Auckland PSI^TM  Institute

Effective Treatment Approaches to Healing Survivors of Trauma and Childhood Abuse

         When searching for counselling and therapy to heal the 
         wounds of trauma and/or childhood abuse, one can be faced with an 
         overwhelming myriad of choices.   Most treatment techniques (both 
         medical and psychological) that are studied scientifically take into 
         account that about one third of the patients being studied get better 
         spontaneously simply because they believe they are being given a cure 
         (called the placebo effect).

                 A number of new approaches that take into account the recent 
         discoveries of neuroscience, made possible by modern brain imaging 
         techniques,  have been shown either scientifically or anecdotally (based 
         on empirical observations and patient reports) to be highly effective in a 
         shorter period of time than conventional "talking only" therapy. All of 
         these approaches, of course, need to be integrated by a skilled and 
         experienced clinician, into an overall treatment style and plan that will 
         include talking therapy as well as a healthy respect for the power of the 
         therapeutic relationship and the need for the therapist to earn the 
         client's trust.

                 Below I list three approaches that have been shown to be effective 
         with survivors of adult trauma and childhood physical, sexual, and emotional or 
         psychological abuse, plus a link to another page I wrote on effective 
         approaches for those suffering from the effects of "poor affect regulation", 
         commonly caused by emotional neglect or the unavailability of reliable 
         soothing in early childhood.  I only list those methods that I have 
         personally learned and tried and observed to be effective, and the reasons 
         (if known) that they work. The affect regulation treatment approaches are 
         also useful with survivors of trauma and/or childhood abuse, but are 
         described on a separate page as they are more generic therapy 
         approaches used for a broader range of problems than just for PTSD and 
         dissociation (such as "borderline personality disorder", depression, eating 
         problems, addictions, compulsions, "OCD" and anxiety problems.).

                 As EMDR incorporates CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) into the 
         context of treating trauma symptoms using the standard phase oriented 
         approach to trauma, I do not have a separate section for CBT. EMDR can 
         also be done without eye movements  (for those that are disturbed by this 
         aspect) in which case it bears a strong resemblance to phase oriented CBT 
         treatment for trauma.  I mention anecdotal or scientific in brackets next 
         to the name of the approach to identify the degree of documentation of 
         effectiveness. Because Lifespan Integration is newer, it has not had time 
         to be studied scientifically yet, but the anecdotal evidence is quite 
         remarkable (see links).

PLEASE NOTE: The techniques described below have been integrated into PSI^{TM ,} an overall approach to use in working with trauma and abuse survivors.  PSI^TM is described here in more detail.
 

1. Link to: EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) 
2. Sensorimotor Psychotherapy 
3. Lifespan Integration

4. Ego State Therapy