In the last article, I shared my professional wish and impetus to create MOT: Pilot Project: SLCHG utilizing collaborating team approaches [CTA] of care with clients diagnosed with C-PTSD and capable, able to self-directed their healing journeys with their selected core group of practitioners towards cure. All project participants believed that the sharing of project news and progress was an important contribution to the understanding, treatment and healing knowledge of survivors enduring C-PTSD core wounds.
Before, I share project news and progress; I believe it is important to provide a brief historical psychological review of the word/meaning of “complex” that Judith Herman proposed be placed in front of the established DSM 3 disorder – PTSD back in 1992 [2].
A complex is a ‘core pattern of many thoughts, emotions, memories, learning, behaviours, feelings, perceptions, wishes, triumphs, bitterness and determinations centering on one aspect of your life that is stored deeply in the unconscious and troubles you’ in accordance to Freudian and Jungian psychoanalysis: complex or depth psychology. Contemporary 21st Century references to an array of affect laden, emotionally charged or state-dependent phenomena commonly used are: Cinderella, Electra, Father, God, Hero, Inferiority, Madonna-whore, Martyr, Oedipus, Napoleon, Superman and Superiority – complexes https://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complex
SYMPTOM CATEGORIES + DIAGNOSTIC CRITERIA FOR C-PTSD [3]: ALTERATIONS was the predominant verb utilized to identify the seven categories or diagnostic criteria set to diagnose C-PTSD during a structured interview [4]. The alterations are:
1. Regulation of Affect + Impulses issues noted by the existence of difficulty with affect regulation plus one of the following: modulation of anger, self-destructive, suicide preoccupation, difficulty modulating sexual involvement and excessive risk taking.
2. Attention or Consciousness issues noted by the existence of amnesia and/or transient dissociative episodes and depersonalization.
3. Self-Perception issues noted by two of the following: ineffectiveness, permanent damage, guilt and responsibility, shame, nobody can understand and minimizing.
4. Perception of the Perpetrator this item is not required for diagnosis and includes: adopting distorted beliefs, idealization of the perpetrator and preoccupation with hurting the perpetrator.
5. Relations with Others issues noted with one of the following: inability to trust, re-victimization and victimizing others.
6. Somatization issues noted by two of the following: digestive system, chronic pain, cardiopulmonary, conversion or sexual symptoms.
7. System of Meaning issues noted by existence of despair and hopelessness or loss of previously sustaining beliefs.
VISION STATEMENT: to provide the SLCHG with a comprehensive, collaborative way of communication [SLCHG Case File]: shared and distributed with informed consent to the client and identified practitioners and members of their operational system who are supportive of their healing journey and participation in this project.
MISSION STATEMENT: individually and collectively, all project participants work hard, one-step, one-day at-a-time maintaining faith and hope towards healing of complexes, dissociative experiences by providing a platform where resilient and sensitive, heroic survivors can achieve their lifetime goal of release, comfort and freedom from old wounds contained within to accomplish a sense of peace within – cure.
THE DREAM: with the right attitude, in the NOW, alongside the potentials of faith, hope, love and the Placebo Effect, plus being willing to be open and believe that you deserve to receive blessings and can heal these old wounds from the past. This is the cure that reveals one’s silver linings. I believe, frequently say, “under every dark cloud is a silver lining” which can be traced back to a well-known proverb, ‘every bad situation has a good aspect’ that originates from the coined phrase “silver lining” by John Milton in Comus in 1634: http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/every-cloud-has-a-silver-lining.html
SLCHG – 4 YEAR GUIDING PRINCIPLES/INFORMED CONSENT PROCESS: In November 2013, eight [8] candidates [all female], who are followed by a primary care physician, were sent invitations and project materials to consider participation in this pilot project. Seven [7] candidates provided informed consent to participate in the project. One [1] participant is in her mid-twenties and the remainder are 50+ years old with a mean age of 56. This is interesting for that is the same age I was when I released my core container – thwarted trauma response, achieved time-zero with cure of my own C-PTSD symptom complex with an autoimmune profile. What a relief that was and today I represent proof that core healing of C-PTSD – cure is a possibility. However, there is one major difference between my core container and the core containers of participants in this project – my over-activation is related to accumulated medical traumas, I enjoyed secure attachments to 6/7 members of my family-of-origin, and I have no personal history of childhood sexual or physical stalking, bullying or abuse, but my siblings did!
