Trauma Sensitive Guided Meditations
The below meditations are based on the concept of Trauma Sensitive Mindfulness, a practice created by David A. Treleavan, Ph.D, which looks at mindfulness meditation through a trauma lens and offers an approach that helps those with posttraumatic stress engage in mindfulness practice without activating a trauma response in their body and brain. David's work builds on several others' work including Dr. Daniel J. Siegel, Dr. Stephen Porges, & Peter A. Levine, Ph.D. I would like to offer the following meditations in gratitude for their work in the field of trauma study.
Ambient background music courtesy of envato tuts+
In this first meditation we focus on creating safety. Safety & Stabilization is the first phase of the Tri-Phasic Model of trauma treatment. Helping our clients feel safe is integral to the success of their treatment. Setting a safe tone and space for mindfulness meditation helps the client more easily adjust to the meditation practice and ultimately reap its benefits. Notice the language. We "invite" clients and we offer options for how to settle in (breath, noticing a place in the body, or focusing on an image they enjoy like a tree or focal point in the room). We also give them the choice whether to close their eyes or not, providing 'permission' to open their eyes to reorient to the safety of the room. We also provide the option of stopping at any point and trying again later. Providing these options, allows the client to feel a sense of control, which helps them stay within their window of tolerance, the first principle of Trauma Sensitive Mindfulness. This early safe place meditation is a trauma-informed way of introducing safety and stability for clients struggling with posttraumatic stress.