TATC Newsletter

TATC Newsletter Message

Thu, 02 Jun 2011 18:04:00 GMT

Trauma Awareness and Treatment Center Newsletter June 2011 Desire & Change The number of years I have been working with people who are trying to change themselves and their circumstances is coming up on a quarter century. How people change is a subject of great interest to me. Usually a desire to change is born of practical things like pain (emotional or physical), serious problems caused by a personal flaw, threatened loss (“I can’t take this anymore!”), and an inconvenience or problem. It is more rare for an idea, vision, or dream for a better life to motivate someone to pay the price for change, but it does happen. “Divine discontent” is real. Maybe it happens more often than I think, but these kinds of folks don’t usually come to a trauma center for help. When we are confronted with one of the above, or some other pressing need for change we have a decision to make: Are we going to change OR are we going to dull the pain (usually with some form of self-medication), deny the flaw or loss, or compensate for the inconvenience, often with something that makes a bigger problem. Our lives are made up of the accumulated fallout from that repeated decision: change or suffer in various self-defeating ways. Buddha had it right when he observed pain is legitimate or illegitimate. Legitimate pain is part of living. Illegitimate pain is the result of trying to avoid legitimate pain. As most of us have learned, suffering up front, as with the process of change, in the long run prevents a great deal of unnecessary pain. For some this is a lifelong lesson waiting to be learned. It is never too late. Okay, enough philosophy. How do we find or create desires that lead to positive changes in our lives, and how do we engage those desires for real change? There are probably dozens of excellent books on this subject. I will keep it to two steps. First cultivate desire with vision. You may be motivated to change because of something negative, like off the charts stress, but you can create the desire to make needed changes in your life with something bigger, much bigger than the stress. For example, visualize or envision how your life could be very different if your life was less stressed, if you slept well at night, if you shared your burden with others, etc. You can make this vision bigger than life, vivid and colorful, something you feel and experience. Remember the subconscious cannot differentiate between real and imagined experience. The changes it causes in the body can be triggered by a graphic visualization just as easily as an experience in the real world. That may be one of the reasons Einstein said imagination is greater than knowledge. So visualize something that evokes feelings that inspire and encourage, that lead to change. Engage your vision daily, a few minutes will do. Next, act. Once you have a desire being born with vision, start doing things to keep the dream alive. Here is where the application of William James’ maxim comes in: “It is easier to act yourself into the correct way of thinking, than to think yourself into the correct way of acting.” This is a challenging stage of change. A couple of suggestions here may help. Try to make the new habit you are implementing enjoyable enough to be self-perpetuating. If you are going to start exercising (strongly advisable by the way) make the exercise something you find fun, or at least do something enjoyable while you exercise, like reading a book or watching a movie. Make the behavior you do, in a small enough dose that you can sustain the behavior over the next month or so. That’s about how long it will take for the behavior to become part of you, a habit. Positive habits (or negative), and change, require repeated behaviors over time. Dr. Larry Beall, PhD Clinical Director <hr/> Trauma Training Opportunities The Trauma Awareness and Treatment Center is looking at starting seminars in trauma assessment and treatment. In order to begin, we would like to know some of the subjects our readers would like to learn about. We could provide webinars, written, and/or live-trainings that include CEU's. Let us know by emailing us at <a href="mailto:traumaawareness@yahoo.com">traumaawareness@yahoo.com</a>. <hr/> 5K and Motorcycle Rally Come join the fundraising event we are putting on for TATC. The more people that sign up for the 5k or motorcycle rally the more money we can raise to help bring trauma awareness and trauma work to people who need it. Go to <a href="http://www.childrenandtheearth.com/">www.childrenandtheearth.com</a> click on Brainwave 2011 and click how many participants to register then choose the Trauma Awareness and Treatment Center as your cause. The race starts at 8:30am. Bring the kids there will be boutiques, jump castles clowns, live music and other fun things to do. Lots of prizes. If you don't run you can walk roll hop or do whatever you want. Invite your friends pass this event along. Camille Campbell, LCSW Therapist at TATC <hr/> Facebook Page Join our Facebook pages and click on "like." We will be having more information coming through our new Facebook page. <a href="http://www.facebook.com/?sk=events&ap=1">http://www.facebook.com/?sk=events&ap=1</a>#!/pages/Trauma-Awareness-and-Treatment-Center/161655437215614 <a href="http://www.facebook.com/?sk=events&ap=1">http://www.facebook.com/?sk=events&ap=1</a>#!/pages/Trauma-Awareness-Treatment-Center/192965654059247