Historically psychotherapeutically, all candidates completed Initial Contemporary, Crisis, Phase 1 – 3 traumatic stress treatment programs to cope/deal with the breakdown of their trauma amnesia barriers and emergence of PTSD symptomology. All clients expressed, were assessed as competent and able to provide informed consent to participate in this research project. All clients were noted to have sufficient internal/external resources to engage in this 3 Phase Healing Traumatic Stress Program: Entry [Critical Choice Point], Phase 1 Stability, and Phase 2-3 Healing Cure. Most phase programs are flexible providing 30 – 90 days to achieve each phases – treatment goals. Since the launch of this project in November 2013, Transition Programs are included as some clients require additional time-frames to traverse, achieve stabilization of their symptom complex [SC] within any particular phase program.
Informed consent also implies participants are able to self-direct their healing journey, specifically to administer or receive titrated doses of the multiple forms of Vibrational Treatment Modalities and Medicines offered in this project. The Core Practitioners follow the Standing Orders: Homeopathic Medicine and Tinctures Protocol [SOHMT], created specifically for clinical trials with survivors with C-PTSD. SOHMT are selected, suggested in accordance to current manifesting symptomology as line listed on individualized SC Graphs.
Entry and the duration of time the client remains in the project is voluntary, individually determined and contractual – clients are responsible for cost of services and products received. As collaboration is the key operative verb in this project, Clients receive copies of all their case file records in a timely manner and are forwarded to collaborative practitioners with client consent. Treatment options are presented in the form of suggestions/recommendations [the healing treatment process], which is monitored and reviewed as required, typically on a bi-monthly basis once stabilization has been achieved as noted during Phase 2 – 3 programs.
Clients are encouraged to utilize ‘free will choice’ to express needs concerning the pacing, timing and follow-through post-session at any phase of their healing program.
SLCHG PRACTITIONERS:
Primary Investigators:
1) Dr. Linda AK Thompson, PsyD, CCC, FAAETS
MOT Senior Project Coordinator, Trauma Psychotherapy [email protected]
2) Dr. Carolyn A. Zimmerman, ND, DC
Whole Health Centre; SLCHG Senior Consulting Naturopath [email protected]
Client-Directed Body Work: Joan Kendrick, BScN, MFA
Biodynamic + Visionary Therapist [email protected]
Client-Directed Homeopathy: Christine Giguere
Classical Homeopathy [email protected]
HEALING CELEBRATION: at projects end; Silver Linings Healing: Dinner + Karaoke Gala is proposed and open to all participants plus the option for the purchase of additional invitations for family members/close friends. November 2017 is the target month and year and the time, place and cost is yet to be determined. The venue will be The Best Western in Calgary on Crowchild Trail, NW.
Author: Dr. Linda AK Thompson, PsyD, PACCC, CCC, FAAETS
Owner, Matrix of Trauma (© MOT ™): Research, Advocacy, Healing
References:
Courtois, C.A. (1999). Recollections of Sexual Abuse: treatment principles and guidelines. New York: WW. Norton & Co. Inc.
Herman, J. L. (1992). Trauma and Recovery: the aftermath of violence – from domestic abuse to political terror. New York: Basic Books.
Pelcovitz, D.; van der Kolk, B.A.; Roth, S.; Mandel, F.S.; Kaplan, S. + Resick, P.A. (1997). Development of a Criteria Set and a Structured Interview for Disorders of Extreme Stress [SIDES]. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 10, p.9. Copyright 1997 by the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies. Printed with permission pg. 88 in Courtois.
Thompson, L.A.K.; Zimmerman, C.A. (2013 – 2017). MOT: Pilot Project – Silver Linings Core Healing Group [SLCHG]. An experimental, applied trauma psychotherapy, Complex-Posttraumatic Stress Disorder [C-PTSD], visionary traumatic stress “healing” treatment program. The formation of collaborating team approaches [CTA] of care with “core” practitioners + “core” wounds. The small group, case studies utilizing content analysis of the seven participants seeking C-PTSD “core” wound cures.
*The views expressed by our authors are personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of the CCPA