Trauma Research Paper

Reflection #1 This class is very important and dear to me because I know how trauma can impact a person’s life. I was first introduced to the topic about dissociation during one of my counseling sessions with my therapist. He was explaining how in the animal life, some animals who are eaten my carnivores dissociate from their bodies when attacked by predators. These animals escape from their bodies so that they will not feel the pain of being eaten. My therapist was giving me examples of how dissociation can look like on a daily basis (e.g. driving and getting to your destination without knowing how you go there). I asked more about how dissociation can happen and he explained how triggers (smells, noises, etc.) can impact this to happen. He was explaining how this is common with people with trauma.
After my therapist shared this knowledge, I became more self-aware.
I also have been paying more attention to my client’s face expressions and behaviors when building rapport. I want to be able to identify if dissociation is happening during my one-on-one’s and learn how to handle a situation like that. I know my therapist has done some psycho-education and brought me to the present when he felt that I was not present in the room. That was helpful in understanding and being more attune to my body. For this course I also want to learn how trauma effects the body, mind, relationships. I want to learn skills and techniques that I can work on with clients with trauma. I want to be able to identify when I should open or close the doors to something that my clients are ready to work on. So far I’ve learned so much in this course and I do appreciate the lecture style/videos. Visuals help me learn and understand the concept. I like how real examples of clients are shared in class. I do look forward in hearing more examples, techniques, and possible
interventions.