A three-year old girl came home and told her parents that Black was not good; she learned that at daycare. A young boy witnessed his friend getting handcuffed by the school resource officer after engaging in a fight because the N-word was targeted at him. These experiences happen to students of Color (SOC) across the US. These events are classified as race-based traumatic stress or racial trauma, experiences of racial discrimination that lead to outcomes resembling those of post-traumatic stress disorder (Carter, 2007).
In this article we explore trauma, racial trauma, their impact on the brain, and recommend contemplative movement practices as a potential intervention.
Trauma and the Autonomic Nervous System
The Autonomic Nervous System (ANS), comprised of sympathetic, parasympathetic, and enteric nervous systems, is responsible for automatic functions, as well as survival and stress responses (Cleveland Clinic, 2023; Dana, 2018). The ANS continuously and automatically searches for cues of safety or danger in our environment.
When the ANS detects a threat or danger in the environment it can enter either a mobilization response (fight/flight response) or immobilization response (freeze response). When there is no longer a threat detected, ANS enacts a safety response where individuals seek out social connection and engagement (Cleveland Clinic, 2023).
Trauma can broadly be conceptualized as experiences and their effects on individuals (SAMHSA, 2014). Traumatic experiences are associated with brain changes including changes in brain activation, volume of structures, connection among different brain regions, changes in brain waves, and neurochemicals (Sweeton, 2019). The experience of trauma and chronic stressors can cause individuals to become stuck in survival states (Dana, 2018).
Racial Trauma in Children and Adolescents
Racial trauma refers to the cumulative impact of racist incidents and discriminatory experiences on People of Color (POC) (Williams et. al, 2022). Evidence suggests that racial trauma is “reality based and repetitive trauma” faced by POC (Jernigan & Daniel, 2011).
Such experiences can occur at the structural, institutional, interpersonal, and internal levels (Williams et. al, 2022). An explanation for higher rates of PTSD in SOC may be exposure to race-based frightening events, violence, and discrimination (Saleem et al., 2019).
Researchers agree that there is a need for universal intervention with a focus on race and ethnicity to promote positive outcomes, both emotional and social, with diverse adolescent populations (Saleem et al., 2019).
Mindfulness and Movement Interventions to Address Trauma
Unresolved trauma is held in the body, resulting in energy becoming stuck; when this occurs, the nervous system becomes disrupted (Levine, 1997; Sweeton, 2015; Van der Kolk, 2014). This experience is perhaps even more true for SOC whose bodies have historically been the recipient of trauma (Moore, 2009).
Counselors who support students who have experienced trauma often utilize interventions based in cognitive and behavioral counseling approaches (MacNeil, 2019). However, addressing the neuropsychological impacts of racial trauma requires approaches that move clients out of their heads and into their bodies.
Therefore, we propose utilizing the practices of mindfulness and movement as counseling interventions.
Mindfulness
Felt sense is one’s ability to feel into one’s body and connect with internal sensations (Levine, 1977; Sweeton, 2015). Understanding one’s own internal process and associated sensations allows identification of emotional experiences and provides opportunities to incorporate skills to soothe distressing trauma symptoms (Sweeton, 2015).
Mindfulness and breathing practices assist in increases one’s ability to regulate unhelpful and/or painful emotions and, overtime, can lead to reduced stress responses, reduction in amygdala activation, and less emotional reactivity to trauma reminders (Sweeton, 2015).
Movement Practices
Studies have shown dancing regularly can improve one’s problem-solving skills, ability to stay attuned to one’s surroundings, improve cognitive processes, and mediate the effects of depression (MacNeil, 2019). Movement-based techniques have been shown to decrease amygdala activation, decrease arousal and reactivity symptoms, reduce stress response, and improve connection between affected brain areas (Sweeton, 2015).
Movement therapies have been shown to strengthen cognitive, social, emotional, and physical outcomes for children; however, the use of such therapies in the treatment of trauma in children remains limited (Grasser et al., 2019).
In African cultures, traditional dance is “connected to ritualistic and spiritual healing practices” used to address a wide array of afflictions with the underlying belief that both the mind and body must be incorporated in such practices to promote healing to the individual and community (Monteiro & Wall, 2011).
Utilizing approaches that involve dance and movement is a culturally responsive practice for SOCs. Another embodied approach that integrates mindfulness and movement is the practice of Qoya. Qoya is an expressive dance practice that increases self-awareness through elements of mindfulness, yoga, and dance (Inspire and Move, LLC, 2015). Like African dance practices, Qoya offers an approach that allows individuals to address trauma through movement.
Considerations for Implementation
Many school counselors and school based mental health clinicians are implementing mindfulness practices into their work (Ceballos et al., 2021; Su & Swank, 2019). Many of these mindfulness and movement approaches can be implemented with the training counselors receive in their master’s programs.
However, incorporating some movement practices, such as Qoya or specific cultural dance practices, requires counselors to acquire additional training to practice ethically. We encourage counselors to collaborate cross-disciplinary with dance therapists and those in the performing arts to implement these interventions.
Conclusion
Adverse childhood experiences and trauma impact children disproportionately, thereby increasing their risk of academic underachievement and additional negative outcomes throughout the lifespan including post-traumatic stress and other anxiety disorders (Frankland, 2021; Sprang et. al, 2013).
Sprang and colleagues (2013) argue “appropriate early intervention may help to disrupt the intergenerational ‘cascade effects’ that may emanate from multigenerational trauma exposure” (pg. 297).
This is a call to action for inclusion of mindfulness and movement practices to disrupt the neurocognitive impact of trauma exposure among youth. Addressing the neurosomatic impacts of racial trauma is a crucial piece of the puzzle as it will alter the physical trajectory of their future.
References
Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2011). Levels of analysis, regnant causes of behavior and well-being: The role of psychological needs. Psychological Inquiry, 22(1), 17-22.
Gutiérrez-Carmona, A., & Urzúa, A. (2022). Ethnic Identity and Self Esteem as Mediators of the Effects of Cultural Involvement on the Wellbeing of Indigenous Andean People. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 00220221221088337.
Kreulen, K., Bruin, D. B., Ghorbani, A., Mellema, R., Kammler, C., Vanhee, L., … & Dignum, V. (2022). How Culture Influences Individual Behavior During a Pandemic: A Social Simulation of the COVID-19 Crisis. Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, 25(3), 6.
Keltner, D., Sauter, D., Tracy, J. L., Wetchler, E., & Cowen, A. S. (2022). How emotions, relationships, and culture constitute each other: advances in social functionalist theory. Cognition and Emotion, 36(3), 388-401.
Lee, C. C. (Ed.). (2014). Multicultural issues in counseling: New approaches to diversity. John Wiley & Sons.
Levers, L. L. (2021). Trauma counseling: Theories and interventions. Springer Publishing Company.