Did you know that only half of the soldiers with trauma are willing to seek treatment? Many are resistant because they do not want their symptoms to be labeled a “disorder”, as in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Can a name alone really be that powerful? According to Belleruth Naparstek, LISW, author of Invisible Heroes, there is a strong move away from using Post Traumatic Stress Disorder to describe the long-term results of severe trauma. Many military personnel dealing with this condition feel stigmatized by being told they have a disorder. Even just the diagnosis of “PTSD” can be devastating to…

There is a new and surprising supporter of complementary and alternative medicine − the United States military. Working with soldiers can be challenging – especially since we are often not familiar with their environment. After getting countless emails we realized this video has touched many people, and so we wanted to repost it. And actually, to our surprise – it’s been viewed by some pretty “high-ups” in the military. In it, Belleruth Naparstek, LISW, shares a story about how she worked with 1st Sergeant Dave Rauls to create a guided imagery introduction that military personnel really get. I think you’ll…

You may have heard that if you put on a happy face, you’ll actually start to feel better. But did you know that the physical patterns of our body not only reflect how we’re feeling inside but can actually cause those feelings? When working with trauma patients, noticing patterns and changes in body language gives us greater insight into what patients are experiencing. We can also use these observations to develop healthy body exercises that patients can use to help control their symptoms. Pat Ogden, PhD, is the founder and director of the Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute, which provides training in…

I wouldn’t normally associate the National Football League with Dr. Peter Levine’s somatic experiencing approach to treating trauma, but that all changed a few days ago. If you’re an American football fan, you may have been following the NFL draft. While this isn’t usually my cup of tea, one of our staff pointed out a rather irregular draft choice: the drafting of paralyzed Rutgers football player Eric LeGrand to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. LeGrand was paralyzed in October 2010 after injuring his spinal cord during a football game. His doctors thought that he would be a quadriplegic in need of…

If you’re like me, you might think that video games are just for kids. But according to Richard Restak, MD, video games can improve the brain at any age. In fact, certain types of games have even been shown to increase IQ in older adults. Richard Restak is the Clinical Professor of Neurology at George Washington Hospital University and author of Think Smart: A Neuroscientist’s Prescription for Improving Your Brain’s Performance. Watch below to learn how video games can change the brain.   Click here to sign up. It’s fascinating to hear how these games could make us sharper and…

If you’re a Gold Subscriber, I wanted to take a moment to give you an extra note of thanks. Yes, I realize that when you register for a Gold Subscription, you receive the transcripts, audio and video recordings, special bonus webinars, and even possible CE/CME credits. But when you get a Gold Subscription, you’re doing more than just buying the webinars. You’re supporting our series. It’s the Gold Subscribers who make it possible for us to keep going – to broadcast these cutting-edge webinars free of charge to practitioners throughout the world, many of them from very poor countries. And…