colson, PhD, LPC, MAC, CPCS* Copyright 2014
39. Father gets drunk in restaurant
Dad gets DUI
Parents argue louder
Mom starts talking about dad
Mother slaps father
Mother hiding from father
Yells at mom in front of friends
Dad gets drunk more often
Dad withdraws further
Mom shouts at kids
Father curses at mother
Dad gets arrested at home
GOING FROM ROOT TO FRUIT
51. Paradoxical
Relationship
Adapted from Collins, J., (1990) Presenters Handbook, TRT Institute, Angel Fire, New Mexico
Symptoms
Flip-side of the same
coin.
Solution
Professional
Trauma Survivor
54. HOW?
Provide a healing setting.
Form a safe and emotionally charged relationship with
them.
Provide them with the explanation about how they got to
where they are, and provide a plan for treatment.
Includes the environment, intake forms, focus
on “What happened to you?” instead of ‘What’s
wrong with you?”
Using empathy, alliance, cohesion, goal
consensus, collaboration.
Use the 12 Stages Handout, ACE handout, and Break
Every StinkingChain! Curricullum.
55. PHASE 1, STAGE 2:
I have decided to give up trying to fix myself
and I will humbly seek healing from God (or you
can say my Higher Power), while fully
understanding that healing will require my
participation.
55
Denice Colson, PhD, LPC, MAC, CPCS* Copyright 2014
56. THEVIRTUE OF FAITH
The entire first phase is focused on feeding your faith.
Each chapter provides a different exercise for feeding your
faith.
In class, and in the workbook, we use a “Weekly Prayer
Commitment” and the workbook contains 5 journal pages
at the end of each chapter.
57. Brené Brown writes,
“Owning our story can be hard but not nearly as difficult as spending our lives
running from it. Embracing our vulnerabilities is risky but not nearly as
dangerous as giving up on love and belonging and joy— the experiences that
make us the most vulnerable. Only when we are brave enough to explore the
darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light.” Brown, Brene (2010-
09-20).The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go ofWhoYouThinkYou're Supposed to
Be and Embrace WhoYou Are (p. 6). Hazelden Publishing. Kindle Edition.
Facing the darkness of Phase 2 requires cultivating faith in Phase 1.
Denice Colson, PhD, LPC, MAC, CPCS* Copyright 2014
FACINGTHETRAUMA
58. Putting trust (confidence, reliance, conviction, belief, assurance) in something
outside of yourself; a Higher Power. It has to be outside of yourself.
In her research on “Wholehearted living”, Brené Brown found that faith in a
higher power is a requirement for shame resilience, and therefore required for
healing from trauma.
Can start with faith in the process, the group, the counselor, or God.
The 4 stages of phase 1, when followed should lead to an increased sense of
internal safety and therefore choices about survival responses that increase
one’s personal stability.
Also, it provides enough security to move through the Reprocessing and
Grieving Phase, which will be painful.
Denice Colson, PhD, LPC, MAC, CPCS* Copyright 2014
DEFINING FAITH
59. All people have faith and invest it in various things—self, others, drugs,
alcohol, sex, etc.
Working the grief stage is so hard, it’s difficult to get through it without
having something to hold on to.
A.A. works because people become convinced that they are powerless
and CAN’T fix themselves and put faith in a Higher Power.
S.T.A.R Phase 1 is similar. Faith has to be directed outside of ourselves
to something that actually can help. Starting with any amount and
feeding it so that it will grow.
Denice Colson, PhD, LPC, MAC, CPCS* Copyright 2014
WHY FAITH?
60. The goal of “Feeding your Faith” is for the participant to increasingly
view God as supportive, as “for them”.
Brené Brown writes that, according to her research, spirituality is a
required component of “shame resilience”.
Denice Colson, PhD, LPC, MAC, CPCS* Copyright 2014
GOALOF PHASE ONE RE: FAITH
61. This also means they have to have some faith in the facilitator and in the
process.
Faith is what they need in order to allow themselves to surrender to the
process, to be vulnerable.
Faith that you know what you’re doing and that you can walk them through
this.
So, of course you want to feed their faith or trust in
you
in the process
the science of recovery
In God
Denice Colson, PhD, LPC, MAC, CPCS* Copyright 2014
APPLYING FAITH
62. Pushing and pulling
Feeding a person’s faith in themselves.
Feeding a person’s faith in their “strength”.
Shaming them into participation.
Denice Colson, PhD, LPC, MAC, CPCS* Copyright 2014
WHAT DOESN’TWORK.
63. A.A. works because people become convinced that they are powerless and
CAN’T fix themselves.
S.T.A.R Phase 1 is similar. Faith has to be directed outside of ourselves.
The focus of their faith is up to them, as long as it is outside of them and
“higher”.
We have to educate and inform someone that the symptoms they are having
are just the tip of the iceberg; they aren’t the real problem.
The problem is an unhealed, emotional wound that is continuing to feed the
need for these symptoms, or survival responses.
Denice Colson, PhD, LPC, MAC, CPCS* Copyright 2014
FAITH SUMMARY:
64. PHASE 1, STAGE 3:
I am accepting that I have to grieve in order to heal and
I’m determined to allow myself to feel as I move through
the healing process even though it will be painful and
scary at times.
