The Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA Axis) in a PTSD response. How the brain and body signal danger and then also re-set when the danger has passed.
A healthy and content nervous system, or a regulated band-width/'Window of Tolerance' (Pat Ogden & Dan Siegel) gets upset when we are stressed and traumatically stressed. What happens to the nervous system and why is this so important to understand when healing from trauma?
In moments of threat humans (and animals) typically respond in a hierarchical defensive sequence of actions (Stephen Porges, Peter Levine, Pat Ogden). What is the sequence of defensive responses that we likely move through and why is this critical to recovery from trauma symptoms?
Before we respond to threats, we need to detect them in our nervous system. What is the Orienting refelx/response that helps us detect threats and what types of traumatic symptoms can happen when this reflex response gets interrupted or is incomplete?
Zala, S., (2012) Clinical Supervision: Three frameworks for the exploration of shame and anxiety, Psychotherapy in Australia, Vol 18(3), May, pp. 12-21
Zala, S., (2012) Complex Couples: Multi-theoretical Couples Counselling with Traumatised Adults Who have a History of Child Sexual Abuse, Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy, Vol 33, Special Issue 03, Sept 2012, pp. 219-231
Lawson, S., (2003) Surrendering the Night – The Seduction of Victim Blaming in Drug and Alcohol facilitated sexual assault prevention strategies , Women Against Violence, Issue 13, 2002-2003, pp.33-38
