Hi, this is Steve King once again, and I'm going to be talking about the template trauma list. Now following an assessment and a determination of a client's goals, I will often suggest to them that they begin befriending themselves by making what I call a chronological template trauma list. Now I suggest they take a sheet of paper and write in a vertical line, the numbers one through two, whatever age they presently are, then to write down any trauma that they actually remember alongside the age at which they were when it actually occurred. If you have any ongoing disturbances, effects or negative impacts of shock or trauma, then I would recommend that you do this too. This is where honoring yourself and what has happened either directly to you, or what you will witness to, just as you would if it were for someone you loved. Additionally, and I mean honoring yourself by that.

It could be a situation or situations of trauma, overwhelmed, or feeling absolutely helpless. An example could be of say in an abusive family situation where you witnessed or had to watch one parent physically harm the other, or one of your siblings that can put you into a state of helplessness, hopelessness, fear, rage, or overwhelm. Excuse me, in order to save any possible embarrassment or harm if the list were to be read by another person, I would suggest it the you know the trauma in such a means or such a manner or way that only you can understand what it truly means. And that unless you wish to you therefore never have to share it. An example would be save a purse were attacked by a dog at age seven, and it was traumatic. So beside the number seven, you could just put the word dog now in some respects is can have a similar purpose to what is known as Step four, as in the addictions a in a 12 step work, what it does it helps the person identify and actually validate their truth.

Rather maybe then what they have been told or led to believe was or was not traumatic for them. So working with the earliest listed traumatic memories that you actually know have not been resolved, or that still bring up a painful resonance, disturbance perturbation, trigger, turmoil, physical or emotional reaction. For example, fear phobia or anxiety is hopefully the beginning of breaking up the foundation. Almost like looking at it like a building. And imploding the building of self harming, self defeating, and often self medicating behaviors and beliefs. Many similar situations in the present time can elicit the same type of reaction as a person experienced at the time of the original trauma.

This suggests that it will be more efficient and therefore, hopefully less painful and time consuming to work through the earliest known traumas that continue to recreate that unwanted reaction. Now this would be in order to implode the other layers of the building that contain the same emotions, for example, shame, guilt, and fear. etc. I do apologize. If the layers then work through it will also break apart the original Foundation. Through the reframing that would actually take place that is recognizing that one was helpless, dependent, and a victim.

This would leave the original lot or soul ready and waiting for a new foundation and building. Now the words, fresh experiences and responses rather than reactions. This is as a result of finally having a true sense of choice, independence. And in this state, the willingness to be healthfully vulnerable, to forgive, to love unconditionally, to be friends yourself, and be connected and comfortable with one's own spirituality or higher power. Thank you