A Unique Approach to Understanding Trauma

A Unique Approach to Understanding and Treating

Trauma

Jesse Hanson MA, PhD, RPClinical Director, Helix Healthcare Group

To clearly define trauma To develop a more comprehensive understanding of the

physical, cognitive and emotional impact of trauma on mental health

To understand how neuroscience has influenced our approach to trauma

To learn about effective and unique strategies for treating trauma

Objectives

Why Talk About Trauma?

Common Misconceptions About Trauma

The Complexities of Trauma

Acute:◦ Activation of the fight-or-flight

response◦ Increased cortisol and

norepinepherine◦ Tachycardia◦ Shutting down of the prefrontal

cortex

Chronic:◦ Hyperarousal, agitation◦ Insomnia, nightmares◦ Heightened startle response◦ Fatigue◦ HPA axis dysregulation◦ Cortisol mediated brain changes◦ Chronic pain◦ Obesity◦ Hypertension, CVD

Physical Impact of Trauma

Acute◦ Derealization and

perceptual changes◦ Dissociation, detachment◦ Anxiety◦ Social isolation, withdrawal◦ Guilt, shame, self-blame

Chronic◦ Depression, hopelessness◦ Panic attacks◦ Difficulty maintaining

relationships◦ Substance abuse◦ Self destructive behaviours◦ Impulse control issues◦ Inability to make healthy

choices

Psychological Impact of Trauma

Acute:◦ Stress response involving the

amygdala, hippocampus and prefrontal cortex

◦ Singular, hyper focus on stressor

Chronic:◦ Intrusive thoughts◦ Difficulty concentrating◦ Enhanced fear conditioning◦ Impaired working memory◦ Impaired spatial and pattern

pattern recognition◦ Smaller hippocampal and

anterior cingulate volumes◦ Increased amygdala function◦ Decreased medial prefrontal

cortex function

Cognitive Impact of Trauma

Trauma and the Brain

Your Emotional Operating System Was Developed Long Ago

“Neurons that fire together, wire together.”

What A Healthy Nervous System Looks Like ….

Unhealthy Nervous System

How should we approach trauma

Psychotherapy Cognitive processing Somatic processing Eye-movement desensitization and reprocessing Acupuncture Hypnotherapy Sound therapy

Effective Techniques for Treating Trauma

University of Toronto’s Music and Health Research Collaboratory (MaHRC) looking into Vibroacoustic Therapy (VAT)◦ VAT uses low frequency sounds who’s vibration essentially

creates a type of sound massage◦MaHRC is exploring the medical effects of low frequency

sound in reducing the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease◦ Find impact goes beyond the brain, providing deep physical

cellular stimulation to skin, muscles and joints, resulting in decreased pain and increased mobility

Sound Therapy

British Academy of Sound Therapy research findings:◦ 95% of clients suffering from stress-related disorders reported

increased calmness and following treatment◦ Those receiving sound therapy showed statistically significant

reductions in arousal of the autonomic nervous system (as measured by stress response monitors) compared to control group

Multiple studies suggesting that sound therapy has a deeply calming effect on the nervous system

Trauma and Sound Therapy

Physiological effects◦ Krumhansl (1991) – Examined physiological correlations of

anxiety by measuring heart rate before and after music therapy intervention

◦ Gomez & Danuser (2007) – Found significant correlations between musical structure (tempo, pitch, melody) and psychophysiological responses (anxiety, relaxation, excitement)

◦ Lingham & Theorell (2009) – Found that stimulating music increased heart rate and respiratory rate and decreased expiratory CO2

My PhD Research Findings

Neurological effects◦ Gaynor (1999) – Music therapy creates sound vibrations that

affect the body at a cellular level◦ Schore (2001) – Accessing the right hemisphere of the brain

facilitates health and balancing of psychological states◦ Hanson (2010) – Music and sound affect the right hemisphere

of the brain◦ Brattico & Pearce (2013) – Different parts of the brain are

activated with listening to different types of music

My PhD Research Findings

Neuroscience and Sound Therapy

The instruments vibrate in a way that activates the right and left brain in a back and forth pattern called binaural frequency, which is essential for healing and theta brain states.

Sit Back And Enjoy The Experience

416.921.2273 (CARE)www.helixhealthcaregroup.com

For More Information …

Bremner, Douglas. Traumatic stress: effects on the brain. Clin Neurosci. 2006;8(4):445-461.

Majer, Matthias. Association of childhood trauma with cognitive function in healthy adults: a pilot study. BMC Neurology. 2010;10:61.

McFARLANE AC. The long-term costs of traumatic stress: intertwined physical and psychological consequences. World Psychiatry. 2010;9(1):3-10.

McNally, RJ. Psychological mechanisms in acute response to trauma. Biol Psychiatry. 2003;53(9):779-88.

Nayyar, Anjum. Good vibrations: using sound to treat disease. U of T News. 2012.

References