Re: bead therapy

As a former recreation therapist, and now a student counselor, I'd like to venture my hypothesis as to what is happening with your success with bead therapy. Alot of it is just what you mentioned; the repetition, rhythm, amd meditative qualities. Other things that may be happening are that if these women have been doing this for a few times, they come to associate that period with a predictable and quiet environment. This anticipated climate can be self-fufilling in itself. Another thing is, that as abused women, for some of them, this may be the first time they have ever experienced doing anything physical that was pleasurable, and that gives them a sense of control over their own bodies. Also, from a psychotherapeutic standpoint, this is an opportunity for them to focus on nothing but the task at hand, giving their minds a rest period from the reactive and intrusive posttraumatic memories that are never very far from their thoughts. I'm wondering too, if it isn't similar to the effects of EMDR, which allows the client to process trauma in a roundabout way that exorcises the emotional memories. In other words, they may be subconsciously processing the abuse while consciously focusing on something else.

BTW, who is Dr. Herbert Benson?

And one last thing, I hope you don't think all therapists use "hounding questions" to do therapy. I'd like to think my clients find my office a safe place to work things through without further replicating the abuse by my being intrusive. I think it's important for clients to be able to confront their abuse directly, and that by doing so, helps rid their minds of the negative cognitions and emotions brought on by the abuse.

Replies:

Re: bead therapy & EMDR, by Catalina, 01/04/01 Re: bead therapy & EMDR, by Martin Perdoux, 01/08/01 Re: bead therapy, by Lindsay Smith, 03/05/01

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