Releasing Physical Manifestations of Childhood Trauma Through Mind-Body Therapy
My psychological mentor, Dr. Eugene Gendlin, first drew my attention by saying that change doesn’t happen unless it happens in the body. As a yoga teacher, I knew this was true. That’s when I began to study Focusing with him. Focusing, as you know, is a sort of inner yoga.
One of the physical ways of releasing trauma held in the body is described below by guest blogger Ramona Ng. Here is what she has to say about her approach to the body.
SomatoEmotional Release is a form of CranioSacral Therapy that encourages body/mind integration and can facilitate the release of physical manifestations of childhood trauma. These techniques were developed by Dr. John E. Upledger, D.O, O.M.M. and brilliantly described in his books written for lay people Your Inner Physician and You: CranioSacral Therapy and SomatoEmotional Release and CranioSacral Therapy: Touchstone for Natural Healing.
When trauma occurs, either from physical, sexual or emotional abuse, the abused will sometimes cope in the moment by suppressing the overwhelming experience of the incident, thereby retaining both the emotional and physical energy of the trauma in their body tissues.
Stored trauma can wreak havoc on the body and affect functionality, even if the abused person is not consciously aware of the energies locked in their body. It can manifest as chronic pain, decreased range of motion, fatigue, interrupted or blocked energy flow, sudden mood shifts or outbursts and myriad other dysfunctions, many of which appear to have no explanation.
Dr. Upledger points out in Your Inner Physician and You, “SomatoEmotional Release, when it is effective, changes people’s lives tremendously. It is as though it gives them a chance to see objectively what they are doing with their lives and how they can change for the better. It gives them recall of experiences, traumas, accidents and the like that they have been holding beneath the surface of their awareness for years. Once these suppressed experiences break through the surface, the problems can be dealt with and resolved. When the problem remains suppressed, it can cause trouble, but you don’t know what the cause of the trouble may be, nor do you know the reasons for the symptoms.”
By engaging in this gentle, light touch, hands on form of bodywork, people are able to process these memories and stored experiences at their own pace, in a safe space of neutrality and non-judgment in such a way that can allow the locked energies to dissipate, thereby releasing and correcting the physical dysfunction.
SomatoEmotional Release can also be an excellent adjunct to talk therapy, and in fact often enhances the work done there. Clients report feeling stronger, more grounded, more energetic, and better able to deal with their daily life and responsibilities.
To learn more about SomatoEmotional Release, please feel free to contact me:
Ramona Ng
Licensed Holistic Practitioner
Maitri Healing
(416) 727-7536
Epigenetics
Grandma’s Experiences Leave a Mark on Your Genes
Your ancestors’ lousy childhoods or excellent adventures might change your personality, bequeathing anxiety or resilience by altering the epigenetic expressions of genes in the brain.
Once nurture seemed clearly distinct from nature. Now it appears that our diets and lifestyles can change the expression of our genes. How? By influencing a network of chemical switches within our cells collectively known as the epigenome. This new understanding may lead us to potent new medical therapies. Epigenetic cancer therapy, for one, already seems to be yielding promising results.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/epigenetics.html
Non Touching Sexual Abuse
Non-Touching Sexual Abuse
Non-touching is when someone shows a child movies, pictures or Internet sites with pornography – when they expose their private body parts to a child. Non-touching is also when someone asks a child to pose for a picture without their clothes on, or in a sexual way that makes a child feel uncomfortable, or when someone takes a child’s picture while they’re doing something sexual. The abuser could encourage the child to watch or listen to people who are engaging in sexual acts, or could want to watch the child undress or bathe. Sexual harassment is sexual abuse. By teasing a child or causing the child to have uncomfortable feelings about their body or certain clothes, by calling a child bad names. The child might be afraid to tattle, or they might want the abuser to think the harassment doesn’t matter. #childsexualabuse #sexabuse
Escaping the Prophet: Escaping Child Sexual Abuse
My friend, Flora Jessop, has dedicated her life to helping children escape child sexual abuse, to break free from the FLDS, the polygamist cult exploiting GOD to sexually abuse children and control women. Her new show on TLC, Escaping the Prophet, finally exposes the horrific crimes taking place right now, right here in the US. To supposedly preserve the bloodline of the one who is considered closest to God, 12 year old children are being given to their own uncles and cousins to become their 3rd, 4th or even 7th wife where they are forced to have a baby every year. In Colorado City, AZ you’ll find run down cemeteries that are for babies only, have you ever heard of a Baby Cemetery? The inbreeding has lead to thousands of birth defects and stillbirths, there are no death certificates and very few gravestones. This is where the forgotten babies are laid to rest. The forgotten boys, to keep the population mostly female, are kicked out of town at age 13 or 14. After being a part of a family of 28+, which btw is supported by the us tax payers in the amount of up to $30,000 per month, they are literally dropped off at the edge of town and told never to return.