64
Denice Colson, PhD, LPC, MAC, CPCS* Copyright 2014
65. The physician correctly aligns the bone, then places a rigid
structure around the leg (a cast) and allows the bone to heal
itself.
This healing doesn’t occur because the doctor caused it;
bone mends itself anyway.
The bone doesn’t have awareness or consciousness to mend
itself;
Repair of bone is wired into the cellular structure.
What the physician does is get things out of the way that
block healing, and put a structure in place to help generate
the best possible outcome from the healing process; i.e., a
straight bone rather than a crooked one.
Denice Colson, PhD, LPC, MAC, CPCS* Copyright 2014
ANALOGY
66. Some leg breaks are more complicated than others. A
compound fracture means that the bone is actually sticking
out of the skin.
A lot of work must be done just to get the bone into proper
alignment before the bone begins healing in a very misshapen,
unhealthy way, causing further problems.
Doctors have learned to use man-made pins to assist in the
knitting-back-together process.The pins may remain
permanently, or may be removed at a later date.
While the outside assistance needed may vary, depending on
the complexity of the break, all support is aimed at promoting,
not blocking, the natural healing process wired into the DNA
of the bone.
Denice Colson, PhD, LPC, MAC, CPCS* Copyright 2014
ANALOGY
67. Also wired into the DNA of humans.
Human-kind is designed to be resilient; not that we won’t get hurt, but that we
will heal when we do. Emotional and psychological healing is experienced as
grief.
Moving through the process of grief is moving through the process of healing.
Getting stuck in our grief causes the brain to do incredible things, all designed
to get our attention and to ask for help getting unstuck.
Denice Colson, PhD, LPC, MAC, CPCS* Copyright 2014
HEALINGOFTHE “INNER-SELF”
68. Happens in stages and does not always look the same for everyone.
Can last a very long time, and can be delayed by several things
including the lack of recognition that a loss has occurred.
Example: If my car has been stolen, but I don’t yet know it because I’m out of town, my grief won’t begin until I recognize and
accept the fact that the car is indeed gone. If I valued my car, then I will grieve its loss. If I was hoping someone would steal it so I
could get a new one anyway, then I won’t be grieving.
While there are some universal losses, what one person
experiences as loss, another may not.
Denice Colson, PhD, LPC, MAC, CPCS* Copyright 2014
GRIEF
69. Originally identified by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross in 1969 as she observed dying
patients and their families.
The five stages identified by Kübler-Ross are denial, anger, bargaining,
depression, and acceptance.
In a book published posthumously, she wrote,
The stages have evolved since their introduction, and they have been very
misunderstood over the past three decades.They were never meant to help
tuck messy emotions into neat packages.They are responses to loss that
many people have, but there is not a typical response to loss, as there is no
typical loss.Our grief is as individual as our lives. (Kübler-Ross and Kessler,
2007)
Denice Colson, PhD, LPC, MAC, CPCS* Copyright 2014
THE GRIEF CYCLE
70. The stages, serve as a framework to help us understand and make sense of our
experiences following loss.They aren’t a program to follow.
While grief isn’t experienced exactly the same by everyone, there seem to be some
general stages that most people move through.
Denice Colson, PhD, LPC, MAC, CPCS* Copyright 2014
THE GRIEF CYCLE
Bargaining
SHOCK DENIAL ANGER
Inward/Outward
ACCEPTANC
E OF PAIN
RESOLUTION
71. PHASE 1, STAGE 4:
I am forming a partnership with at least one other person
(counselor or recovery coach) with whom I will move on to Phase 2
in order to boldly identify (and finish grieving the sources of) my
wounds in a focused and structured manner.
71
Denice Colson, PhD, LPC, MAC, CPCS* Copyright 2014
72. Partnering is difficult because our brains don’t really want us to be that
vulnerable.
Traumatic experiences, especially those from loved ones but also those
from strangers, implant shame into our identity.
Trauma isn’t necessary to cause shame, it only takes awareness of our
own imperfection.
Shame is a powerful force that keeps us hidden away from others and
prevents us from receiving empathy.
Denice Colson, PhD, LPC, MAC, CPCS* Copyright 2014
PARTNERING
73. Lewis B. Smedes, a professor at FullerTheological Seminary, writes
about shame this way:
"A vague, undefined heaviness that presses on our spirit, dampens our
gratitude for the goodness of life, and slackens the free flow of joy.
Shame...seeps into and discolors all our other feelings, primarily about
ourselves, but about almost everyone and everything else in our life as
well."
There are three things shame needs to grow, secrecy, silence, and
judgement
As it continues to grow, shame drives defensiveness, oversensitivity to
others, and anger.
Denice Colson, PhD, LPC, MAC, CPCS* Copyright 2014
SHAME
74. Sympathy drives disconnection, empathy drives connection.
Four attributes of empathy defined byTheresa Wiseman.
To be able to see the world as others see it
To be nonjudgmental,
To understand another person’s feelings, and
To communicate your understanding of that person’s feelings.
