Trauma-Informed Lens

Trauma-Informed Lens

By Matthew BennettBusinessEducationNon-Profit
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Trauma-Informed Lens episodes

  • Episode 66: New Year’s Special

    Podcasters: Matt Bennett, Curt Mower, Dr. Jerry Yager

    Welcome to our second annual New Year’s Special. In this episode, Matt, Curt, and Jerry reflect on 2018 and look ahead to 2019. In a year that saw Oprah focus on trauma and more people exposed to the science the ever before, 2018 was an important year. What lies ahead and where should we focus to ensure the paradigm continues to change lives and make a positive impact on our communities.

    Discussion questions:

    1. What are two new things you learned this year that changed how you do or look at your work?
    2. Where do you think your organization and community need to focus to further the implementation of the trauma paradigm?
    3. What are you looking forward to in 2019?

      4. 55 min
    4. Episode 65: Physiological Markers & Individual Differences in Response to Intervention

      Over the past decade or so, research within the field of behavioral health has given rise to a wide variety of evidence-based practices. Characterizing and legitimately testing the effects of treatments has been a significant positive direction for behavioral health.  However, notably missing from this literature are investigations of factors related to individuals who did not appear to benefit from the interventions.  Understanding individual differences may contribute valuable information about how and when interventions are most likely to be effective.

      Questions/Organizing Items:

      1. Description/Overview of the two studies
      2. What is Vagal Tone and how might vagal tone contribute to our ability to regulate emotions?
      3. How might an understanding of vagal influence enhance our understanding of the use of cognitive interventions?

        4. The article for this week’s podcast: Affective Instability Predicted by Resting HRV

        1 hr 4 min
      4. Episode 64: Heart Rate Variability & Trauma Continued

        Your Podcasters: Matt Bennett, Curt Mower, and Dr. Jerry Yager

        Building on the discussion from last week related to research demonstrating the impact of chronic pain (stress) on heartbeat dynamics, in this week’s episode we discuss the physiology of the anxiety response from a research project investigating differences in HPA Axis and Heart Rate responsiveness among neurotypical children and children with autism with  and without co-occurring anxiety.

        Discussion Questions:

        1. How might the information discussed in the article relate to relate to those you serve?
        2. Does the information help you see behavior in a different light?

          3. Article for this Podcast: Differences in HPA-axis and heart rate 2014

          Article for next week: Affective Instability Predicted by Resting HRV

          1 hr
        3. Episode 63: Autonomic Nervous System & Trauma

          Podcasters: Matthew Bennett, Curt Mower, and Dr. Jerry Yager

          In several past episodes of the Trauma-Informed Lens podcast, we’ve discussed the impact of chronic, unpredictable stressors (e.g., ACEs) on the nervous system.  In particular, the Autonomic Nervous System, designed to be highly sensitive to input from our environment, can become sensitized and chronically upregulated in children and adults who experience chronic, unpredictable stress.  In this episode, we’ll talk a little about two studies demonstrating differences in autonomic activity between various groups.

          Discussion Questions:

          • How do you see this research playing out in those you serve?
          • How could this research better inform your interventions and programming?
          • Is there a way you could communicate this information to those you serve in a way to help them understand their own behavior?

            • This week’s Article: Heart Rate Variability as a biomarker for ANS response differences between children with chronic pain vs healthy controls

            Next week’s Article: Differences in HPA-axis and heart rate 2014

            1 hr
          • Episode 62: Heart Rate Variability & Trauma

            The first podcast in a series focused on the relationship between heart rate variability and trauma, we introduce the concept and provide some initial insights. In 2015, the Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology published a unique special issue dedicated to the idea of implementing physiological measures into the assessment of Clinical Child & Adolescent behavioral health.  The issue included several articles demonstrating how this can be done.  We start a multi-episode show to share some literature, examples, and issues with using physiology in our assessment and understanding of some of the impacts of exposure to adverse childhood experiences.

            Articles for next week’s podcast:

            Differences in HPA-axis and heart rate 2014

            Heart Rate Variability as a biomarkder for ANS response differences between children with chronic pain vs healthy controls

            Discussion Questions:

            • How does our discussion on the connection between biology and behavior influence your thinking about your work?
            • Do you see any way to help craft interventions and programming around this understand? What if technology improved dramatically?

