Criteria for participation in the 5-day course
Prior psychotherapeutic or body therapeutic training and preferably also trauma therapeutic training. Work as a psychotherapist or similar, preferably with a focus on trauma therapy.
Focus on the workshop is on specialties in Relational Trauma Therapy – specialties that can be applied alongside other forms of psychotherapy and trauma therapy:
· Psychomotor and neuro-centric skills training – applied to strengthen self-regulation capacity
· Development of mutual regulation capacity in a group – through systems-oriented group process – with the goal that states having been held in dissociation can become regulated collectively.
· Inclusion and regulation of hypo-states in both the muscle system and the ANS. Focus on the balance between working with hyper- and hypo-states.
· Work with disgust – focus on differentiating between the functions that disgust, anger and fear respectively serve in relation to healing trauma.
· Map of trauma states divided into 3 degrees of stress – and divided into instincts, emotions and thought-feelings. Including differentiation between organized and disorganized survival reactions – and corresponding differences in methodology. The focus is on strengthening the ability to get states in circulation in an organized form - and build a boundary in relation to 3rd degree stress/disorganization.
Background for the method
Knowledge of psychomotor development and the function of the muscles in the development of human resources and defense patterns is fundamental to the method. The same applies to understanding hypo- and hyper-responsive defense patterns represented in musculature (giving up and control). This approach was originally formulated in Bodynamic Analysis - a body-oriented psychotherapy developed in Denmark from the late 1960s onwards. Inspiration for the neuro-centric skills training comes from the Z-Health system.
Development into Relational Trauma Therapy
Since 2004, Merete Holm Brantbjerg and Kolbjørn Vårdal have further developed trauma therapy work – through the inclusion of theory about dissociation and attachment patterns, through formulating the approach as a relational psychotherapeutic method and through the inclusion of systems-oriented group process. The systems-oriented perspective lifts coping with trauma-states and -patterns into a collective, shared-human container.
The principle of dosing is central to the method – a principle that emphasizes that all aspects of trauma work are precisely adjusted to meet the individual – and to the balance between states of giving up or control (hypo- or hyper-response in the musculature) and states of hypo- or hyper-arousal in the nervous system.
The name Relational Trauma Therapy places the approach as part of the traditions of "Relational Psychotherapy" and "Relational Body Psychotherapy."
The therapist comes first….
Resilience in meeting other people in stress and trauma states develops through training in coping with one's own corresponding states – in here and now contact. The method focuses on first training participants in their own mastery in contact, then being able to meet others. Knowing one's own hyper- and hypo-arousal states and being able to cope with them in contact opens the possibility of being there for others in similar states – and thus supporting the possibility for healing to occur.
Trauma states are contagious. High arousal states evoke corresponding states in others. The therapist's ability to maintain a centered presence in resonance with the other when confronted with trauma reactions creates a container and a landing platform for all present.
Relational Trauma Therapy emphasizes 5 overarching tracks:
1) Self-regulation through bodily presence – supported by psychomotor skills training and neuro-centric training. Psychomotor skills such as centering, grounding, orientation, etc. are trained with awareness of both giving up and control in the muscles (hypo- and hyper-response) - with a focus on precise individual dosing. Neuro-centric training is used to support orientation and balance here and now through strengthening proprioception, the vestibular system and vision. Together, the bodily exercises support an experience of direction from within – and the ability to sense arousal states and allow a bodily regulation of these states to occur. Automatization of bodily skills can help create movement in stuck trauma patterns and access memory and sensation that have been dissociated.
2) Mutual arousal and emotion regulation – supported by systems-oriented group process. The systems-oriented group process focuses on opening isolation patterns, bringing states into relationship, forming sub-groups that can share the experience of a particular state, training not to take any state personally, opening to states being held collectively. Relational skills are trained – limbic resonance with oneself and with others – ability to shift between sensing oneself and another – mastery of both resonance and boundaries.
3) Equal emphasis on regulation of states characterized by hypo- and hyper-arousal – giving up/collapse and mobilization to activity, e.g., flight, fight, etc. A natural oscillation between the 2 poles of the autonomic nervous system is crucial in a trauma healing process. Training focuses on learning to know both types of states, developing bodily resonance with them and being able to participate in their regulation. Emphasis is placed on developing capacity to hold the full range from collapse, hopelessness, lostness to rage, disgust, anxiety, pain, etc.
4) Awareness, normalization and appreciation of trauma patterns, survival reactions and arousal states as they are. Knowledge of the phenomena encountered when working with trauma provides the opportunity to normalize them and develop acceptance that they exist. In the training, a map of different degrees of arousal states, different types of survival reactions is provided. Focus is on both establishing a map that supports orientation in meeting trauma states – and on expanding the personality's norm system, so trauma-related phenomena can be accepted and integrated into self-image and perception of reality.
5) Establishing a relationship to traumatic events – rather than being identified with them or avoiding them. In Relational Trauma Therapy emphasis is placed on the fact that we are not the story – we have experienced the story. We are not the arousal states – we have experienced them and can still experience them. The focus is on developing inner authority in relation to one's own and others' trauma – an experience of being able to maintain control and decide the level of dosing when approaching or suddenly standing in the midst of trauma-related sensations – both as help-seeker and help-giver. Inner authority and boundaries impact how we relate to a traumatic event. We don't need to be pulled into the story and into the arousal states and thus have to defend ourselves against them – we can train skills that enable us to establish a relationship to the story. The story can become part of our life history.
The approach is related to Relational Psychotherapy, to the concept of Posttraumatic Growth – and to other relevant aspects of trauma theory.
Teaching Format
The teaching includes a mix of bottom-up process, which involves attending to bodily sensations, both visceral (interoception) and from the muscle and skeletal system (proprioception), and top-down training in fact-oriented verbal language and support in developing a meta-cognitive stance from which to relate to trauma. It includes exercises, practical training, group process – exchange on theory, demonstration, and reflection.
Trainers:
Merete Holm Brantbjerg: Works as a trainer, supervisor and psychotherapist internationally. Leader and owner of Moaiku – Relational Trauma Therapy. Co-creator of Bodynamic Analysis - member of EABP and the Danish Association of Psychotherapists. Merete is specialized in using psychomotor skills training and systems-oriented group process as psychotherapeutic methods in relation to stress and trauma and in relation to mastering the help-seeking/help-giving interaction. Is trained in SCT – Systems Centered Therapy. She has written a number of articles on aspects of Relational Trauma Therapy. Has participated and presented at European conferences on body psychotherapy (EABP) and trauma research (ESTSS).
Kolbjørn Vårdal: Psychotherapist, member of EABP, Bachelor's degree in educational science and Master's degree from the Institute for Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, in violence and traumatic stress. Kolbjørn has specialized in knowledge about traumatic memories and how neuropsychological interventions can support processing and development of resilience for traumatic stress. Co-creator of Relational Trauma Therapy. Kolbjørn has a private practice in Oslo offering individual, couples and group therapy. He supervises and teaches therapists and institutions in Scandinavia in trauma therapy.
Articles can be downloaded here on this website - click on Literature – and there are also videos and podcasts available.
Dates: April 14-18 2027 – 5 whole days
Teaching hours: 9.30 am – 5.30 pm – except for the last day where time is 9.30 am – 5 pm.
Venue: NOR, Hejrevej 30, 5.floor, 2200 København N (Copenhagen N)
Participants: Max. 24.
Workshop-number: RTT5Cop27
Price: 1250 Euros with sign up and payment prior to February 1st 2027
With later payment the price is 1300 Euros
Sign up and information: moaiku@brantbjerg.dk