TATC Newsletter. May 2011. Sacrificing Personal Control for Change

Thu, 05 May 2011 21:33:00 GMT

Sacrificing Personal Control for Change What if the fabric of your life is made of dilemmas? What if change that is necessary violates your personal sense of control? How can one deal with that? These are thoughts that come to mind when dealing with individuals that have personal perfectionist and protective values and beliefs that are no longer working. They experience certain levels of ambivalence with situations or subjects that are difficult to deal with or change. For example, a person may have the belief that they are required to achieve a certain level of grade in their schooling, but when not attained experience near debilitating levels of anxiousness, depression, or other psychological problems. The dilemma occurs when they realize that they have to change their idea of self-control and perfectionism, which to them may mean that they are losing a part of themselves. How do they cope with that? How would you cope with it, if you struggle with the same issue? Here are a few thoughts. One could approach it psychodynamically by looking at the internal goings-on and the roots of the problem--start backwards and move forwards--how the past affects the present. This can be beneficial, but with some it may only explain the "why" and not the solution. With some, the "why" may be sufficient. Another approach is solution-focused. Picture what it might be like to not have the "issue" (look towards a future goal) and make small reasonable steps, much like Bob Wiley from "What About Bob." If you recall from the movie, though highly dramatized, his steps were often painful and frightening and required constant behavioral monitoring and adjustment. William James, a frontrunner in psychology might agree with this approach as he said "It's easier to act yourself into the correct way of thinking, than to think yourself into the correct way of acting." While acting into the correct way of thinking one will need to be aware of the thinking processes and how they feed the ambivalent thought and emotional patterns. There are other ways at approaching this, but I do not wish to make this blarticle (blog and article put together--I just made it up) all about what I think. What are some of your thoughts? How can one be at peace with a change that challenges the very fabric of their values? What are other examples of intrapersonal struggles that you are aware of? Jamison D. Law, LPC, NCC Therapist at TATC Mental Health Blog and Articles: lawdawgsmentalhealth.blogspot.com <hr/> Trauma Training Opportunities The Trauma Awareness and Treatment Center is looking at starting seminars in trauma assessment and treatment. In order to begin, we would like to know some of the subjects our readers would like to learn about. We could provide webinars, written, and/or live-trainings that include CEU's. Let us know by emailing us at <a href="mailto:traumaawareness@yahoo.com">traumaawareness@yahoo.com</a>. <hr/> 5K and Motorcycle Rally Come join the fundraising event we are putting on for TATC. The more people that sign up for the 5k or motorcycle rally the more money we can raise to help bring trauma awareness and trauma work to people who need it. Go to <a href="http://www.childrenandtheearth.com/">www.childrenandtheearth.com</a> click on Brainwave 2011 and click how many participants to register then choose the Trauma Awareness and Treatment Center as your cause. The race starts at 8:30am. Bring the kids there will be boutiques, jump castles clowns, live music and other fun things to do. Lots of prizes. If you don't run you can walk roll hop or do whatever you want. Invite your friends pass this event along. Camille Campbell, LCSW Therapist at TATC <hr/> Facebook Page Join our Facebook pages and click on "like." We will be having more information coming through our new Facebook page. <a href="http://www.facebook.com/?sk=events&ap=1">http://www.facebook.com/?sk=events&ap=1</a>#!/pages/Trauma-Awareness-and-Treatment-Center/161655437215614 <a href="http://www.facebook.com/?sk=events&ap=1">http://www.facebook.com/?sk=events&ap=1</a>#!/pages/Trauma-Awareness-Treatment-Center/192965654059247

