Using Mindfulness Prac1ces with Homeless Children and Families. Nancy Lynch Gibson, LCPC January 17, 2014

Transcription

1 Using Mindfulness Prac1ces with Homeless Children and Families Nancy Lynch Gibson, LCPC January 17, 2014

2 Introduc1ons Nancy Gibson Asst Prog Dir MH, grps 1+ yrs Joanne Manzo, Cert. Nurse Pract Mercy Hosp grp 3 yrs Teaching Mindfulness to children and families Effec1ve tool for coping with stress and managing emo1ons Weekly groups for children, parent group, families Joanne ar1cle in Crea1ve Nursing journal re: her personal journey of Mindfulness with urban children Begin with Tibetan Bowl - breathe

3 Open with Tibetan bowl and mindful breathing

4 Trauma Experiences of Homeless Children and Families Homeless children and families have experienced a variety of trauma1c events Hands on Experiences: Mul1ple moves Loss of home, belongings Loss of familiar surroundings Congregate living, doubling up, shelters Families being split up Untreated or undertreated medical/mental health issues Poverty, hunger, interrupted sleep

5 Vic1miza1on Physical, emo1onal, and/or sexual abuse Parents history of abuse According to the Health Care Clinicians Network, more than 90% of the homeless women served have been vic1ms of physical, sexual or emo1onal abuse and 43% were sexually abused as children (HCH Clinicians Network, 2003) Domes1c Violence

6 Substance Abuse Substance abuse ocen leads to homelessness and family disrup1ons Can lead to children being placed with other caretakers Poor educa1on, experiences of trauma, and other childhood disrup1ons can lead to substance use/abuse among adolescents

7 Vicarious Trauma Violence in the community Loss of family members due to community violence Lack of community resources Poor schools Poverty in the community

8 Defini1ons of Trauma Trauma refers to an experience that creates a sense of fear, helplessness, or horror, and overwhelms a person s resources for coping A trauma1c event can be Real or Perceived Trauma can be a single event or long term.

9 Trauma Responses in the Body The threat is sensed in the brain A heightened arousal response occurs in the body Stress hormones are released Diges1on stops Muscles tense Increased blood pressure, pulse, and cardiac output Sugar pours into the bloodstream The body prepares for Fight or Flight or Freeze

10 Trauma and The Brain Stress hormones can damage the transfer of sensory informa1on from the Limbic System to the Cortex When this happens, ra1onal thought cannot occur The alarm of perceived danger con1nues to sound Trauma survivors get stuck in a loop of threat- survival response

11 Trauma Memories are Stored Differently Trauma1c memories stay stuck in the less advanced regions of the brain Survivors of trauma lack words to cope with their trauma experiences Trauma1c experiences are stored on the body Trauma1c memories ocen manifest as flashbacks or soma1c sensa1ons/non- medical pains

12 Trauma and Development Poor impulse control Difficulty in managing emo1ons and behaviors Problems with judgment Decreased organiza1onal skills Challenges reading environmental/social cues Ajen1on deficits Diminished sense of safety Low self- esteem Lack of trust

13 Trauma Informed Care Incorpora1ng an understanding of trauma in working with homeless families and children Emphasis on safety Crea1ng predictable environments to help rebuild a sense of control Using a strength based approach Understanding the language of trauma Behaviors, symptoms, and emo1ons can represent adapta1ons to trauma1c experiences

14 Why Mindfulness? Mindfulness can help us return to our breathing Focuses our awareness on ourselves, others, and the environment Collect and anchor our mind in the present moment Helps us to see more clearly and have choices to respond rather than react Regulate our feelings whenever we experience deep emo1ons, troubling thoughts, or other triggers that grab our ajen1on (Thich Nhat Hanh, 2009)

15 What is Mindfulness? Paying ajen1on in a par1cular way: on purpose, in the present moment and non- judgmentally (Kabat- Zinn, 1994) It is an ACTIVE process It is PRESENT FOCUSED rather than past focused or future focused The paying ajen1on is: Non- judgmental and accep1ng Without labeling the thought/feeling/awareness as good or bad, right or wrong, important or not

16 Awareness of Internal and External Experiences Mindfulness prac1ces can bring about internal and external awareness Observing the internal and external experiences carefully Accep1ng the experiences Allowing the experiences to just be Lenng go of the experiences to ajend to another present moment experience

