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Daniela F. Sieff, PhD, is an independent scholar with a doctorate in biological anthropology, and an active interest in the dynamics of emotional trauma and its healing. Her doctoral research explored how evolutionary processes contribute to shaping human behavior. Her research took her to a wilderness region of Tanzania to live with a traditional cattle-herders. In recent years, Daniela has explored emotional trauma and healing by interweaving her own experience with knowledge that comes from depth psychology, neurobiology, evolution, and anthropology. She is the author of ‘Understanding and Healing Emotional Trauma: Conversations with Pioneering Clinicians and Researchers’ (Routledge 2015). For more information, visit www.danielasieff.com
Deep within our bodies and minds lie wordless stories about who we are and how we came to be this... more Deep within our bodies and minds lie wordless stories about who we are and how we came to be this way. Emotional Trauma can change these inner stories, causing suffering.
This illustrated essay presents a model for healing trauma by revising these inner stories. It describes seven distinct types of inner stories, showing how each contributes to greater self-understanding, personal growth, and wellbeing.
Evolutionary Psychiatry: Current Perspectives on Evolution and Mental Health - Book edited by Riadh Abed & Paul St John-Smith (Published by Cambridge University Press), 2022
In Western culture, both the lay public and mental health professionals tend to believe that moth... more In Western culture, both the lay public and mental health professionals tend to believe that mothers evolved to love all of their children instinctually and unconditionally. In contrast, any mother who feels ambivalence or hostility towards her child is typically seen as unnatural, and a mother who maltreats her child is seen as behaving pathologically. This chapter draws on evolutionary research to challenge this widespread view of motherhood. In particular, it describes how raising children has required mothers to negotiate a series of complex, precarious and layered trade-offs, and it argues that maternal negativity and child maltreatment can arise from this. The goal of this chapter is to foster a more evolutionarily valid, nuanced and compassionate understanding of motherhood. Such an understanding has the potential to contribute to clinical work with faltering mothers and also to programmes focused on preventing maternal maltreatment of children.
To understand emotional suffering, it is vital to understand what the underlying emotions evolved... more To understand emotional suffering, it is vital to understand what the underlying emotions evolved to do. Emotional suffering is caused by 'negative' emotions, which we generally see as undesirable and try to eliminate as quickly as possible. However, negative emotions evolved over millions of years to warn us of danger and to motivate us to withdraw from threatening situations. Thus it is not always wise to eliminate these emotions; rather, it is prudent to rst explore whether our suffering relates to our circumstances, and if so, act accordingly. Sometimes, however, we are assailed by negative emotions which seem inappropriate to our circumstances. Then we are diagnosed as having a disorder such as depression, anxiety or panic attacks. Evolutionary thinking helps to explain why we are susceptible to these 'disorders', and enables us to contextualise the particular dynamics involved in terms of what we have inherited from our distant ancestors. Evolutionary thinking also elucidates why happiness is elusive, why we turn to self-blame when misfortune befalls us and why we will sacri ce so much to remain within groups. It can even shed light on why psychological change is dif cult. Most importantly, evolutionary perspectives help us realise that our emotional states result from our deep heritage rather than because we are abnormal, and that realisation makes it easier to develop self-acceptance and self-compassion. Today we have a much greater understanding of the evolutionary forces that have shaped our emotional world than ever before. Incorporating this understanding into our lives, and our clinical practices, enhances our ability to alleviate emotional suffering and foster well-being.
SummaryThe traditional disease model, still dominant in psychiatry, is less than ideal for making... more SummaryThe traditional disease model, still dominant in psychiatry, is less than ideal for making sense of psychological issues such as the effects of early childhood experiences on development. We argue that a model based on evolutionary thinking can deepen understanding and aid clinical practice by showing how behaviours, bodily responses and psychological beliefs tend to develop for ‘adaptive’ reasons, even when these ways of being might on first appearance seem pathological. Such understanding has implications for treatment. It also challenges the genetic determinist model, by showing that developmental pathways have evolved to be responsive to the physical and social environment in which the individual matures. Thought can now be given to how biological or psychological treatments – and changing a child's environment – can foster well-being. Evolutionary thinking has major implications for how we think about psychopathology and for targeting the optimum sites, levels and ti...
