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 a Better Night’s Sleep Improve Treatment Outcomes for PTSD?
Is it possible that what happens with trauma patients at night could undermine all the hard work we’ve done with them during the day? Or asked another way, could improved sleep actually enhance our interventions with patients? We know that disrupted sleep patterns and nightmares are common symptoms of PTSD. But a team of researchers […]
Two Chemical Reactions That Happen in the Brain during Trauma
When a traumatic event triggers our internal alarm system, the body goes into fight, flight, or freeze . . . . . . but what happens in the brain during trauma? According to Dan Siegel, MD, there are two key chemical reactions to trauma (and one can play a role in actually shrinking part of […]
Treating Severe Trauma in Iraq
Trauma doesn’t discriminate. It can affect anyone, anywhere throughout the world and, unfortunately . . . . . . not everyone has similar access to resources for treating trauma or PTSD. So, what can we do to reach survivors of trauma who have limited access to treatment options? Paul Bolton, MBBS and a team of […]
Can Traumatic Memories Be Changed?
Experiences that are distressing, painful and, perhaps, even traumatic are unavoidable in life. But are there ways we can work with people to prevent memories of traumatic events from developing into PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder)? One possibility that’s being investigated for accomplishing this is a method called “updating.” This approach uses verbal techniques to change […]