“PTSD is a whole-body tragedy, an integral human event of enormous proportions with massive repercussions.”
― Susan Pease Banitt
― Susan Pease Banitt
Photo: The Muse's Kiss
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“Traumatic events, by definition, overwhelm our ability to cope. When the mind becomes flooded with emotion, a circuit breaker is thrown that allows us to survive the experience fairly intact, that is, without becoming psychotic or frying out one of the brain centers. The cost of this blown circuit is emotion frozen within the body"
― Susan Pease Banitt, The Trauma Tool Kit: Healing PTSD from the Inside Out |
Treatment Modalities
I'll first of all restate that I'm in no position to suggest for anyone visiting here any treatments that are offered by those currently treating traumatic stress injuries, PTSD, Compassion-Fatigue, Depression, and/or Substance/Alcohol Use Disorders.
We are each unique. There is no one-off treatment we can accept today and apply to us all generically.
Not all treatments listed here have passed muster that is the "Cochrane Review" process. As we learn more and more now over time, I trust that those treatments perhaps yet to be included as reviewed and listed in the Cochrane Review Library will ultimately be included with acceptance of peer-reviewed studies connected with the treatments.
What I'm more than comfortable sharing are those treatment modalities that I've personally accessed, witnessed, studied, and/or tested myself for validity.
We are each unique. There is no one-off treatment we can accept today and apply to us all generically.
Not all treatments listed here have passed muster that is the "Cochrane Review" process. As we learn more and more now over time, I trust that those treatments perhaps yet to be included as reviewed and listed in the Cochrane Review Library will ultimately be included with acceptance of peer-reviewed studies connected with the treatments.
What I'm more than comfortable sharing are those treatment modalities that I've personally accessed, witnessed, studied, and/or tested myself for validity.
Treatment Modalities I've Accessed
The Canadian Association of Cognitive & Behavioral Therapies
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Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) is a form of talk therapy that is used to treat a range of different psychological problems, including traumatic stress injury, PTSD, Depression, Compassion Fatigue, and Substance/Alcohol Use issues. What is CBT? "This simple idea is that our unique patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving are significant factors in our experiences, both good and bad. Since these patterns have such a significant impact on our experiences, it follows that altering these patterns can change our experiences (Martin, 2016)." Progress in recovery, for me, accessing CBT alone, proved long, arduous, and cumbersome. I'm triggered often still. Particularly by any reminders of the sanctuary trauma I personally suffered as handed to me by some who offered help. When triggered, I'm rarely able to think through the triggers to resolution: To best serve my own recovery demanded access to other forms of treatment, which include CBT, regardless; however I found these other modalities more supportive for me than working with CBT alone. Find a Therapist Who uses CBT for Trauma Issues in British Columbia Here More About Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Study: The Efficacy of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: A Review of Meta-analyses. |
Eye-Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR)
EMDR Institue Inc.
EMDR Humanitarian Assistance Program
Getting Past Your Past: Francine Shapiro, PhD
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Eye-Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an integrative psychotherapy approach that has been extensively researched and proven effective for the treatment of trauma and many other mental health problems. Francine Shapiro, Ph.D., is the pioneer developer of EMDR. This revolutionary technique is today, so well researched that EMDR is now recommended as an effective treatment for trauma in the Practice Guidelines of the American Psychiatric Association, by EMDR Canada and the Department of Defense & Veterans Affairs in both countries. To date, EMDR therapy has helped millions of people of all ages relieve many types of psychological distress. I personally found EMDR to be a powerful treatment. What I appreciate most about this modality is the need to re-visit our traumatic experiences verbally is significantly reduced. We now know that memory-recall of traumatic experiences serves to reinforce the impact of traumatization. This is why Critical Incident Stress Debriefing and Talk-Therapy as a stand-alone method of treatment is currently not recommended beyond initial interventions in the immediate after-math of traumatic events. Although this treatment remains out-of-reach to those who must seek help in our public-healthcare-systems in Canada currently (BC's Health Authorities have yet to accept EMDR's validity) many quality trauma-informed care providers in private practice are trained in the use of EMDR with their clients. EMDR is a modality I can endorse highly without reservation, based on my personal experience accessing EMDR as a treatment. Find A Therapist Who Uses EMDR in British Columbia Here More About EMDR Eye-Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing: The Trauma Recovery Blog EMDR Institute: An Overview of EMDR Research |
Canadian Foundation for Trauma Research & Education: Self-Regulation Therapy
What Is PTSD: Dr. Anna Baranowsky
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Self-Regulation Therapy: Canadian Foundation for Trauma Research & Education
