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Gardner, P., 2005. The 'Fast Trauma and Phobia Cure'. Reformulation, Autumn, p.5.
I wanted to write a piece outlining what appears to me to have the potential to be an extremely useful technique that I have stumbled upon, and which I believe could be appropriately integrated within a CAT framework.
Some months back I was contacted by a good friend of mine who is an Active Birth Teacher, who wanted some advice about a midwife she was training who was deeply traumatised by a birth she had recently attended. After a long chat I decided to make contact with another friend and colleague who specialises in Critical Incident de-briefing. After sending her an outline of the problem she e mailed me back suggesting that the midwife make contact with the Human Givens Institute in London who would probably be able to refer her to someone who could deal with the problem in one session!
As you can imagine I was reasonably sceptical about this response but also curious as this was someone I trust and respect professionally.
Since then I have read “The Shackled Brain”, attended a one-day workshop on the technique run by Mindfields College, and also one of my patients who is currently in therapy with me referred herself for the treatment and had 2 sessions in total, with someone trained in the technique.
The technique is based in neuroscience and the idea that for some people who have been traumatised, the experience has been etched into the amygdala rather than processed as a normal functioning memory in the higher cortex. The more objective intelligence of the neocortex needs to be recruited into evaluating the imprint, seeing that it no longer represents a threat in the here and now, and modifying it. Once this work is done via the relatively simple techniques involved in the Fast Trauma and Phobia Cure, the trauma can become a normal working memory without all the unmanageable feelings attached to it.
The practical technique itself is relatively simple and the guided imagery, which is very much part of it, will be a familiar tool to many of you.
It is not my intention to explain the theory or technique in huge detail here but to give the relevant references so people can follow it up should they so wish.
From my viewpoint I am very interested in this approach particularly as so many of our patients with BPD diagnosis are also suffering from PTSD, although in my experience this is often not part of the diagnosis. I am encouraged by the effect the treatment has had on my patient. She had very serious PTSD symptoms and the Fast Trauma and Phobia Cure has reduced her nightmares in severity, from a score of 10 to 2 and her flashbacks from a score of 10 to 2/3. These scores were being maintained a month after treatment.
So, have I encountered something wacky or maybe cutting edge?
“The Shackled Brain” Joe Griffin and Ivan Tyrrell ISBN 1 899398 11 2
www.humangivens.com
www.mindfields.org.uk
Philippa Gardner