Excerpt: Welcome to Moving Through Trauma - Session 1
Course: Moving Through Trauma
Speakers: Matthias Barker
Unpacking the Past: Moving Through Trauma to Understand Present Struggles
Welcome to this journey of moving through trauma. My name is Matthias, and as a psychotherapist, I’ve spent countless hours listening to people navigate the complexities of their struggles. Interestingly, when individuals seek therapy, they rarely explicitly state, “I want to process my trauma.” Instead, they often describe persistent challenges they’ve tried everything to solve: tumultuous relationships filled with conflict, difficulty managing their temper, feeling emotionally distant from loved ones, or grappling with the pain of grief or the loss of a significant dream.
The Unseen Roots: How Past Trauma Animates Present Difficulties
These complex and dynamic struggles often have unseen roots in past experiences. It’s as if unresolved events from our history are animating our present-day difficulties, making them feel intractable. The heart behind this course is to navigate into that territory, to explore how past events might be contributing to the struggles you’re currently facing. We aim to provide you with tools and insights to unpack these experiences and gain a deeper understanding of their impact.
Trauma on a Spectrum: Beyond the Buzzword
The word “trauma” has become a buzzword, often associated with extreme events like severe abuse or military combat. While these are undoubtedly forms of trauma, it’s important to understand that trauma exists on a spectrum. At its core, trauma is an overwhelming life circumstance where we feel we lack the resources, capacity, or skills to navigate effectively.
Mapping the Architecture: Understanding the Impact
In this course, we will map out the architecture of how traumatic events in the past can impact our current struggles and even shape the way we perceive the world and ourselves. By understanding this connection, we can begin to address the root causes of our difficulties and move towards healing and growth.
If you like the content, you can continue in a few different ways…
- See the outline below and check out other sections from the Moving Through Trauma course.
- Take the full small group course to your church community! The first course your church runs is free! Reach out to us here to learn how.
- Connect with a Share The Struggle Coach for one-on-one support. Let’s face it, some of us have tried kicking this thing, and we’ve had no luck. It’s time to start looking toward forms of support that can help us see and feel the beautiful life God has in store for us.
Session 1
Welcome to the Moving Through Trauma Course
Video: Welcome
Video: Guardrails & Grace for the Journey
Video: For Those of You Who
Topics: Hypoarousal; Hyperarousal; Grace
Session 2
Video: Grounding Exercise - From a Place of Calm
Video: Unpacking Trauma
Video: Our Trauma Threshold
Topics: Embedded Trauma/Traumatic Event; Traumatic Threshold
Session 3
Video: Grounding Exercise - Breath and Bilateral Stimulation
Video: How Trauma Functions in our Emotions, Brain, and Body
Video: Our Three Primary Responses to Trauma
Topics: Neuroscience Terms; Fragmentation/Dissociation/Isolation
Session 4
Video: Grounding Exercise - Lowering Stress in the Nervous System
Video: How Family & Collective Systems Impact How We Experience Trauma
Video: Trauma’s Connection to our Health and Wellbeing
Topics: Attunement; Containment; Rupture & Repair; ACE Study (Third Video)
Session 5
Video: Grounding Exercise - Breathing in Hope
Video: How We Heal
Topics: Healing: Reconstruction; Release; Acceptance
Session 6
Video: Grounding Exercise - Grounded in the Present
Video: Relationship with God
Topics: Relationship with God; Prayer Practices
Session 7
Video: Relationship with Self
Topics: Cold Water Treatment; Developing Story Awareness
Session 8
Video: Grounding Exercise - From a Place of Calm
Video: Relationship with Others
Video: Redeeming Trauma
Topics: Building Support; Listening Triad
Share The Struggle Courses
Share the Struggle Courses are topical expert led video courses to help you understand life’s greatest struggles and provide you with tools for navigating them. Moreover, STS courses create a space for you to connect with others struggling with similar things, experience belonging, and encounter God’s nearness in a place of wilderness in your life (pain, confusion, healing journey). Want to start a group at your church? Reach out to us here to learn how.
What Share The Struggle Believes
Here at Share The Struggle we believe Jesus is present with us in the middle of our pain and mess, and it is in that place that we often experience and encounter Jesus most deeply.
We understand the unique challenges faced by Christians dealing with mental health. Our mission is to bridge the gap between faith and mental health support, providing a platform where individuals can find resources, coaching support and guidance, all tailored to their spiritual life and emotional needs.
We invite you to explore our resources, share your journey, and find the support you need to overcome the struggles you face.
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