TATC Newsletter. April 2011. The Unconscious and Ego States

Mon, 04 Apr 2011 18:58:00 GMT

The Unconscious and Ego States Last time I talked about the soul. Today I will address some aspects of the unconscious. I have a mouse pad with a portrayal of an iceberg. It is interesting to note that over 9/10 of this immense mass of ice is below the water line. "That's like your unconscious," I tell my clients, and "that's where a lot of the action is for your mind." Of course, the brain stem or primitive brain runs the autonomic nervous system, those functions of the brain like breathing of which we are not conscious. The mid-brain houses the limbic system, where a lot of our trauma pain and most deep and poignant feelings are stored. It should be noted that entire chapters have been written on the subject of the limbic system, and this summary is a gross oversimplification of the subject. I first became aware of the interface between the unconscious and limbic system when I was introduced to working with severe trauma in the late 80's (thrown in and submerged would be more accurate). "Multiple Personality Disorder," (MPD) as it was then called (now Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)) became an indisputable reality. I learned to work with alter personalities dealing with incidents of extreme trauma from childhood. My client was not conscious of these parts within her, as there was complete amnesia for their activities. I was in awe of the capacity of the mind to divide to survive; somehow automatically allowing the aptitudes and capacities of the mind to handle different roles and challenges in life to get my client from an extremely painful childhood to become a functioning adult. In these early years I had glimpses into the vast complexity of the unconscious and determined to learn how to work with these great resources "below the water line" that could make it possible for an individual to survive the worst of human suffering and loss. I began to wonder "could these subterranean powers be used to help those suffering from less severe forms of trauma?" The years that followed convinced me they could. In working with patients diagnosed with DID, I began to consider the possibility that DID was a more extensive manifestation of a natural process inherent in various degrees in all of us; that we all have "parts" that influence what we say and do. The DID Continuum would look like this: Normal Differentiation of Parts....................................................................................DID These parts have sway in our personality functioning, more or less, depending on various factors like the presence of childhood adverse experiences, levels of stress and toxicity in our environments growing up, genetic endowment, and the extent to which we as children were given freedom to give expression to the different sides of our personality. As I have worked with individuals, using this ego state model ("ego state" is a recognized psychological term for a part of our mind), I found interventions on an ego state level to have greater potential to bring about needed changes, to release unwanted emotional burdens, and to solve life's problems at a more core or root level of the personality. Ego states are foundational stones of our personality and when worked with directly can be powerful gateways for accessing both pain to release and potentials to unlock. Certainly, ego states are only one element of this complex of resources in the unconscious. Others will be discussed in future articles. I am particularly excited about the possibilities of the unconscious for harnessing powers to manage physical pain, to expand the self-concept, to change addictive wiring in the mind, and to access real potential by connecting with the Higher Self. Learning to work with the unconscious is clearly one of the great contributions of psychology and one we need to more naturally turn to when "conscious solutions" come up short. If the reader is interested in a broader discussion of ego states a paper by the author is enclosed. Also a most helpful book �Ego States, Theory and Therapy� by Watkins and Watkins Furthermore, the following article is on Ego States as a deeper explanation of what they are. Cordially, Larry Beall, PhD <hr/> The Nature and Functioning of Ego States Larry D. Beall, Ph.D. The purpose of this paper is to help the reader better understand what ego states are, how they function, under what conditions they can become dysfunctional, and what therapeutic interventions can be used to improve their condition, and correspondingly that of the client. Ego States To me ego states are elements of the mind that carry out the functions of solving life�s problems, overcoming obstacles, absorbing pain and pretty much all the demands of day to day living. They originate out of the needs of the individual, particularly those needs resulting from relationships with dominant persons or challenging situations. In the therapeutic setting, this often means helping the client cope with abuse or neglect. In my clinical experience, it is common for psychological pain to be absorbed by ego states and manifested most commonly in behaviors of anger, self-defeating behaviors, or somatic symptoms. Our common, day to day experience gives us evidence that could be interpreted as manifestations of ego states. Different �sides� of our personality surface under different situations. For example, you feel and behave differently when talking with a friend who you feel completely safe