Phuket Lifestyle: Teachers taught ‘trauma release’ exercises

PHUKET: Children at Yaowawit school in Phuket Town are now undergoing a new therapy to release trauma by participating in specific morning exercises.

The trauma exercises were introduced to teachers and a few children at a one-hour workshop held recently.

The workshop was run by Christine Von Aufsess, a psychotherapist from Germany, who was visiting her son, a volunteer at Yaowawit school.

The workshop started with Christine explaining the principles of the exercises; then participants were trained how to conduct the trauma releasing exercises.

Christine also described how to identify children with trauma.

“For example, some are aggressive, and a few leave school and don’t come back. It is because they have no commitment, no bonding with other people – they feel alone. Many are moody – their emotion changes all the time. These actions reflect their trauma and they don’t know how to handle that,” she says.

The exercises are designed to bring benefit in the long term; a sudden improvement is not ideal.

“Trauma doesn’t badly affect small children, but if they carry this trauma through childhood, it is very possible the teenager could turn to drugs, crime or alcohol. But if they practice the exercise every day, they will learn to be a part of the school, a part of this society, not alone anymore,” she says.

Sabine Kraus, Yaowawit project manager, is very happy with the exercises and will run them as part of their daily routine for primary students.

— Pimwara Choksakulpan