More Healing Tools

• Headaches
• Chronic Neck and Back Pain
• Chronic Fatigue
• Emotional Difficulties
• Stress and Tension-Related Problems
• Fibromyalgia and other Connective-Tissue Disorders
• Temporomandibular Joint Syndrome (TMJ)
• Immune Disorders
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. It is based on the principle that the therapist can channel energy into the client’s body by means of touch, to activate the natural healing processes of the body and restore physical and emotional well-being.

Reiki treats the whole person, creating beneficial effects that include feelings of peace and deep relaxation. It is a simple, natural and safe method for helping with any condition that may benefit from a relaxation response and the application of energetic touch including:

• Chronic pain
• Anxiety and depression
• Fatigue
• Insomnia
• Reduce symptoms of stress
• Improved sense of well-being

Disclaimer: Please note that integrative body therapies including CranioSacral Therapy and Reiki are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease and are not a substitute for professional medical care.

Expressive Writing

Expressive writing is a highly personal and emotional form of writing that disregards conventional writing rules, such as grammar, spelling, or punctuation. It is simply an outpouring of one’s most intimate thoughts and feelings, uncensored.

It is not always desirable or possible to share your story with someone. Unless the telling is met with genuine acceptance and compassion, it can be a negative experience. You may also not feel ready to share your trauma experience with others. Writing about your memories is an alternative to this.

Expressive writing has shown positive outcomes in research studies, potentially helping to bring closure to painful childhood events, develop a more positive perspective, and build resilience. Although it doesn’t work for everyone, this strategy is definitely worth exploring.

To discover if this is a good fit for you, follow these guidelines:

Start by writing daily, at least 20 minutes for four consecutive days. Write about what is most personal and important to you. Don’t worry about punctuation, grammar, etc., and write continuously, not stopping to make corrections. If you get stuck, repeat what you have written or draw a line and start again.

This writing is for you and you only, don’t write with a mental censor that is worried about someone else reading what you have written. Put it in a safe place or destroy it when you are done if this worries you. Warning: if you get into an area where you start feeling overwhelmed and unable to stay present, STOP! Be aware that initially, you may feel heavier emotionally, saddened by the process, or experience more intense emotion. This should go away after a couple of hours.

The key is to just let go and deeply explore your feelings about the traumatic experiences in your life. Explore their impact on your beliefs, your relationships, how they relate to your future, etc. When you are done, allow yourself the time to reflect on the experience. Come back to it a week or two later and see how you feel about the outcome of the exercise.

Books to learn more:

Expressive Writing: Words That Heal: Using Expressive Writing to Overcome Traumas and Emotional Upheavals, Resolve Issues, Improve Health and Build Resilience by John Pennebaker, PhD and John F. Evans, EdD; this is an updated version of the original book by John Pennebaker, the doctor who originally developed and researched this method.

From the experts:

Article by John F. Evans, describing the practice of expressive writing, steps, and writing prompts:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/write-yourself-well/201208/expressive-writing

Finding Meaning & Purpose

It has been said, “Those who have a ‘why’ to live, can bear with almost any ‘how’.” This, from Viktor Frankl, an Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist who survived the concentration camps of the Holocaust. During his time in the camps, he observed that men who had a reason to live, something to motivate their will to survive, were the ones who did survive. Those who gave up were the ones who ceased to believe in anything, who lost their reason or purpose to go on.

Viktor believed that “Everyone has his own specific vocation or mission in life to carry out a concrete assignment which demands fulfillment”. This discovering of one’s purpose brings meaning to life and suffering.

Based on his experiences, Dr. Frankl developed logotherapy, a psychotherapy that incorporates this belief in a higher purpose or meaning as a motivation for overcoming mental and emotional challenges. According to Dr. Frankl, we can find meaning in life in three different ways 1) by creating a work or doing a deed; 2) by experiencing something or encountering someone; and 3) by the attitude we take toward unavoidable suffering.

The first is simple and refers to a task or work that is your life’s purpose, something you are meant to accomplish. The second is to find meaning in pursuit of experiences; such as the experience of beauty, truth, nature or culture. Meaning can also be found in experiencing the uniqueness of others, such as a life partner or your children, by loving them. By finding the “why” or our lives, we can manage the “how”, no matter how difficult.

Dr. Frankl believed that what mattered most is our ability to transform personal tragedy into triumph, to turn one’s predicament into a human achievement. He said, “When we are no longer able to change a situation…we are challenged to change ourselves.”

