Alaine D. Duncan - Tao of Trauma: A Practitioner’s Guide for Integrating Five Element Theory and Trauma Treatment

Alaine Duncan and Kathy Kain use contemporary neuroscience to bridge the classic Five Element model of Acupuncture and Asian Medicine (AAM) with Somatic Experiencing. Through this integration a new understanding of traumatic experiences emerges that leads to more effective treatment.

Stephen W. Porges, PhD, professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina; distinguished university scientist, Kinsey Institute, Indiana University Bloomington, Indiana; developer, Polyvagal Theory

We are a part of this natural world, and it is nature that heals our body, opens our mind, and awakens our spirit. In this pioneering book, Alaine Duncan and Kathy Kain draw on the wisdom of nature, and chart a rich and trustworthy pathway for working with trauma.

Tara Brach, PhD, psychologist, author of Radical Acceptance and True Refuge

When trying to help people with complex and difficult symptoms and conditions, I have often found that the greatest insights and healing came when I looked at these problems through an entirely different lens or system than the biomedical model in which I was trained. The Tao of Trauma teaches us all to do just that. This important work will directly impact all clinicians who work with people living with traumatic stress, and the clients and patients they serve.

Tracy W. Gaudet, MD, executive director, Office of Patient Centered Care and Cultural Transformation, Veterans Health Administration

East meets West! The Tao of Trauma is a unique book and Alaine Duncans compassion, sensitivity and skill as a practitioner shines through from every page.

Angela Hicks, LAc, cofounder, College of Integrated Chinese Medicine, Reading, UK

This pioneering method of combining Eastern and Western schools of thought creates a new model for healing trauma. This book is clear and highly readable, and will be educational not only for those affected by trauma but also for professionals who devote their practices to resolving it.

Stephen J. Terrell, PsyD, SEP, author (with Kathy Kain), Nurturing Resilience: Helping Clients Move Forward from Developmental TraumaAn Integrative Somatic Approach

Duncan and Kain artfully describe the restoration of our natural healthy functioning via the balancing of yin and yang, and the return of regulated functioning of the autonomic nervous system. While our experience of trauma may be complex, understanding that our life force/qi is always available to support healing is simple and essential guidance for practitioners wanting a comprehensive resource for a somatic approach to trauma healing.

Berns Galloway, somatic psychotherapist, senior faculty member, Somatic Experiencing Trauma Institute

The Tao of Trauma offers providers a new lens to understand the impact of trauma on human beings, and how and why integrative approaches are so critical. I highly recommend this book to all providers.

Robin Carnes, MBA, certified yoga therapist, cofounder of Warriors at Ease

Alaine Duncan has opened new doors of discourse for clinicians and new promise for those suffering from trauma. The Tao of Trauma is a must-read for integrative-minded clinicians.

Jane Grissmer, LAc, MAc (UK), director, Crossings Healing and Wellness, former dean of faculty and chair of AOM Theory Division, Maryland University of Integrative Health

Duncan and Kain reveal themselves as healers and teachers with sensitivity, experience, skill, and scholarship.

Nancy Takahashi, LAc, MAc

The Tao of Trauma fills a critical gap in the literature on trauma and healing. I recommend it as essential reading for all practitioners.

Diana Fried, founder and president, Acupuncturists Without Borders

I came to know Alaine Duncans patience, clarity, and knowledge as a student in her workshops. Her teachings, now presented in The Tao of Trauma, should be required reading for everyone working in the field of healing minds, bodies, and souls.

The Reverend Cheryl A. Jones, board certified institutional chaplain. Washington, DC

TheTao of Trauma is a gem, filled with wisdom and profoundly beautiful ways to walk side by side, supporting another human being on their path toward profound healing following trauma.

Janet Durfee, RN/MSN/ANP-c, Navy Nurse Corps Veteran

Copyright 2019 by Alaine D. Duncan, with Kathy L. Kain. All rights reserved. No portion of this book, except for brief review, may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwisewithout the written permission of the publisher. For information contact North Atlantic Books.

Published by
North Atlantic Books
Berkeley, California

Cover design by Daniel Tesser
Book design by Happenstance Type-O-Rama
Printed in the United States of America

The Tao of Trauma: A Practitioners Guide for Integrating Five Element Theory and Trauma Treatment is sponsored and published by the Society for the Study of Native Arts and Sciences (dba North Atlantic Books), an educational nonprofit based in Berkeley, California, that collaborates with partners to develop cross-cultural perspectives, nurture holistic views of art, science, the humanities, and healing, and seed personal and global transformation by publishing work on the relationship of body, spirit, and nature.

MEDICAL DISCLAIMER: The following information is intended for general information purposes only. Individuals should always see their health care provider before administering any suggestions made in this book. Any application of the material set forth in the following pages is at the readers discretion and is his or her sole responsibility.

North Atlantic Books publications are available through most bookstores. For further information, visit our website at www.northatlanticbooks.com or call 800-733-3000.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Duncan, Alaine (Alaine D.), author. | Kain, Kathy L., 1957- author.
Title: The tao of trauma : a practitioners guide for integrating five element
theory and trauma treatment / Alaine D. Duncan with Kathy L. Kain.
Description: Berkeley, California : North Atlantic Books, [2018] | Includes
bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2018029979 (print) | LCCN 2018051931 (ebook) | ISBN
9781623172237 (e-book) | ISBN 9781623172220 | ISBN
9781623172220 q(paperback)
Subjects: LCSH: Psychic traumaAlternative treatment. | Medicine, Chinese. |
TouchTherapeutic use.
Classification: LCC RC552.T7 (ebook) | LCC RC552.T7 D86 2018 (print) | DDC
616.85/21dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018029979

North Atlantic Books is committed to the protection of our environment.
We partner with FSC-certified printers using soy-based inks
and print on recycled paper whenever possible.

We dedicate this book to all the hummingbirds in our families, communities, and workplaces; in the halls of government and commerce; on the land, sea, and air. Wherever you are, we thank you for your service.

1. Zone of Resiliency
2. Zone of Resiliency with Overlay of Traumatic Stress
3. Five Element Cycle by Seasons
4. The Five Element Cycle with Seasons and Elements
5. The Five Elements and the Five Steps of the 5-SPR