Psychological trauma is among the most devastating of conditions. Though classified as a mental health disorder, it affects the body at the most fundamental levels.
The Genetics of Trauma™ course is an invaluable guide to understanding and treating psychological trauma. It traces the physiological roots of posttraumatic stress disorder in the body’s many systems: the brain, the autonomic nervous system, the endocrine system, and the many organs they control. After taking this course you will understand how deeply interwoven trauma is with the body, and the new methods that have evolved to treat it.
Faculty: Dawson Church, PhD, the creator of this course, is one of the world’s foremost experts on epigenetics. He has conducted seminal research on the epigenetic effects of stress on cortisol and microRNAs, and is author of the best-selling science classic The Genie in Your Genes.
Content: In The Genetics of Trauma™ course, Dawson weaves together the most current research from many different scientific fields. You’ll learn about the contributions to our understanding that come from:
- Epigenetics
- Neuropsychology
- Developmental Psychology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Immunology
- Polyvagal theory
- Biofeedback
- Energy Psychology
- Epidemiology
- Memory Reconsolidation
In Depth: You’ll discover how when we are traumatized, especially at an early age, changes occur deep in the brain. These are reinforced by neural plasticity, our brain’s ability to rapidly add new synaptic connections. Trauma is also epigenetic, changing gene expression in ways that compromise our health. Over time, epigenetics intensifies the symptoms of PTSD, often leading to disabling personal limitations.
The Genetics of Trauma™ course also reviews the evidence from the new field of memory reconsolidation. This shows that under very specific conditions, fear-based memories may be revised by the brain. The new therapies emerging in the field of energy psychology, especially EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques), are able to quickly neutralize traumatic emotions.
It also explains the physiological mechanisms behind the efficacy of these novel therapies, especially gene expression and neural rewiring.
Besides discussing several key clinical trials showing rehabilitation of over 80% of PTSD sufferers, this course contains many case histories of veterans and others who have made full recoveries using EFT. It is a unique resource for parents, patients, teachers, scholars, therapists, physicians, caregivers, and journalists, as well as anyone wishing to understand the underlying physiology of stress.