Trauma First Aid for Psychoanalysts: Integrating Somatic Experiencing
*PACIFIC TIME*: February 22, 2025, 1:00 - 4:00 PM
*** Registration will close at 4:30 PM the day before the event. No registrations are possible after this time, no exceptions. *** Please see our Policies for more information.
PLEASE MAKE NOTE OF THIS IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
- This program will be held in person and via Zoom.
- Pre-registration is required.
- 3 CE/CME credits offered.
- Signature is required for Continuing Education Credit. Zoom attendees must "sign" in and out at the beginning and end of the discussion in the Zoom Meeting Chat to receive credit.
- You will receive a confirmation and event-details message by email after registering. Contact Byrd at byrdb@n-c-p.org if you have questions.
NCP PRESENTS
Trauma First Aid for Psychoanalysts: Integrating Somatic Experiencing
In response to the current disaster affecting the Los Angeles region, NCP is proud to present this special fundraiser workshop offered by Dr. Christopher Walling. As you register, please consider making a donation to assist fellow mental health professionals who have suffered losses due to the fires.
This interactive workshop is designed for psychoanalysts seeking to enhance their capacity to provide immediate support—“trauma first aid”—to clients experiencing acute stress or overwhelming emotional states. Grounded in Somatic Experiencing (SE) research, the workshop will explore how psychoanalysts can integrate body-based interventions alongside traditional psychoanalytic frameworks to address trauma-related symptoms as they emerge in session. We will begin with a review of key findings from Somatic Experiencing research, highlighting the physiology of trauma responses and how the body stores and processes traumatic experiences. Participants will then learn to recognize somatic markers of distress, utilize immediate stabilization techniques, and facilitate grounding and containment. Emphasis will be placed on linking these somatic tools to psychoanalytic theory—such as transference, countertransference, and the therapeutic alliance—to foster a holistic approach to trauma care.
Underlying Deficits Contributing to the Problem:
- Knowledge Deficit: Clinicians may be unaware of the research and principles behind somatic interventions, particularly Somatic Experiencing (SE), and how these strategies can be integrated into psychoanalytic practice.
- Skill/Performance Gap: Even when psychoanalysts recognize the importance of bodily awareness, they may lack specific techniques (e.g., titration, grounding, orienting) to provide immediate stabilization and containment during sessions.
- Strategic Integration: Therapists often struggle to seamlessly combine body-based interventions with psychoanalytic concepts like transference, countertransference, and unconscious processes.
- System/Implementation Challenges: Without a structured approach or clear guidelines, clinicians and clinic systems may not provide opportunities for continuing education or supervision in somatic approaches, leaving the need unaddressed.
By examining these deficits, we aim to:
- Close the Knowledge Gap: Present current findings on the physiology of trauma, highlighting ways the body stores and processes traumatic experiences.
- Build Skills: Offer instruction and experiential practice in core SE stabilization techniques (e.g., grounding, orienting, titration) that can be immediately applied in session.
- Improve Strategy: Teach participants how to integrate somatic interventions with psychoanalytic theory, thus enriching their therapeutic strategies without undermining psychoanalytic principles.
- Enhance Performance: Provide case examples, role-plays, and guided practice opportunities so that psychoanalysts become more confident and adept at offering immediate support to patients in crisis.
Learning Objectives
As a result of attending this session, participants should be able to:
- Identify core principles of Somatic Experiencing in Psychoanalytic work.
- Summarize the neurophysiological underpinnings of trauma as they relate to psychoanalytic practice.
- Describe at least three somatic-based interventions (e.g., grounding, orienting, titration) for use as immediate “first aid” techniques in crisis or acute stress situations.
- Demonstrate how to integrate body awareness and regulation strategies within the psychoanalytic setting while maintaining sensitivity to transference and countertransference dynamics.
- Develop an initial plan to apply somatically informed trauma first aid interventions ethically and effectively, ensuring a safe therapeutic environment for both client and practitioner.
Reference list for further reading available here.
Presenter:
Christopher Walling, PsyD, MBA, FABP, is a licensed clinical psychologist, board-certified psychoanalyst, and an active leader in the bio-behavioral sciences. Dr. Walling is Associate Professor in the Department of Research Psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies, a Fellow of the American Board of Psychoanalysis, a Fellow of the International Psychoanalytical Association, and a member of the New Center for Psychoanalysis where he serves as Faculty Chair in the Adult Psychoanalytic Training program. Dr. Walling also serves on the American Psychoanalytic Association’s Committee on Gender & Sexuality and is a Fellow of the Kinsey Institute.
IMPORTANT:
- This program will be held in person and via Zoom.
- Pre-registration is required. Target audience: This program meets the needs of all mental health professionals, including psychiatrists, psychiatric nurses, psychologists, social workers, and marriage and family therapists.
- Level: Every level.
- 3 CE/CME credits offered.
- Signature is required for Continuing Education Credit. Zoom attendees must "sign" in and out at the beginning and end of the discussion in the Zoom Meeting Chat to receive credit.
- You will receive a confirmation and event-details message by email after registering. Contact Byrd at byrdb@n-c-p.org if you have questions.
FEES:
General Registration with CE/CME credit is free.
RECORDING:
To be determined.
"How do I get my CE/CME Credit?"
- Pre-Register below
- If you are registering for the first time you will receive a welcome email. You must follow the directions in this email to complete your registration in order to access your certificates.
- "Sign" in and out during the event (by typing your full name into the chat if attending on Zoom). This is how we record your attendance at the event.
- Wait 5-10 business days.
- Download your Certificate from the NCP website.
CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDIT
PHYSICIANS: This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of American Psychoanalytic Association and the New Center for Psychoanalysis. The American Psychoanalytic Association is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
The American Psychoanalytic Association designates this live activity for a maximum of 3 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
The APsA CE Committee has reviewed the materials for accredited continuing education and has determined that this activity is not related to the product line of ineligible companies and therefore, the activity meets the exception outlined in Standard 3: ACCME's identification, mitigation and disclosure of relevant financial relationship. This activity does not have any known commercial support.
PSYCHOLOGISTS: The New Center for Psychoanalysis is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. The New Center for Psychoanalysis maintains responsibility for this program and its content. Psychologists must report CE credits directly to MCEP using this document to verify attendance. Please note that a psychologist must attend the CE program in its entirety in order to receive credit.
SOCIAL WORKERS, MARRIAGE and FAMILY THERAPISTS (LCSW, LMFT, ASW, IMF, LEP, LPCC, PCCI): The New Center for Psychoanalysis offers continuing education via the organizations listed above whose requirements meet the course content requirements set by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences (see 16 CCR section 1887.4.0 for General CE Course Content Requirements). Acceptance of the CE credits for this activity is at the discretion of the licensing board.
Please complete all registration pages until you come to the final "Receipt" page to ensure the confirmation email with the meeting details is sent to you.
Please contact Byrdb@n-c-p.org if you have trouble registering.