{"id":85012,"date":"2016-01-10T10:07:22","date_gmt":"2016-01-10T18:07:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lukeford.net\/blog\/?p=85012"},"modified":"2016-01-10T10:08:18","modified_gmt":"2016-01-10T18:08:18","slug":"tools-for-healing-trauma","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lukeford.net\/blog\/?p=85012","title":{"rendered":"Tools For Healing Trauma"},"content":{"rendered":"

Neil Strauss writes<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Whatever the case may be, just going to intensives or workshops is not enough. It\u2019s important to maintain any shifts, revelations, or improvements after the first healing experience with the following four things:<\/span><\/p>\n

*Consistent Support:<\/b> Decades of dysfunctional behavior can\u2019t be eliminated in a weekend. To keep your head right, it\u2019s important to retain a regular regimen of individual or, even better, group therapy with others who share similar wounds. Even if it\u2019s just a monthly or bi-monthly hour-long phone call.<\/span><\/p>\n

*Self care:<\/b> If you take care of your mind, body, and soul through healthy eating, exercise, positive self-talk, appropriate boundaries, sleeping well, and a practice such as yoga or meditation, you will be less vulnerable to your past dysfunctional behaviors and beliefs. A lack of self care typically leads to a lack of self regulation.<\/span><\/p>\n

*Tools:<\/b> Through therapy, reading, and research, you can gather tactics and techniques for retaining your new healthy, functional behavior and thoughts. Sometimes, when under too much pressure, stress, or poor self-care, you may begin to backslide into old habits of dysfunctional behavior. And it\u2019s important to use a tool here\u2014for example, using non-violent communication, focusing on slow diaphragm breathing, or having an inner dialogue to soothe your agitated inner child\u2014to keep from going over the psychological cliff.<\/span><\/p>\n

*Patience:<\/b> When cleaning a room, it gets more messy before it gets orderly. The same is true of cleaning your mind. Often, as you begin the healing process, you will begin feeling the pain or shame that your dysfunctional behavior was protecting you from. But if you can tolerate those raw feelings and process them in a healthy way this time, then you will no longer need the dysfunctional behavior. It won\u2019t have a purpose because there\u2019s no longer any toxic shame or pain to avoid. At other times, a behavior or belief that you thought you defeated may rear its head again. Don\u2019t get frustrated. Think of s<\/span>elf-improvement as climbing a mountain. Sometimes you\u2019ll feel like you\u2019re in the same place you started, but the truth is that you\u2019ve climbed higher and you\u2019re just looking at the same view.<\/span><\/p>\n

If <\/span>you\u2019re ready to start exploring your psyche, unpacking your emotions, and healing your wounds (and we\u2019re all wounded in varying degrees), here are a few places and therapies I recommend starting with.<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve focused on the centers, counsellors, and therapies I had positive experiences with while writing <\/span>The Truth<\/span><\/i>. As such, some of the sections focus on relationship healing.<\/span><\/p>\n

There are of course many other workshops and therapies that have helped others. So if you\u2019d like to add your own recommendations, please do so in the Comments section here: www.neilstrauss.com\/neil\/trauma-healing\/.<\/span><\/p>\n

Trauma-Healing Workshops<\/b>
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