Empathy is a skill, it’s something you are taught and you can learn.
To improve at it, you need to practice.
Doesn’t end with awareness of the other’s feelings but also includes the ability
to communicate this to the other.
Denice Colson, PhD, LPC, MAC, CPCS* Copyright 2014
EMPATHYVS SYMPATHY
75. Prerequisite to empathy is self-awareness.
You have to connect to something inside of you that connects with
something inside of the other person.
You have to be aware of your inner pain, be willing to touch it, and
connect to it.
You have to be vulnerable in order to experience empathy with other
people.
Implications?
Denice Colson, PhD, LPC, MAC, CPCS* Copyright 2014
EMPATHY
76. One expression of empathy will not make everything better.
You have to patient with yourself and with your clients as they move
through the healing process.
Ongoing empathy and compassion help to facilitate healing, not
“fixing”.
The structure you will learn in PhaseTwo for reprocessing stories is
designed to foster and teach you how to show empathy, while
maintaining professional objectivity.
Denice Colson, PhD, LPC, MAC, CPCS* Copyright 2014
EMPATHY
79. PHASETWO- REPROCESSING AND GRIEVING:
CHARACTERIZED BY SNOWBALLINGYOUR HOPE
1. I am courageously choosing to tell my story using structure and
detail to my counselor/recovery coach, and, when possible my
fellow burden bearers.
2. I am identifying the beliefs that have grown out of the hurtful
events; beliefs about me, life, others, and God (spirituality,
religion, or church) along with my initial responses.
3. I am humbly identifying and admitting to myself, my partner or
group, my own survival responses even when they contradict my
own expectations of myself.
Denice Colson, PhD, LPC, MAC, CPCS* Copyright 2014
79
80. PHASETWO- REPROCESSING AND GRIEVING:
CHARACTERIZED BY SNOWBALLINGYOUR HOPE
4. I am embracing and grieving all of the losses I experienced during this source of
trauma; those the offender caused me, and those caused by my own survival
responses.
5. After completing this thorough inventory of my experiences, contradicted
expectations, losses, survival behaviors and the losses these caused me, I
humbly and courageously choose forgiveness; forgiving my perpetrator for
robbing me and forgiving myself (as I have been forgiven) for my responses.
6. I understand that healing is an ongoing process from the inside-out, and I
humbly acknowledge where I’ve come from and those who have contributed
(including my Higher Power) to my healing and will make a spiritual or
personal marker to represent where I have traveled on my path of healing with
this source of trauma.
Denice Colson, PhD, LPC, MAC, CPCS* Copyright 201480
81. PHASETHREE: RECONNECTINGAND
INTEGRATING: CHARACTERIZED BY ACTIVATING
YOUR LOVE
1. I am beginning to intentionally move toward reconnecting with myself,
with God (as I understand Him), and with others.
2. I am remaining open to identifying other wounds in my life that need to be
healed, without attempting to heal them myself, while maintaining a
willing attitude to work through these steps again if necessary, or to assist
someone else who needs to work through these steps to healing.
Denice Colson, PhD, LPC, MAC, CPCS* Copyright 2014
83. 6TASKSOF PHASE ONE:
1. Establishing a therapeutic relationship
2. Assessment
3. Education
4. Commitment to sobriety from alcohol and drugs, as well as other
emotion numbing substances which interfere with grief, (stabilization)
5. Establishing a measure of support
6. Commitment to the Reprocessing and Grieving Phase.
Just enough—not forever.This isn’t the end, it’s only the beginning.
Denice Colson, PhD, LPC, MAC, CPCS* Copyright 2014
83
86. •Build a BRIDGE through Safety and
Stabilization to Grieving and Reprocessing
B: Believe in client autonomy
and resilience
R: Respect the clients fear
I: Identify sources of trauma and
Inform the client of the Impact of
childhood trauma in adults
D: Decide the Direction of
recovery with confidence, but
without bossiness
Denice Colson, PhD, LPC, MAC, CPCS* Copyright 2014
87. •Build a BRIDGE through Safety and Stabilization to
Grieving and Reprocessing (con’t)
G: Go around the paradox of behavioral treatment. For trauma survivors,
this is the paradoxical state in which they find themselves: what they are
doing to take control of their lives, their survival beliefs and behaviors, gives
them a sense of safety, but not real safety. Instead it is a false safety keeping
them stuck where they are and preventing their identification of their losses
from past or present trauma and subsequent movement through the grief
process.
Denice Colson, PhD, LPC, MAC, CPCS* Copyright 2014
88. •Build a BRIDGE through Safety and Stabilization to
Grieving and Reprocessing (con’t)
E: Engage the client in stopping
self-injurious behaviors long-
enough to address and grieve the
trauma.
Denice Colson, PhD, LPC, MAC, CPCS* Copyright 2014
90. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
Trauma is the problem, addiction is the solution, until the
solution becomes the problem. (Unknown)
A successful trauma therapy is about more than just not having
symptoms. It’s really about having a life…a life that’s about
pursuing dreams, pursuing happiness. But especially it’s about
the right to have a present and a future that are not completely
dominated and dictated by the past. (Saakvitne, 2000)
