Contact Us
Contents of this Newsletter
News
Welcome to the first ever newsletter of the CFTRE. I am hoping to send it out realistically every two months. It will include news about the CFTRE around the world, there will be a feature article and then questions and answers general and specific about dysregulation, Self Regulation Therapy and Psychological Anatomy.
We have been travelling a great deal lately. But as far as a jetsetting life--working with trauma is hardly glamourous. No one is traumatized in the beautiful places. I do occasionally meet individuals who inspire me and for that I am grateful. I am moved by our capacity to survive horrendous, unspeakable things and still after or maybe because of all I have witnessed, I am appalled by the way people treat each other from the smallest lack of kindness to the widesweeping acts of cruelty. It has caused me to reflect on my own behaviour especially in times of strife. If I can't, with all my education and relative advantage maintain some modicum of kindness in conflict, what chance do we have for peace?
Despite all the difficult stuff that we have had to deal with, we have had some wild experiences this past year. We did all three levels of Foundation SRT training in Belfast as well as the entire Psychological Anatomy course. Herta Buller and Naomi Lepage came along as assistants. Both have assisted several foundation trainings in the past. Their help was invaluable. We are scheduled to start Advanced there this May with another Foundation Training starting in Dublin in the Fall. We train an entire Child and adolescent Mental Health Team (25 in total): 4 psychiatrists, 8 PhD Psychologists, 6 MSWs, 3 Family Therapists 4 psychiatric nurses. Their clinical skills were already excellent. It was a pleasure and honour to teach them. It was most inspiring to see the personal growth in terms of self regulation. Most of the group had not done any personal work which amazed us. They possessed a quiet endurance after three decades of civil war which continues today. Several had witnessed murders, been in bombings, had their lives threatened because of their families religion, stoned on the way to school as a child etc. As a group they had never talked about the "elephant in the room." The training group was a mix of Catholics and Protestants and they work with clients who are dysregulated because of the huge effect of the Troubles on their families and culture. There is so much fear coupled in with any discussion of religion and politics. Some beautiful things started to unfold as they shared their common hurt, fear, trauma. They reported feeling much more like a team, less isolated and trusting each other more. We also travelled throughout Northern Ireland and Ireland--beautiful people and scenery. We didn't see any little people and survived Ed's driving. Ed says it was like driving with three wives in the car, each giving him different and often contradictory directions.
I also taught several levels of Foundation SRT in Russia. In St. Petersburg I taught for the new KGB (Special Security Force) and 16 clinical psychologists that teach for the University in St.Petersburg. There were 65 in the group and the level of paranoia amongst the participants was very high. The police psychologists were being monitored by their superiors and the clinical psychologists from the University are afraid of the police. It did not help that the training was at the police academy. Most of the work we do in Russia is pro bono. There is money in Russia (2/3 of all Mercedes world wide were exported to Russia last year for example), however the government does not have any of it. I am "paid" in "culture programs" which always involves caviar and vodka. I saw the opening of Swan Lake which was so beautiful I cried. They also took me for a private tour of the Hermitage. I was taken into the Golden Chamber which is not open to the public. Did you know if you spent one minute looking at every work of art in the Hermitage it would take 9 years to get through it and that is with only 10% of their collection on display at any one time. The story of how they kept their huge collection from being destroyed during the Russian Revolution and WWII is fascinating. They sent everything to Siberia and buried it. No one is gonna look for it there. I generally feel that I am in a James Bond movie when I teach for the police in Russia. It is such a bizarre subculture and I am treated like royalty which makes me very nervous. People ask if I am afraid to go to Russia. I am not. I teach for the police and everyone is afraid of them. In Moscow I taught 60 counsellors, psychologists and psychiatrists. Several in the group were from Beslan. The day we started the training was 40th day since the hostage taking at the school where 350 children, parents, and grandparents were killed. There was grave concern over acts of revenge and more bloodshed. I did a couple of demonstrations with the Beslan counsellors which were incredibly emotionally difficult but very inspirational.
