MODULE SIX
TRAUMA
Presented by John Gosling and Charlotte Hoffman
Image Credit: Edvard Munch – Vampire (1895)
Description
Unprocessed trauma drains the life force of trauma victims.
“Neuroscience research shows that the only way we can change the way we feel is by becoming aware of our inner experience and learning to befriend what is going inside ourselves.” (Bessel van der Kolk)
Every human is subjected to various forms and degrees of trauma throughout their lives – emotional, physical, and sexual trauma; separation and loss – to name a few.
Unacknowledged and unprocessed trauma profoundly changes our neurophysiology, brains, minds, and bodies. These trauma imprints have a significant influence on how we manage to survive in the present. We live in a society that is deeply traumatized and traumatizing. We will examine the effects of unexplored and unprocessed trauma – how it affects our inner world, our bodies, our ability to function, and our relationships. We will also explore the influence of collective, societal, and intergenerational trauma.
We will explore various attachment patterns and the psychic defenses that occur when trauma is inflicted on us. We discuss the myth of the wounded healer, and we will devote attention to the many treatment options available emphasizing recent advances that allow processing and recovery from trauma much more effectively.
Seminar Dates
- September 30 – Introduction
- October 7 – Unexplored and unprocessed trauma
- October 14 – Psychic defences evoked by trauma
- October 21 – Treatment options
- October 28 – Group discussion and the film, ‘Rewind’.
Seminar Content
30 September: Introduction
Discussion of the various types of traumas, including traumatic incidents like rape and motor vehicle accidents etc.; childhood traumas of neglect, physical, sexual, and emotional abuse; early relational trauma; transgenerational trauma, and societal trauma.
7 October: Unexplored and unprocessed trauma
Discussion of how unprocessed trauma affects the physical neuronal architectural structure of the brain resulting in the constellation of trauma complexes (referencing Jung’s Complex Theory) that profoundly change how our brains, psyches, and bodies function and the effects this has on our physical and mental health.
14 October: Psychic defenses evoked by trauma
Discussion of the psychic defences to trauma including splitting and dissociation, denial, avoidance, false self, etc., including the work of Donald Kalsched illustrating how protectors can become persecutors.
21 October: Treatment options
Discussion of various treatment options including recent advances and an archetypal perspective of trauma treatment (Karen A. Lipsky) with resources and additional tools that support treatment.
28 October: Group discussion and short film
A brief overview of topics covered in the course plus a discussion of the film, “Rewind”. processing of the experience of the course and wrap up.
Module Reading/Viewing List
- Van Der Kolk, B. (2014).The Body Keeps the Score. Mind, Brain and Body in the Transformation of Trauma.Penguin Random House.
- Summary of Article: Lipsky, K.A. Lilith, Inanna, and God Images in Myth: Working with Relational Trauma in Jungian Analysis. Psychological Perspectives, 65: 322-349, 2022
- Kalsched, D., Interview by Daniela Sieff. (2006). Unlocking the Secrets of the Wounded Psyche: The miraculous survival system that is also a prison. Caduceus, issues 69 – 70.
- Watch the Documentary “Rewind” on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USh6oG8DVcQ
Module Presenters
John Gosling is a psychiatrist and Jungian analyst who trained at the C.G. Jung Institute of New York and returned to Cape Town in 2004. He is a past- president of SAAJA and is also a training analyst. He has a special interest in dreams, complexes, archetypes, early trauma, and how psychoneurobiology informs our work and approach to psyche.
Charlotte Hoffman is a Clinical Psychologist and Jungian Analyst practising in Green Point, Cape Town. She has been in private practice for the past twenty-seven years and works extensively with trauma and intergenerational trauma, among other mental health issues. She remains deeply concerned about the intergenerational trauma caused by South Africa’s troubled history of colonialism and Apartheid and the need for South Africans to heal past and present psychological damage, and work towards creating an equal and non-racist society. She is a member of the International Association for Analytical Psychology (IAAP) and Southern African Association of Jungian Analysts (SAAJA), serves on SAAJA’s Media and Executive Committees, and is a Diversity Group participant.