Getting to grips with the theory behind Mindful Emotion Coaching
Alpiri® EHCAP Ltd©
Mindful Emotion Coaching is based on the extensive evidence base and practical learning materials created by Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University. We work with evidence based metaphors that are easy to remember and practical to use. By now you will know a bit about Dan Siegel's Hand Model and John Gottman's Emotion Coaching. How about also taking a look at the biology of stress using the model of positive, tolerable and toxic stress.
Positive Stress is a normal and essential part of a healthy life where we are challenged by every day events. We may feel brief increases in heart rate or things like sweaty hands or even needing to go to the loo!
Tolerable Stress activates the body’s alert systems to a greater degree as a result of more severe, longer lasting difficulties, such as the loss of a loved one, a natural disaster, or a frightening injury. If this doesnt last too long and is buffered by compassionate emotion coaching style relationships, the brain and other organs recover from what might otherwise be damaging effects.
Toxic Stress can occur when we experience strong, frequent , and / or prolonged adversity or difficulties without access to compassionate emotion coaching style relationships. This can include things like physical or emotional abuse, chronic neglect, caregiver substance abuse or mental illness, exposure to violence, and / or the accumulated burdens of family economic hardship and is much more common than we think. As a child, experiencing this sort of prolonged activation of the stress response systems can disrupt the development of brain architecture, affect immune systems, hormonal systems and how our DNA is read and expressed. In other words it can change how our cells work together. If you experienced toxic stress as a child you may find you more easily tip from tolerable to toxic stress as an adult.
This programme focuses on psycho-education tools that build skills and capabilities in emotion intelligence and executive function so that we can all learn to manage better situations that might otherwise trigger a toxic stress reaction.
This video clip from 'Circle of Security' explains how toxic stress can affect our ability to parent .