This is the heart of our journey to wholeness, as survivors. To turn our personal tragedies into triumphs of human achievement.

Books to learn more:

Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl; this book is about Dr. Frankl’s experiences in the concentration camps and the development of “logotherapy”.

8 Reasons Your Life Matters by John Herrick; an inspiring read about all the reasons you and your life matter.

True Purpose: 12 Strategies for Discovering the Difference You Are Meant to Make by Tim Kelley; a book full of exercises to help lead you to the true purpose for your life.

Gratitude Exercises

If you listen to your inner dialogue, you may discover that it is primarily negative. Thoughts that are the by-product of unresolved subconscious beliefs become well worn paths in the brain. This negative outlook on life leads to apathy, depression and despair. Getting out of the perpetual loop of negative thoughts requires training the brain to look for the positive. By daily practicing positive thoughts, a new pathway becomes established in the brain, making way for positive life change.

Practicing daily Gratitude Exercises will help you train your brain to look for what is positive in your life. The simplicity of this approach may tempt you to dismiss the effectiveness of this method. Do not underestimate the power of these simple exercises. They work!

How to practice daily Gratitude Exercises:

1. Get a small journal and a yearly calendar, one that has large enough boxes to write in.
2. Choose a time of day to do the exercise, preferably in the morning or evening. Attaching the exercise to a daily habit that you have already established will help (i.e. with your morning coffee, after dinner in the evening, etc.)
3. Place your writing materials in a location where they are easily accessible and visible, to remind you of your commitment.
4. At the designated time, sit down and write three things for which you are grateful on your gratitude calendar. These do not have to be big things, however they must be something new each day. Example: I am grateful for the sun shining in my window this morning. I am grateful for my car that gets me to work each day. I am grateful for the smile on my child’s face. Note: If you miss a day, go back to that box on your calendar and fill it in before going to the next day. This is how you track your daily progress with the exercise.
5. Write a short journal entry about something that happened to you within the past 24 hours that was a positive experience. This does not have to be a long entry. Simply choose one thing to focus on that was positive and rewarding. Example: I enjoyed a hike this weekend with my kids. We got outside and really connected with each other. Loved being in the mountains!

To learn more about the power of a positive mind-set watch:
Shawn Achor “The Happy Secret to Better Work”

Use these daily practices to switch your brain on to positive:
1) Three daily “I am grateful for…” statements
2) Journal a positive experience
3) Exercise
4) Meditation
5) Random acts of kindness

Internal Family Systems

Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a psychotherapy developed by Richard Schwartz, PhD and is based on an internal system of “parts”, much like a family. These parts make up your psyche or “ego”. Unfortunately, some of these “parts” may be developmentally delayed and stuck in old programming, utilizing dysfunctional coping skills developed early in life that may not serve you well in adult life.

Additionally, this internal family of parts may not always get along. Think about a time when you were torn between two different activities. One part of you wanted to go out and have fun with friends, while another wanted to stay home and be alone. By understanding the roles that these internal parts play, you can begin to interpret your feelings and actions more accurately and work with them to achieve greater harmony in your inner life.

IFS also incorporates the concept of a “Self” that can serve as an inner advocate for the internal family, getting to know and understand the ways that parts try to protect you; looking for, re-parenting, and unburdening wounded exiles, those parts that you have buried in an attempt to protect yourself from pain.

The eight qualities of your core “Self” are calmness, compassion, curiosity, courage, creativity, connection, confidence, and clarity. The more you develop the mindful capacity to remain in Self, the greater your ability to live from a place of genuine peace and self-mastery.

Books to learn more:

Self-Therapy: A Step-By-Step Guide to Creating Wholeness and Healing Your Inner Child Using IFS, A New, Cutting Edge Psychotherapy by Jay Early, PhD; this is an excellent reference book to learn the IFS model, written for lay-persons and easy to understand and follow, with self-help sheets outlining the process.

Self-Therapy Workbook: An Exercise Book for the IFS Process by Bonnie J. Weiss, LCSW; this is a companion to Jay Early’s book (above) and a useful tool for progressing through the system of IFS.

Website with resources for learning and using IFS as a self-led therapy by Jay Early, PhD, author of Self-Therapy: A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Wholeness and Healing Your Inner Child Using IFS: http://personal-growth-programs.com/

From the experts:

About the IFS Therapy model: https://www.selfleadership.org/about-internal-family-systems.html

Find an IFS therapist: http://www.selfleadership.org/find-an-ifs-therapist.html

Mindfulness & Meditation

What is mindfulness?

