Healing in a World of Need
Emergency Pedagogy and Vocational Training in Artistic Therapies to Alleviate Suffering with Bernd Ruf
Psychological Trauma and the Phases of PTSD
Healing Trauma Artistic Responses
Traumatized children and adolescents require stable and competent teachers schooled in diagnosing and averting disorders brought on by physical and emotional trauma.
Psychological trauma progresses in phases. Symptoms are easily misdiagnosed, and age-appropriate pedagogical intervention can help alleviate the inner paralysis brought on by trauma.
Emergency pedagogy is a field that provides immediate pedagogical support to children and youth in the acute phase after experiencing traumatic events such as war, natural disasters, or other catastrophes.
These courses can be taken as a training or as selective courses to support professional or personal development.
CERTIFICATE FOR WORLD WIDE CRISIS INTERVENTION
For those who want to work toward a certificate for world wide crisis intervention:
- Modules and structure of the further training: The curriculum has a modular structure and is composed of twelve modules. Each module consists of twelve theoretical teaching units and several practical teaching units: trauma preventative therapies.
- The modules can be taken sequentially, but this is not compulsory. After successful completion of each module, the participant will receive a certificate. If the participant has successfully completed all twelve modules, a complete certificate can be obtained. The prerequisite for certification is regular participation in a course. The certificates are given to the participants via the regional groups, but are issued and signed by the Friends of Waldorf Education.
Online with Kairos: 2025, February 27,28, March 1,2: Module 4
- About Bernd Ruf
- Emergency Pedagogy with Bernd Ruf: Traumatology and Spirituality
Bernd Ruf is a teacher and Waldorf educator as well as co-founder of the Free Waldorf School and the Parzival Center in Karlsruhe, which he has also managed since 2003. As part of his work as executive director of the “Friends of Waldorf Education” in 2006, he founded the emergency educational crisis interventions in war and disaster regions. In addition to the numerous international operations management, there are also speaker activities at home and abroad.
“Traumas are extreme borderline experiences on the border of life and death. A wound is an opening through which heaven and hell can reveal themselves. It is a standing on a threshold that is often described as a near-death experience. This threshold can be overcome through meditative practice approach. Then the threshold experiences occur self-selected, voluntary and prepared. In trauma, the break-in of new dimensions of perception into consciousness occurs involuntarily and unprepared. A primal fear of destruction arises. The previous self-image and worldview are shattered.
Traumas can destroy a person, but if dealt with appropriately they can also lead to personal development. They cannot be understood without the dimension of spirituality.
With anthroposophy, Rudolf Steiner described scientific methods of expanding consciousness that can expand psychotraumatology to include the dimension of spirituality.”
What is the spiritual secret of the wound? Why is trauma a near-death threshold experience?
What is the relationship between trauma and karma?
When is trauma truly overcome spiritually?
- Trauma as Wound
- Trauma as Borderline Experience
- Trauma as Threshold/Near Death Experience
- Encounter with the "shadow" (Jung) and the "shadow" as Trauma experience
- The Paradoxical Feelings of Guilt and Shame after Trauma Experience
- Trauma and Karma
- Forgiveness in Trauma Reconciliation and Forgiveness as Liberation
- Post-Traumatic Growth and Healing
- The Red Cross and the Rosicrucian Cross
- Christian Rosenkreutz and the Dimensions of Spirituality
Emergency pedagogy is an approach to education that is designed to support children and young people who have experienced trauma, particularly in situations of crisis or disaster, such as war, natural disasters, or severe social disruptions. This pedagogical approach is rooted in the belief that education can play a vital role in helping children process and overcome traumatic experiences, by providing them with a sense of stability, normalcy, and safety.
Key elements of emergency pedagogy often include:
- Safe Spaces: Creating an environment where children feel secure, allowing them to express their feelings and emotions without fear or judgment.
- Rituals and Rhythms: Establishing a consistent daily structure and routines to help children regain a sense of order and predictability, which can be comforting in the aftermath of chaos.
- Artistic and Creative Activities: Using art, music, drama, and other creative expressions to help children process their experiences and emotions. These activities are often non-verbal and can be particularly helpful for children who find it difficult to articulate their feelings.
- Community and Social Integration: Encouraging interaction and cooperation among children to rebuild social connections and foster a sense of community and belonging.
- Specialized Support: Involving trained educators, psychologists, and therapists who understand the impact of trauma on learning and development, and who can provide appropriate interventions.
Emergency pedagogy is often associated with the Waldorf education movement, which emphasizes holistic, artistic, and developmentally appropriate education. Organizations like the Friends of Waldorf Education have developed specific emergency pedagogy programs that are deployed in various crisis regions around the world to support children in need.
The overall goal of emergency pedagogy is not just to continue education in a time of crisis but to use the educational process itself as a means of healing and restoring a sense of well-being to affected children.