What Is Self-Regulation Therapy? "Self Regulation Therapy (SRT) is a non-cathartic mind/body approach aimed at diminishing excess activation in the nervous system. It has its basis in neurobiology and reflects our innate capacity to flexibly respond to novelty or threat. . .SRT enables the nervous system to integrate overwhelming events and brings balance to the nervous system. SRT works by providing a safe, contained environment in which the individual can complete the thwarted responses of fight, flight or freeze. By resourcing the client, new neural pathways are developed to flexibly manage daily challenges and stressors. Once the nervous system is balanced, individuals are able to experience joy, closeness in relationships, and vitality and resilience in the body." SRT is the most powerful treatment modality I've experienced to date. Because the techniques are non-invasive, requiring only imaginal reflection upon our traumatic experiences, after first being taught methods to intervene with our physiological, emotional response (triggers) in a productive and supportive way: The method helped me better manage my emotional reactions to traumatic-triggers. Similar to learning Mindfulness, SRT helps by teaching us FIRST how to intervene when thoughts and memories bombard again our central-nervous system, pushing our stress-response in to 'fight-or-flight' outside of our personal control. Once we've spent time with the therapist learning the tools shared for self-intervention, THEN the therapist moves into trauma-memory processing with us, holding space as a compassionate witness, HIGHLY in-tune with the client's own physiological reactions. SRT fits well into the treatment framework proposed by my mentor, Dr. Anna Baranowsky. Again this 'tri-phasic' model is based on the work historically of trauma-expert, Judith Herman. I feel very comfortable endorsing this modality of treatment. Though relatively new to the treatment landscape, it's my sincere belief that care-providers would benefit us all by adding this modality to your trauma-treatment tool-box. Triphasic Trauma Treatment: Traumatology Institute Find A Therapist In Canada Who Uses Self-Regulation Therapy More About Self-Regulation Therapy from the CRTRE Web-Site |
Somatic Experiencing: Dr. Peter Levine
What is SE?
"The Somatic Experiencing® Method is a body-oriented approach to the healing of trauma and other stress disorders. It is the life’s work of Dr. Peter A. Levine, resulting from his multidisciplinary study of stress physiology, psychology, ethology, biology, neuroscience, indigenous healing practices, and medical biophysics, together with over 45 years of successful clinical application. The SE approach releases traumatic shock, which is key to transforming PTSD and the wounds of emotional and early developmental attachment trauma." 
Waking The Tiger: Dr. Peter Levine
Find an SE Practitioner
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Somatic Experiencing
Although I've not accessed help from anyone who uses Somatic Experiencing as a modality, I'm very comfortable sharing this treatment. Dr. Peter Levine became a personal hero of mine long ago. His understanding of trauma and PTSD from the perspective of nervous system physiology informed me in a way I'd prior not had opportunity to consider. PTSD? A 'mental illness'? The condition may be labeled as such, but I no longer believe this, thanks to Dr. Levine and others: PTSD is the negative outcome of traumatic stress getting locked in the brain and body; setting up the nervous-system to be stuck in a state of fight-or-flight near terminally. In short: PTSD is a nervous-system disorder, rooted in brain-changes and changes to human physiology. PTSD, as I now understand the condition, is all about a dysfunctional human-stress-response. Recovery practices that utilize Somatic Experiencing are proven effective in releasing locked-traumatic stress from the body, opening us up in a way that our brain and body can heal from our most tragic human experiences. "SE offers a framework to assess where a person is “stuck” in the fight, flight or freeze responses and provides clinical tools to resolve these fixated physiological states. It provides effective skills appropriate to a variety of healing professions including mental health, medicine, physical and occupational therapies, bodywork, addiction treatment, first response, education, and others." "The SE approach facilitates the completion of self-protective motor responses and the release of thwarted survival energy bound in the body, thus addressing the root cause of trauma symptoms. This is approached by gently guiding clients to develop increasing tolerance for difficult bodily sensations and suppressed emotions." |
Equine Assisted Therapy Institute: Dr. Sandra de Blois
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Mindfulness-Based Equine Assisted Therapy
Mindfulness-Based Equine Assisted Therapy (MBEAT®) combines Equine Assisted Therapy (EAT) with Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) as well as therapies that place a strong emphasis on mindfulness. These therapies include Acceptance and Commitment therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy. Although I've not experienced this modality personally, I had pleasure to attend the Equine Assisted Therapy Institute with another person I was supporting. Dr. Sandra de Blois has extensive education both as a research scientist and as a clinician. Her understanding of traumatic stress and resulting conditions is impeccable. I trust this treatment and I trust Dr. Sandra de Blois. She came to me highly recommended by one of my mentors, Mr. Shannon Pennington, founder of the North American Fire-Fighter Veterans Network. For more information about Dr. de Blois and MBEAT, please visit the Equine Assisted Therapy Institute web-site. The Neurobiology of Mindfulness: Dr. Sandra de Blois Contact Dr. Sandra de Blois who works from her ranch in Lumby British Columbia |
Expressive Trauma Integration: Dr. Odeyla Gertel Kraybill
The ETI Path
Six Stages of Trauma Integration (ETI)
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Expressive Trauma Integration (ETI) is a multidisciplinary approach to trauma interventions based on over a decade of research and clinical work with traumatized populations in the Middle East, United States, Africa, and Asia. This approach to treating trauma is pioneered by Dr. Odelya Gertel Kraybill, a trauma therapist, and consultant. ETI is a modular approach suitable for both psychosocial and trauma therapy interventions. ETI draws on recent research and practice from the fields of traumatology, neurobiology, expressive therapies, body-oriented approaches and mindfulness, cognitive and behavioral approaches, resilience and post-traumatic growth.
