How long is a reasonable time for trying a modality before deciding if it is or isnt working? By~Michele Rosenthal Ive been asked if youre allowed to share these articles. Heck, yes! Facebook Twitter Google+ LinkedIn StumbleUpon Healing from trauma takes a whole lotta time. Of course, you already know that. While youre trying to release and overcome the past whats happening to your present? On the days trauma takes center stage you miss out on opportunities, experiences, relationships and other life-affirming aspects of the here and now. Youve already lost so much time; I bet you want to heal as quickly as possible so you can get on with living the life youre meant to be living. There is no one-size-fits-all process for healing trauma. You are a unique individual. Your trauma was specific and particular to you. The burdens you already carried at the time of your trauma, or the coping skills you never had a chance to learn all affect your healing process. This means that the modalities that resonate with you and bring beneficial outcomes, plus the time it takes to heal will be uniquely calculated to your private circumstances. When I interviewed trauma recovery expert, Babette Rothschild, author of 8 Keys to Safe Trauma Recovery, I asked, How do you know when youre moving in the right direction? Babette responded, When you start feeling better. She suggested looking for small clues along the way to let you know that the work you are doing is making a difference. Although no one can predict how long your recovery will take, there are ways to calibrate how long is a reasonable time to try a modality before deciding whether or not its effective. A framework of assessment factors include: The nature of the trauma - Big T trauma of the life-threatening kind naturally takes longer to release than the small t traumas of daily living. Rate the nature of the trauma on a scale of 1 - 10 (10 being the most traumatic). Depending on where you are in your recovery process the higher the number the more time it may take to achieve the ultimate results, so calibrate your expectations accordingly. Along the way, look for smaller clues that things are just a little bit better. To do this, rate your level of discomfort on the same scale and chart the number weekly to see how it moves over a period of time. Internal components that slow down the process - The most relevant element in this area is fear. A modality can only work as much as youre able to interact with it. If fear of the process or the material is high then the modality will work more slowly. Fear can make you feel not ready to heal (wanting to and being ready are two different states). Then, the modality will work more slowly - if at all - because its working against your deepest inner desires: Namely, to resist the process. Resistance comes from a need to feel safe. To help smooth out this wrinkle try shifting your work with the modality to focus on the fear and any reluctance to heal, then reapproach trauma-specific material. External components that slow the process - There are many well-intentioned but unskilled practitioners. For every modality there are varying levels of training and educational programs. Part of your interview process when choosing who to work with should incorporate asking in-depth questions about training. A weekend course in a modality does not prepare a practitioner to work with it as adeptly as a full and accredited program. A lack of expertise reduces the efficiency of the modality. In addition, the quality of your working relationship has an enormous effect on the results of the process. If you feel uncomfortable with the practitioner for any reason then you will be less likely to fully engage in the protocol and the modality wont work. In such a scenario it can seem like the modality is at fault when the problem really lies in the relationship. Your resonance level - There are so many healing modalities that you can absolutely find ones you feel comfortable with. Check in with your level of resonance with the modality youre assessing. Do you hate the process? Are you afraid of it? Does it bring negative side effects that cause greater stress? The most successful work is done when you feel as comfortable as possible with the way the work is being approached. Inflexible expectations are useless in the trauma recovery process; nothing ever goes the way you think it will, so theres no way to put a solid time frame on when any modality will prove effective. A more useful approach than looking at the time period itself comes from remembering what Babette said: Look for small clues to meaningful changes. Plus, assess the four areas above and see if any details in those areas could be holding back your progress. If you identify significant answers then the next step is resolving those issues. When your assessment clearly shows that youve addressed the four areas and still the modality isnt working over a fair period of time then start looking for a different modality. Different types of processes will be appropriate for different phases of your recovery. Shifting when necessary is one way to develop flexibility, which is a significant aspect of healing.
Posted on: Sun, 13 Jul 2014 14:40:23 +0000
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