See Flora Jessop live on the Huffington Post where she tells of all this and more. At the end, she recommends Those are MY Private Parts. Flora loves my book because it specifcally mentions family members, “Not with my uncle, nephew, niece or dad…”
We can stop child sexual abuse.
#childsexualabuse #sexabuse #childsexualabuseprevention
Jefferson Children’s Advocacy Center Reading Resources
http://jeffersoncac.com/?p=456
#childsexualabuse
Signs of Abuse
Child Sexual Abuse – Signs to Look For
Signs in Offenders
- Makes you or children feel uncomfortable by lack of respect for boundaries
- Engages in excessive physical contact with children
- Spends more time with children than adults his/her own age
- Spends excessive time emailing and text messaging with children
- Is unusually aware of kid trends, terminology, computer games, and music
- Overly interested in the sexuality or developing body of pre-teens and teens
- Arranges to spend uninterrupted time with kids
- Is “Great with the kids!” or “Too good to be true!”
- Showers kids with gifts, treats, special outings
- Let’s kids break the rules or get away with inappropriate behavior
- Asks kids to keep secrets
Signs in Children
- Physical Signs
- Evidence of physical trauma to the genital or anal areas
- Complaints of pain during urination or bowel movements
- Exhibiting symptoms of genital or urinary tract infections or STDs such as offensive odor, redness, rashes or burning
- Self mutilation (puncturing with pins or cutting)
- Health issues associated with anxiety such as chronic stomach pain or headaches
- Emotional or behavior signs
- Aggressive behavior towards friends and family
- Withdrawal from friends, family or activities they previously enjoyed
- Anxiety or panic attacks
- Phobias
- Fear of certain people, places or activities
- Excessive sadness or depression
- Decreased school performance
- Eating disorders, loss of appetite, gagging
- Sleep disturbances, nightmares, screaming, sweating
- Regressive behaviors, bed wetting, separation anxiety
- Numbing pain with drugs, alcohol or cutting
- Need to be perfect
- Sexual signs
- Increased questions about human sexuality
- Excessive masturbation
- Increased sexual play with friends, pets, toys
- Talking about or acting out specific adult sexual acts
- Increased choice of sexually revealing clothing
- Signs of promiscuity
#childsexualabuse
TAALK Talk About Abuse to Liberate Kids
1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys
will be sexually abused
before the age of 18
That’s 20% of our population!
20% of our children will be sexually abused
20% of our adults have been sexually abused
The Center for Disease Control estimates that 5-20% of the population will get the flu each season. Think of every person who told you that they had the flu this past year or that their spouse had the flu or maybe your own child said he or she had the flu.
Imagine if instead they said:
I was sexually abused by my Dad
My husband was raped by his priest
My teacher touches me down there
Now realize that those people are probably just a fraction of the people YOU know who have experienced child sexual abuse. Just because you don’t know who they are, doesn’t mean it isn’t happening. There are survivors all around you – in your community, in your neighborhood, and possibly even in your own home. Will you be the one to start TAALKing?
Is Your Child Being Molested?
5* Review posted on amazon
|
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book!, January 13, 2014
By
Reading Fanatic (CMP) (Boston, MA United States) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What’s this?)