Beslan is a very small village. The horror of the tragedy and the grief is one that will take the village generations from which to recover. We will be doing trainings (Foundation and Advanced) in Moscow and St. Petersburg in May and October of this year. While in Moscow, lest you think all I do is work, I was taken to a Khazitstan restaurant that you can only go to if you with someone from Khazistan. The food was incredible. I have never tasted anything remotely similar especially one cut of meat which, I discovered after my second piece, was horse. They were crazy about something they called ass-fat of lamb(kebab style) and lamb's liver. Of course I was full from the horse and politely told them that I had my own ass-fat to contend with. Russians are generally too-traumatized for words (and many are alcoholic). Every beverage that was brought to me as I as teaching was spiked--herbal tea, coffee, black tea, juice and this was what the students had brought to drink. Again--too bizarre for words. The Russians take Will structure and endurance to new heights.
I am off to do lectures in Taiwan and Bangkok Thailand in March. We are hoping to raise funds to do an SRT training in Thailand next February. We are also starting our first East Coast training in Boston in April thanks to Raewyn Haywood. Exciting things are happening!
To close, the following is a poem that Herta found on our second trip to Northern Ireland:
Nothing that is worth doing can be achieved in our lifetime;
therefore we must be saved by hope.
Nothing which is good or true or beautiful makes complete
sense in any immediate context of history;
therefore we must be saved by faith.
Nothing we do, however virtuous, can be accomplished alone;
therefore we must be saved by love. Reinhold Niebuhr
Yours in hope, faith & love
Lynne Zettl
Upcoming Events and Trainings
SRT Couples Retreat in Kelowna
March 18, 2005
Due to the overwhelming response to this course in November, we are offering it again in March 2005. It is a unique opportunity to learn about developmental and traumatic dysregulation and how it impacts one's capacity to be intimate and joyful within a dyad. This experiential three-day weekend for couples will be held at the beautiful Manteo Resort in Kelowna. The weekend will blend education, experiential activities/exercises with your partner and many demonstrations of working with couples for your illumination and enjoyment. The didactic component involves an overview of the developmental neuromuscular affective stages we teach in Psychological Anatomy (see website for course info) and a short discussion of the psychophysiological underpinnings of shock trauma. Experiential exercises to increase awareness of the psychophysiological procedures (from both developmental dysregulation and dysregulation from shock trauma) that we all fall into as couples and how to interrupt the procedures comprise at least half of the workshop time. It is a very enjoyable weekend. A great deal of growth and change happens for the couples. Couples come away with a greater understanding of each other's development and nervous system and learn to relate to each other in a completely new way.
Self Regulation Therapy Practitioner Training: Foundation Level
Edmonton, AB
April 8-10, 2005
May 6-8, 2005
June 10-12, 2005
April 15-17, 2005
May 13-15, 2005
June 24-26, 2005
Oct 21-23, 2005
Nov 18-20, 2005
Dec 16-18, 2005
Self Regulation Therapy Practitioner Training: Advanced Level
Edmonton
Sept 9-11, 2005
Nov 4-6, 2005
Jan 20-22, 2006
Mar 17-19, 2006
Feb 10-12, 2006
Mar 3-5, 2006
Apr 7-9, 2006
May 5-7, 2006
Learning the Language of the Nervous System: An Introduction to
Self Regulation Therapy
June 21, 2005
New in Vancouver! This two and half hour seminar is designed to give bodywork practitioners and counsellors a deeper understanding of the neuropsychological sequelae of trauma and why traditional approaches fail in restoring the client to former or even better states of health and happiness. An introduction to an effective psychophysiological deactivation approach (SRT) which can be integrated with various bodywork approaches is presented. Psychophysiological treatment approaches with case studies are presented that includes a discussion of the plasticity of the brain in transforming trauma, categories of trauma, and symptoms of trauma.
