What is it?
It is said that the body keeps the score of a person’s life’s stresses.
But, how? Where?
Somatic Trauma Informed Care training is designed to illustrate how trauma is stored in the body. This information enhances the clinical practice of mental health practitioners and bodyworkers:
- It deepens the clinician’s understanding of trauma and the physiological grasp it holds on the client.
- It offers a comprehensive view of the mechanisms involved in the body’s response to present and past stress, which will expand the application of a practitioner’s toolbox when supporting a person affected by it. As a general example, if a counselor sees a client slouched, with arms crossed in front of their chest, they may understand that this is an indicator of the person not feeling safe, trying to protect their heart, which may inform the practitioner to draw from their tools in order to address it.
- Shedding light on the physiological response to the intangibles of life’s stresses helps validate and understand a person’s internal reality of tension and suffering. Being “seen” in our totality is one of the most powerful remedies to healing trauma. For example, a person may be complaining about their low back, not being able to move with ease because it feels like it may “go out”, etc., this presentation may be full of hidden insights for the practitioner. Is the client going through personal relationship stresses? Do they have a history of abuse? Different parts of the spine hold on to different “themes” of stress.
- Becoming Somatic Trauma Informed will help a mental health practitioner identify signs of stress that may be addressed through somatic healing modalities in order to offer a whole person approach to mental health; a true bodymind healing experience that can help improve people’s lives.
- Bodyworkers will learn how to identify specific areas of tension and trauma through their palpation and observation, thus offering the client a first-class understanding of what they bring with them, as well as create a safe container for the client to truly relax. For example: a massage therapist may feel tightness along the muscle fibers on the neck that may indicate a history of being “choked”. A gentle inquiry to the client may shift the therapist’s awareness and physical contact in order to not re-traumatize the client.
What will the attendee take away from this event?
Participants will develop the ability to use simple and effective tools to support clients in neural regulation through body-based techniques, as well as familiarize themselves with established somatic approaches with a long history of helping people clear stress and tension from their body.
Who should attend?
- Mental health professionals (counselors, social workers, therapists, psychologists, etc.)
- Bodyworkers (chiropractors, massage therapists, physical therapists, acupuncturists, naturopaths, primary care providers)
Meet your hosts
Dr. Julieta I. Rushford Santiago was born and raised on the small Caribbean Island of Puerto Rico. At the age of 17 she graduated high school and pursued higher education in the United States. She earned her Doctorate Degree in Chiropractic from Life University, Marietta, GA, in 1994, and holds a Bachelor’s in Exercise Science from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
Dr. Julieta has over 30 years of experience in Network Spinal Analysis and is co-founder of Rushford Family Chiropractic.
She also has training in:
- “12 Stages of Healing & Somato Respiratory Integration”
- ChiroYoga
- Certified Aromatherapist
- Professional Certification as a Trauma-Informed Care Practitioner from the Trauma Informed Care Training Center
- Continuing Medical Education Certificate in The Treating Trauma Master Series by the National Institute for the Clinical Application of Behavioral Medicine.
Dr. Julieta has co-led healing workshops over the past 3 decades focusing on hands-on clearing of the nervous system as a way to bring ease and peace to the bodymind. She has also taught Human Biology, as well as, Anatomy & Physiology at the college level.
Dr. Julieta lives in Vermont with her husband, and together they have a son, Storm, who is currently in college. She enjoys going for daily walks with their German Shepherd dog, Athena, and insists that playing latino music while cooking is her secret ingredient for delicious rice & beans.
Dr. Matthew Rushford is a 1993 graduate of Life Chiropractic College. Co-founder of Rushford Family Chiropractic, he has been practicing Network Chiropractic since the early 90’s, and is certified in Basic and Advanced Levels of Network Spinal Analysis. His special skills and experience with the unique needs of female patients during pregnancy, labor, and delivery have drawn patients from New York State, Canada, and beyond for his special support during this critical time.
A sought-after speaker on the topics of natural health and wellness paradigms, Dr. Matt is a prolific writer whose work has been featured in several international publications, including Mothering magazine, and has published two full-length non-fiction books.
Dr. Rushford holds basic and advanced certifications in Mind-Body Medicine training through the Center for Mind-Body Medicine.
As a professor and director of the Holistic Health degree program at Northern Vermont University, Dr. Matt has been designing, teaching and leading trauma-informed programming with particular respect to the diversity, equity and inclusion that is expected at liberal arts colleges like NVU.
A native Vermonter and avid outdoorsman, he has also grown to love Puerto Rican cooking. He is the very proud father of his son, John Storm.
