TRAUMA CONFERENCE CALL NOTES - 2019 (or 2018?)
                    Jim Avera

Nadene Hoover, John Shuford, Joe ???, Roger ??? and possibly others
gave input & advice for AVP trauma-focused workshops (as well as any
workshop) in a conference call in early 2019 or late 2018.

These notes contain only items which struck me as important.  I apologize 
for not having everyone's names.

Note: Items which are not indented are not attributed to a particular speaker.


Nadene:
  People get stuck in cycle of re-telling traumatic experiences,
  so have ways to break that cycle.

  Use "go in, come out" methods, e.g. Concentric Circles.
    → It is OK to "Not have enough time".
  
  Ask: Where were you?  What happened?
    And: How did you know when it was over (e.g. "on that day")
    → "Book ending" is VERY IMPORTANT.

All chant "That was then, this is now"

AVOID practicing the things we don't want, e.g. "Childhood Injunctions"
  → We want to remember and re-process WITHOUT re-living.

Conditions before an exercise:
  1. Repeat right to pass
  2. Reduce trauma-encouraging factors, e.g.
      Don't dim lights, 
      Don't close eyes, etc.  (to KEEP IN THE PRESENT)

Goal: Find a voice to speak about violence, BUT
 modulated to be able to "come back" at will at any time

Joe:
  It's OK to touch a trauma but always have advance permission to *leave*.

  PTSD → Carries you into the PAST [re-living past trauma]
  Anxiety → carries you into the FUTURE [fear of trauma in the future]

  Grounding activities → carry you back to the PRESENT

John Shuford:
  Make sure to "bring someone back" GENTLY.

Nadene:
  AVP is a "learning environment" but "not therapy"
    ⇒ We [should] always be able to come out of trauma [back to the present]

Nadene:
  Introduce & use Grounding actively whenever symptoms appear, 

     for example during brainstorm what is violence/non-violence.

  Also: DISTINGUISH Grounding from Self-soothing 
        (soothing might not bring you back to the present).

  In "A conflict I solved non-violently" :
     Have groups report when & why there was a turning point
     (not just tell the story).

     [points to when the trauma came to an end]


WORKSHOP PARTICIPANT SUGGESTIONS:
  * Be [clean and] sober 30 days before the workshop
  * Be emotionally stable (see Nadine's manual)

  These are suggestions to applicants, -- no real gate-keeping
  
TO THE FACILITATORS:
  Notice where you have "room" [emotional readiness and freedom]
  and are truly available to explore a topic --

    DO NOT facilitate topics where you don't personally have
    "room to work".  Let others take those items.

  CAPACITAR materials ( https://capacitar.org/research/ )

(END)