17 Mindfulness is Ac1ve Mindfulness is the prac1ce of being aware and accep1ng whatever state the body and mind are in at any given moment It is not just sinng and medita1ng, although medita1on can be mindful Mindful walking, driving, ea1ng. The prac1ce of awareness of our experiences moment by moment

18 The Founda1on of Mindfulness Our Breath When stressed, we forget to breathe or our breathing becomes shallow or rapid Mindfulness prac1ce is about bringing our ajen1on back to our in- breath and our out- breath Regardless of what we may be experiencing, our breath is always with us and we can always return to paying ajen1on to our breathing (Thich Nhat Hanh, 2009)

19 The Benefits of Mindfulness Mindfulness can bring our minds back to our body Paying ajen1on to our breathing Return to being fully in the here and now Research indicates that Mindfulness is an effec1ve response to stress Enhances the brain s execu1ve func1on Increases the ability to organize tasks, manage 1me, set priori1es, and make decisions

20 More Benefits of Mindfulness Mindfulness prac1ces can increase overall awareness Awareness of the external environment and others Awareness of self in the environment Awareness of the body Children who are taught Mindfulness prac1ces can experience: Enhanced ajen1on and focus Improved memory Improved self- acceptance Improved self- management skills and affect regula1on Improved self- understanding

21 Mindfulness and Trauma Trauma can lead to a heightened state of alert, anxiety, and chronic focus on the future Trauma can lead to a sense of loss of control of self, others, and the environment Trauma in can lead to difficul1es in affect regula1on Mindfulness provides a way to shic focus from anxiety to the present moment Mindfulness can provide coping skills to break the cycle of worrying

22 More Mindfulness and Trauma Improved awareness of self, the environment, and others gives a sense of safety Paying ajen1on to their internal world can help children iden1fy their emo1ons, regulate their emo1ons, and learn to self- soothe Being mindful of STOP- THINK- ACT can reduce aggression and promote self- control Paying ajen1on to thoughts can bring greater self- understanding

23 Teaching Mindfulness to Children and Families Mindfulness ac1vi1es can be used with homeless children and families The prac1ces can be taught in a group senng or individually Groups can be: Children only Parents only Children and parents together (groups of families) Family groups (parents, siblings)

24 The Key to using Mindfulness Be authen1c Be comfortable with mindfulness and have a mindfulness prac1ce that you use in your own life

25 Caveats Make sure that all you do with homeless children and families creates an environment of safety Keep ac1vi1es short, simple, and fun Reflec1ng on deep emo1onal pain may not feel safe for trauma survivors Be aware that painful emo1ons can rise to the surface during introspec1on Not everyone is comfortable closing their eyes closing eyes is always Medita1on is not necessary for mindfulness prac1ces

26 Mindfulness Groups for Children At Marian House, we ran weekly groups in sessions of 8-10 weeks depending on the curriculum Groups were for the homeless children in the Transi1onal Housing Program We have recently begun a group for the mothers Mindfulness ac1vi1es were also used at the monthly Family Program Dinners Groups were divided by age if there was a large age range Younger group was 5-8 year olds Older group was 8-14 year olds

27 Group Format Start with snack and sharing 1me Check- in Time Mindful Prepara1on for the Ac1vity Ac1vity Time Sharing Time Friendly Wish Closing Medita1on Hershey Kiss Medita1on

28 Snack and Sharing Time We provided simple snacks and juice for the children As the children ate their snack, they were given a 1me to talk about their week Sharing included talking about how the children used a mindfulness prac1ce during the week

29 Check in Time Take ajendance Review the group rules Set the tone for safety and confiden1ality in the group

30 Mindful Prepara1on for the Ac1vity Get into our Mindful Body Posture sit crossed leg on yoga mats or feet on the floor in chairs Pay ajen1on to the sound of the chimes Come to s1llness be quiet and focus on breathing in and out Listen for the chimes to call us to Ac1vity The chimes are a focus object bringing ajen1on to the moment Ring the chime all ac1vity stops and we come to s1llness In s1llness, we focus our ajen1on on our breathing in and out, in and out

31 Ac1vity Time The curriculum focused on building areas of awareness: Awareness of Breath Awareness of the Body Awareness of Thoughts and Feelings Awareness of Others Awareness of the Environment