The archetypal Death Mother symbolizes women whose behaviour or feelings threaten the lives of th... more The archetypal Death Mother symbolizes women whose behaviour or feelings threaten the lives of their children. Western culture, however, believes that women evolved to love their children instinctively and selflessly, and that women who abandon, neglect, harm or kill their children are unnatural. Thus the Death Mother has no place in our cultural consciousness. This can be problematic, because it means that the Death Mother is buried deep in the shadow and surrounded with shame.
In this article, I introduce Jungian and psychodynamic perspectives on the Death Mother, archetype and then focus on evolutionary and anthropological perspectives. My aim is to show that when the Death Mother is approached with compassionate curiosity, we can better help the mothers who are living this frightening energy, as well as those who grow up traumatized by her impact. In particular, I propose that that when we bring the Death Mother into consciousness, learn about her evolutionary roots, and humanize her, we start to dismantle the self-perpetuating cycles of shame that constellate around her archetypal energy, thereby opening the doors to meaningful change.
If our childhood is emotionally wounding, survival systems are activated in both our minds and bo... more If our childhood is emotionally wounding, survival systems are activated in both our minds and bodies. As a result, we live our lives from inside a reality which is different to the one we would have inhabited had we not been wounded. This parallel reality is embodied in the biological systems that mediate both our emotions and our perceptions of ourselves and other people. It is as though we have been transported into Narnia – only this version of Narnia is constructed around our wounds. I've named this parallel reality a " trauma-world ". While each trauma-world is unique, having been shaped by our personal experiences and individual disposition, there are three systems which form the core of all trauma-worlds: • Hypervigilance. The external world is perceived through a veil of fear: we carry an embodied and implicit mistrust of other people, situations and opportunities. • Disconnection. Parts of ourselves become exiled: we are distanced from our emotions, our bodies and some aspects of our personality. • Shame. Our emotional identity is distorted: we experience ourselves as being fundamentally inadequate, and feel ourselves to be unworthy of relationships, and undeserving of success. Hypervigilance – a heightened sensitivity to potential danger – is the result of changes in the biological systems that mediate fear. Many species have a fear system that can be set to different levels of sensitivity (depending on early experience and epigenetic inheritance). This flexibility is adaptive: in a dangerous environment it is better to be easily frightened than dead.
Deep within our bodies and minds lie wordless stories about who we are and how we came to be this... more Deep within our bodies and minds lie wordless stories about who we are and how we came to be this way. Emotional Trauma can change these inner stories, causing suffering.
This illustrated essay presents a model for healing trauma by revising these inner stories. It describes seven distinct types of inner stories, showing how each contributes to greater self-understanding, personal growth, and wellbeing.
Evolutionary Psychiatry: Current Perspectives on Evolution and Mental Health - Book edited by Riadh Abed & Paul St John-Smith (Published by Cambridge University Press), 2022
In Western culture, both the lay public and mental health professionals tend to believe that moth... more In Western culture, both the lay public and mental health professionals tend to believe that mothers evolved to love all of their children instinctually and unconditionally. In contrast, any mother who feels ambivalence or hostility towards her child is typically seen as unnatural, and a mother who maltreats her child is seen as behaving pathologically. This chapter draws on evolutionary research to challenge this widespread view of motherhood. In particular, it describes how raising children has required mothers to negotiate a series of complex, precarious and layered trade-offs, and it argues that maternal negativity and child maltreatment can arise from this. The goal of this chapter is to foster a more evolutionarily valid, nuanced and compassionate understanding of motherhood. Such an understanding has the potential to contribute to clinical work with faltering mothers and also to programmes focused on preventing maternal maltreatment of children.
