Are you looking to reduce the stress
in your life, or for trauma counselling?
From our offices on Covent Garden Piazza, we offer
counselling sessions on a private basis.
As well as working with severe trauma we can also offer help in addressing many
other problems that may or may not be trauma-related.
These include:
Unwanted feelings and emotions
Bereavement
Anger problems
Phobias
Anxiety
Depression
The effects of bullying
Abusive relationships
Relationship break ups
Panic attacks
General stress and 'burn-out'
The counselling we offer predominately consists of mindfulness-based cognitive behavioural methods.
However, we taylor counselling to the client's needs which may require a range of modes of therapy.
The approaches we use tend to be awareness enhancing and humanistic.
A Client's Guide to
Traumatic Incident Reduction
What is Traumatic Stress?
Traumatic stress is psychological shock resulting
from an event or situation that causes great distress and
disruption. People find events 'traumatic' when they consider
them to be 'abnormal', compared to their expectations and
beliefs. In addition to criminal events and accidents, a person
can also find events such as relationship breakdowns traumatic.
This is because more 'normal' events such as divorce, also often
involve occurrences that the person did not expect or which were
hard to believe. Sometimes traumatic incidents are too painful for
a person to remember. A person can be affected by past traumas
without fully realizing the impact they are having. Traumatic
experiences that are not consciously accepted and absorbed by
a person will remain in the person's subconscious and can affect
the way they live their lives.
Symptoms of unresolved trauma can be:
Increased anxiety
Chronic sadness and other symptoms of depression
Irrational fears
Low self esteem
Chronic fatigue
Inability to work or to concentrate
Preoccupation, lack of focus
Dependence on alcohol and/or drugs
Marital problems
Inappropriate negative emotions and patterns
Flashbacks
Insomnia
Less satisfying relationships
Inability to reach one's full potential
Resolving Trauma
Until the trauma has been addressed, its impact remains and
can create barriers to a healthy, happy life. Traumatic Incident
Reduction is a highly effective approach to resolving the trauma
and its resulting negative effects.
Sometimes clients are aware of and can talk about a traumatic
event, but the opportunity to view it in its entirety has not
occurred.
What is Traumatic Incident Reduction?
Traumatic Incident Reduction is a safe, simple
technique to permanently reduce or eliminate the effects
of a traumatic event.
TIR provides the opportunity for people to look at
traumatic experiences in a structured, safe environment.
This is a person-centred method that allows the client to
work at their own pace, without being challenged or told
what he or she should think.
The facilitator's role is to assist the client to stay on track
using clearly defined steps.
The facilitator acts as a neutral guide, and will not
comment, advise or judge the client, or the traumatic
incident.
The safe structure of TIR ensures the client does not
become overwhelmed by this experience.
There are two forms of Traumatic Incident Reduction
Basic Traumatic Incident Reduction is used when the client is
aware of a traumatic incident and has an interest in exploring it
further. The facilitator guides the client through the incident many
times, unlayering the memories, emotions and decisions made at
that time.
Thematic Traumatic Incident Reduction is used when the client
has no conscious memory of a specific traumatic incident, but is
aware of unwanted symptoms such as feeling depressed, low
self esteem or other negative thoughts. The facilitator will help the
client determine a 'theme'. A theme is an unwanted feeling,
emotion, sensation, attitude or pain that is connected to the
symptoms. This theme can, on occasion, be traced through a
sequence of incidents.
There are also several TIR-related techniques for assisting a client
to get to the bottom of upsets, confusions, worries and stuck
patterns in life and resolve them.
The 'Viewing Session'
The role of the facilitator differs from that of the traditional
therapist. In many traditional methods of psychotherapy, a
therapist might offer feedback, alternative interpretations, ask
leading questions or make suggestions as to a course of action
the client should take. A TIR facilitator is different. The method
utilized in TIR is unique. The client looks at or 'views' his or her
own experiences to arrive at his or her own conclusions. During
the session the facilitator will not interrupt, evaluate, interpret or
give advice or comment on the contents of the session. The
facilitator will simply guide the client through the TIR procedure.
"Viewing" is the action of examining one's own experiences,
feelings and thoughts with a view to understanding one's own
actions and reduce unwanted thoughts and feelings.
The Viewing Session has three components:
1. Instructing
The facilitator will ask the client to
follow an instruction or answer a
question.
2. Viewing
The client then 'views' or examines
his or her world in order to follow
the instructions or answer the
questions asked by the facilitator
3. Reporting
The client will then be asked to
report back to the facilitator on
what he or she observed.
The Use of Repetition (repeatedly viewing an incident)
The purpose of viewing traumatic material repeatedly is to allow
the client to integrate the traumatic incident into their lives. This
is a gentle, gradual approach that allows the client to slowly view
and integrate the entire trauma at a pace that is comfortable for
the client.
Preparation for a Session
In TIR the session requires some preparation on the part of the
viewer. The facilitator will ask you if you have had enough sleep,
enough to eat and how recently you have taken any drugs or
alcohol. All of these things can effect how well you are able to
concentrate and determine your ability to contact a traumatic
incident. When receiving TIR sessions be sure to get sufficient
rest, food (avoid being hungry when you come to session) and
refrain from taking all non-prescribed drugs and alcohol for at
least 24 hours before each session.
A TIR session has no fixed length. The facilitator will continue the
session until the client reaches a comfortable stopping point. It is
important to schedule enough time for a TIR session as it may last
for up to two or more hours.
In order for the TIR procedure to work effectively you need to be
able to give the process your full attention. Please, therefore, tell
your facilitator if you come to the session with your attention on a
recent upset or problem or if there is something you need to say
before starting the TIR procedure.
Additional Information on TIR
Principal Developer of TIR Frank Gerbode, M.D., Psychiatrist and Certified Trauma
Specialist, received degrees in philosophy and psychiatry at
Stanford, Yale and Cambridge before going on to investigate a
wide variety of therapeutic techniques. Dr. Gerbode developed
TIR as part of a comprehensive system of healing and discovery
called metapsychology.
If you have further queries about the counselling we offer or if you would like to book a session,
phone us on
0800 849 6723
Grateful thanks to all who contributed to the Client's guide:
Barbara Ayres, ACF
Aerial Long CMF CF
Marian Volkman CTS, CMF, Trainer, Ability Enhancement Services
Henry Whitfield MSc, ATIRF, Advanced TIR Trainer
Melly Ayres