February '25 - Brainspotting and "The Over-Functioner"

As someone who has wrestled with my own “over-functioning part” for fifty years, I know how entrenched our survival coping mechanisms can be. There is plenty of research identifying childhood trauma as a powerful predictor of becoming an over-functioner in adulthood. Over-doing, over-giving, over- working are all survival strategies, rooted in childhood pain, to avoid feeling the heartbreak of our most wounded childhood parts. (“Exiles” in Internal Family Systems or "IFS") 

Those of us who grew up with abuse, neglect, or constant chaos, develop chronic hypervigilance and the “flight” response. This results in constant doing, pleasing, business, and overcommitting at work and home. My own “over-functioning part” has long outlived the traumatic experiences that caused led to this coping. It has persisted in spite of Brainspotting every single one of my childhood traumatic experiences. I have learned it is imperative to Brainspot the specific coping mechanisms, or “manager parts” as well as the trauma. I have done Brainspotting on my core SELF (the true self in IFS), the wounded child or “exile,” (a 6th grade part that was assaulted) and my “over-functioning manager part” I am finally making progress on this pernicious coping pattern that has exhausted me by Brainspotting all three in the same session.

PLEASE COME TO THIS MONTH'S TRAUMA MAMA HOUR ON FEBRUARY 11TH AT 11 AM PST TO WATCH A DEMONSTRATION ON BRAINSPOTTING AND HEALING THE OVER-FUNCTIONING PART!

***Please note: To protect the privacy of our demo volunteers, TM hours ARE NOT recorded for distribution.***

Topic: February Trauma Mama Hour 
Time: Feb 11, 2025 11:00 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87610679620?pwd=wMDVghV3zh52vHzBVNDGKifzCMoZyh.1

Meeting ID: 876 1067 9620
Passcode: 068130

I hope to see you there,

Lisa Larson