To understand emotional suffering, it is vital to understand what the underlying emotions evolved... more To understand emotional suffering, it is vital to understand what the underlying emotions evolved to do. Emotional suffering is caused by 'negative' emotions, which we generally see as undesirable and try to eliminate as quickly as possible. However, negative emotions evolved over millions of years to warn us of danger and to motivate us to withdraw from threatening situations. Thus it is not always wise to eliminate these emotions; rather, it is prudent to rst explore whether our suffering relates to our circumstances, and if so, act accordingly. Sometimes, however, we are assailed by negative emotions which seem inappropriate to our circumstances. Then we are diagnosed as having a disorder such as depression, anxiety or panic attacks. Evolutionary thinking helps to explain why we are susceptible to these 'disorders', and enables us to contextualise the particular dynamics involved in terms of what we have inherited from our distant ancestors. Evolutionary thinking also elucidates why happiness is elusive, why we turn to self-blame when misfortune befalls us and why we will sacri ce so much to remain within groups. It can even shed light on why psychological change is dif cult. Most importantly, evolutionary perspectives help us realise that our emotional states result from our deep heritage rather than because we are abnormal, and that realisation makes it easier to develop self-acceptance and self-compassion. Today we have a much greater understanding of the evolutionary forces that have shaped our emotional world than ever before. Incorporating this understanding into our lives, and our clinical practices, enhances our ability to alleviate emotional suffering and foster well-being.
SummaryThe traditional disease model, still dominant in psychiatry, is less than ideal for making... more SummaryThe traditional disease model, still dominant in psychiatry, is less than ideal for making sense of psychological issues such as the effects of early childhood experiences on development. We argue that a model based on evolutionary thinking can deepen understanding and aid clinical practice by showing how behaviours, bodily responses and psychological beliefs tend to develop for ‘adaptive’ reasons, even when these ways of being might on first appearance seem pathological. Such understanding has implications for treatment. It also challenges the genetic determinist model, by showing that developmental pathways have evolved to be responsive to the physical and social environment in which the individual matures. Thought can now be given to how biological or psychological treatments – and changing a child's environment – can foster well-being. Evolutionary thinking has major implications for how we think about psychopathology and for targeting the optimum sites, levels and ti...
The archetypal Death Mother symbolizes women whose behaviour or feelings threaten the lives of th... more The archetypal Death Mother symbolizes women whose behaviour or feelings threaten the lives of their children. Western culture, however, believes that women evolved to love their children instinctively and selflessly, and that women who abandon, neglect, harm or kill their children are unnatural. Thus the Death Mother has no place in our cultural consciousness. This can be problematic, because it means that the Death Mother is buried deep in the shadow and surrounded with shame.
In this article, I introduce Jungian and psychodynamic perspectives on the Death Mother, archetype and then focus on evolutionary and anthropological perspectives. My aim is to show that when the Death Mother is approached with compassionate curiosity, we can better help the mothers who are living this frightening energy, as well as those who grow up traumatized by her impact. In particular, I propose that that when we bring the Death Mother into consciousness, learn about her evolutionary roots, and humanize her, we start to dismantle the self-perpetuating cycles of shame that constellate around her archetypal energy, thereby opening the doors to meaningful change.
