1. Elia Vecchione, Ph.D.

2. Neurological and Behavioral “Action” Systems
I. The Affiliation System :Proximity Seeking
1) Attachment- Safe Haven/Secure Base
2) Social Engagement
3) Communication
II. The Defensive System: Protection & Avoidance
1) Affiliation-Proximity seeking
2) Mobilizing- Freeze, Flight, Fight,
3) Immobilizing- Dissociation, Submission,
III. The Advancement System : Activation & Approach/ Inhibition of Defense
1) Care giving
2) Exploration
3) Socialization
4) Play
5) Physiological Regulation
6) Pair bonding

3. The Autobiography of the Autonomic Nervous System
Therapy and Treatment
Trauma: It’s not about what happened.
________________________________________________________
It’s about how what happened effected the Central Nervous System, the body, and procedural memory.
The most accurate record of experience is the organization of the Central Nervous System, procedural memory, body tendencies and finally Behavior.

7. States of Arousal
Fight
Flight
Freeze
The Zone
Spaced out

8. Frontal
Lobes
Limbic
System

9. Survival Responses of the Nervous System*
Fight, flight and freeze are automatic survival actions. They are similar to reflexes, but are much more complex.
If the perception of the limbic system is that there is not time to flee, then the body will fight.
If the limbic perception is that there is not enough time to flee, but there is adequate strength to fight, then the body will fight.
If the limbic system perceives there is neither time nor strength for fight or flight it will freeze.
It is important to understand that these limbic system ANS responses are instantaneous, instinctive responses to a perceived THREAT.
*“The Body Remembers: The Psychopathology of Trauma and Trauma Treatment” Babette Rothschild

10. The Autobiography of the Self, is inscribed by experience, on the central nervous system, and told and retold by its only language, Behavior

11. The Bipartisan Brain
Feeling
Limbic System
Thinking
Frontal Lobes

14. Functions of the Brain Systems
ACTION!
Limbic System
Thinking
Frontal Lobes

15. Stop, Think, Solve Problems
Behaviors of the Systems
Behaviors
Freeze, Flight, Fight
Behaviors
Stop, Think, Solve Problems
Behaviors of the systems

16. Turned off by Limbic System
Triggering Events
Limbic System
Freeze, Flight, Fight
Frontal Lobes
Turned off by Limbic System

17. Turned off by Limbic System
When something in the world
is perceived as dangerous…
Frontal Lobes
Turned off by Limbic System
Limbic System
Freeze, Flight, Fight

18. Internal Triggers
Frontal Lobes
Stop and Think…
Limbic System
ACTION!

19. Something happens in the World
OR in the Body…
Frontal Lobes
A Problem to Solve…
Limbic System
DANGER!

20. The Social Brain
Engagement
Approach…
Disengagement
AVOID!

21. Turned off by Limbic System
Language Effects
Limbic System
Freeze, Flight, Fight
Frontal Lobes
Turned off by Limbic System
Broca’s Region
Language Production
and Comprehension

22. Turned off by Limbic System
Confabulation
Frontal Lobes
Turned off by Limbic System
Limbic System
Freeze, Flight, Fight
Broca’s Region
Language Production
and Comprehension

23. The Brain is…
The brain is an anticipation machine. It mostly anticipates what it has experienced.
It gathers information from the perceived (and “remembered”) social and external world as well as conscious and unconscious memory and process.
It then decides on, and prepares for, what it believes is coming next.

24. A TYPICAL STRESS RESPONSE
Stressful
Event
ALARM
Necessary survival response
Deactivation
Dissociation
Activation
F/F/F
Return to Baseline

25. Necessary survival response
Traumatic reorganization
Stressful
Event
What happens when a person experiences inescapable, repeated, life-threatening, overwhelming stress
ALARM
Necessary survival response
Captured and
stored in
embodied CNS
Changes in Brain
organization and
function
Lasting changes in social,
emotional, cognitive,
perceptual organization

26. Traumatic Re-enactment
Event
Similar facets
to dangerous
event (sight,
sound, smell etc.)
Time
“over-reactive”
Embodied CNS &
neuroendocrine
systems
ALARM
Unnecessary
Survival response
“BAD
BEHAVIOR”

27. NORMAL STRESS RESPONSE TRAUMA Traumatic Re-enactment “BAD BEHAVIOR”
Danger
Event
Inescapable
Repeated
Life-threatening
Overwhelming
Similar facets
to dangerous
event (sight,
sound, smell etc.)
ALARM
Necessary survival response
Necessary survival response
Time
“over-reactive”
Embodied CNS &
neuroendocrine
systems
Captured and
stored in
embodied CNS
ALARM
Deactivation
Dissociation
Activation
F/F/F
Unnecessary
Survival response
Changes in Brain
organization and
function
Return to Baseline
Lasting changes in social,
emotional, cognitive,
perceptual organization
“BAD
BEHAVIOR”

28. “Wrap the world around them”
The State Or
Stage model
Stage 1
“Wrap the world around them”
Stage 2
“Lay the groundwork for understanding themselves and the world”
Stage 3
Goals
Targets
Treatments
Outcomes
Arousal regulation
(Limbic System)
Manage arousal/emotions
(Body up)
De-escalation Tools:
Tapping, singing, drumming, breathing, meditation, exercise
Ability to manage emotional responses
Learn the process and the skills
(frontal lobes)
Trust the process and learn skills
(top down)
Communication, negotiation, problem solving and mapping
(skill building)
Ability to communicate, negotiate, and solve problems with increased emotional, perceptual, and thinking skills
Rehabilitation of the self
(frontal lobes)
Process the content
(top down)
Co-create meaning.
Mapping (for mutual understanding), develop social understanding.
Storytelling
Ability to create shared understanding, rehabilitation of the self, adaptive and pro-social behavior

30. Escalation Cycle
Fight
Flight
Arousal
Freeze
Fear
Time

31. Escalation Cycle Fight Flight Arousal Shame, Guilt Damage to the Self
Freeze
Fear
Time

32. Escalation Cycle Fight Flight Arousal Shame, Guilt Damage to the Self
Discharge
Freeze
Fear
Time

33. Escalation Cycle Fight Panic Flight Arousal Shame, Guilt
Damage to the Self
Discharge
Freeze
Fear
Time

34. How the Journal Works Decide on a daily check-in time
Decide who you would like to check in with
Circle the “before” thermometer to identify what your arousal level was
For example, how activated, energized, or excited you were…
Write how it felt in your body
Make sure to be specific…Where did you feel it, for how long?
Talk with staff about signals that both of you noticed on the outside,
( Like sweating, red cheeks, inability to concentrate) that let you know how
you were feeling on the inside. Write about it.
After you’ve used your calming tools, circle a number on the second
thermometer to indicate how you were feeling after.
Write about what you did to calm yourself
Talk with your staff about what they did, or should do in the future, that
helped you to regulate. Write about it.
Pat yourself on the back! You did great!

35. What I feel like inside 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
What it looks like outside

36. What I should do 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
What Staff should do

37. How I Felt Before How I Felt After Circle one! Circle one!
What I did
Circle one!
What I felt like inside
Circle one! 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
What I looked like outside
What staff did
Name_____________
Date____________

40. The Map of Strategic Self Regulation
Background
Noise
Perception of Event
Feelings
Thoughts
Behavior
Consequence
Proactive Strategies
Problem
Solving
De-
Escalation
Causes
Interventions