Are the guided visualizations safe for persons with a history of traumatic dissociation and a traumatic brain injury? I introduced a client to the Panic Attack tape and she felt "funny" and dissociated at the end of the session. We did some grounding exercises to return her into her body, and she was fine, but she is questioning the safety of follow-up work with these tapes. Thanks for any feedback you can offer!
Answer:
Great question – a lot of therapists who don’t work regularly with hypnosis or imagery ask it.
Since guided imagery is a form of conscious, purposeful dissociation, it can actually be used to help train a client like this to gain control over her dissociative process. By practicing with it, she can get a better idea of what it's like to be 'home' inside her body, and what it's like to go AWOL and be someplace else in her mind. By opting to use imagery on a regular basis, starting out with you keeping her company, she can become skillful at realizing when she’s floated out, and can then pull herself back into her body quickly – by doing those grounding exercises you gave her, for instance.
As you know, it’s much safer for her to be “home” in her body – it’s the ungrounded, floaty, dissociated people who get pegged as prey by predators looking for their next mugging or sexual assault victim. In that disembodied state, they broadcast with their body language and that spacey look in their eyes, just how easy it would be to figuratively or literally knock them over. Similarly, they have more auto accidents and accidental injuries while ironing, using an oven or slicing things with a knife.
But this means she should continue to practice this with you in the office, where she can safely learn to get a handle on this – it won’t be long before she’ll be able to do it on her own and she’ll be far safer and happier for it. She should be able to tell you when she feels in control.
As I mention in Invisible Heroes, 2 psychologists from Georgia State, Drs. Joen Fagan and Erma Shephard, way back in the 1980’s, amply demonstrated the power of dissociative techniques, such as hypnosis and guided imagery, for helping people who dissociate, even people with the most extreme diagnoses, such as what they used to call at that time Multiple Personality Disorder - now Dissociative Identity Disorder.
I hope this helps.
All best,
Belleruth
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Belleruth's comments are very helpful! As a guided imagery practitioner, I too have facilitated sessions which required extra grounding because of dissociation. I have also found that these clients often have very rich and creative imagery. I use simple art techniques--clay, pastels, sandtray--to assist them to bring their imagery into physical reality. This also helps them remember where they've been (since dissociation also destabilizes memory functions) so that their imagery experiences become integrated into their lives.
... written by bb,
May 24, 2011
If it helps to hear from someone who has been there may I share this? Not only are the gi's doing just what you describe, BR, for the dissociation they are also giving me freedom from my life-long freeze response as I have learned that I can actually fully/finally relax, let go, know I am safe in my own body in this world. Wow! To experience real rest in my 'home' is a joy beyond my words to express. I think I am slowly and surely finally discharging all that old trauma I've carried since childhood and "adapted" to. Does that make sense? I remember how odd/'funny' it felt to be in my body the first few times I worked with your imageries...had done such an excellent job of living in my head and expecting my body to do what was demanded. Your phrase about my body being 'my oldest friend and steadiest companion' was such a surprise the first time I heard it. And now it echoes in my head throughout the day. Invisible Heroes is still on my desk and I imagine it will remain there as I am still learning from you and now so many others. Knowledge is power and you so clearly and generously offer it in this book and through your imageries, newsletter, articles. I needed to know the solid science to have faith in the process. Thankyou once again and always!
... written by Belleruth,
May 27, 2011
Thanks, bb, for your reassuring personal testimony. And Meredith, thanks for mentioning the grounding aspects of art therapy. We all know that work with clay, pastels, paints and sand tray are powerful healing tools, but, when put in the context of grounding for dissociation, it makes extra beautiful sense!
... written by Maarten Aalberse,
May 27, 2011
I would really recommend getting familiar with David Berceli's Trauma-Releasing exercises, which more and more I'm finding more beneficial than the energy-psychology techniques – especially on the longer term. I say this as somebody who has been very well trained in EP and taught these methods to other therapists... Once the client has learned these from the therapist (who'd need, of course, to have gotten familiar with these himself, first) he can practise these at home (takes about 20 minutes a day), with great benefits. The client will go from freezing and dissociating to a period of trembling (which, when accepted, becomes more and more agreeable, and which releases deep tensions) which can be seen as a natural way of « shaking out off » the freeze-response, after which he will enter a deeply relaxing state. It's very cost-effective, and empowering for the client who learns to trust again his body and it's innate capacity for self-healing. The most delicate part of it is to help the client find out for himself that this trembling is more than OK. And when the therapist is familiar with this process, he usually can rather easily help the client towards this being OK with it. One additional option could be (if the client remains afraid of the the trembling, despite the reassuring presence of the therapist) to temporarily switch to energy-psychology techniques. I have found this rarely necessary until now, but I do find it helpful to have this option available, just in case... For a good interview with David Berceli : http://www.cmn.tv/interviews/david-berceli/
Best to all, Maarten
... written by Belleruth,
May 28, 2011
I first learned about David's technique from Bob Scaer, then went to one of his workshops at NICABM a couple of years ago. Definitely worth checking out - good guy, good method. Makes sense that an energy release protocol would be effective. Thanks, Maarten.
... written by Eva,
June 07, 2011
I have used the Health Journey's PTSD program for many years now and it is my go-to therapy when I need to recenter or need a refresher or after experiencing a critical incident.....it is part of my maintenance after years of dissociation patterns and years of professional and self-therapy that have bridged recovery. I was already very grounded and seasoned when I first started using the program, so, I agree that it would be best experienced with a therapeutic helper if a person was not used to being in their body and familiar with embracing themselves. I highly recommend it, and am so grateful to B.N. for her guidance and support in our lives. Her guided imagery is a tool that facilitates wholeness.
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