Jane Gold
Trauma can be anything that causes someone distress. For some of us, it could be as simple as going to the dentist, or it could be something more traumatic. This workshop, conducted by Debra Gutknecht, helped more than 15 The Women of Quail Creek (TWOQC) members learn about the way our bodies handle trauma and how we can better react to stress. In this workshop, the attendees first identified what or who uplifts them. Then, after forming small groups, the members focused on 10 simple biologically based wellness skills that can help reset and stabilize the nervous system.
Some of the skills that the attendees tried were as follows:
• Drink a glass of water, juice, or tea.
• Look around the space where you are, inside or outside, paying attention to anything that catches your attention.
• Name six colors you see in the space that you are in, outside or inside.
• Count backwards from 20 as you walk around the room.
• If you’re inside, notice the furniture and touch the surface, noticing if it is hard, soft, rough, cold, warm, etc.
• Notice the temperature of the space. Is it cold, warm, hot, just right?
• Notice the sounds within the space, inside or outside.
• If you’re outside or inside, walk and pay attention to the movement in your arms and legs and how your feet are making contact with the ground.
• Push your hands against the wall or door slowly and notice your muscles pushing. Or push your back against a surface (wall, tree, etc.) and notice your back and legs making contact with the surface.
Debra Gutknecht, the workshop instructor, was trained by the Community Resiliency Model Program in 2018. Since that time, she has conducted numerous trainings for teachers, social workers, school administrators, family advocates, and community members.
To learn more about the Community Residency Model, go to www.traumaresourceinstitute.com/crm.