32 Sharing Time A 1me for the children to talk about the ac1vity Share what they learned Ask if they no1ced anything about themselves from the ac1vity

33 Friendly Wish Medita1on Older Children Pebble Friendly Wish Medita1on Use small pebbles and a basket Each group member gets three pebbles The basket is passed around the group three 1mes First pebble placed in the basket I send a Friendly Wish to Myself Second pebble placed in the basket I send a Friendly Wish to someone special to me (they can name the person or not) Third pebble placed in the basket I send a Friendly Wish to the world (they can name a par1cular community or world event/person or not)

34 Friendly Wish Medita1on Younger Children Belly Breathing Friendly Wish Medita1on Have the children lie down on their backs on yoga mats and place a small stuffed animal on their bellies Ask the children to pay ajen1on to their in/out breaths as they give the stuffed animals a ride on their bellies with their breaths Think of yourself and give yourself a friendly wish May I be happy and healthy, strong and safe. May I live in peace with the people I love. Now let s pretend your stuffed animal has real feelings and it loves to rock up and down on your belly as you breathe. Imagine you re telling them I hope you are happy; I hope you feel love; I want you to have a peaceful life; and I want to send you friendly wishes.

35 Hershey Kiss Medita1on Have enough wrapped candy (Hershey s Kiss) or raisins for each group member Take the wrapped candy in your hand explore it with your senses Slowly unwrap the candy, listen to the crackle of the paper. No1ce how it looks, smells, sounds, feels Slowly put the candy in your mouth and no1ce what you sense as you let it melt in your mouth Finish ea1ng the candy slowly and mindfully, focusing all your ajen1on on what you no1ce about the candy and about yourself ea1ng the candy

36 Ac1vi1es Awareness of Breath Use the chimes to focus ajen1on Breathe in and out three 1mes slowly Place a finger under your nose to feel the exhale No1ce the difference between inhale and exhale Can use words Breathing in, I feel calm; Breathing out, I release stress Pinwheel use a paper pinwheel to teach breathing Flower/Candle

37 More Breath Ac1vi1es Different types of breath: Snake breath Bumble Bee breath Arm movements Goddess breath Breath of Joy

38 Ac1vi1es Awareness of Body Muscle Tense- Release Best done lying down but can be done sinng A guided medita1on See Muscle Tense- Release Script for details Body Scan Can be done lying down or sinng up A guided medita1on See Body Scan Script for details

39 Ac1vies Awareness of Thoughts and Feelings What s in the Box This ac1vity helps children no1ce feelings of curiosity, an1cipa1on, and anxiety See What s in the Box instruc1on sheet for details Mind in a Jar You will need small glass jars with lids, water, and glijer (enough for each par1cipant) This ac1vity provides a prac1cal image for the regula1ng thoughts and feelings See the Mind in a Jar instruc1on sheet for details

40 Ac1vi1es Awareness of Others Mirror Ac1vity The goal of this ac1vity is to allow par1cipants to no1ce one another through mirroring movements In pairs, play the Mirror Game One person leads the movements while the other person mirrors those movements Acer a few minutes, switch leaders Sharing Talk about what you no1ced about yourself and the other person

41 Ac1vi1es Awareness of Others (con1nued) And then Story Passing Ac1vity Have the group sit in a circle Have someone in the group begin a story with a sentence or two then saying and then The story is then passed to the next person who adds a sentence or two to the story and says and then. The story is passed around the circle in this fashion un1l the group feels the story is complete Sharing what did you no1ce about yourself when during this ac1vity? What did you no1ce about others? This ac1vity is really good to use with families

42 Ac1vi1es Awareness of Environment Mindful Walking Talk a silent walk outside or around the room Pay ajen1on to what you no1ce with your five senses as you walk Pay ajen1on to your breathing as you walk Sharing what did you no1ce feel, hear, smell, taste, see?

43 Ac1vi1es in the Environment (con1nued) Paying ajen1on to sounds ac1vity Listen to sounds of various instruments, music, etc. Engage in a movement to each sound (op1onal) Use chimes, drum, tambourine, whistles Use MP3or CD of birds, animals, waves, rain, etc. Ask the par1cipants to listen to the sounds and no1ce what you feel and what your body feels like when you hear the sounds Sharing What did you no1ce about yourself? What did you no1ce about your body in response to each sound? What did the movements feel like? (op1onal)