              • 43 min
            • Episode 61: Creating Trauma-Informed Communities w/ Mary Donnelly-Crocker

              Podcasters: Mary Donnelly-Crocker, Matt Bennett, Dr. Jerry Yager

              Mary Donnelly-Crocker joins Matt and Jerry to discuss her effort to turn Pasadena into a trauma-informed community. Learn how Mary and her organization, Young and Healthy are working to get information about trauma spread throughout the community. Mary demonstrates the power one person has to change the world!

              Discussion Questions:

              • How could you and your organization spread the power of trauma research into your larger community?
              • Who in our community could really benefit from your knowledge?
              • How would getting the message about trauma into your community help those you serve?


                • 55 min
              • Episode 60: Memories: The Way We Were

                Podcasters: Matthew Bennett, Curt Mower, & Dr. Jerry Yager

                Memories and traumatic memories are in the news quite a bit lately. Memories are tricky things, being highly subjective and changing over time. Add trauma to the mix and the situation becomes even more complicated. In this episode, Matt, Curt, and Jerry examine the science behind traumatic memory formation and recall and the role traumatic memories play in behavior and the healing process.

                Discussion questions:

                1. In your work, what experiences have you had with people recounting traumatic memories?
                2. How can the discussion of the science of memories impact our work with clients struggling to heal from trauma?
                3. How does this knowledge influence your thinking about current events and thinking about things like criminal justice reform?

                1 hr 2 min
              • Episode 59: The Role of Employment in Recovery

                Matt, Curt, and Jerry recorded this episode together after their keynote address and workshop at the 4th Annual Colorado Individual Placement & Support (IPS) Conference. IPS is an innovative best practice which positions employment as a component of a client’s recovery process and not something to consider at a later point when the client reaches some future state of wellness. After spending the day learning and teaching, we share our thoughts about our experience and recent thinking on the role of employment for those recovering from trauma.

                Discussion questions:

                1. How do you see the role of employment in our client’s recovery?
                2. When do you know a client is ready for employment or, for younger clients, when to talk about future aspirations.
                3. Are there things you can do to support clients differently to provide self-confidence building experience like employment earlier in care/treatment?

                  4. Learn more about IPS

                  51 min
                4. Episode 58: Role of Staff Supervision in your Trauma-Informed Journey

                  Podcasters: Matthew Bennett, Curt Mower, & Dr. Jerry Yager

                  In this episode, Matt, Curt, and Jerry take on the question presented in Matt’s previous mini-episode, can you be trauma-informed without a robust staff supervision structure. Some disciplines like social work and mental health have such structures while the health care and education professions usually lack such supports. We know working with people with trauma puts professionals at risk for vicarious trauma, secondary trauma, and burnout. We will examine the role of supervision in trauma-informed organizations and characteristics that make it effective.

                  Discussion questions:

                  1. How have you used supervision as part of your self-care plan?
                  2. Are there ways for your programs/organization to integrate a more robust supervision structure as part of its trauma-informed journey?
                  3. In your opinion what are the characteristics of effective supervision and what would you like from a supervisor?

                    4. 0 min
                  4. Episode 57: Matt’s Argument for the Role of Staff Supervision in your Trauma-Informed Journey

                    Podcaster: Matthew Bennett

                    Due to technical difficulties, this is a mini episode where Matt makes his best argument supporting the importance of staff supervision in trauma-informed environments. Depending on the traditions/requirements of the profession, some staff get high levels of supervision while other get little if any. In this mini-episode, Matt lies out his best argument for why strategic reflective supervision is a crucial component to staff well-being and outcomes

                    Discussion questions:

                    1. How has supervision shaped you as a professional?
                    2. What are the strengths of your program/organization’s supervisory approach?
                    3. Are there opportunities to provide better services by restructuring your supervisory structure?

                      4.  

                      25 min

                    About Trauma-Informed Lens

                    From the publisher's feed

                    The trauma-informed paradigm is challenging traditional views and approach in a wide variety of areas in education, social work, psychology, and public health. Each week the Trauma-Informed Lens…