Expressive Trauma Integration is about an approach to assist persons working to recover from trauma. ETI suggests that a care-provider's tool-box be full of options to assist the unique individual recovery processes of traumatic stress injury survivors. I'm very comfortable sharing this approach and suggested modalities for treatment used in practice by Dr. Odeyla Gertel Kraybill. For More On Expressive Trauma Integration and Dr. Odeyla Kraybill, Please Follow This Link Dr. Kraybill interviewed with me as part of the Trauma Recovery Blog's podcast in 2016, Transitions Home From Trauma. |
First Nations Health Authority British Columbia
“Know the ways of the ones who take care of you, so that you may take care of them.
Introduce yourself. Be accountable as the one who comes asking for life. Ask permission before taking. Abide by the answer. Never take the first. Never take the last. Take only what you need. Take only that which is given. Never take more than half. Leave some for others. Harvest in a way that minimizes harm. Use it respectfully. Never waste what you have taken. Share. Give thanks for what you have been given. Give a gift, in reciprocity for what you have taken. Sustain the ones who sustain you and the earth will last forever.” ― Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants 
Wellness
Health
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Admittedly my personal knowledge of Indigenous Healing Practices remains very weak. As I move forward, honoring both First Nations Reconciliation in Canada, as well as honoring my own Cree/European (Metis) ancestry: First Nations Practices for healing will inform me more fully over time about traditional Indigenous Approaches to addressing trauma issues. One Valuable Practice That I've had honour to witness in a documentary, pointed out the power of Healing Circles and of Restorative Justice principles applied to healing sexual/physical/emotional trauma in a First Nations community. In British Columbia our First Nations Health Authority is taking the lead in bringing Indigenous healing knowledge back to the fore-front. It's my sincere belief that had colonizers came to these lands with an attitude of learning THEN from our First Nations Peoples: We'd first of all avoided the historical trauma that colonization brought upon our First Nations Peoples, and had those settlers from Europe approached relationship with Canada's First Peoples, I suspect we'd be today perhaps even more advanced in regards to healing human-beings than our Westernized Medical Model can yet fully appreciate. I will not do the topic of First Nations Healing Practices the injustice of me hoping to clearly describe First Nations healing ways. To attempt to do so with little knowledge is simply not my place. What I can share is this link to the First Nations Health Authority. What I appreciate most about what I've learned so far: Indigenous Cultures seem to place right attention upon the integration of mind, body, spirit. Descriptions of healing practices exemplify the necessity of maintaining our human-connection: With NATURE; With One Another; And With Our Spirit (Self). (Three Disconnects-Otto Scharmer). As we move forward in Canada towards truthful, collaborative reconciliation together, it's my sincere hope that we all can embrace full inclusion within our wellness discourse, Canada's First Nation's healing and wellness practices, and Indigenous Ways of Knowing. Authority in British Columbia
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For An Overview of Alternative Treatment Supports: Follow This Link (Coming Soon).
"Experience is, for me, the highest authority. The touchstone of validity is my own experience. No other person's ideas, and none of my own ideas, are as authoritative as my experience. It is to experience that I must return again and again, to discover a closer approximation to truth as it is in the process of becoming in me." -Carl Rogers, On Becoming a Person
Disclaimer: These materials and resources are presented for educational purposes only. They are not a substitute for informed medical advice or training. Do not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem without consulting a qualified health or mental health care provider. If you have concerns, contact your health care provider, mental health professional, or your community health centre
Darren Gregory © 2018. All Rights Reserved