ptsd, torture, can they heal?

[georgia rigg]

I would like to report that I agree with Patricia.  I
use a blend of psychodrama and psychomotor therapy, a
unique and powerful tool for helping the survivor feel
what needs to be felt, with an appropriate
accomodation for the anger, terror and pain, while
having the protection and support of Ideal
accomodation.  Yes, healing is possible.  Georgia Rigg
--- PATRICIA DESERT <honeybwomn at msn.com> wrote:

>  Dear John--
>     Yes, I believe healing is possible with
> survivors of torture, seen or felt.  Learning coping
> skills, also called resource development, are only
> part of the healing, but they are a fundamental
> first part.    
>     As we know, when the brain perceives that the
> body is threatened it alerts the body to move into
> fight or flight response.  When people cannot do
> either they freeze in some way, but that state is
> like having one foot on the accelerator and one foot
> on the brake--a highly disorganized state and a
> dissociative state.  
>     Before any direct processing of the trauma can
> effectively happen the survivor must be able to take
> their foot off the brake and the accelerator.  That
> means they need to have the internal resources to
> tolerate painful somatic experiences when they arise
> because all painful (and joyful for that matter)
> experience is about what the body is feeling.  Our
> thoughts, images, behavior are not where the trauma
> resides.  Yes, the images, thoughts, behavior during
> trauma--ours and others that we see-- get stored in
> memory.  But trauma responses stem from the felt
> sensation of those memories.  Trauma responses are
> about what the body is feeling when those memories
> come up.  So survivors must develop the skills to
> remain present AND connect with these sensations,
> otherwise they loose their reference and experience
> Self as if they are back in time going through
> everything all over again. 
>     The survivor may need months or years of work to
> develop these skills/resources.  When they do they
> start reporting a new sense of stability and symptom
> reduction.  This is the first order of business in
> any tx plan, no matter what the trauma.  
>     Peter Levine is a somatic healer and he has
> years of working with trauma survivors.  His tapes
> offer wonderfully gentle and effective ideas for
> resource development.  
>     When the person is ready to directly process the
> trauma I using sensory motor modalities with
> cognitive interweaves when appropriate.  I am both a
> certified EMDR clinician and a Certified
> Psychodramatist.   I use EMDR processing in
> individual sessions and psychodrama in group
> settings.  Both are profoundly effective modalities
> and I have witnessed miracles as a result.  Bless
> you for your interest in working with this
> population.  Patti Desert--Baltimore, MD 
>     
> ----- Original Message ----- 
>   From:
> Unidalaraza at aol.com<mailto:Unidalaraza at aol.com> 
>   To:
> list at grouptalkweb.org<mailto:list at grouptalkweb.org>
> ;
> List at grouptalkweb.org<mailto:List at grouptalkweb.org> 
>   Sent: Thursday, February 08, 2007 1:07 PM
>   Subject: Re: ptsd
> 
> 
>   I have been interested in working with ptsd with
> refugee victims of torture (i.e., direct or
> vicarious). Torture that is sayable but at some
> level unspeakable. What is you take: Is it incurable
> and only treatable by teaching coping shills? John
> Matteson  Grouptalk mailing list
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>  
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