Abstract
Complex trauma can have lifelong effects on a child’s ability to self regulate and to engage in interpersonal relationships. In children and adolescents, complex trauma results in difficulties with expressing emotions, identifying and labeling feelings, and communicating desires, wishes and needs. Children experiencing trauma fail to develop the ability to self soothe which can further lead to numbing, dissociation, avoidance, or other maladaptive behaviors. As an intervention to trauma, mindfulness offers teachers a strategy that enhances self regulation through a process of building self awareness. It engages students in cognitive monitoring, attention and emotional regulation, and self appraisal. Mindfulness of breathing increases resilience to stressful situations and helps regulate responses to them. Mindful breathing is taught and practiced over a period of sessions, usually for six to eight weeks. Through modeling and rehearsal, the students become more aware of the relationship between breath control, attention and emotional reactivity. As a metacognitive tool, mindful breathing allows teachers to observe students as they reflect on their ability to monitor attention and emotions and thus measure self-knowledge and self regulation. Teaching metacognitive strategies like mindful breathing reduces the dependence on the teacher to manage student behavior and increases the student’s ability to develop coping skills and self regulation.
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
Health Promotion and Education
KEYWORDS
Trauma, Self Regulation, Mindfulness, Teacher Education, Psycho-education, Well Being
