W.Mindfulness-based approaches are ubiquitous in university settings in various forms: introductory sessions drop-in classes eight-week courses for ‘wellbeing’ eight-week courses as part of counselling service provision techniques used one to one as part of counselling or wellbeing support.

The result is a groundbreaking and practical approach that empowers those looking to practice mindfulness in a safe, transformative way. Covering the role of attention, arousal, relationship, dissociation, and social context within trauma-informed practice, Treleaven offers 36 specific modifications designed to support survivors’ safety and stability. Part II distills these insights into five key principles for trauma-sensitive mindfulness. Through grounded scholarship and wide-ranging case examples, Treleaven illustrates the ways mindfulness can help―or hinder―trauma recovery. Part I provides an insightful and concise review of the histories of mindfulness and trauma, including the way modern neuroscience is shaping our understanding of both. Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness offers answers to this question. This raises a crucial question for mindfulness teachers, trauma professionals, and survivors everywhere: How can we minimize the potential dangers of mindfulness for survivors while leveraging its powerful benefits? Instructed to pay close, sustained attention to their inner world, survivors can experience flashbacks, dissociation, and even retraumatization. But the reality is not so simple.ĭrawing on a decade of research and clinical experience, psychotherapist and educator David Treleaven shows that mindfulness meditation―practiced without an awareness of trauma―can exacerbate symptoms of traumatic stress. This means that anywhere mindfulness is being practiced, someone in the room is likely to be struggling with trauma.Īt first glance, this appears to be a good thing: trauma creates stress, and mindfulness is a proven tool for reducing it. At the same time, trauma remains a fact of life: the majority of us will experience a traumatic event in our lifetime, and up to 20% of us will develop posttraumatic stress. ' rare combination of solid scholarship, clinically useful methods, and passionate advocacy for those who have suffered trauma.' ―Rick Hanson, PhD, author of Buddha's Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdomįrom elementary schools to psychotherapy offices, mindfulness meditation is an increasingly mainstream practice.

Trauma sensitive mindfulness treleaven