Safety & Stabilization Techniques Flashcards
7 cards from real TTC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Safety & Stabilization Techniques flashcards as text
A client with PTSD and a substance use disorder presents for trauma treatment. According to best practice guidelines, which approach is MOST appropriate?
Answer: Address trauma and substance use in integrated, simultaneous treatment when clinically appropriate
Integrated treatment models like Seeking Safety address both trauma and substance use simultaneously, as they are typically mutually maintaining conditions.
The 'window of tolerance,' as conceptualized by Daniel Siegel, describes:
Answer: The optimal zone of arousal in which a person can process information and function effectively
Within the window of tolerance, the nervous system is neither hyperaroused (above) nor hypoaroused (below), allowing for effective memory processing and emotional regulation.
When a trauma client begins hyperventilating during a session, the clinician's IMMEDIATE priority is to:
Answer: Help the client regulate breathing and return to a calm baseline before continuing
Active physiological dysregulation requires immediate stabilization intervention; exploring content while the client is in crisis is contraindicated.
The technique of 'dual awareness' in trauma treatment refers to helping clients:
Answer: Maintain awareness of both the present-moment safety and the traumatic memory being processed
Dual awareness allows trauma processing to occur without full retraumatization by anchoring the client in present safety while accessing past material.
Which of the following is a key principle of 'trauma-sensitive yoga' as a stabilization tool?
Answer: Emphasizing interoceptive awareness and giving clients choice and control over their bodies
Trauma-sensitive yoga prioritizes body autonomy, present-moment awareness, and choice-making to counter the helplessness and body disconnection associated with trauma.
A clinician notices that a client's trauma symptoms worsen significantly after each session. This pattern MOST likely indicates:
Answer: Sessions may be exceeding the client's window of tolerance; pacing and stabilization should be adjusted
Post-session worsening signals that the therapeutic work is activating more material than the client can integrate, requiring greater attention to titration and stabilization.
In Somatic Experiencing, the term 'discharge' during stabilization refers to:
Answer: The release of thwarted survival energy through involuntary body movements, trembling, or temperature changes
Peter Levine's SE model holds that incomplete defensive responses leave survival energy 'frozen' in the body, and natural discharge through trembling or heat is part of healthy resolution.