with, versus another adult who is threatening or authoritarian over you. Do you feel and behave differently when playing a game for fun, versus a game that is fiercely competitive? My wife noticed she could not help �becoming an eight year old� when we visited her parents as a family. Of course, there are many psychological theories to account for these differences in one�s responses, but one that has useful application relates to the functioning of ego states. Ego states may be organized into different dimensions. They may be large and include behaviors and experiences activated in one�s primary relationships, occupation or daily experiences. They may be small and include only behavior s and feelings elicited when participating in specific activities such as sports. They may represent current modes of behavior and experience or represent memories, behavior styles, feelings, etc., that were evident only at an earlier age. Ego States & Dissociation Over the years I have worked with various conditions of dissociation which opened the door to my understanding ego states. Dissociation can perhaps best be understood as stretching along a continuum of severity. The reader is recommended to another paper �How to Recognize Dissociation and What to Do About It,� also found on the website. On the left side of the continuum lies the dissociation representating day to day living. To the right of that lies the less severe forms of dissociation such as �traumatized dissociation.� This is when the individual dissociates or checks out from the traumatic experience that exceeds his or her ability to cope. This is the dissociation witnessed with Acute Stress Disorder when the person has been exposed to a traumatic event that elicits a �response of intense fear, helplessness, or horror.�1 On the other end of the continuum is Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), formerly termed Multiple Personality Disorder, where there is the pre sence of separate parts or alters of the personality which function independent of one another. There is often amnesia of their activity to the individual. In working with patients diagnosed with DID, I began to consider the possibility that DID was a more extensive manifestation of a natural process inherent in various degrees in all of us; that we all have �parts� that influence what we say and do. These parts have sway in our personality functioning, more or less, depending on various factors like the presence of adverse experiences in childhood, levels of stress and toxicity in our environments growing up, genetic endowment, and the extent to which we as children were given freedom to give expression to the different sides of our personality. As I have worked with individuals, using this ego state model of personality functioning, I found interventions on an ego state level to have greater potential to bring about needed changes, to release unwanted emotional burdens, and to solve life�s problems, at a more core or root level of the personality. When an Ego State Becomes Dysfunctional As an illustration, I was asked to complete an evaluation for an adolescent female client, we will call Mary, who was killing small animals on the farm of her foster mother. Therapy had not helped, and only seemed to worsen her unwanted behavior. Upon inquiring, it was learned that Mary had no recollection of the killing of these small animals, and in fact seemed sincerely appalled that such a thing could be done to innocent creatures. Diagnostic work revealed she had an �angry ego state� who was indeed killing these small animals. This ego state or �sub-self� of Mary had taken much of the painful abuse she had undergone as a young child. She had unconsciously assigned an ego state to take this pain, evidently in order for her overall personality to not be burdened with it. Unfortunately, even though this pain was being housed in an element of her personality, the pain didn�t disappear, and was contributing to these aberrant behaviors. It could be called a matter of �covertly expressing� the pain, that was carrying out an inner mandate to keep the pain from reaching her consciousness. The fact is the pain this part of Mary took from the abuser was real, did not go away, and had to be controlled and managed in such a way so as to not bring too much interruption to Mary�s life. As often is the case with ego states in pain, the pain can�t remain repressed, and has to be expressed somehow, most often in some kind of �acting out behavior.� Private acting out eventually becomes a problem to the individual and others. If resources are available, treatment becomes recommended. Unfortunately, in the author�s experience, conventional treatment does not reach the ego state level of the personality, with the consequence of only temporary relief obtained. Over the past nearly twenty years I have encountered hundreds of similar cases in which childhood pain is absorbed by ego states which often manifests in various forms of aberrant behavior, such as aggression or promiscuity. Several early contributors had discovered that the human personality is not singular (although it is usually experienced as such), but is separated into various segments, or unique entities that serve different purposes. Janet (1907) applied the term dissociation to describe systems of ideas that were split off, thus �not in association� with other ideas within the personality. Janet also implied that these personality patterns existed subconsciously, not available to conscious observation. Mary�s