These are questions and prompts to explore the traumatic incident and the beliefs and assumptions a client has about him/herself.
Trauma History
- “Tell me what problem or situation you’d like to address?”
- “Tell me a little more about it.”
- “Who was involved?”
- “When did it start?”
- “When does it happen?”
- “What is it about it that’s upsetting to you?”
Present Triggers
- “Tell me about a recent situation when this happened?”
- “What represents the worst part of this situation? (This could be represented by a picture, sound, smell, emotion, sensation, etc.)
- “As you think of that situation, what are you noticing in your body?”
Negative Core Belief
- “As you think of that incident and what you are feeling in your body, what words best describe your negative belief about yourself?”
Touchstone Events (earliest trauma)
- “When was the earliest time you felt that way?”
- “Focus on the sensations you are experiencing and allow yourself to float back (or scan back) to an earlier time when you experienced that. What memory comes up?”
- “Any earlier?”
- “Any situations as a child with either of your parents, your siblings, your school?”
CAUTION: Repeated eliciting of strong emotions and physical sensations may over-access and activate memory networks and flood the client.
Positive Cognition
- “As you think of the earliest (or worst) incident, how would you like to think about yourself?”
- “As you think of your present problem, tell me some times when something like that may happen in the future?
- “How would you like to see yourself handling these situations?”