We know plenty of strategies for engaging our trauma patients. But do we know what to avoid? How to help patients heal is not always clear. And trauma patients, given all their diverse history and symptoms, can be some of the most challenging. So it almost goes without saying that, when working with clients who […]
How to Use the Wisdom of the Body to Heal Trauma – with Pat Ogden, PhD
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 it comes to working with trauma patients, noticing patterns and changes in […]
How to Become Who You Want to Be – with Tara Brach, PhD
“I’m not as good as I should be.” It’s a common refrain from many of our patients. Helping them trade self-judgment for self-compassion is an essential first step in creating real change. Watch below as Tara Brach, PhD, talks about what needs to be in place before we can become truly free and open to […]
Self-Compassion: The Secret to Reducing PTSD Symptoms?
One thing that can frequently increase the suffering of many patients with PTSD is shame. Even worse, shame can limit a patient’s treatment – even if they objectively know that there’s nothing to be ashamed of. But is there a way to trade self-judgment for self-compassion? And would that reduce a client’s symptoms? Asle Hoffart, […]
Helping Trauma Patients Shed Feelings of Shame
For someone who’s experienced trauma, feelings of shame often remain long after the painful event. So how can practitioners help clients begin to reclaim a sense of self-worth? Kerstin Jung, PhD and Regina Steil, PsyD, at Goethe University Frankfurt, in Frankfurt, Germany, wanted to find out whether Cognitive Restructuring and Imagery Modification (CRIM) could empower […]
Could Mindfulness Be Just as Effective as Medication in Treating Recurring Depression?
To test this theory, Willem Kuyken, PhD, and his team at Oxford University, first needed to come up with a safe and ethical protocol for working with participants having a history of depression. You see, it wouldn’t be either ethical or safe to randomly select some people and ask them not to take their medications […]
How Does Mindfulness Change the Brain?
Mindfulness has been shown to be effective in relieving symptoms of depression, anxiety, and even chronic pain. But how does that happen? The other day, I told you about a study that looked at how mindfulness can change the anxious brain. As it turns out, scientists have confirmed another brain connection, with a surprising twist. […]
A Mindfulness Program That Works for Mild to Moderate Depression
Many of the mindfulness studies that I come across examine either healthy volunteers or patients who have severe clinical conditions. But what about people whose symptoms fall somewhere in between? Could mindfulness practice be effective with them too? That’s why this recent research study done by Wendy Pots, DClinPsych from the University of Twente (Netherlands), […]
A Simple Mindfulness Practice That Can Lower Anxiety
Some degree of fear and anxiety is inevitable in life. But for some people, these emotions can become truly debilitating, keeping them trapped in cycles that can lead to depression and even chronic pain. So how can we help patients better manage fear and anxiety when they come up? Below, you’ll find a simple exercise […]
Working with Memory to Reframe a Traumatic Experience
A single moment can last forever in the memory . . . Now when the memory is of something special, a time or an event that we hold dear, reliving the experience can feel almost as good as the actual moment did. But when someone is remembering a traumatic experience, that memory can trigger a […]