angry ego state(s) were not rigid but could be expanded or contracted to include more or less psychological material. During active periods her angry ego state expanded and she appeared to others as invested with strong emotion, such as anger. This would usually be the case when Mary talked with her boyfriend, Jackson. She would be angered by his provoking, triggering accusations. During rest, sleep, or depression this ego state contracted its boundaries and withdrew its energies, leaving larger portions of Mary�s emotional and behavioral repertoire unenergized and dormant. This state would often be what characterized Mary�s day to day living when unprovoked by Jackson�s or others� triggering interactions. When the boundaries of an ego state are relatively permeable and not rigid, we think of it as a normally adaptive entity. When the boundaries become rigid and impermeable, such as the case with Mary�s angry ego state, we term it as dissociated. Mary referred to �walls in her mind� that separated highly painful and traumatized experiences. Her angry ego state was compartmentalized with its pain and anger from numerous traumatic incidents of abuse and loss, and only emerged from its dissociated place when triggered primarily by Jackson�s provocations. It is not difficult to understand that an ego state formed and developed under the extreme duress of a sexually abusing and violent step-father, when Mary was a child, could be activated by a boyfriend whose behaviors resembled those of the abusive step-father. This dynamic of the angry ego state being in seclusion until it emerged after being triggered has been validated and clearly demonstrated to me by Mary�s foster mother, who observed this pattern in Mary�s behaviors. Ego states often were first created when the individual was young. Accordingly, they think concretely like a child. A child ego state was formed to adapt to the conditions of an earlier time, not today, and often its attempts to function in the present result in maladaptation. As one learns about the time and circumstances when an ego state first appeared, one�s approach can be adapted to talking with an ego state younger than the ostensible full-grown adult client before you. This adaption can be done without embarrassment under hypnosis. In our case, it was discovered that Mary had not one but four ego states who had absorbed a tremendous amount of pain and functioned as a composite entity in response to extreme stress. When given the opportunity in therapy, they responded as children eager to be relieved of this pain and in a corresponding way to their anger and rage. It was easy to see that their combined angry energies created a formidable amount of anger that c ould easily explain the killing of innocent, young animals. In my opinion, with the removal of pain and anger from Mary�s ego states, concern for her acting out in anger and hurting others was essentially removed. This was confirmed by the observations of the foster mother in the months that followed ego state therapy with Mary. The Development of Ego States Original ego states came into being to help the primary person adapt and be safe. These ego states remained because they were successful in these functions. They further developed to enhance the individual�s ability to cope with a specific problem or situation. Thus, one ego state may have taken over the responsibility of dealing with parents, another on the playground, another when dealing with aggressive peers, etc. Ego states are motivated to protect and continue their existence. It is easier to modify the motivations of ego states and change their behavior in a constructive direction than it is to attempt their total elimination. (Admittedly, there are times when one is tempted to remove them, even though in the long run it is usually more beneficial for the entire personality system to work through the problems of the oppositional personality state). It is not uncommon for ego states to have contradictory goals and to develop conflicts with each other. When they are highly energized and have rigid, impermeable boundaries, dissociative identities or multiple personalities may result. However, many such conflicts appear between ego states only covertly, and are frequently manifested by anxiety, depression, medical problems, or any number of emotional and behavioral problems. There is a rich and useful literature on the treatment of multiple personalities, and the reader will discover principles of treatment for ego states as well, in reading them. At the end of this paper is a brief biography of books I have found useful. Ego states apparently develop by one or more of the following three processes: normal differentiation, introjection of significant others, and reactions to trauma. Normal differentiation - the child learns to discriminate between things (e.g., foods that taste good and those that do not, persons that cooperate and those that threaten). Patterns of behavior are developed which are appropriate for dealing with life. Introjection of significant others - the child absorbs strong negative or positive energies of a significant parent and establishes patterns of behaviors which are consistent with those energy clusters. The term �object-cathected� or �introject� means the ego state, or more than one, represents the predominant energy of this significant other. In my experience, pathological introjects most probably develop when the significant other is extremely critical and or abusive in any way. The more intense, severe, and