If our childhood is emotionally wounding, survival systems are activated in both our minds and bo... more If our childhood is emotionally wounding, survival systems are activated in both our minds and bodies. As a result, we live our lives from inside a reality which is different to the one we would have inhabited had we not been wounded. This parallel reality is embodied in the biological systems that mediate both our emotions and our perceptions of ourselves and other people. It is as though we have been transported into Narnia – only this version of Narnia is constructed around our wounds. I've named this parallel reality a " trauma-world ". While each trauma-world is unique, having been shaped by our personal experiences and individual disposition, there are three systems which form the core of all trauma-worlds: • Hypervigilance. The external world is perceived through a veil of fear: we carry an embodied and implicit mistrust of other people, situations and opportunities. • Disconnection. Parts of ourselves become exiled: we are distanced from our emotions, our bodies and some aspects of our personality. • Shame. Our emotional identity is distorted: we experience ourselves as being fundamentally inadequate, and feel ourselves to be unworthy of relationships, and undeserving of success. Hypervigilance – a heightened sensitivity to potential danger – is the result of changes in the biological systems that mediate fear. Many species have a fear system that can be set to different levels of sensitivity (depending on early experience and epigenetic inheritance). This flexibility is adaptive: in a dangerous environment it is better to be easily frightened than dead.
Understanding and Healing Emotional Trauma by Daniela F. Sieff, PhD
Jan 20, 2016 Kingsclere Commu... more Understanding and Healing Emotional Trauma by Daniela F. Sieff, PhD Jan 20, 2016 Kingsclere Community Library Event (c) Daniela F. Sieff, 2016
We are becoming increasingly aware of how widespread trauma is, and of the huge costs it imposes not only on individuals and their immediate communities, but also on society more generally. But what exactly is trauma? How does it affect our daily lives? And how do we heal it?
In this talk, Daniela Sieff, author of 'Understanding and Healing Emotional Trauma: Conversations with Pioneering Clinicians and Researchers' will address these questions, drawing on what she learned whilst working on this book.
To cite this talk: Sieff, D. F (2016) Understanding and Healing Emotional Trauma. Kingsclere Library, Hampshire, 20 January, 2016. Lecture. Retrieved from: https://youtu.be/0RnauQqTG-g
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This illustrated essay presents a model for healing trauma by revising these inner stories. It describes seven distinct types of inner stories, showing how each contributes to greater self-understanding, personal growth, and wellbeing.
In this article, I introduce Jungian and psychodynamic perspectives on the Death Mother, archetype and then focus on evolutionary and anthropological perspectives. My aim is to show that when the Death Mother is approached with compassionate curiosity, we can better help the mothers who are living this frightening energy, as well as those who grow up traumatized by her impact. In particular, I propose that that when we bring the Death Mother into consciousness, learn about her evolutionary roots, and humanize her, we start to dismantle the self-perpetuating cycles of shame that constellate around her archetypal energy, thereby opening the doors to meaningful change.
This illustrated essay presents a model for healing trauma by revising these inner stories. It describes seven distinct types of inner stories, showing how each contributes to greater self-understanding, personal growth, and wellbeing.
In this article, I introduce Jungian and psychodynamic perspectives on the Death Mother, archetype and then focus on evolutionary and anthropological perspectives. My aim is to show that when the Death Mother is approached with compassionate curiosity, we can better help the mothers who are living this frightening energy, as well as those who grow up traumatized by her impact. In particular, I propose that that when we bring the Death Mother into consciousness, learn about her evolutionary roots, and humanize her, we start to dismantle the self-perpetuating cycles of shame that constellate around her archetypal energy, thereby opening the doors to meaningful change.
Jan 20, 2016 Kingsclere Community Library Event (c) Daniela F. Sieff, 2016
We are becoming increasingly aware of how widespread trauma is, and of the huge costs it imposes not only on individuals and their immediate communities, but also on society more generally. But what exactly is trauma? How does it affect our daily lives? And how do we heal it?
In this talk, Daniela Sieff, author of 'Understanding and Healing Emotional Trauma: Conversations with Pioneering Clinicians and Researchers' will address these questions, drawing on what she learned whilst working on this book.
To cite this talk: Sieff, D. F (2016) Understanding and Healing Emotional Trauma. Kingsclere Library, Hampshire, 20 January, 2016. Lecture. Retrieved from: https://youtu.be/0RnauQqTG-g
(c) Daniela F. Sieff, 2016
1 Hour. 5 mins