1. Animal Assisted Therapy Program Manager @ Harmony Family Center
Marianne Wright
Animal Assisted Therapy Program Manager
@ Harmony Family Center

2. ACEs Study Overview

3. Trauma
Allison
KEEP
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4. Keith
REDESIGN
This material is for personal use only and can cnot be reproduced without the express permission of Harmony Family Center.

5. Keith
As your ACE Score increased, so did your risk for health risk behaviors, disease, social problems, and mental health issues.
ACEs have been found to have a graded dose-response relationship with 40+ negative outcomes to date
This material is for personal use only and can cnot be reproduced without the express permission of Harmony Family Center.

7. What does this mean for “high ACEs” kids?
To build a solid house the foundation must be strong

10. What does this mean for “high ACEs” kids?
To build a solid house the foundation must be strong
Neurochemical pathways affecting mood and behavior begin in the low brain

12. What does this mean for “high ACEs” kids?
To build a solid house the foundation must be strong
Neurochemical pathways affecting mood and behavior begin in the low brain
Trauma changes the brain’s ‘base line’

13. Wired for Fear
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14. Typical Trauma Responses
Blowing up when corrected
Defiance
Fighting – especially when criticized or teased
Resisting change or transitions
Unusually protective of personal space
Reverting to younger behaviors
Unresponsive/ appears to be daydreaming
Frequently “seeking attention”
Distrust of adults in authority
Lying and stealing
Food issues
Odd behaviors

15. ACEs Aren’t Destiny
Some children are more susceptible than others to toxic stress
Adults can provide a buffering, caring role
There is a capacity to repair across development
Interventions can make a difference

16. What Can We Do As Caregivers?
Provide External Regulation, Until Our Child Can Internally Regulate

17. Regulate Relate Reason
Can’t teach a drowning child to swim Regulate with sensory, with bilateral stimulation ---walk, use few words
This material is for personal use only and can cnot be reproduced without the express permission of Harmony Family Center.

18. What Can We Do As Caregivers?
Provide External Regulation, Until Our Child Can Internally Regulate
Provide Parallel, Patient, Persistent Relational Support

19. The Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics

20. From …. “What’s wrong with you?” To … “What happened to you?”

21. The Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics
the sequence, or order, in which the brain develops
a perspective
life experiences affect brain development and behavior
the different types of interventions that might work best for the child and family

22. Dr. Bruce Perry, M.D., Ph.D. Child Psychiatrist
Neuroscientist and researcher
Child Trauma Academy
Expert consultant
Columbine HS shooting
Oklahoma City bombing
Branch Davidian raid
YFZ custody cases
All rights reserved © Bruce D. Perry and The ChildTrauma Academy

23. NMT NMT Assessment: NMT Functional Review:
Where the child has been
NMT Functional Review:
Where the child is now
NMT Recommended Interventions:
Where the child can grow

24. NMT Assessment Assesses… History of Adverse Experiences
History of Relational Health
Central Nervous System Functioning
Current Relational Health

28. The Body Keeps The Score Bessel van der Kolk

29. Regulate
Relate
Reason

30. Somatic Interventions
Sensory Motor Arousal Regulation Treatment (SMART)
Theraplay
EMDR
Equine Therapy
Animal Assisted Therapy
Games
Nature based therapies
Drumming and music therapies
Walking and Talking

31. Trauma Informed Activities and Interventions
• Relational (safe)
• Relevant (developmentally matched to the individual)
• Repetitive (patterned)
• Rewarding (pleasurable)
• Rhythmic (resonant with neural patterns)
• Respectful (of the child, family, and culture)

32. Therapeutic Web
Only social interaction builds the social affiliation part of the brain.
activate the most powerful reward systems
The Therapeutic Web provides the majority of healing opportunities for these children
Stable and nurturing relationships buffer the impact of trauma
From…
What therapy can the clinician do with this child?
To …
What relationships can bring healing to this child?

33. Thank You! marianne@harmonyfamilycenter.org