TRAUMA HEALING
Traumatic symptoms are not caused by the triggering event itself. They stem from the frozen residue of energy that has not been resolved and discharged in the nervous system. -- Peter Levine
Trauma results from any event that overwhelms a person’s capacity to cope. The common ingredient is helplessness. When our capacity to defend ourselves by running, fighting or freezing is not successful the unreleased survival energies stay stuck in our nervous system.We stay in survival mode and we develop symptoms of trauma. If we do not release this energy from our nervous system where it is stuck we develop anxiety and panic and other psychosomatic and behavioral problems. The light and joy seems to go out of our life. When we discharge trauma we invite light and joy back in and open the door to our own inner healer. Our natural state of love and harmony returns.
In terms of enchanced resiliency, victims once healed will never be “normal’ again but, instead, often exceed their own expectations. Resolved trauma leads survivors to expand their range of resilency and capacities because,in order to recover, they must access resources they may never have accessed otherwise. During the completion stage of recovery the client often enjoys a treasure hunt- exploring an unfolding new life that includes mastery, empowerment and the inner knowledge that the challenge of trauma can be met.
--
Dr Diane Poole Heller
SYMPTOMS OF TRAUMA
- Anxiety/Panic attacks and phobias
- Feeling disconnected and detached
- Feeling isolated and alone
- Depression
- Fears and Helplessness
- Hypervigilance
- Hyperactivity
- Mood swings
- Weight gain
- Extreme sensitivity to light and sound
- Insomnia
- Nightmares
- Loss of memory
- Physical pain
- Chronic Fatigue
- Loss of vitality
- Constriction
- Dissociation
- Reduced ability to deal with stress
TREATEMENT STRATEGY & TOOLS FOR TRAUMA SOMATIC EXPERIENCING
- Recognition that the trauma survivor actually did survive the trauma.
- RESOURCES – Develop an inventory of resources to help you access a sense of safety ,support and love.This helps neutralize over-arousal in the nervous system.We then install these new positive images and beliefs and build a new neural brain circuitry.Here we will use an adjunct to EMDR called Resource Tapping.
- FELT SENSE/SENSATE FOCUS -Helps you to develop a relationship with your body and track your experience in your body.
- PENDULATION AND MODULATION - Helps you to shift your attention back and forth between the calming effect of resources and the high activation of traumatic material in a manageable,balanced way.
- PACING AND TITRATION - The part of our brain where we are in freeze and immobility is called the reptilian brain and processes seven times slower than the neocortex.We need a slower pace and rhythm to integrate traumatic material.We break the activation down into small pieces so that the integration will be easier and safer and to prevent flooding and overwhelm.
- RESTORING BONDARIES - We use various methods to restore personal space and containment that allows you to feel safe ,protected and empowered.
- SOUL RETRIEVAL - Healing the encapsulated self.In traumatic events there is usually no time or space.A part of us becomes dissociated and encapsulated in the traumatic event.Here we close the gap between the present you who has survived and the past encapsulated wounded self for integration and development.
- BIOLOGICAL SEQUENCING – Working with your innate biological sequencing in terms of how your body deals with threat. Here we use modalities developed from the work of Stephen Porges and his Polyvagal Theory.
- DISCHARGE – Supporting discharge in the autonomic nervous system and completing defensive orienting responses.Releasing the trauma energy from the body.
SOURCES AND CAUSES OF TRAUMA
- Abandonment
- Birth trauma
- Bonding break with parent
- Consistant critism and judgement
- Anger and violence
- Rape
- Incest
- Sexual molestation
- Car crash
- Surgery medical and dental
- Divorce
- Death of a loved one
- War
- Suicide of loved one
- Forced emigration or loss of homeland
- Illness
- Torture
- Accidents and falls
- Any experience that causes a threat to your life
- Natural disasters
EMDR AND BILATERAL STIMULATION
EMDR stands for (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)It is a therapeutic method that was developed by Francine Shapiro back in the late 80’s.We use this method for trauma and activate the memory network and add bilateral stimulations.We can use eyemovements ,tapping on neither side of the body or auditory stimulation.It activates a rapid processing effect so that your brain kicks into gearand it begins to process information that has been frozen.
Along with EMDR we use Resource installation or resource tapping.We activate only positive resources with this- for example, an image of a peaceful place,kind loving eyes, someone who loves and nurtures us , a protective figure, spiritual help,.and then we pair it with short amounts of bilateral stimulation (six to 15 taps only).We don’t begin tapping until we have a felt sense in our bodies of this positive image.This works as solid preparation before we access trauma in the body.
In my practice I use many different modalities and methods to work with Trauma.
- Somatic experiencing
- EMDR
- Shamanism
- Sound and light Therapy
- Vibrational medicine
- Attachment and bonding work
- Constellation work
- Aromatherapy
- Resource Tapping
- Soul Memory Work
When I synthesized and integrated all of the healing modalities that I use ,I realized that they were all meeting at the juncture of Trauma.In Shamanism we call this Soul Retrieval, in Somatic Trauma Work it is called Freeze and Immobility,In Sound Work it is Dissonance,In Constellation Work it is the place where life and love was interrupted,in Soul Memory Work we say it is where we disconnected from Source/God and in Psychotherapy it is called dissociation.So when I connected all of this I realized that trauma was at the root of most issues.These modalities coupled with Attachment and Bonding work are an excellent path to healing and living in joy and in the present .