chronic the criticism and abuse, the more likely it is the introject becomes autonomous and separate from the personality system. In the more extreme cases of DID, a �Persecutor Alter� can form. An abused child may abuse her own children, if she has identified with her bad parent. That was our fear with Mary, that her angry ego state which had killed animals would be capable of injuring her child. There is cause of reassurance that the angry ego states, which ha d apparently absorbed the introjections of the abusive step-father, had been relieved of their pain and anger, and were no longer potentially dangerous. Confronted with severe trauma - or rejection or abuse, the child may dissociate. This is an extension of Introjection of Significant Others. Because the sources of psychological pain are so diverse and extreme for the child in an abusive and toxic environment, ego states can contain psychological pain not differentiated as an introject. For example: the lonesome child can create an imaginary ego state playmate with whom (s)he can interact an ego state can develop to cope with interpersonal problems the ego state doesn�t judge the primary person capable of handling, ego states can form to handle different classes of emotional pain. Later conflict may cause the effected ego state to reinvest with energy and reemerge in some form in later years. This is often when the client seeks therapy. The Differentiation-Dissociation Continuum Few psychological processes exist on an either-or basis. Anxiety, depression, immaturity, etc., all lie on a continuum with lesser or greater degrees of intensity. So it is with ego states and dissociation. Multiple personality only represents the extreme and maladaptive end of the continuum that starts with normal differentiation. <hr/> <pre> Normal Borderline Multiple Well-Adjusted Neurotic Multiple Personality</pre> Adaptive Differentation Defensive Pathological Dissociation <hr/> A conflict between states may be manifested by headaches, anxiety, and maladaptive behaviors, such as found in the psycho-physiologic conditions. In my opinion, Mary�s ego state functioning and dissociation can be found towards the end of pathological dissociation, but not far enough to reach multiple personalities or Dissociative Identity Disorder. Treatment Approaches With the above continuum in mind, treatment approaches have the aim of moving the client more in the direction of the �adaptive differentiation� of ego states. The following steps and process has been found useful: 1. A therapeutic alliance is formed and strengthened with the client and ego states by an acceptance of his or her report of traumatic experiences. 2. Psycho-education about trauma and ego state functioning. 3. Exploration of reasons why letting go of the pain from these traumatic experiences may not be desirable from a therapeutic perspective (See handout �Why We Don�t Let Go of Pain" on our website at <a href="http://www.traumaawareness.net/">www.traumaawareness.net</a>). For example, there may be a fear of losing identity or power, of forgiving the perpetrator or minimizing the pain. 3. Use the Pain Release Intervention developed at The Trauma Awareness & Treatment Center. 4. Assess level of cooperation existing between the ego states. Pain is often what keeps ego states apart, and when this psychological pain is removed, there is a natural movement of ego states toward one another. 5. If disharmony continues between ego states, develop more cooperation between them. This can be done by listening to their issues, recognizing how working together would help them reach their personal goals, and giving them opportunity to cooperate with homework assignments. These assignments could include being assertive and truthful with a certain difficult individual, or completing a challenging task that has been procrastinated. It may be recognized by the reader that effective treatment of ego states is just good therapy with the parts of the personality. By not challenging the ego state�s unique identity, but by increasing the communication of ego states with each other we encourage an adaptive togetherness and unity. The formerly dissociated ego state becomes an ego state which cooperates with the other ego states in the personality system, maintaining the individual�s inner and outer worlds. It is not uncommon for many of the original ego states, when their need for separateness no longer exists, disappear spontaneously, their contents fusing into remaining ones. The remaining differentiated entities are now simply functional ego states � and the individual manifests only one personality to the outside world. It is hoped the discussion thus far de-mystifies ego state therapy, and helps the reader see that s(he) already possesses many of the individual, family, and group therapeutic skills, necessary for the resolution of conflicts within the individual�s ego state �family.� The only chief difference may be the therapeutic skills are used while the client is under hypnosis. Hypnosis and Ego States It is recommended that the practitioner who wishes to do ego state therapy receive training in hypnosis. When comfortable with just the fundamentals of hypnosis, the therapist will be able to help the individual reach a state of deep relaxation, or light hypnotic trance, which is usually sufficient to access ego states. The purpose of hypnosis is to penetrate beyond the conscious level where only �reasonable or rational� thinking is allowed, to the symbols and energy of the subconscious.

