“The trauma is not in the event, but in the nervous system.”
Dr. Peter A. Levine
“The trauma is not in the event, but in the nervous system.”
Dr. Peter A. Levine
We offer the following workshop for teachers and pupils in schools.
Why?
In many schools, both children and teachers are increasingly confronted with emotional stress and challenges that go beyond traditional teaching. Stressful life events and traumatic experiences are having an increasing impact on learning and feelings of safety in the classroom.
Offer:
For this reason, my foundation, the ‘Foundation for Trauma Therapy - Heinke Sofka,’ is offering to finance a 1-2 day seminar for teachers, a 1-2 day seminar for students, and a subsequent supervision day on the topic of ‘trauma, self-regulation, and stress management’ at primary schools in Berlin.
Aim of the workshops:
The workshops are designed to enable teachers and pupils to develop a deeper understanding of the effects of trauma and its consequences on learning, and to learn how they can improve the learning environment through self-regulation and body-oriented methods.
Practical tools are provided to create a safe and supportive environment in which children can better understand and regulate their emotions. For teachers, it offers valuable strategies for stabilising the classroom atmosphere and responding empathetically to traumatised children. This not only strengthens the resilience of all those involved, but also promotes the long-term safety and well-being of the entire school community.
Possible schedule:
In this workshop, teachers gain the knowledge they need to support traumatised pupils, strengthen their own self-regulation skills and thus create a safe, learning-friendly classroom environment.
The workshop provides an understanding of the neurobiological processes of trauma and its subsequent symptoms and teaches concrete ways to de-escalate challenging behaviour and promote resilience in children. Teachers learn to recognise traumatised children, understand their needs and cope with stressful situations using targeted strategies. A special focus is placed on teachers' self-regulation in order to strengthen their own resources and act as stable attachment figures.
Contents:
Recognising trauma and its consequences: How do trauma-related disorders manifest themselves and what behaviours indicate traumatic stress? How do they affect children's learning and development?
‘Trauma is stored in the body’ – overview of the neurobiology of trauma: How trauma changes the brain and body. Insight into the neurobiological processes of stress and trauma. The significance of physical reactions and how they influence behaviour.
Self-protection and self-regulation for teachers: How does self-regulation influence the working environment? Approaches to managing stress and promoting resilience and stress management.
Practical exercises: Dealing with challenging situations in the classroom.
Case studies for practical application: How do I de-escalate and how do I promote emotional safety?
Intervision among colleagues: Opportunities for intervision among colleagues: How can teachers support each other? Opportunity to exchange experiences and solutions to difficult situations.
The workshop helps students gain a deeper understanding of their own emotions and learn to deal with stress and difficult situations in a constructive way. They learn simple, practical techniques that promote self-awareness and help children recognise and regulate their own stress responses. Targeted exercises that strengthen the connection between body and mind are easy to integrate into lessons and promote both concentration and relaxation. At the end of the workshop, students will have concrete tools to increase their learning ability, overcome blockages and navigate stressful situations with greater composure – all with joy and movement.
Contents:
What is stress and how does it affect me?
Child-friendly explanation of the effects of stress and trauma on the body, emotions and behaviour. How can I tell when I am stressed and how does my body react to it?
Self-regulation – How can I control my emotions? How can I calm myself down when I feel upset or sad? Practical exercises to calm the nervous system, which students can integrate directly into their lessons.
My brain stem and learning: How we can involve the brain in the learning process to reduce stress and overcome learning blocks. Teaching simple methods to increase concentration and overcome learning blocks.
Strong together – learning from each other: How can I help my classmates when they are feeling down? The importance of community and how we can support each other.
Interactive exercises: Creative and movement-oriented methods are used in playful activities to reinforce what has been learned, promote confidence in one's own abilities and support the development of new coping strategies. .
Depending on requirements, it is possible to offer half-day supervision for both teachers and students. This provides a valuable opportunity to consolidate what has been learned, optimise practice and ensure that both teachers and students can effectively integrate the techniques into their everyday lives in the long term.
The length of the workshop and the distribution of a two-day workshop can be arranged individually.
Speakers:
Costs:
The costs are covered by the foundation. Upon request, individual adjustments can be made to suit the needs of the respective school.
Contact and application:
Heinke Sofka, occupational therapist, founder of the ‘Foundation for Trauma Therapy’
E-Mail: heinke.sofka(at)gmx.de
Tel: +49 30 94413580
Mobil: +49 176 26113521
Web: www.stiftung-traumatherapie.com
Final remark:
These two workshops and the concluding supervision offer provide teachers and students with valuable tools for coping with the challenges of trauma and stress in a school context. The focus is on treating children who have experienced trauma with respect and understanding, as well as on promoting a healthy, safe and stable learning environment.