The Tao of Trauma: A Practitioner's Guide for Integrating Five Element Theory and Trauma Treatment

by Alaine D Duncan, Kathy L. Kain, M.D. Michael Hollifield (Foreword)

Trauma treatment through the integrating Polyvagal Theory, Somatic Experiencing®, and Five Element acupuncture for real recovery and mind-body healing

Trauma isn’t held only in memory. It shows up in the breath, the gut, the joints, and the bones, wherever the body’s self-protective response was cut short. Written for readers looking to heal trauma and practitioners who work hands-on with survivors, The Tao of Trauma offers a bottom-up framework for reading those patterns in the body’s tissues and supporting the nervous system’s return to regulation.

Alaine D. Duncan and Kathy L. Kain bring together Stephen Porges’s Polyvagal Theory, Peter Levine’s Somatic Experiencing®, and the principles of Acupuncture and Asian Medicine (AAM) At the heart of the book is the Five Steps of the Self-Protective Response, which pairs each stage of the body’s reaction to threat (startle, orienting, mobilization, completion, and integration) with one of the Five Metal, Water, Wood, Fire, and Earth. This offers a shared map for seeing where your—or a client’s—embodied response may have stalled, and shows you how to help it complete. Inside, you’ll

A grounding in trauma science, from allostatic overload to the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) researchA mapping of polyvagal states onto Asian Medicine’s understanding of the bodyFive Survivor Types, each defined by the stage where self-protection was interruptedGuidance on pacing, consent, titration, and the “tick-tock” method of moving between felt safety and modest arousalElement-specific touch interventions for skin, bones, joints, connective tissue, muscles, and gut
Written for survivors, acupuncturists, somatic psychotherapists, bodyworkers, and mental health providers, this book joins two healing traditions into one clinical language for trauma care that begins in the body.

Genres: Health, Nonfiction, Psychology, Self Help, Spirituality, Taoism, Traditional Chinese Medicine

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 8, 2019

Reviews

[Robert Duncan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alaine Duncan's book is more than a practitioner's guide. There are few books that connect the somewhat metaphorical concepts of Acupuncture and Asian medicine with the physical frameworks of Western medical understanding of human physiology. The easy to follow yet thorough and well-referenced text makes the unity of these perspectives clear. The implications for trauma treatment are profound and the lessons for our daily lives are there too.

[Valfreyja · Rating 5 out of 5]

“An exploration of the impact of traumatic stress on survivors would not be complete without a brief exploration of the science of epigenetics. Epi-genetics explores the impact of external circumstances such as exposure to toxic chemicals or traumatic stress on genetic expression and function.

Recent research has demonstrated that traumatic stress can cause modifications that turn on or turn off the expression of genes.
War and natural disasters, as well as physical and emotional abuse, leave marks on families that can be traced through generational lines. Trauma-induced epigenetic changes can influence as many as three subsequent generations.

~


Wisdom grows in the depth of its quiet stillness.
When disturbed by a sense of life threat, our quiet contemplation is transformed into its opposite-consuming fear. We may find ourselves constantly scanning our environment with jumpy eyes and anxious attention.

Fear can be so consuming as to make it difficult to feel a sense of safety, even when we're not under threat.

Unable to sink deeply and comfortably into ourselves, we can't sleep for fear of what may come in the night. We feel collapsed, frozen, and untrusting.

Alternatively, our capacity to discern danger may become unreliable. We can't utilize fear productively to guide us toward safe activities or people and instead put ourselves in risky situa-tions. We may crave high-adrenalin experiences to help us simply feel alive.

* "There and then" is not actually "here and now?"
* In the presence of overwhelming fear, decisions tend to be impulsive, reactive, primal, and geared toward lifesaving. We won't pause and consider thoughtfully an answer to the question.
* Traumatic stress too often results in a loss of trust in other people or a sense of disconnection from our own true nature.

The neurological platform for fear, anchored in the brain stem, moves rapidly and becomes uterly consuming, while the neurological platform that supports relationships and executive function, rooted in our frontal core, becomes subverted or repressed by this powerful fear response. In this state, we are unable to consider questions of meaning, long term implications, or matters of the Heart, We simply react in order to survive" which can have unfortunate social implications.


~


When our Heart is penetrated by a commanding message of life-threat, every organ system is called to arousal. If we are repeatedly called into this response, we can become habituated to a sense of constant threat and may have trouble realizing that the threat is over and that we have survived.

