Croatia 2006

Coping with Vicarious Trauma in War-Zone Using Body oriented Psychotherapy

This paper presents novel work which uses body oriented psychotherapy with professionals who have been exposed to working and /or living in a war zone.

These professionals are particularly vulnerable to secondary and vicarious trauma. The focus of this therapeutic model is that it uses body oriented psychotherapy to cope with trauma of professionals who are within 'proximity to threat in or out of their work setting. Focusing upon the body's sensations and tapping into its resilience within a workshop setting enables new found resources and trust for participants.

Connections and Links ~ From Trauma to Resilience, a non-profit organization, has utilized this method with professionals in northern Israel after the Second Lebanon War and in the south with the on-going war situation with the Palestinians in Gaza. An integrative therapeutic model comprised of Somatic Experiencing and Dance-Movement Therapy, the 'Stream Model', has been used in those workshops. This work is based on neurophysiologic knowledge in the context of stress and trauma. An understanding of the autonomic nervous system, awareness of body cues that identify arousal and using skills to build self-regulation have proven to be important for coping with secondary and vicarious trauma. Moreover this contributes to building the resilience of professionals. Examples from the field will be presented.

Authors:
Judith Spanglet, Connections and Links ~ From Trauma to Resilience, Israel
Dr. Meirav Tal, Connections and Links ~ From Trauma to Resilience, Israel