Presenter: Lynne Zettl, PhD, RPsych Date: June 21 @ 7:00pm - 9:30pm Cost: $30
To pre-register contact Karen at 604-693-0090.
Psychological Anatomy: Developmental Neuromuscular Affective Integration
This summer in beautiful Kelowna learn about identifying and correcting developmental dysregulation. This six day seminar with have morning and evening sessions to allow for play and relaxation during the sunny afternoons. We will explore the stages of neuromuscular affective development starting in utero and extending to the teen years. The seminar integrates the work of prominent neuroscientists such as Allan Schore, Joseph Ledoux, Daniel Siegel, and Bruce Perry, with clinical and practical applications for professionals.
Kelowna, BC
July 18-23, 2005
9:00am - 1:00pm and
6:00pm - 8:30pm
Vancouver, BC
December 9-11, 2005 and January 13-15, 2006
10:00am - 5:30pm
Traditional Native Approaches to Healing: Strengthening
Connection to Spirit
Date: Saturday April 30, 2005
Time: 10am-5pm
Cost: $165
Place: Vancouver, BC
The Canadian Foundation for Trauma Research & Education is honoured to present Elder Wes Fine Day, a traditional Native healer of Cree origin from Sweetgrass, Saskatchewan, who will give a one day workshop in support of the CFTRE's research fund.
Wes will lecture on importance of ceremony to the human spirit. He will discuss the laws of access to the spirit world, earning knowledge and earning the right to speak about the spirit world. This workshop will help participants discover ways to protect and strengthen their spirit thereby increasing visibility in the spirit world, and enabling a deeper connection with his/her inner self.
Wes Fine Day is a master storyteller and is one of the foremost recognized medicine men in Canada. He is on the board of directors of a hospital being built in Fort Qu'appelle,SK that is integrating traditional native healing approaches with Western medicine and consults with many hospitals internationally that are seeking to integrate traditional medicine into their programs. Wes also lectures in Native Law Studies program at the University of Saskatchewan
Featured Article
The Pain (of which you complain) lies mainly in your Brain: Part I
Although an injury to our body is often understood as the cause of pain, it is neither necessary nor sufficient for the experience of pain. As in the case of phantom limb pain, there may be severe pain in a body part that is absent. Further, if we stimulate certain areas of the brain (for example, the ventral caudal thalamus), we can cause pain in particular body part in the absence of any tissue damage. This is because the physical feeling we experience is generated by activity in a group of neurons in the subcortical brain, and the sensation is projected to a location in the body determined by the group of neurons.
Neural patterns in the brain are the origin of what we experience as the mind, the body and the world around us. It isn’t that there is no physical body or external world, only that our experience of them is indirect. It can be helpful to think of the example of a television image. The image is generated by a spatiotemporal pattern of charged particles and is not the object itself. As with neural representations, the pattern encodes meaning representing the real thing.
Why is this important? It is important because the physical correlate of our sense of self, or our mind, is also a neural representation, a spatiotemporal pattern in our brain. Since the experience of both bodily pain and mind are neurally generated and are basically the same kind of thing, they can interact. An example I often give is if you are in Disneyland riding the rides with your friends and family, having the time of your life, and you bang your elbow; chances are that you will curse (I would), put some ice on it from a nearby concession stand, maybe take an aspirin and get in line for the next ride. If, however, you are at a friend’s funeral, and you bang your elbow in the same way, chances are that the pain you experience will be more intense and last for a longer period of time.
There is no question that the mind and the body interact. Under conditions of strong emotion, or if injuries have a particular meaning, they can be essentially painless. Conversely, in situations where pain is anticipated, people often report the occurrence or worsening of pain even without a noxious stimuli. The degree to which a stimuli results in pain and continues to affect one depends as much (or possibly more) on the state of the person as it does on the stimulus.
“By George she’s got it!”
Questions and Answers
We get several questions emailed to our general email every month. Below are a few of the questions and answers to the public. As well, a few supervision questions will be included with each newsletter.
