Research indicates that incarcerated individuals have experienced high rates of trauma, which correlates with long-term negative outcomes. This session will focus on the impact of trauma on the body, including the brain and the nervous system, and the potentially negative outcomes of a dysregulated nervous system in a correctional setting. Skills that can be applied over time to achieve better emotion regulation overall, as well as those that can be used in a moment of crisis to downregulate emotion and/or tolerate distress, will be shared.

Educational Objectives

• Review the impact of trauma on the brain and nervous system
• Discuss trauma's impact on emotional dysregulation and how emotional dysregulation is perpetuated by the correctional environment
• Describe concrete skills to help patients manage symptoms of trauma

Level: Intermediate