Nutrition & Mood

How you feel is directly linked to what you put in your body. A brain that is fueled by a poor diet is going to function poorly. Unfortunately, the SAD diet (Standard American Diet) is nutritionally poor and loaded with harmful substances; bad fats, sugar, artificial ingredients and chemical additives.

But how to find your way through the blizzard of information about diets and nutrition? There are so many different voices on the subject, whose advice should you follow?

It’s not difficult if you put common sense to work. Here’s a few tips:

Eat foods that are as close to their natural state as possible, i.e. unprocessed foods. Whole potatoes instead of  potato chips, whole oatmeal instead of cold cereal, whole grain flour instead of white flour; you get the idea. Processed foods have most of their nutritional value removed in the refining process. These highly processed foods are sometimes referred to as “white foods” (white flour, white sugar, white bread, etc.). They are nothing but empty calories, filling you up but leaving your body under-nourished and still hungry.

Avoid anything that is man-made and artificial, i.e. artificial sweeteners, margarine, diet soda, etc.; anything that would be considered “fake”. These fake foods are completely devoid of any real nutrition and not really food at all. The rule here is, if it is something you can’t grow (pick from a tree or plant), hunt, or get from an animal (i.e. eggs, milk) DON’T EAT IT!

Eat the rainbow. That means you get lots of brightly colored fruits and vegetables in all the colors of the rainbow daily. There’s ample evidence to support the health benefits of a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. These foods are an important source of vitamins and minerals that serve as co-factors for many metabolic processes, including brain and nervous system function.

Make sure you get adequate protein. In addition to building tissue, protein provides the building blocks for neurotransmitters (the chemical language of the brain) and hormones (chemicals that carry messages to your organs) which play a key role in how you function mentally and emotionally.

Eat adequate healthy fats. Fats are not the enemy, as we once assumed. Fat nourishes the brain and is also an important ingredient in the production of hormones. Healthy fats include olive oil, butter, coconut oil, avocado and animal fats. Taking a supplement that provides essential fatty acids (omega-3) is especially helpful for healthy brain function.

Drink plenty of pure, clean water. Over half of your body is made up of water! Water nourishes joints, protects the brain and spinal cord, helps regulate body temperature, and assists with waste removal. Drinking milk, juice or soda does not count. In fact, you should avoid anything high in sugars, even natural ones (i.e. soda, juice) because they cause a cycle of sugar high followed by sugar low, and these fluctuations in blood sugar drastically affect mood and mental function.

Hidden food allergies can also affect mood and mental function. Common food allergies include wheat, gluten (a protein found in many cereal grains), dairy products, eggs, corn, soy, chocolate, tree nuts, and others. If you suffer with depression, mental fog, or mood swings, it’s worth looking into this as a possible cause.

Finally, realize that our food supply is not what it was 100 years ago. Depleted soil produces crops that are not as rich in vital nutrients as they once were. Taking a vitamin and mineral supplement will ensure that you get all of the nutrients you need. Ask a natural health care professional for advice about this.

Specific nutrients have been identified as being helpful for mood disorders. The University of Wisconsin School of Medicine has some excellent information on that subject, as well as information on the anti-inflammatory diet (recommended for depression), healthy fats for brain function, and controlling blood sugar levels (see below).

Books to learn more:

Dr. Mark Hyman is a functional medicine doctor that has pioneered a holistic treatment course for what he calls the “broken brain”. This plan encompasses protocols for depression and anxiety.

The Ultramind Solution by Mark Hyman, M.D.

The Ultramind Solution Companion Guide by Mark Hyman, M.D.

From the experts:

The Broken Brain website: https://brokenbrain.com/

Dr. Mark Hyman’s website: https://drhyman.com/

Relaxation Response

The Relaxation Response was developed by Dr. Herbert Benson, Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Benson believed that the Relaxation Response, attention to stress management, exercise, nutrition, and the power of belief play a powerful role in the pursuit of healing.

Stress management in trauma survivors is a challenging concept. We often live in a state of constant hyper-vigilance, with an over-reactive sympathetic nervous system. The primary function of the sympathetic nervous system is to stimulate the body’s fight or flight response. In situations of threat this is necessary for survival. But survivors frequently respond to triggers that are perceived as threats when no danger is actually present.

A constant over-active sympathetic nervous system response leads to chronic stress and physical deterioration. This can become your way of being in the world if focused attention is not given to the practice of stress management. Under these conditions it becomes vital to break the cycle of chronic stress by moving the body away from sympathetic activation and into the parasympathetic (rest and repair) nervous system.

