The Role of Mindfulness and Embodiment in Group-Based Trauma Treatment
Psychotherapy and Counselling Journal of Australia March 27, 2024 Julien Tempone-Wiltshire 9 citations
Embodiment and mindfulness interventions offer benefits for individuals living with trauma, but their integration into group work lacks clarity. This article presents a framework for incorporating these interventions into structured resourcing groups, with guidance on a phasic, staged approach for trauma-oriented group work. These practices help participants counter experiential avoidance, reorient attention to the present moment, and increase bodily and affective self-awareness, reducing reactivity and supporting symptom stabilization, reflective ability, and self- and co-regulatory capacities needed for trauma processing. The interventions also benefit facilitator wellbeing, group cohesiveness, and norming processes. Safety considerations include contraindications for certain trauma presentations and necessary screening and exclusion criteria.