Jed Shlackman, LMHC, treats clients in the Miami, South Florida area as well as people from around the world who have experienced a variety of trauma and anxiety issues. In addressing PTSD and other trauma reactions it is helpful to see how our mind and body function to handle perceived threats. We can get stuck in reactive programs carried in our subconscious mind that are designed to enable us to react instantly without taking time to think. In that state of adrenalin infused nervous system stimulation and impulsive reaction we may act in ways that are not appropriate to the present situation, but which were designed to help us deal with a past stress or trauma. We can release the past trauma and retrain our mind-body system to no longer be triggered into that anxious, agitated state when there is no real threat. Holistic mind-body and energetic therapies can be valuable in fostering this healing process. Traumatic experiences trigger defense mechanisms that are instinctive measures for safety - but when those instinctive and subconscious reactions take over we may act irrationally and inappropriately for our present environment. When we can reconnect with the traumatic memory in a centered, integrated state, where we are no longer overwhlemed or stuck in that protective state, then we can restore a healthy sense of self relative to our environment. Here Jed has provided an explanation of his holistic approach to providing therapy and treatment to address these issues.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder refers to a pattern of symptoms occuring subsequent to an experience that was highly stressful or traumatic to the individual. This can include flashbacks, nightmares, heightened vigilance, difficulty sleeping, and avoidance of situations that bring reminder of the past trauma. The mind seeks to protect the individual, and reacts as if the traumatic situation is still present. To heal this condition it is important to access the subconscious mind and transform the perception and reaction to the original event/experience. Since the phenomenon of "mind" is not confined to the brain but is actually a holistic, systemic process that includes the energy system and the body, therapies often need to integrate these multiple aspects to be successful. Hypnosis and other trauma clearing modalities (NLP, energy healing, bodywork/somatic therapies, EMDR & energy psychology techniques) have been useful for bringing more rapid resolution and resolving PTSD symptoms, allowing individuals to be able to live free of these unnecessary anxiety symptoms. Having worked in this field for many years and observed a variety of treatment approaches and outcomes I do not recommend using medication for extended periods of time in addressing anxiety difficulties. It is much more healing and far more economical to get to the source of the issue and clear the trauma pattern as soon as possible - that removes the cost and risks of medications and of impairments associated with having the condition present in one's life. To learn more about hypnosis, energy healing, and energy psychology techniques visit the services page and you will see additional links on those topics.
Here I am posting a copy of an explanation of PTSD and how NMT (Neuromodulation Technique),one of the modalities I have trained in, can effectively resolve the syndrome. This quoted commentary is by Leslie Feinberg, D.C., the creator of NMT, an energy healing/energy psychology technique that sees the system of consciousness and physiology as an information processing system.
There is a classic book by Victor Frankl called Man's Search for Meaning. He talks about his experience in a WWII concentration camp and the unbelievable level that life was brought to there. He explores how this commonly shared horror affected people in very different ways. Some were destroyed by it and lived hollow broken lives, while others were even more committed to life and to making the world better. The experience processed by one person can be seen as an efficient human behavior and the self-destructive response a failed construction, a behavior based on misunderstandings and informational error. That interpretation of the situation makes PTSD a failed physiology in some ways no different than allergy or chronic pain. I'm not saying that NMT mitigates the reality of the [event or that it was experienced at the time as] trauma. The whole point is to process a trauma in a way that minimizes the residue [and which brings the trauma coping mechanism to a point of completion so that it is no longer running the person's life and no longer interfering with embracing life in the present].
* The portions in brackets [] have been added to help clarify Dr. Feinberg's comments and are not part of the original quoteThere is recent psychological research by Karim Nader, Ph.D. who did studies utilizing a mold toxin to inhibit a certain enzyme required to convert short term memory to long term memory. It has been orthodox science for years that short term memory has to be successfully converted to long term memory within about 12 hours or is lost. Nader's research shows that the real situation is actually very different than that. What happens is that there is no permanent long term memory. Instead, every time a "long term" memory is accessed and brought to consciousness it has to be re-stored and again converted from short term form to long term. During this period, information from the new context within which the memory was formed can introduce itself in such a way that the original memory is modified. This explains the NMT model from a neuroscience point of view. When trauma physiology exists during time of trauma, that is good physiology. When it persists in the absence of trauma, that is pathophysiology and it always has its basis in a malformulated informational state of the nervous system. During the NMT session, the formatted query statements of the NMT protocol are used to open memory related to relevant subject matter. The corrective statements of the NMT therapeutic dialog constitute the information that becomes incorporated in the newly stored long term memory...and so it goes. Progressive change in neural organization in response to NMT sessions restores better function by allowing the nervous system to reorganize itself in a more functional way after trauma, injury, or illness.
I treated a young marine the day his Hummer was blown up by an IED. The marine next to him was killed. The man I treated had some shrapnel in his face, a broken ear drum, and an incredible level of trauma. I treated him remotely and he was again able to sleep and was back on duty in two days. In the year or two since his return he has done very well in his business and personal life. He's a big NMT supporter.
I hope that helps you understand how we look at trauma from the NMT perspective.
Leslie S. Feinberg, D.C.
Dr. Bessel van der Kolk - Yoga and trauma treatment
VA page on PTSD
Forward-Facing Trauma Therapy: Healing the Moral Wound, by J. Eric Gentry, Ph.D.
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma, by Bessel van der Kolk M.D.
Heart, Breath, Mind: Train Your Heart to Conquer Stress and Achieve Success, by Leah Lagos, Psy.D.
The Complex PTSD Workbook: A Mind-Body Approach to Regaining Emotional Control and Becoming Whole, by Arielle Schwartz, Ph.D.
The Post-Traumatic Growth Guidebook: Practical Mind-Body Tools to Heal Trauma, Foster Resilience and Awaken Your Potential, by Arielle Schwartz, Ph.D.
A Practical Guide to Complex PTSD: Compassionate Strategies to Begin Healing from Childhood Trauma, by Arielle Schwartz, Ph.D.
The Complex PTSD Treatment Manual: An Integrative, Mind-Body Approach to Trauma Recovery, by Arielle Schwartz, Ph.D.
In An Unspoken Voice: How The Body Releases Trauma And Restores Goodness, by Peter A. Levine, Ph.D.
Trauma And Memory: Brain And Body In A Search For The Living Past, by Peter A. Levine, Ph.D.
Healing Trauma: A Pioneering Program For Restoring The Wisdom Of Your Body, by Peter A. Levine, Ph.D.
