Group Application
Trauma Awareness
Participants explore trauma’s impact on the mind and body, and practice self-regulation strategies
Mind-Body Awareness, Core Module
Learning Objectives
- Understand the science of trauma’s effects on the brain, and the physical and emotional responses to trauma
- Learn practical self-regulation techniques, and develop an awareness of treatment approaches
- Understand what causes people to use substances, and what the long-term effects are
Recommendation
- Add a co-facilitator for this session
Preparation
- Arrange chairs in a semi-circle if possible
- Have brain diagram handouts ready (found at the end of this document)
- Prepare whiteboard/flipchart
Materials Needed
- Brain diagram handouts
- At least one blank sheet of paper for each participant
- Colored markers
Note:
This brief intervention is about planting seeds of understanding and offering immediate tools, not processing trauma.
Part 1: Opening Activity – Safe Space Circle
10 Minutes
Purpose:
Build trust, establish psychological safety, and introduce the concept of feeling safe/unsafe in our bodies
Instructions:
- Have participants sit in a circle
- Give each participant a sheet of paper and markers
- Ask them to draw or write about a place where they feel completely safe and peaceful
- Have volunteers share their safe places and explain why they chose them
Discussion prompts:
- What makes a space feel safe vs. unsafe?
- What physical sensations do you notice when you’re in your safe place?
- How does your breathing change when you think about your safe place?
- What helps you feel safe in this group?
Part 2: What is Trauma?
10 Minutes
Interactive Element:
Have participants use hand signals (thumbs up/middle/down) to indicate their comfort level while discussing different topics. Remind them they can step out if needed.
Introduction Script
“Today we’re going to talk about something that affects many people, trauma. Remember, you can take care of yourself during this discussion by stepping out, taking breaks, or just listening without participating.”
Step-by-Step Facilitation
- Opening Discussion (2 minutes)
- Ask: “What comes to mind when you hear the word ‘trauma’?”
- Write responses on board without judgment
- Validate all contributions
- Define Trauma (3 minutes)
- “Trauma is when stressful events go beyond our ability to cope in the moment, leaving lasting imprints on our brain and body.
- It’s not just about what happened, but how our body and mind process it. These effects can continue long after the event.
- Everyone’s response to difficult experiences is different and valid. It’s totally normal to have intense feelings sometimes.
- Trauma can be a single event or ongoing situations, and it can affect anyone at any age.”
- Brain Science – The Three Brain Regions Affected (5 minutes)
- Distribute brain cards
- Think of your brain like a streaming service:
- “Prefrontal cortex is like the brain’s boss, your play/pause controls. Helps you think clearly and make decisions.
- The prefrontal cortex controls our decision-making, impulse control, emotional regulation. When we experience trauma, this part of our brain becomes less active. Your “controls get glitchy” and the boss gets overwhelmed.
- “Amygdala is like the alarm system for our brain. Your volume control, warns you of danger and triggers strong emotions.
- When we experience trauma, the amygdala releases excessive stress hormones and can continually become overactive after trauma. Your volume control gets stuck on high; the alarm is too loud.
- “Hippocampus is like a playlist for memories, the memory center.
- When we experience trauma, this part of our brain shrinks, making it harder to remember things. It also can make it more difficult to tell the difference between the past and the present. Your playlist gets scrambled and the memories get messy.”
- “Prefrontal cortex is like the brain’s boss, your play/pause controls. Helps you think clearly and make decisions.
Transition:
“Now that we understand what happens in our brain, let’s explore how this affects our body…”
Part 3 – How Does Trauma Affect My Body?
10 minutes
“Trauma can make it hard to trust others, can make us always on high alert, and can make us feel helpless. Trauma can make our heart rates change, cause our muscles to get tense, change our breathing patterns, our energy levels, the amount or our ability to sleep, and mess with our digestion. Trauma can resurface through flashbacks, pictures, sounds, smells, or words. Trauma makes us detached from what our body is feeling, so sometimes people that have experienced trauma participate in risky or unsafe behavior to feel something. Have you ever seen someone do that before?
Fight, flight, freeze, and fawn are the most basic types of our bodies’ responses to stress and trauma:
Setup:
- Prepare body outline handouts
- Set out colored markers
- Have stress ball or fidget toys available
Step-by-Step Facilitation:
- Mind-Body Connection (3 minutes)
Script: “Our brain and body are constantly talking to each other. When we feel unsafe…”- Demonstrate with simple example: “Think of jumping at a loud noise. Notice how your body reacts automatically.”
- Body Mapping Activity (7 minutes)
Instructions to give participants:- “Take a blank sheet of paper and draw a picture of your body”
- “Color in red for areas of tension/stress”
- “Color in blue for calm/relaxed areas”
- “Color in yellow for areas that change a lot”
- Group Discussion (5 minutes)
Prompts:
-
- “What patterns do you notice?”
- “Where do most people feel stress?”
- “What helps these areas feel better?”
