ACEs & Trauma-Informed Anger Work Flashcards
7 cards from real CART practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 ACEs & Trauma-Informed Anger Work flashcards as text
A client with an ACE score of 7 presents with chronic anger and reports 'always being on edge.' This hypervigilance is best explained by:
Answer: A dysregulated HPA axis from chronic early stress
Chronic early adversity dysregulates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, resulting in persistently elevated cortisol and a hypervigilant nervous system.
Which therapeutic modality is most aligned with trauma-informed anger work because it targets body-level trauma storage?
Answer: Somatic Experiencing
Somatic Experiencing addresses how trauma is stored in the body and helps clients complete thwarted survival responses that underlie chronic anger.
When a client with high ACEs 'freezes' during a conflict instead of expressing anger, the CART practitioner should recognize this as:
Answer: A dorsal vagal shutdown response
Freezing during conflict reflects dorsal vagal shutdown — a primitive survival response activated by perceived inescapable threat, common in trauma survivors.
Which statement about trauma and anger in women is most accurate according to trauma-informed research?
Answer: Women with ACEs more often internalize anger as depression and anxiety
Research consistently shows women with ACEs are more likely to internalize distress, presenting with depression and anxiety rather than overt aggression.
The SAMHSA framework for trauma-informed care includes all of the following principles EXCEPT:
Answer: Confrontation and challenge
SAMHSA's six principles are safety; trustworthiness and transparency; peer support; collaboration; empowerment; and cultural sensitivity — confrontation is not a principle.
A client reports childhood emotional neglect and now struggles with anger when their needs go unmet. The CART practitioner should FIRST address:
Answer: Unmet attachment needs underlying the anger
Emotional neglect disrupts secure attachment, and anger at unmet needs is often an attachment protest — addressing the underlying attachment wound is foundational.
Which physiological marker is MOST useful for assessing a trauma-survivor client's current level of threat activation during a session?
Answer: Heart rate variability (HRV)
Heart rate variability (HRV) reflects autonomic nervous system flexibility and is the gold-standard physiological indicator of trauma-related stress and regulation capacity.