Help overcome non-choice avoidance

• What kind of approach in ptsd? by Dr. Imerio Tonelli, 12/31/98
  
  

The entire therapy for the person is most definitely unique to the way they express the problem (and it etiology and nature, as well). Within that overall treatment, however, one central set of interventions that I find myself using repeatedly should be highlighted. [I've written about this in an upcoming book that will be distributed at the next Erickson Congress in Dec 99, if you can get a hold of it).] In brief, the idea is always to help client associate to experiences they need in the contexts in which they need them. The PTS experience entails an ongoing inability to do that for certain experiences unique to the cases. If, in your office, you help a person stabilize a set of experiences they need (comfort, alertness, confidence, strength, etc., can be examples of the labels for these) and then with or without hypnosis hold these constant as the client reviews the trauma - then, the brain has to reassociate to the desired experiences or create a new concept that reconciles the incompatible desired and noxious experiences. In either case the effect of the trauma is lessened and therapy (and life) can proceed better. All reviews should be in visual and auditory experience only, of course. A word about this dissociative/associative reviewing: a severe trauma will require that the person not directly see and hear the events but rather watch a self-representation watch the events. Further, it is even necessary sometimes to have the client watch a self-representation who, in turn, watches another self-representation watch the review. You need ideomotor feedback to proceed and communicate through the process, of course. This context for change makes it possible for clients to find other, self-supportive and self-nurturing experience and comments they can associate into the mix as well as some other therapeutic options that can customize this to the client. In any case, it can propel the client out of a nasty mental and physical avoidance into life and more productive therapy.

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