General Questions
Question #1
Is there any way for me to learn how to use SRT myself? In other words, to treat myself with SRT?
Answer #1
If one's nervous system is dysregulated, one needs another regulated nervous system to help bring balance. After self regulation is achieved, one's system is automatically more resilient in the face of stress or threat so self treatment would not be necessary. It is not possible to treat yourself because dysregulation is held procedurally in the nervous system at a nonconscious level.
Question #2
I am a psychotherapist in the Seattle area. I am interested in SRT . Is it similar to EMDR or Hypnotherapy?
Answer #2
SRT is not like EMDR or hypnotherapy. The focus of SRT is to regulate the autonomic nervous system by working with psychophysiological activation. EMDR is a cognitive model that works mainly with the cortex. SRT works with subcortical parts of the brain. New research shows that hypnotherapy requires the client to be highly dissociative to be implemented. SRT is the opposite in that it works to reassociate those aspects of consciousness that were split off at the time of the trauma. SRT alsoaddresses developmental dysregulation and may help to lay down neuropathways that were missed developmentally.
Question #3
Although I have not been diagnosed, I have a strong suspicion that my personal issues are as a result of this disorder. I am 38 and a survivor of 29 foster placements and 6 juvenile institutions (no penal institutions!). I have seen more than 75 jobs come and go in my lifetime. I've tried a variety of therapies and have been diagnosed with PTSD and ADD. I do best on my own but have a few friends. I am in a 13 year relationship that I struggle to be in. I think I'm on the right track and I'd like to be helped to find more info. Can you help?
Answer #3
Regardless of diagnosis, your childhood history seems that it was extremely disruptive and traumatic. It certainly would make it very difficult to trust others and develop a healthy attachment. As well, ambition, motivation, connection to passion and life's purpose would be challenged in individuals with your history. Love and work are our two main challenges as adults and both seem to be a struggle for you. It would be helpful for you to see a therapist who can work from a developmental perspective not just from a cognitive place but from an understanding of psychophysiology. Understanding your difficulties does not really help to overcome them. The therapist has to be able to work with your nervous system. We have trained people in your area that can work with developmental dysregulation and shock trauma. It is possible to fill the gaps left in our development and have a healthy, productive, joyful life with intimate satisfying relationships.
Question #4
I am wondering if someone from the CFTRE could tell me the difference between SRT and Somatic Experiencing. In description they seem very similar and I am interested in exploring trauma therapies available in the lower mainland area and am wondering if I should be looking for an SE or SRT practitioner. Thanks for any help you can provide.
Answer #4
Both Dr. Ed Josephs and myself were teachers of SE. In fact I am the only person who has published research on the efficacy of SE. Five years ago, we started with several other individuals, the Canadian Foundation for Trauma Research and Education to educate professionals on the newest neuoroscientific research relating to dysregulation and work to research the best clinical applications. Though our approaches are similar in that we have kept the best concepts that SE offers, we have added some key differences. One is the recognition that trauma is not just episodic but also developmental so we integrate teachings on developmental dysregulation in the training. As well we bring in the newest research and teach the brain anatomy and physiology so the student has a firm grounding in it. Our premise is, that if you understand what you are doing and why it works, that is translated to the client. Our requirements are more stringent in that people are expected to do at least 6 supervisions and 10 personal sessions at the Foundation level and 10 supervisions and 10 personal sessions to aid in learning from the inside out and applying the skills in clinical practice. The personal sessions are done with Ed or myself and another student. So students have an SRT session, watch one with another student and then we discuss what happened in terms of Self Regulation. Final assigments are required at each level. There are many other differences and of course I think people learn how to do the work much more fully with our program. If you would like to talk to a former student, I can give the name of several professionals who have taken the training and have volunteered to speak to interested parties.Ultimately, the relationship with the practitioner is the most important element and I trust that you will find the therapist that is best for you.
