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BJ Brown - COO
Education:
Attended Georgetown University in Certified Health & Wellness Coaching.Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, M.S., Department of Kinesiology and Health Science Management, Business and Public Administration graduated Cum Laude.
Certifications & Awards:
Couples Coaching, Health & Wellness Coaching, Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Training for Children and Adolescents: Rescuing the Dysregulated Child, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Neuroscience for the Treatment of Trauma, Anxiety, Depression and Stress, Certification in The Pharmacy in Your Kitchen: An Overview of Medical and Medicinal Foods, Art Therapy and Recreational Therapy.Review, Research and Edit the Board's biennial report: Collection of Evidence-based Practices for Children and Adolescents with Mental Health Treatment Needs
Director/Supervisor for City of Alexandria Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities, Enterprise/Marketing/Budgets
Public Information Specialist County of Henrico
YMCA Senior Director
Corporate Facility Director
Formerly worked for the Navy in La Maddalena, Italy, and Thurso, Scotland
Ms. Brown has worked with many clients addressing emotional, physical, and spiritual issues. She uses several stress/anxiety relief techniques including Neuroscience for the Treatment of Trauma, Anxiety, Depression and Stress. They are used globally to release the biological stress fueled by false self beliefs, pain and trauma. BJ equips individuals with the ability to heal from past pain and false beliefs, maintain inner calm and confidence as they gain the skills needed to step into their own personal excellence. In addition to holding her Masters from Virginia Commonwealth University she has attended Georgetown University in the field of Health & Wellness. BJ equips two energy biology psychology modalities which result in very dramatic shifts in perception and support inner healing and positive behavioral responses to life. These techniques help to restore a sense of inner peace and an overall sense of wellbeing and safety that often times is lost when dealing with trauma, anxiety or challenging situations which arise in the court system. BJ Brown works within the corporate culture, implementing structures that champion personal excellence along with stress management systems that support productivity and Esprit de Corps.
A Sampling of Topics Covered:
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) has been found to be effective in treating children exposed to traumatic events. The acronym PRACTICE describes the following components of the model:
P - psychoeducation and parenting skills
R - relaxation skills
A - affective expression and modulation skills
C - cognitive coping and processing skills
T - trauma narration and processing
I - in vivo mastery of trauma reminders
C - conjoint child-parent sessions
E - enhancing safety and future developmental trajectory
PRACTICE is a good acronym because it reminds us of mindfulness, exercise, yoga and other practices that can alleviate stress. These are the same techniques that are important for court staff and participants to use to develop resilience when faced with repeated exposure to traumatic life stories. The acronym used for resilience building in the face of vicarious trauma is ABC:
Awareness - First, it is important to know the signs and symptoms of vicarious trauma in yourself and in your colleagues. This can be accomplished by providing training to court personnel that identifies the stressors, symptoms, and techniques for preventing or addressing vicarious trauma by building resilience. This type of training can emphasize that developing these types of reactions to trauma is part of being human and not a sign of weakness.
Balance - The second aspect of building resilience is the importance of self-care. Individuals who are exposed to these daily descriptions and pictures of the trauma experienced by others must learn to set boundaries between their work and private lives. To some extent, this can be accomplished by the usual admonitions to get enough sleep, to participate in an exercise program, and to eat a healthy diet. Other important techniques include meditation, yoga, and mindfulness training.
Connection - Because clients, lawyers and trial judges are typically isolated in dealing with specific cases, it is important to debrief with colleagues, support systems and those who understand the situation. When this is not possible, or is not enough, a coach can provide this type of connection and support. Individuals facing this kind of vicarious trauma need to be surrounded by a strong system of supportive relationships.