Safety Note: Watch for signs of dissociation or distress.
Part 4: Coping with Substances and Long-term Effects
5 minutes
“We’ve talked about how trauma affects our brain and body. Sometimes, when people don’t have healthy ways to cope with these intense feelings, they might turn to substances to try to feel better or to numb the pain. This is a very human response to overwhelming experiences, but it’s important to understand how these substances affect us.”
Key Points to Share:
- “When our alarm system (amygdala) is stuck on high, some people use substances to try to turn down the volume.”
- “When memories feel too painful, substances might seem like they help us forget or feel numb.”
- “This isn’t a character flaw—it’s often the brain trying to find relief.”
Explain the pattern:
- “These substances might provide temporary relief, but they often make trauma symptoms worse over time.”
- “They can create new problems while the original trauma remains unhealed.”
- “The good news is that there are healthier ways to find relief and healing.”
“Understanding this helps us see why healing from trauma is so important—not just for the original hurt, but to prevent other problems from developing. Let’s look at healthier paths to healing.”
Part 5: Paths to Healing
10 minutes
Setup:
- Have grounding tools ready
- Set up calm corner with water/tissues
“If you or someone you know has experienced trauma, the effects don’t have to last forever. There are many strategies to deal with trauma. Trauma is not the same thing as PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). You can recover, and connecting with a positive safe person can help.”
Optional:
Video of Trevor Noah talking about dealing with trauma (from beginning to to 1:10)
There are four basic approaches to coping with trauma:
- Body-based:“Yoga, deep breathing, meditating, going to the gym or exercising, stretching, praying, showering”
- Mind-based:“Understanding our thoughts, building emotional awareness, processing our memories, writing things down, praying (works here too)”
- Social:“Connecting with safe people, creating support systems. Find safe people, spend time with them, talk about it.”
- Professional support: “Therapy and/or medication when needed”
Part 6: Closing Exercise-Home to Your Body
5-7 minutes
Facilitator Introduction Script:
“We’re going to end our session with a gentle grounding practice. This is something you can use anytime you feel overwhelmed or disconnected. You can do this sitting in your chair or standing, whatever feels most comfortable. If you feel uncomfortable at any point, you can open your eyes or stop the exercise.”
Step-by-Step Guide:
- Getting Settled (1 minute)
- “Find a comfortable position in your chair”
- “Place both feet flat on the floor”
- “Rest your hands in your lap or on your thighs”
- “Gently close your eyes if that feels okay, or look softly at a spot on the floor”
- “Take two natural breaths just to settle in”
- Body Awareness (1-2 minutes)
- “Notice the points of contact between your body and the chair”
- “Feel your feet connecting to the floor”
- “Notice the weight of your hands”
- “Without changing anything, just become aware of these sensations”
- Breath Focus (1-2 minutes)
- “Bring your attention to your breathing”
- “Place one hand on your belly if you’d like”
- “Notice the natural movement of breath”
- “Feel your belly rise and fall”
- “No need to change your breathing, just notice it”
- Sensory Grounding (1-2 minutes)
- “While keeping your awareness of your breath, notice:”
- “Three things you can hear… (pause)”
- “Two things you can feel… (pause)”
- “One thing you can smell… (pause)”
- Gentle Movement (30 seconds)
- “Wiggle your fingers and toes”
- “Roll your shoulders gently”
- “Move your head from side to side if that feels comfortable”
- Closing (30 seconds)
- “Take one more deep breath”
- “When you’re ready, open your eyes”
- “Take a moment to notice how you feel”
Facilitator Notes:
- Maintain non-judgmental tone and a calm presence—emphasize understanding, not shame
- Watch for participant reactions—some may have personal experience
- Disconnection/zoning out
- Increased agitation
- Physical distress
- Emotional overwhelm
- Be prepared for questions about specific substances or personal situations
- Have resources ready for anyone who might want help with substance use or additional services
- Allow stepping out if needed
- Emphasize hope—recovery from both trauma and substance use is possible
Safety Considerations:
- Some participants may be currently using substances
- Others may have family members affected by substance use
- Keep focus educational rather than personal disclosure
- Have crisis resources available if someone indicates immediate risk
- Follow up as needed
Additional resources to have available:
- Crisis support numbers
- Educational materials about trauma
- Information about therapy options
Remember:
Present information with sensitivity and emphasis on hope and healing. Create a safe space for questions and reactions while maintaining appropriate boundaries.
Resources:
Related Resources
Handout
Trauma’s Impact on Your Brain
Helps participants understand how trauma affects key brain areas
Mind-Body Awareness, Core Module
Group Application
Mindfulness and Deep Breathing
Participants learn mindfulness and practice deep breathing as a coping strategy
Mind-Body Awareness, Core Module
Connect Cards
Mindfulness and Deep Breathing
Helps participants use breathing and mindfulness to reduce stress and refocus
Mind-Body Awareness, Core Module