Supervision Questions
Below is a series of supervisions I did with an SRT and Psychological Anatomy student on a 18 year old male client who is bulimic, highly anxious, depressed and dissociative. In Psychological Anatomy terms he struggling with gaps in early existence (mental) and early need (despair). We started supervision after the 1st session. The following transcipts start at the 5th session.
Question #1
I saw my client on Tuesday last, 5th session lasting one hour.He came in very bright & breezy, straight from the rugby field; this surprised me a bit as he is so body phobic I thought he might find changing a problem. As usual he was pretty activated, not surprising given he has exams just now; but he feels he did ok which is good. I noticed his positioning in the seat had changed, less tight, arms down, feet on the floor. I didn't ask him to sense in, as he would get activated more so we started the conversation about safety as usual he required an exact & minutely precise definition of what I was asking. On exploring this(with associated high activation, scanning & curling up onto the seat) he gave examples of how people are nice for awhile, but then they turn on you, are cruel & hurtful. I asked him, "So ...who is not like that?" long pause He says his father is like that but then qualifies this saying that dad has high expectations which he feels he must fulfill. The rugby for instance--turns out the dad is an international refereee as well as a psychologist(help!!!). He feels most safe with his dad on long walks in the dark with the dog where they talk about history & literature(I can imagine it!!)
Next on the list ( after much pondering & circumlocution( including the war poets & athenian democrats...Christ im so glad I've read some of these things!)....is a friend. I'm taken by his depiction of the scenario as opposed to the relationship. His friends lives in a big house in the country..very isolated place ..."away from it all"...they sit at a big table with drinks & "talk nonsense into the small hours"(his words) My client then starts then to question...what is this all about why is it interesting to me, is he doing all right. I remind him there is plenty of time. He looks sad& drained, pale. I ask what is he noticing now. " I am going down (into his emotions) & I don't want to go there" (he fights back tears). I invite him to notice feet, support of chair etc...surprisingly he does it this time. He feels the ground hard underfoot, tension in his shoulders & upper limb girdle, breath is short, hardly going in at all. I ask what would lighten the load....linking this to where he would feel safe now. He describes his CAVE in his bedroom wrapped tight in the bedcovers, very dark & warm. "like a womb"(holds back tears). Sits upright suddenly complains of feeling like exploding ...very unpleasant .. if it occurred would be like an h bomb...would destroy everything notices breath, some moving through of upper body tightness ...then talks about suicidal thoughts, very frequent...checks is it ok? Will I put him in hospital. I say only if he feels it would help. He chooses to go back to the cave becomes more self deprecating... descibes self as a slug, a loathsome thing, can't bear to look up cause he sees his reflection in a picture opposite. He says feels very small boxed in by grey walls & a bottomless black pit beneath... feels alone.......only way is down asks if anyone else could feel like this talk like this I say yes he asks who,I say me. The colour comes back to his cheeks, he unfolds like a tendril & says "thanks,you don't know how much that means to me...I could hug you. At this I'm afraid I flinch which he sees but breaks into a laugh & is beaming I smile and ask if it ok to stop. He says its ok.
So several issues here
1. I feel a need to slow it down
2. perhaps I am too like him to be helpful
3. Would you please give me the instructions for doing the collage again
Answer #1
It sounds like you are doing great work with your client. I think helping really sense into his body as he talks about things that are resourcing would help slow it down (if you are not already doing so) because it sounds like sometimes you are not sure if it is really a resource or if he just thinks it should be. You can ask "What do you imagine would make the walk even more comfortable?" And have him track his sensations as he imagines it. OR what do you notice as think about talking with your friend into the small hours? It seems that shame comes up for him as he experiences you attuning to him while he is connected to his resources which again makes sense if his attachment is built up around needing help vs feeling good and independent. It seems that he has had such a mixed message from his parents. His father seems to need him to be doing well at things his father enjoys and I bet his mother would only have contact with him if he wasn't doing well. I would name his shame--talk to him about the physiology of shame-how it is biological and often laid done in the brain when needs go unmet. So having his need to be seen and attuned to by you would make sense that shame would come up because he never had that. He has much more lateral tegmental circuitry--shame/inhibition and not so much ventral tegmental which gets laid down in the first year and is about regulating into higher states of arousal within the dyad and eventually being able to move into states of joy. Another exercise to do with him is the gaze aversion and the sound/face viscera exercise.
