Attention to Spirit Trauma is sometimes referred to as “soul shattering”; a spiritual crisis; and a reason for loss of faith in a higher power, in fellow humans, or in the self. One client stated that she felt that “my soul left my body then and just left me this shell to get around in.” In fact, shamanism teaches that during a crisis, the soul strays from the body and a healing ritual, called soul retrieval, is needed to reunite the wandering soul with its home body (Shaman Links, n.d.). One key to transformation of the trauma is to find meaning in life and to be able to identify a purpose for being in the world that in some way encompasses the experience of the trauma that has been survived. According to Peter Levine and Ann Frederick: respond to the traumatic event that determines whether trauma will be a cruel and punishing Medusa, turning us into stone, or whether it will be a spiritual teacher taking us along vast and uncharted pathways. In the Greek myth, blood from Medusa’s slain body was taken in two vials; one vial had the power to kill, while the other had the power to resurrect. If we let it, trauma has the power to rob our lives of vitality and destroy it. However, we can also use it for powerful self-renewal and transformation. Trauma, resolved, is a blessing of great power. (Levine & Frederick, 1997, pp. 195–196) Trauma amplifies and evokes the expansion and contraction of psyche, body and soul. It is how we In order to get to this place of transformation, clinicians must be willing to engage with clients in a dialogue about such issues as faith, beliefs, meaning-making, and spiritual resources. The conversation is not necessarily about traditional religious practice or beliefs, although it may be. The key is ascertaining what, if any, spiritual beliefs or practices the client held before the traumatic events and how the experience of the trauma affected or shaped them. The journey to fullness of self involves a return to prior practices, if they are still useful and meaningful, or the development of an alternate set of beliefs that allows the client to make meaning in their present life, while incorporating the reality of the trauma. Two arenas for spiritual healing following trauma are: ● Finding meaning and purpose in life and establishing an identity other than that of simply a trauma survivor; this can also be seen as being able to be in the center of one’s own personal narrative rather than a character in a story about the past ● Establishing or re-establishing faith, trust, and belief systems that are a positive resource for healing and guidance The clinician can aid in this process by asking carefully timed and paced questions such as “Where do you find your strength? What centers you? What allows you to keep going? How do you understand the nature of good and evil in the world? What do you see as your task or mission when you are ready to give back from what you have learned from this journey? What is your understanding of God or a higher power in your life?” It is important for clinicians to remain open and flexible to a variety of spiritual orientations, regardless of whether they are personally espoused. As long as the spiritual practices and beliefs are a source of comfort, not a cause of fear or danger, they have the potential to provide clients with connection to a source of healing larger than themselves and a way to feel that they are not alone. Case Example Jackie reported that she regularly spoke with her dead grandmother, and it seemed to her clinician that Jackie’s grandmother usually gave her sound and useful advice. Jackie also would ask herself, “What would Jesus do now?” when confronted with a dilemma in her life. In addition, Jackie had prepared a little altar in her bedroom with some herbs, holy pictures, crystals, and a picture of her daughter, where she would sit and meditate when she needed calming.
Play Therapy While trauma-focused CBT has the most research support behind its use in treating trauma in children, many providers express a preference for treatment utilizing play therapy as an alternative approach that may allow a child to explore and express their experiences and emotions without having to directly discuss the trauma itself (Humble et al., 2019). Despite the popularity and prevalence of play therapy, there have unfortunately been limited studies assessing its effectiveness (Humble et al., 2019). In play therapy, children use play to communicate, construct narratives, make meaning, and express the inner workings of their conscious and unconscious structures. Although play therapy can be direct, child-centered play therapy (CCPT) is the most frequently utilized approach (Ray et al., 2015). Child-centered play therapy is based on a person- centered philosophy and believes in the child as a person “who experiences the world in a uniquely conceptualized way and is fully capable of enacting change in one’s self and in relationship to the environment” (Ray et al., 2015, p. 110). Understanding and accepting children in the context of their world creates space for growth and healing (Ray et al., 2015). Therapists employing CCPT typically provide a menu of play options for the child and then follow the child’s lead, searching for metaphor and meaning in the child’s actions. Specific interventions and responses include: r eflecting feelings (you feel angry), reflecting content (your mom was fighting with your dad), tracking behavior (you’re moving to over there), facilitating decision-making (you can decide), facilitating creativity (that can be whatever you want), encouraging (you’re trying hard on that), facilitating relationship (you want to make me feel better), and limit-setting. (Ray et al., 2015, p. 111) Equine-Facilitated Therapy Equine-facilitated therapy is a creative way to infuse therapeutic trauma work into nontraditional therapeutic formats. This type of therapy looks similar to recreational equestrian activities (e.g., riding or caring for the horse), but a practitioner conducts the activity with the goal of therapeutic intervention through metaphor, analogy, and anthropomorphization (i.e., attributing human characteristics to animals; Ferruolo, 2016; Lentini & Knox, 2015). Ferruolo (2016) offers some salient examples. ● As clients are asked to provide their assumptions and beliefs about horses, they learn that some of their initial beliefs did not match reality. The practitioner can then use this opportunity to ask if there are other times the client might engage in faulty thinking patterns and how the client might reframe or re-evaluate those beliefs. ● In more experiential activities, the horse mirrors back to the client their way of being in the world. For instance, a client who is often irritable or aggressive as a result of PTSD symptoms will experience the horse’s negative reaction to this behavior. ● Work with animals can help with affect and energy regulation. Because horses are attenuated to their handlers and can “smell fear,” equine therapists will direct clients to complete frustrating or challenging tasks with the horses so that they learn to calm and regulate themselves in an effort to complete the task successfully. Alternatively, interacting with the horses may be a fearful activity for clients, during which they can practice regulating their fear response. Forgiveness Forgiveness can be a challenging concept for many clients, as holding on to anger or revenge fantasies can provide emotional fuel. The timing and pacing for addressing forgiveness are crucial, as a period of anger at and blame of others (rather than self) is often a necessary step in moving from a victim stance to a more empowered stance as a survivor. Forgiveness can be reframed as a letting go of the distress that keeps a person tied to the offender or the process of blaming and an opportunity to break free from these toxic ties. Forgiveness can be seen
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Book Code: PYFL4024
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