CDT Neurobiological Foundations of Trauma 3

Question 1

What is dissociation as a neurobiological response to trauma?

Accepted Answer

A disconnection from thoughts, feelings, surroundings, or identity as a protective mechanism

Answer

Dissociation is the brain's protective mechanism to distance the self from overwhelming traumatic experience, often manifesting as detachment or memory gaps.

Question 2

In CDT practice, why should practitioners be aware that some disability symptoms may overlap with trauma symptoms neurobiologically?

Accepted Answer

To avoid misattributing trauma responses solely to the disability itself

Answer

Many trauma symptoms — such as hypervigilance, emotional dysregulation, and withdrawal — can mirror disability-related behaviors, requiring careful differential assessment.

Question 3

What does 'trigger' mean in a neurobiological trauma context?

Accepted Answer

A stimulus that activates the nervous system's trauma response by resembling the original traumatic event

Answer

A trigger is any sensory, cognitive, or environmental cue that the nervous system associates with past trauma, reactivating the original stress response.

Question 4

How does chronic early trauma affect the developing brain's stress response systems?

Accepted Answer

It can sensitize the stress response system, leading to lower thresholds for activation

Answer

Early chronic trauma sensitizes the HPA axis, resulting in a hair-trigger stress response that can persist into adulthood.

Question 5

Which body-based therapy approach is consistent with neurobiological trauma principles and used in CDT-informed work?

Accepted Answer

Somatic Experiencing

Answer

Somatic Experiencing, developed by Peter Levine, works with the body's trauma-held energy and is grounded in neurobiological understanding of the stress response.

CDT - Certified in Disability Trauma Practice Test

CDT - Certified in Disability Trauma Practice Test

CDT Neurobiological Foundations of Trauma 3