Question #2
My 17 year old client is doing tremendously well. He is much more at ease with himself, future orientated, making university choices now. The last few sessions he brought photos of family , friends & places of special meaning to him( his idea!!) & it has been enjoyable incorporating these with the SRT . I think he has benefited from a sense of acceptance & is drawing upon his resources more freely & with less freeze in the system. As you suggested we have been working through some of his extreme shame responses. He wishes now to spread out the sessions. His bulimia has reduced though not entirely extinguished & metabolic indices are normal.
Answer #2
Certainly feeling a connection with you is the main mode of helping regulate his system. It is interesting that he is letting you in and taking you in and wants at the same time to spread out sessions (a very bulimic move). If you have the time, I would explore what it would be like for him to keep coming even though things are improving. It sounds like his attachment style has been built up around getting contact when he is not doing well. He can take you in and then wants to spit you up a bit. It might be interesting to have him sense into his ambivalence about connecting with you. I think you will see even less freeze, more joy and more connection. What is it like for him to come in and tell you how great he feels? Does that bring up shame or the desire to run. Also, if you haven't addressed the food issue directly you could do that now. Have him track what it is like to feel hungry and really sense into what he wants to eat (usu brings up anxiety in people with food issues) and then eventually titrate imagining eating the food, tasting it, chewing it. I worked with a woman who eventually brought in a apple to work with. I had her first hold the apple and imagine eating it infront of me. I had her smell the apple and sense into her salivating (loads of activation). We worked with the apple for four or five sessions until she finally was able to eat it in front of me if I ate one too (which I did). I don't think it was because the apple was going bad either--I think she was really ready to explore eating slowly and mindfully. It really helped to break the procedure around food. She had so much shame about food and hunger and we managed to work through it by tracking sensations.
Feedback from student about last supervision:
I did session 9 with my client yesterday. He came in beaming about how good he is feeling. He had brought a diary to show the difference between now & then...had drawn alot of pictures... apologising for their quality tended to be of the type of a lone individual with his back to the viewer..& large sunsets etc , in private places. He quickly oved to his plan to space out the sessions ...wants to give me a present , some kind of primitive musical instrument that he will teach me to play. I shared his joy at feeling more joyful; reminded him there is plenty of time & that I would really like to see him as he continues to do well. I invited him to sense into this idea that he can continue to come along when the baggage is lighter or when there are joys to share. Well....the beam became even incandescent--I could feel the warmth from him. We stayed with this for a time.` He said, "You mean I can still come to see you?" Then he rambled a bit into what his goals for the short term are so awaiting exam results.....stared gulping at this point.. ONLY STRAIGHT A's WILL BE GOOD ENOUGH
So I say now if its ok, we can start talking about food. He laughs but starts to get activated and moved to the front of the seat. We go through a long careful sequenced discourse about food & eating. Shame comes up very quickly so we used resources of his father's garden where they used to grow vegetables(a very beans & lentils sort of family). The garden is remote, enclosed by high hedges. He plays here safely with his toys. He thinks that to look at chocolate makes him fat. He is jealous of those who can pig out & stay slim. He has elaborate exercise plans that don't get carried out. On the one hand he likes the idea of food (very specifically pizza & not your ordinary pizza but of course the best pizza from the best ristorante in deepest umbria). We kept titrating. Interestingly at the end a pain & stiffness came up in the back of his shoulders & occiput. It turns out he had a backward fall from a height, with loss of consciousness for hours, at age 4 & possibly a left temporoparietal fracture as a result. I can't wait for Advanced to start!
© 2005 Canadian Foundation for Trauma Research & Education. All Rights Reserved
Developed and Hosted by Digital Heights Multimedia