Article 1 by Larry Beall

Tue, 08 Mar 2011 18:03:00 GMT

This will be the first of a series of articles. Since 1994 when the Trauma Awareness & Treatment Center was incorporated we have treated approximately 10,000 individuals. Our treatment focus is generally short-term so we work with a lot of people. A number of principles relative to trauma treatment have emerged that continue to be validated by clinical experience. These principles and findings will be discussed in these articles. One of these is that (the strengths required to survive traumatic experiences can be used to overcome its effects.( This is related to another proven principle: (there is nothing that can happen to us that the human spirit cannot survive and eventually overcome.( I am humbled and amazed by our capacity as humans to find a way to survive, to overcome being a victim, to make meaning out of pain and chaos. My specialty is severe trauma, helping the victims of some of the most horrible things people do to each other. These include assaults, violence, and torture in all their varieties. Many of my clients were severely and chronically abused as children, and again encountered in adulthood a repetition of their childhood terrors and suffering. Why there is frequently this perpetuation of pain is a subject for future discussion. I do want to address one of the ways I believe many of these unconquerable souls make a new life. To me it is found in the word soul. In my work with the severely traumatized I have found (head psychology( or talk therapy that ignores the soul to be insufficient. The pain is too severe, the damage too extensive to rely on the brain or will alone, to recover from trauma(s effects. It(s not too different from using a broken wrench to remove a rusted and damaged nut. Psychology has long had the tradition that humans are the outgrowth of two things: nature and nurture. Nature is genetics, what we inherit as characteristics, tendencies, and aptitudes from our parents. Nurture is environment, what we experience. From these two everything we think, feel and do is supposed to be explained. Like some of you, I have found this simplistic explanation of humans as inadequate. There is another factor, an unmistakable influence, I call the (X-Factor( or (Third Force.( I tried to explain it this way once to a colleague: (My experience tells me my clients have more substance than the genetics and experience from which they were derived.( Hence, the word soul is unavoidable in my work, and probably in most of your lives. There are different ways I have seen the Third Force manifested in the lives of my clients. One has to do with the families in which they were raised: all parents and siblings actively destructive and hurtful, except my client. Can genetics or environment explain my client(s brave stand against what everyone in the family is doing, and which is causing her own suffering because she won(t participate? Another way I have seen this Third Force manifest is less tangible. It has to do with seeing the (real self,( the (higher self.� This is the strong and wise part of each of us that is behind the scenes protecting us, helping us move forward through obstacles. The Higher Self can step up and helps my client through the most difficult painful experiences imaginable. This Higher Self is clearly not a product of nature or nurture. It supersedes both. So what is the principle of this first paper? The soul is a reality that can see you through the worst of times. Turn to it, trust it, let its strength be part of your solutions. It has natural instincts to connect with God, to rely on higher powers. Without the soul and the resources it can access the most difficult work of trauma recovery is severely limited. The same can probably be said of most anything else we try to do that matters. Next time I will discuss how this relates to the operations of the sub-conscious. Dr. Larry Beall, PhD. Clinical Psychologist Director of Trauma Awareness and Treatment Center

Newsletter Correction

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 17:07:00 GMT

Yesterday's newsletter contained a slight misnomer regarding the workshops we will be providing in the near future. They will be provided by both Dr. Beall and me, as well as other therapist staff members. We will keep you informed as to the subjects, and times of these upcoming events. Jamison D. Law, LPC, NCC

