Titration is a chemical term that was taken out of context to explain a technique to approach psychological problems. Say we want to neutralize HCl with NaOH. Mixing the acid with the base should, with an easy calculation, give us H2O and NaCl, harmless water and salt. The problem is that an acid and a […]
therapy
Containment (in body work)
There is a crucial part of emotional regulation that has to happen somewhere between identifying a feeling and expressing it. Because it is physical in its nature, not a mental concept, it makes it difficult for me to explain it with words. So I will use pictures in the hope that you can translate them […]
Provocation: advanced negotiation skills
Deliberate provocation is a specific form of confrontation. It is one of our sharpest tools for negotiations. It can cut through the knot that keeps us stuck and open the path for breakthrough. It can also cut deeply and painfully when it is done wrong, creating shame and disconnection and despair. The effectiveness of […]
My personal Trauma-sensitive Yoga journey
I feel uneasy about sharing my own trauma-sensitive yoga journey because I am very aware that people are different and the way we respond to yoga can be dramatically different. Your trauma experience is not the same as mine and so is our healing journey. I need you to be aware that everyone is experiencing […]
Trauma-sensitive Yoga: The how to
There are different schools of yoga and, while using a modified version of hatha yoga, trauma-sensitive yoga can be seen as its own school. It means that trauma-sensitive yoga is not automatically what you get when you take a class in a yoga center. You need to ask about it specifically. If you can’t find […]
Trauma-sensitive Yoga: The why to
The more research is done regarding the treatment of cPTSD the clearer it becomes that approaches like talk therapy and exposure have their limits. Talk therapy misses the fact that it is our body that stores traumatic memories and many chronically traumatized patients never reach the stability needed for successful exposure. One useful addition to […]
Unspecific Body Work
We tend to think of PTSD as a mental illness when really a huge part of it is physical. It is not just our world view, the patterns in our thinking and our relationships that make up PTSD, it is also hyper/hypoarousal, hypervigilance, flight/fight response, chronic stress and intense emotions, all physical experiences. We can […]
Transitional objects in trauma therapy
Sometimes Ts offer transitional objects to take home with you til your next appointment, especially when they plan to go on a vacation or when things are a little shaky. What is that all about? And how is it supposed to help? For many survivors their T and the Ts office are like a […]
DBT-PTSD for treating cPTSD with complex dissociation
DBT-PTSD, also called DBT-PE, is a relatively new 12-week inpatient program designed to treat cPTSD with severe comorbid disorders like dissociation. It combines elements from classic DBT with Prolonged Exposure (PE) as trauma confrontation technique. In a nutshell Before starting: You will be tested, if you meet the criteria. DBT-PTSD is aimed at people […]
TRIMB: a gentle approach to Trauma Reprocessing
[ATTENTION: This article explains a method for trauma treatment. Do not try this for yourself. Do not try this with a T who is not trained to do it. This is not a „teaching“ or self-help article. It is only meant to inform you about a basic strategy and is overly simplified.] TRIMB® was […]
The 3 Phases of Therapy 2: Trauma Work
Trauma and DID therapists commonly agree on working with a 3-phase-model. It describes an order in which to do work for the best, fastest and safest results. In an attempt to keep articles short we will share about the different phases in separate articles. The 3 phases are Stabilization Trauma work Integration The separation […]
Therapy: The initial interview (cPTSD)
Before you decide to work with a T, there is usually a first interview, where T and patient can get to know each other. You will get the most out of your interview if you prepare for it. The following questions should help you to get a good measure of the T, how they work […]