We can feel anxious and uncentered and struggle with our cognition, focus, or memory. We may not sleep well-our mind can't rest peacefully at night. Our eyes, as well as our emotions, may be flat, and we may feel profoundly sad.

Social interactions leave us feeling inhibited and awkward. We struggle to feel vulnerable and safe in relationships. Alternatively, disembodied joy or hysteria may overwhelm our capacity for meaningful presence and connection. “

[Valfreyja White]

"An exploration of the impact of traumatic stress on survivors would not be complete without a brief exploration of the science of epigenetics. Epi-genetics explores the impact of external circumstances such as exposure to toxic chemicals or traumatic stress on genetic expression and function.
Recent research has demonstrated that traumatic stress can cause modifications that turn on or turn off the expression of genes.

War and natural disasters, as well as physical and emotional abuse, leave marks on families that can be traced through generational lines. Trauma-induced epigenetic changes can influence as many as three subsequent generations.

Wisdom grows in the depth of its quiet stillness. When disturbed by a sense of life threat, our quiet contemplation is transformed into its opposite-consuming fear. We may find ourselves constantly scanning our environment with jumpy eyes and anxious attention.

Fear can be so consuming as to make it difficult to feel a sense of safety, even when we're not under threat.
Unable to sink deeply and comfortably into ourselves, we can't sleep for fear of what may come in the night. We feel collapsed, frozen, and untrusting. Alternatively, our capacity to discern danger may become unreliable. We can't utilize fear productively to guide us toward safe activities or people and instead put ourselves in risky situations.
We may crave high-adrenalin experiences to help us simply feel alive.

* "There and then" is not actually "here and now?"
* In the presence of overwhelming fear, decisions tend to be impulsive, reactive, primal, and geared toward lifesaving. We won't pause and consider thoughtfully an answer to the question.
* Traumatic stress too often results in a loss of trust in other people or a sense of disconnection from our own true nature.

The neurological platform for fear, anchored in the brain stem, moves rapidly and becomes uterly consuming, while the neurological platform that supports relationships and executive function, rooted in our frontal core, becomes subverted or repressed by this powerful fear response. In this state, we are unable to consider questions of meaning, long term implications, or matters of the Heart, We simply react in order to survive" which can have unfortunate social implications.

When our Heart is penetrated by a commanding message of life-threat, every organ system is called to arousal. If we are repeatedly called into this response, we can become habituated to a sense of constant threat and may have trouble realizing that the threat is over and that we have survived. We can feel anxious and uncentered and struggle with our cognition, focus, or memory. We may not sleep well-our mind can't rest peacefully at night. Our eyes, as well as our emotions, may be flat, and we may feel profoundly sad.

Social interactions leave us feeling inhibited and awkward. We struggle to feel vulnerable and safe in relationships. Alternatively, disembodied joy or hysteria may overwhelm our capacity for meaningful presence and connection.”

[Ray Gates · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great resource and really does well to explain the relationship between 5SPR and Five Elemeny Theory. As a PT and a Tai Chi practitioner/Instructor I was able to see the connection very well, and am going to look into putting this into my PT practice. I would rate this as 4.5 stars (but cannot) only because there were some musculoskeletal explanations that I'm not sure are entirely accurate (I need to double check my texts) otherwise this is highly recommended.

[Karen Zhang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating read understanding the five Chinese elements (metal, water, wood, fire, earth), their relationship with the changing seasons, and correlation with the body's functions following threat arousal and trauma. Deep insights into Eastern medicine and the ways that we can stabilise and bring coherence to multiple systems within the body. Interesting to get a glimpse from a practitioners standpoint having undertaken a few AAM (acupuncture and Asian medicine) treatments.

[Erin Moloney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I need this for my library! A perfectly succinct overview of two of my favorite research interests - somatic psychotherapy and traditional Chinese medicine. The 5 element theory when applied to the aftermath of trauma really helps conceptualize the complexity of a dsyregulated nervous system. The healing potential of sacred touch and presence was made apparent through the client case studies.

[Hannah Dnls · Rating 5 out of 5]

A practical guide for trauma treatment. Will refer to when my clients need more assistance. Gives good descriptions in an easy to understand language

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Jessica McDonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read this book several times and keep finding new nuggets of wisdom and a deeper understanding and love of Traditional Chinese Medicine. This is a practical book for any type of body worker with rich history of the 5 elements, somatic experiencing, touch work, and case studies. Love this so much.

[Zuhair · Rating 5 out of 5]

Compassionate, exciting and thorough synthesis of Eastern Five Elements theory and Western Somatic Experiencing model of trauma resolution.