Trauma Treatment and the Four Directions

Trauma Certificate Program Course, Wilfrid Laurier University —

Indigenous perspectives on health and wellness are integrative in nature, looking at the person as a whole as well as relationships with others, nature, traditions, and the Creator. The four directions of the medicine wheel have been used to represent what gets disrupted as a result of trauma and where to focus healing efforts in order to restore goodness. As a result, an integrative approach that looks at how to support healing at various levels – emotional, physical, mental, spiritual/relational – is crucial in helping to repair soul wounds. This 2-day workshop will introduce different frameworks and skills that borrow from the latest trauma therapy approaches, and discuss how they can assist with restoring balance in the four directions. Participants will learn how selected tools from Somatic Experiencing, attachment theory, parts work/inner child work, EMDR, DBT, mindfulness, and nature-assisted therapy can support safety and stabilization as a necessary first step on the road to recovery. Pre-cautions around issues like dissociation, dysregulation, re-enactments and re-traumatization, as well as additional resources will also be discussed.