I've never used this blog as a personal forum but this was so exciting I wanted to share some good news! :)



Last Aug my Dad was diagnosed with stage 4 esophageal cancer so they scheduled 7 weeks of radiation and 2 week long rounds of chemo. The side effects were he may never swallow or taste again but they said it could be destroyed with the regiment.



Dad did the first 2 weeks of radiation no problem .. then a week of rad and chemo (drip thru a port). But ... he had a… Continue

Last Friday I was invited to give the keynote speech at the PHCC PTSD Symposium. What a fabulous time I had!! I spoke about “Trauma, Survival, PTSD and the Path to Freedom.” The audience, full of veterans and their caregivers, plus civilian survivors of all kinds of traumas, was very lively and engaging. Throughout the day we had conversations about the importance of integrative care, how to move PTSD recovery forward, plus how caregivers can better support their loved ones.



What I…

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One of PTSD’s most extreme symptoms is our tendency (devotion!) to avoid anything and everything that reminds us of our trauma. However, avoidance only feeds our traumatic feelings and encourages us to continue to embrace and act upon them. Exposure therapy aims at ending that cycle once and for all. According to an article on Medical News Today exposure therapy has proven to actually intercept the progression of trauma survivors from Acute Stress Disorder to PTSD. Now that’s something to…

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This final installment of my interview with Tapas Fleming includes Tapas' belief about why anyone struggling with PTSD should try TAT.

 

If someone wants to try TAT, what’s the best resource for finding an accredited practitioner?

Our website, www.tatlife.com, has a listing of Certified TAT Professionals who are trained to help people reduce traumatic stress or any stress and…

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Continuing my interview with Tapas Fleming...

 

TAT was one modality I used during my PTSD healing. I always enjoyed the immediate feeling of in-the-moment centered peace it gave me. Outline for us how TAT works, i.e. what it does/affects in our bodies that effects a change in our minds.

As I mentioned above, thoughts affect our whole system – not just inside our bodies but even how life turns out. We all know this, but haven’t…

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Continuing to explore PTSD treatment options, today, an interview with Tapas Fleming, creator of a very popular information processing technique that’s shown great results with trauma survivors. Last week, a very cheerful, chatty, informed and giving Tapas provided in-depth answers to my questions. Enjoy!

Tapas, your Tapas Acupressure Technique® (TAT®) has helped thousands of people heal psychological issues. Before we get into the meat of things, describe what,…

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This plaque commemorates the loss of three innocent lives in Canada's worst subway accident in Toronto on August 11, 1995.

I want to pay homage to Kinga Szabo, Christina Munar Reyes and Hui Xian Lin as they lost their lives as a result of this tragedy.…

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It was a real eyeopener for me start noticing how people around me affected how I felt. Along my healing journey there’ve been people, too, oddly enough, on the other side of the spectrum: People who so genuinely loved to feel my pain and share my burden that I felt worse because of it. I have made friends because their love and compassion and emotional connection to my struggle felt so good. But then, as I healed, their interaction with me didn’t evolve. They still handled and approached me…

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The following quote comes from Mike H’s ever evolving and really interesting Zen/PTSD blog:



"You simply cannot become healthier and happier as a human being unless you hang with people who are healthy and want to encourage health. That’s the crux."



Today I’m wondering: Who are you hanging with?



During my healing PTSD years, I made and got rid of many friends. Some friends I made because it seemed like a good idea at the time. They seemed…

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Playing it safe in the world's most dangerous sport…

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In my last post I introdueced you to Julie Levin (MFT, CHT) and her theory about adding a resource person. Today, we continue with a wrap up. According to Julie,

 

"Clients know exactly what they need. The image of the resource person allows them to access and accept guidance, encouragement, support – or whatever is needed at that point. People usually have a strong mental image of this person who knows something about their value, strength, resilience, or even a more accurate…

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Firefighter remembered for his life and service





Firefighters,family and friends came together Tuesday for the funeral of Marc E. Dancy. The viewing and service were held at the East Washington Heights Baptist Church in Southeast.



Dancy was a 5-year veteran of the D.C. Fire and Emergency…

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