I have been a Clinical Social Worker officially since 2011, but have been practicing in the field of Social Work since 1995.  When I began working with people in need, the focus was placed on the thinking process.  There also was an emphasis on teaching clients skills that again required a cognitive process.  When clients would come back still with the same issue or behavior, the thinking was "what are you not getting?" This emphasis being placed on cognitive processes can lead to judgment, apathy, stress and exhaustion.  Ultimately, the client and therapist become frustrated to the point where both can give up on the process.  

What I have found in the last few years is a shift in clinical work away from focusing on the cognitive process and moving toward working with the body first and then connecting the body to the head process.  Because we have become aware of the impact of trauma on mental health, we are looking at how the body experiences trauma first.  There are several body based techniques, Sensorymoter psychotherapy and Somatic Experiencing are two of these body based therapies. The intent is to help the client connect with their body to unravel trauma and release it.  Also, our knowledge of how the body works and in particular how the autonomic nervous system is impacted by trauma we are realizing that the body and head are connected.  Trauma impacts both, but the body systems experience this way before we have any cognitive awareness of what is going on.  

I am making the case for the use of Brainspotting.  I am trained in both phase I and II of BSP and have been using this with many of my clients.  I was first exposed to Brainspotting when I was in training to become an Adoption Competent Therapist and found that BSP was one of the techniques being used with clients who had experienced trauma as a result of the attachment process.  I had debated for a long time if I should go train in EMDR or Brainspotting.  I finally made the decision to go with BSP after carful consultation with trusted folks in the field.  BSP is focused on the development of attunement and safety with clients.  The premus of BSP is to "notice everything and assume nothing". The clients visual field is tracked and "activation" is looked for.  This means that any sound, body movement, eye movement and so on  is looked at as being a place where the brain may be going to access trauma, pain and so on.  The beauty of this, is that I as the therapist am just following the client.  I am there as a reference point for them.  What I have found is that there is a transaction relationship occurring between myself and the client.  I may speak, but when I speak it is at a time so that I do not interrupt the clients process  What develops is synchronicity, the client knows they are safe and can release what is inside and I am able to be there as a net to catch what is coming out and contain fear.  I will go on further in future post, but if you are interested please go to www.brainspotting.com to learn more.

The question, does one persons trauma impact a family or even future generations has been asked over the years.   This has been a question I have asked myself both personally and professionally over the years.  As I have moved through my practice of Clinical Social Work, I have seen many clients who have experienced trauma and either never have explored what is going on or have been through therapy and only touched on it briefly.  The end result is they are left wondering why they are experiencing continued issues when relating to others including family.  In my practice unexplored trauma of any kind does impact an entire system and can have far reaching consequences.  I am adding two links posted on the National Institute for the Clinical Application of Behavioral Medicine (nicabm) .    The first is titled The Impact of Trauma on Future Generations and the second is How a Caregiver's Trauma Can Impact a Child's Development.   The second has an info graph charting showing how trauma can be passed on through child development.  

www.nicabm.com/trauma-the-impact-of-trauma-on-future-generations/

www.nicabm.com/how-a-caregivers-trauma-can-impact-a-childs-development-infographic/

Both of these posts contain very good information and are an easy read.  I encourage all to review the information and seek additional help if this information has an impact.

     I have been practicing Social Work since 1994 after I graduated from my undergraduate program.  However, when I look back through my life, I have been practicing social work throughout my entire life.  I have been spending a great deal of time over the last few years developing my style of practice and doing the things I wanted to, so I could pass on to clients a new way of thinking or feeling or both. It is safe to say I have found my niche and that is to work what I call the brain, body connection.  Basically it means to understand the wonderful tool called the body and to help others understand what is going on from an emotional level from the body perspective first instead of working with the thinking process first.  The thinking process is important, but many times a person comes in and wants a specific item to "fix"their thinking and hence only the symptom of a bigger issue is addressed rather then a cause.  I have found that working with the body first and walking with people through issues helps identify for them a root or base to start from.  If you will indulge me, I will elaborate further.
     This approach comes from basic biology such as the autonomic nervous system, parasympathetic nervous system and what is the fight, flight response.  These systems are designed to help protect us in times of danger and prepare the body to gather energy to deal with the immediate need to survive.  Authors such as Bessel Van Der Kolk MD, Daniel J Siegl MD and Resmaa Menakem MSW, LICSW, S.E.P. go through this process and how the body prepares and reacts to the need for survival and what happens when trauma impacts and hijacks these responses.  I encourage clients to read if able these authors and a few more to gain a deeper understanding of what is going on.  My evolution in the brain/body connection was greatly enhanced after reading these authors works and works by a few others.  The common thread in all this is that what has to be addressed first is where a person feels and experiences trauma in the body and then work backwards from the body to the brain and how trauma impacts thinking.  It is important to state that trauma is not just the big events that people normally think of, but it is anything that a person experiences as traumatic for them.  This also means that even if a person experiences one major event or several small events of trauma, the impact may not be evident for a period of time or it could be felt immediately.  What is important is that the trauma is experienced in the body and the body then informs the brain.  The issue with trauma is that if left unchecked,  the body can be left on overdrive so to speak and thus is looking for danger all the time.  In other words the body is never completely at rest so it can rejuvenate.  The beauty of working with the body and addressing where problems are experienced within is that people gain an understanding of what is going on.  If they gain understanding, they can help others understand them or at least that is the goal.  
     As I stated above, this is where I am practicing from.  The better the body is understood, the better people can begin to understand what and how issues are impacting them.  The other great thing about practicing this way is that every persons body is different and responds to approaches differently.     
 

This YouTube Video is fantastic and explains what a Social Worker is and what they do !!