This review is from: Those are MY Private Parts (Paperback)
I love this book. My husband heard about it from a friend and decided to purchase it. It is a great tool to use to assist parents when talking to your little one about inappropriate touches. One of the things I really love about the book is the way it stresses that “those are my private parts.” This phrase is repeated over and over in the book like a refrain. Furthermore, it highlights the fact that inappropriate touches can come from anyone, including a parent. Additionally, the book encourages children to report bad touches to an adult. It is illustrated with cute “little kid” pictures like stick figures and the like. It reads almost like a poem and my children love it. It starts with:This is where the learning starts
About boys and girls and private parts. The front is different; the back is the same. And most important of all, there are no private parts games.Those Are MY Private Parts!Usually my husband and I read the lines, and my children will chant the refrain together……..actually they like to shout it! I’m sure our neighbors have probably heard them shouting “those are my private parts” on more than one occasion! LOL Every time we read this book we use to segue into a discussion with our children about inappropriate touching. I usually quiz them where I give examples of a touch in various scenarios and they have to tell us if it’s “okay” or not. I would highly recommend this book to any parent.
#childsexualabuse |
Protective Behaviours WA reviews Those are MY Private Parts
Protective Behaviours WA (Inc) - Contact Us
Protective Behaviours WA is Western Australia’s leading prevention education organisation working in WA and Internationally to prevent child abuse.
Our programs seek to prevent child abuse by providing greater awareness and understanding; as well as providing the tools and strategies for individuals, organisations, parents, families and communities to address and deal with these issues. Our strong and specialised service provides a dynamic professional response to child protection.
- “Those are my Private Parts” - How do we talk to our children about sexual abuse? What can parents and caregivers say to prevent child sexual abuse? In a society that spends more funding dollars on intervention instead of prevention, the author has found a simple yet ingenious way to answer those questions. Her book is illustrated with child-friendly drawings in primary colors. The text carries short rhythms with great messages. Every educator and caregiver, as well as children’s advocacy centers, should have a copy of this book as a tool to empower children. Written by Diane Hansen
Help save your child from abuse
- Let your child take small risks so that they develop problem-solving and conflict-management skills.
- Teach your child that if they don’t feel safe, they have the right to do something about it.
- Encourage them to discuss and express their feelings.
- Help your child learn how to identify their body’s early-warning signs for feeling unsafe.
- Develop a shared language around safety, e.g. Safety = choice + control + time limit.
- Help your child develop a network of trusted adults they can talk about anything to.
- Practise “What if…” scenarios. Ask “What would you do if someone gave you a present and told you to keep it a secret?”
- Develop an expectation that secrets can always be shared with someone we trust.
- Use the correct terminology for all body parts and avoid “nicknames” or “cute” names for the private parts of the body. Reinforce that children own the whole of their body and no one should touch their private parts (those covered by bathers) and also their mouth and they shouldn’t touch anyone else’s.
- Teach about personal space and let children decide themselves how they want to express physical affection. Children should not be forced to hug or kiss anyone.
Books
- Everyone’s Got A Bottom – by Tess Rowley, publisher Family Planning Queensland, reading age 3-8 years.
- Jasmine’s Butterflies – by Justine O’Malley, publisher Justine O’Malley, reading age 2-8 years.
- Sam’s Hats – by Amber Fabry, publisher Sinclair Publishing Group, reading age 3-6 years.
- Sarah’s Secret – by Sonya Kupfer, publisher NooBee publishing.
- Some Parts Are Not For Sharing – by Julie Federico, publisher Tate Publishing.
- Some Secrets Should Never Be Kept – by Jayneen Sanders, publisher Upload Publishing, reading age 3-12 years.
- Those Are My Private Parts – by Diane Hansen, publisher Empowerment Productions.
http://health.thewest.com.au/news/741/education-is-best-defence-against-child-sex-abuse
MOPS article Protecting Our Kids from Sexual Abuse
Those are MY Private Parts by Diane Hansen is a great book for young children that has pictures children have drawn and puts it into terms kids can understand, my daughter just turned three and we read this book to help her understand.
http://www.mops.org/protecting-our-kids-from-sexual-abuse
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MOPS is a grassroots movement that believes moms are world influencers.
We also believe that incubating hearts and giving just-because-hugs can change the course of history. That’s why we connect moms all over the world to a community of women, in their own neighborhoods, who meet together to laugh, cry and embrace the journey of motherhood. MOPS groups are rallying women to be more honest, to feel more equipped and to find our identity by journeying along side one another.
We are moms, and we believe that better moms make a better world.
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