TATC Newsletter 8/17/2009

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 16:16:00 GMT

Trauma Awareness and Treatment Center News Events Work at the trauma center is ongoing. In our quest to fulfill our mission statement we are ever attempting to increase the knowledge of our center to the population. Last year we had a fundraiser which was very successful and we have another planned in the month of November. The goal is to, naturally, raise money for the clinic to be able to help those that cannot afford trauma-focused treatment. Also, it is to raise awareness of the effects of psychological trauma. We look forward to our next fund raiser. In order to increase professional awareness of trauma center, I (Jamison Law) am looking into providing CEU worthy trainings on trauma and treatment. It is in the preliminary stages. Once I have the details worked out, I will submit the final plans to our director, Dr. Beall for approval and move forward. I am also interested in learning what types of trainings other professionals might want to attend. The goal is to provide informative and affordable trainings. Suggestions? Requests? Abuse vs. Neglect and Trauma This portion of the newsletter is where the meat of trauma information will be provided. This week�s information is on the affects of abuse vs. that of neglect. Working at TATC provides a unique opportunity to see the effects of the different types of abuse. It also demonstrates how similar traumatic events will affect each individual differently due to their genetic makeup, personality, temperament, environment, etc. Thus, the capacity for therapeutic growth and experience for the professional can be boundless. With abuse and neglect, it is interesting to note that the effects can be dramatically different and I hope to explain these observations. In the State of Utah, neglect falls under the category of abuse, according to laws and statutes. However, in treatment it does not. Abuse comes in its many forms: physical, mental, emotional, sexual, ritual, etc. Most of us in this field see its effects. It shows up in diagnoses such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, dissociative tende ncies, panic disorders, and more. Neglect seems to show up, at times (again, this is my observation) as an Axis II diagnosis. There are aspects of Axis I, of course, but the actual personality structure appears to change. It appears to happen because of the nature of neglect. To explain why, try to think of it this way. When we are born, it is as if we carry an empty vessel (like a bucket) inside of us that is prepared to be filled up with experiences. At a young age those experiences actually fulfill a need (think of Maslow�s Hierarchy of Needs). As those physical, mental, emotional, and social needs are filled on an individual basis, we develop in an individually healthy manner (Notice my use of the word �individual�). When abuse occurs, that vessel (or bucket) is filled with pain and hurt. That individual�s experiences in pain can affect their perception of the world and at times can change the neurochemical development in the brain, possibly predisposing them to symptomatic problems soon after or later on in life. Therefore, their vessel is filling up, but not with positive experiences. Now, we will look at neglect. Neglect is when the vessel is left empty and leaves a void as physical, mental, emotional, and/or social needs are not met. Therefore, their natural capacity to develop healthily is changed or maybe even stunted. There is an emptiness that must be filled. Where do they turn to? What might they do? Codependence, borderline personality disorder, narcissism, etc. may be possible results. Now, recall that I mentioned it is individual. Just because someone may be abused or neglected does not necessarily mean that they will become symptomatic or develop behavioral problems. There is always choice involved, as well as many other aspects of being human that can alter the development. That�s the beauty of this work, isn�t it? Everything is individual. Therefore, being that there appears to be a difference in the affects of abuse and neglect, treatment approaches would need to be different. With abuse, the goal is to resolve the traumatic effects. With neglect, it is to help them find a healthy way to fill the void. Therefore, if we work in an eclectic field, it is important to have many tools in our therapeutic belt to address individual needs. After all, one Phillips screwdriver doesn�t always fit every Phillips head. Requests If there is ever any subjects you would like to learn more about, such as some that are listed on our website, please reply to the newsletter and we would be happy to provide information. If you would like a consultation, also let us know. Cordially, Jamison D. Law, LPC, NCC TATC Therapist

Welcome!

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 16:18:00 GMT

Welcome everyone to the TATC newsletter! There will be a series of letters that address trauma-related issues and self-help items. Also, if you have any requests, please email us and we will include them in the newsletter. Today's letter is a test to see if everyone receives it. Please respond to let me know so that I can make sure that the settings are correct. I look forward to providing you with information about trauma. Jamison D. Law, LPC, NCC Therapist at TATC

This is a new test

Mon, 30 Mar 2009 22:13:00 GMT

The purpose of this is to see if anyone will actually receive these messages.