Relaxation Response exercises help you access the parasympathetic nervous system, bringing you out of the stress response and into deep relaxation. With practice of the Relaxation Response technique, you will master the feeling of being in a relaxed state and able to call it up at any time when you need to initiate calm. The Relaxation Response technique increases physical well-being, as well as being a self-soothing technique.

To practice the Relaxation Response you need:

1. A quiet environment.
2. A mental device – a focus word, phrase, or prayer repeated silently, or a fixed gaze at an object.
3. A passive attitude – not worrying about how well one is performing the technique and simply putting aside distracting thoughts to return to one’s focus.
4. A comfortable position.

Of the above components, the most important are the mental device and the passive attitude. This exercise can be done at any time and in any place, and in most cases even in an attitude of movement, such as walking, doing yoga, etc.; anywhere that you can focus on some mental device and maintain a passive attitude.

Choose the mental device (word, phrase, or prayer) that you will focus on; preferably something that will not stimulate more thoughts. Keep it simple. The goal is to condition your mind and body to relax with a cue. The cue is the mental focus you have chosen. You might choose a word such as peace, joy, love, etc. Choose something that is rooted in your personal belief system. This word is to be repeated slowly and silently to yourself throughout the exercise.

The Exercise:

1. Begin by getting into a comfortable position and close your eyes. Breathe naturally and evenly, relaxing your muscles progressively, starting at your toes and working your way up through your legs, abdomen, shoulders, neck and head.

2. As you breathe naturally and evenly, focus on your chosen word, phrase, or prayer, repeating it silently in your mind as you exhale. Maintain a passive attitude, not worrying about how you are doing.

3. If you find your mind wandering and thinking about other things, simply take note of the thoughts and then let them go. Then return to your focus again.

Remain in this attitude, focusing on the mental device and emptying your mind of everything else for as long as you are able to maintain it, preferably at least 10-20 minutes. When you are ready, open your eyes and sit quietly for a moment, allowing thoughts to return and take note of your surroundings. Feel yourself grounded in your body and return to the present moment, reorienting yourself to where you are in time and space (I am here, I am now, I am in my body).

Ideally, you should practice this exercise at least once or twice a day. Use the same word, phrase, or prayer every time you practice so your mind and body will automatically respond to these cues. Peaceful music without words can also be a helpful focus device, used along with your word or phrase.

Books to learn more:

The Relaxation Response by Herbert Benson, M.D.; this book is about the development of the Relaxation Response technique and its many benefits, as well as how to practice.

From the experts:

Dr. Benson’s website: http://www.relaxationresponse.org/

Step-by-step instructions from Dr. Benson: http://www.relaxationresponse.org/steps/

Tapping (EFT)

Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), more commonly known as “tapping”, is a therapeutic modality used by thousands of people around the world to clear emotional blocks and physical ailments. The technique was developed by Gary Craig, a Stanford University engineer, after it was introduced to him by Dr. Roger Callahan, the trained psychologist who originally conceived of  the method.

EFT integrates the meridian system of Chinese acupuncture into the modern psychology process by tapping on meridian points with your fingertips. If properly done, it may reduce the therapy process from many weeks, months, or even years into a much smaller time frame. There are many spin-offs of this method online.  The official in-depth “gold standard” version is available at www.emofree.com.

Meridians, running up and down either side of the body, are associated with different organs and have a specific “endpoint” on the surface of the body where the energy channel may be accessed. These points can be manipulated using acupuncture needles or simple touch (acupressure) to balance or unblock the energy flow through any particular meridian. Our bodies hold emotions in organs and tissues that may be accessed by “tapping” on these endpoints as well, alleviating and clearing those emotions. The method has worked for thousands of people, and is endorsed by Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, an expert in the field of  trauma psychology and treatment.

Books to learn more:

The Tapping Solution by Nick Ortner: An excellent reference book to learn everything you need to know about EFT and how to use it.

The Tapping Solution for Pain Relief  by Nick Ortner: The best book I have read on using tapping to clear traumatic events and chronic pain.

From the experts:

Tapping 101 – Getting Started With Tapping: https://www.thetappingsolution.com/tapping-101/

How to Tap Video by Nick Ortner: https://www.thetappingsolution.com/tappingvideo/

The Tapping Solution App (phone): https://www.thetappingsolution.com/blog/tapping-solution-app/

Dr. Peta Stapleton discusses the extraordinary features of Tapping and the research emerging to support its efficacy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Vu0Tibt1bQ