 Problems do not go away. They must be worked
through or else they remain, forever a
barrier to the growth and development of the
spirit. |
Somatic Experiencing® David A. Lillie,
S.E.P.
Mobile Phone +353-86-055-4756 |
Want to discuss Trauma on my blog? |
 |
A wonderful book by Walt Stoll, M.D. and Jan DeCourtney, C.M.T. Foreword by C. Norman Shealy, M.D., Ph.D. is available for purchase at Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk |
TRAUMA HAPPENS
I work with people who have suffered various traumas (situations
in which the nervous system gets overwhelmed) as in automobile
accidents, sudden impact injury, attacks, falls, surgery with
general anesthesia, near-drowning or suffocation, witnessing
horrible events, and so on, which can leave the person shut down,
hyper-alert or with severe muscle spasms or many other
long-lasting symptoms -- as well as with severe emotional upsets
from verbal abuse and other long-term mistreatments.
I like to fix things, and find great pleasure in having the right tool to do the job. I don't fix people, people heal themselves, but using the right tool to assist in bringing that healing about is also very important. For healing physical, shock trauma, Somatic Experiencing is the best tool I have encountered. For working on developmental trauma and emotional anguish, EMDR can be very effective in a few sessions (multiple traumas require more sessions).
SOMATIC EXPERIENCING
Somatic Experiencing® (SE) is a short-term naturalistic
approach to the resolution and healing of trauma that has been
developed by Dr. Peter Levine. It is based upon the observation
that wild prey animals, though threatened routinely, are rarely
traumatized. Animals in the wild utilize innate mechanisms to
regulate and discharge the high levels of energy arousal
associated with defensive survival behaviors. These mechanisms
provide animals with a built-in immunity to trauma that enables
them to return to normal in the aftermath of highly charged
life-threatening experiences.
Although humans are born with virtually the same regulatory mechanisms as animals, the function of these instinctive systems is often overridden or inhibited by, among other things, the rational portion of our brains. This restraint prevents the complete discharge of survival energies, and does not allow the nervous system to regain its equilibrium. The undischarged energy remains in the body, and the nervous system becomes stuck in survival mode. The various symptoms of trauma result from the body's attempt to manage and contain this unused energy.
SE employs the awareness of body sensation to help people renegotiate and heal their traumas rather than relive them. With appropriate guidance into the body's instinctive "felt sense," individuals are able to access their own built-in immunity to trauma, allowing the highly aroused survival energies to be safely and gradually discharged. When these energies are discharged, people frequently experience a dramatic reduction in, or disappearance of, their traumatic symptoms.
Because traumatic events are often encounters with death, they evoke extraordinary responses. The transformation process can allow people to deepen their sense of self and others. The healing journey can be an awakening to untapped resources and feelings of empowerment. With the help of these new allies, people can open portals to rebirth and achieve an increased sense of flow. The experience can be a genuine spiritual awakening, one that allows people to re-connect with the world.
"Acts must be carried through to their
completion. Whatever their point of departure, the end will
be beautiful. It is (only) because an action has not been
completed that it is vile." -- Jean Genet, from Thief's
Journal
EMDR (from EMDR Institute)
EMDR is an acronym for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. It is an innovative clinical treatment that has successfully helped over a million individuals who have survived trauma, including sexual abuse, domestic violence, combat, crime, and those suffering from a number of other complaints including depressions, addictions, phobias and a variety of self-esteem issues.
EMDR is a complex approach to psychotherapy that integrates many of the successful elements of a range of therapeutic approaches in combination with eye movements or other forms of rhythmical stimulation in ways that stimulate the brain’s information processing system. With EMDR therapy it is unnecessary to delve into decades-old psychological material, but rather, by activating the information-processing system of the brain, people can achieve their therapeutic goals at a rapid rate, with recognizable changes that don’t disappear over time.
Fourteen controlled studies support the efficacy of EMDR, making it the most thoroughly researched method ever used in the treatment of trauma. The most recent 5 studies with individuals suffering from events such as rape, loss of a loved one, accidents, natural disasters, etc. have found that 84-90% no longer had post-traumatic stress disorder after only three treatment sessions. A recent study financed by Kaiser Permanente revealed that EMDR was twice as effective in half the amount of time compared to the standard traditional care. However, clients and clinicians should note that EMDR is not a race. While many people show dramatic responses in a short amount of time, there are also those who will progress more slowly and that the slower progression is not abnormal. For instance, those with multiple traumas such as molestation and combat veterans will generally need longer treatment. The one study offering a full course of treatment to combat veterans found that after twelve sessions, 77% no longer had PTSD. Just as in any therapy, we all progress at the rate appropriate to the individual and the clinical situation.
The major significance of EMDR is that it allows the brain to heal its psychological problems at the same rate as the rest of the body is healing its physical ailments. Because EMDR allows minds and body to heal at the same rate, it is effectively making time irrelevant in therapy. Given its wide application, EMDR promises to be the therapy of the future.
Dr. Francine Shapiro is the creator of EMDR. She is a licensed psychologist and a senior research fellow at the Mental Research Institute in Palo Alto. She is the Executive Director of the EMDR Institute, which trains clinicians in the EMDR approach. She is the recipient of the 1993 Distinguished Scientific Achievement Award presented by the California Psychological Association.
ABOUT DAVID A.
LILLIE
David has had an interest in healing traumatic wounds since 1988,
when he discovered Re-evaluation
Counseling (RC) which he continues to study and
practice. This led him to study Somatic
Experiencing® (SE) with Dr. Peter Levine and others
for five years, receiving an SE Practitioner
Certificate. In his practice, he has helped hundreds of
people alleviate their symptoms and improve the quality of their
lives. David received Level I EMDR training in January, 2003, and
has developed expertise in this form of treatment through many
sessions with clients. David is a full Clinical Member of the
United States Association of Body
Psychotherapists. He currently practices at the Institute of Psychosocial Medicine near Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin, Ireland and his own office near Laragh, Co. Wicklow, Ireland.
David has written a document on Resourcing for Mental Health Workers for use in the Trauma Therapy training sessions at Dun Laoghaire. Psychotherapists and other mental health workers may find it useful.
SE Information and Practicioners
Foundation for Human
Enrichment - Somatic Experiencing - Peter Levine
Sharon Porter - Polarity Therapist
The Ethics
of Touch by Lael Katharine Keen
Somatic Psychotherapists
Kate O'Boyle, MA, PGCE,
CSS
Trauma Information
David Balwin's Trauma
Pages
Recovered Memories
of Sexual Abuse: Scientific Research & Scholarly
Resources
International Society
forTraumatic Stress Studies
Avoiding Trauma - Pre and Peri-Natal Work
Alliance for Transforming the
Lives of Children
Healing of
Pre and Perinatal Trauma
Adoption
Insight [to illuminate the mind and heart]
Petition to
end Circumcision by Ashley Montagu
General Health and Stress
Reduction
Jan DeCourtney,
CMT
Life Spring Healing Arts - Boulder, Colorado, Therapeutic
Massage, Stress Relief, Chronic Pain Therapy, Self-Help,
Therapies, Holistic Health Care
Other Links
Gorse Hill Centre, Greystones, Ireland - Art, Authentic Movements and therapy with Joan Davis
BoMi, many Body and Mind Practicioners and Resources
KwMap.net - browse the Keyword Map of Amuart.com
http://www.amuart.com
Last updat 13 April 20097
