Trauma and its effects

on student learning
Karen Carnabucci, MSS, LCSW, TEP
Lake House Health & Learning Center
Racine, Wisconsin
About myself
■ Karen Carnabucci, MSS, LCSW, TEP
■ Licensed clinical social worker
■ Psychodramatist
■ Psychotherapist, trainer and
consultant in trauma, addiction and
other therapeutic issues.
What is trauma?
Experiences outside of the range of
human experience that have a life-
changing impact on the person.

Healing is possible.
More…
The person experienced, witnessed
or was confronted with an event or
events that involved actual or
threatened death or serious injury
or a threat to the integrity of self or
others.
Response involved intense fear,
helplessness or horror.
 Examples of
trauma
■ Car accident or other severe accident
■ Alcoholism or mental illness in family
■ Physical abuse and/or sexual abuse
■ Observing abuse, violence and severe injury
■ Kidnapping
■ Crime
■ Torture, war, terrorism
■ Immigration
■ Natural catastrophe (earthquake, fire, tornado, etc.)
■ Significant loss
■ And more…
L R
eft ight
Imagination
Logic Emotions
Words Creativity
Thinking Music
Planning Sound
Understanding Movement
Processing of information Sensations
Consequences Experience
Consciousness Art
Meaning-making Receptivity
Body
Images
Smells
Sounds
Urges
How trauma
lives in us
■ Regular and intrusive recollections
of the event, including images,
thoughts or perceptions.

In young children – repetitive play

may occur in which themes or
aspects of the trauma are
expressed. There is often
disorganized or agitated behavior.
How trauma
lives in us
■ Recurring dreams that are
upsetting.

■ Acting or feeling as if the trauma

were happening again.

■ Intense distress at exposure to

internal or external cues related to
the trauma.
How trauma
lives in us
■ Efforts to avoid reminders of the
trauma.
■ Difficulty remembering parts of the
trauma.
■ Feelings of isolation, detachment
from others.
■ Unable to have a range of feelings
(always sad, always angry).
How trauma
lives in us
■ Low expectations
■ Difficulty sleeping
■ Difficultly concentrating
■ Hyper vigilance
■ Startles easily
■ Causing distress in areas of
functioning, including school
L R
eft ight
Easily triggered to anger

Thinking is difficult Spacing out

Can’t concentrate on Isolated from others

studies
Feeling different from
Easily distracted others

Difficulty communicating
To heal…
■ Know realities of trauma.
■ Help right brain and left brain
integrate.
■ Know and use the value of the
creative arts for self expression.
Positive visual images can replace
painful ones.
■ Help student integrate his or her
strengths.
Strengths
■ Personal
(courage, intelligence, etc.)
■ Relational

(positive relationships with others)

■ Spiritual

(a good higher power)

 With right and left brains are
communicating with each other, we
have an integrated person, using all
of the parts of the brain.
Be aware…
■ High-achieving child may also
struggle with trauma and not show
it.
■ AODA education and prevention
important.
■ Mentoring with adults who care is
important.
Don’t forget…
■ Have awareness.
■ Be careful with touch.
■ Know resources and refer child
and family as necessary.
■ Build in components in school
system.
■ Practice self care.
Karen Carnabucci, MSS,
LCSW, TEP

Lake House Health & Learning Center

932 Lake Ave.
Racine, WI 53403

(262) 633-2645
www.lakehousecenter.com
karenc@wi.rr.com