While the two terms may seem interchangeable, even different terms for the same practice; they are actually very different, although symbiotic, in the sense that they nurture and support each other, but require different skills for each. Put simply, meditation is the practice of quiet, an inwards focus on “nothing”, and the practice of mindfulness is to be integrated fully in the present, in “something”.
It is understood that Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and depression are often linked. This is supported by researchers who found that those who have been diagnosed with PTSD, roughly 48% to 55% have also experienced present or previous depression.
Surprising as it may seem, eating disorders are generally not just about dysfunctional or irregular eating habits. In actual fact, often eating disorders aren’t even about food. Understanding the root cause of eating disorders is imperative in order to create an effective, sustainable treatment plan for clients. In many cases, the root cause of an eating disorder will be some form of unresolved, misdiagnosed or untreated trauma.
Often the root cause of mental illnesses or addictions is a nervous system that has been reorganised in an unbalanced way as a result of its inability to integrate a traumatic experience.
Group-based trauma treatments are regularly offered to clients in need of trauma-specific treatment. Expert clinical opinion supports this practice, emphasizing the importance of meeting other trauma survivors and the potential such encounters in a therapy setting bear for corrective emotional experiences.
EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing and is a psychotherapy technique used to treat a whole range of mental health issues including anxiety, PTSD, depression, and OCD, among others.
The importance of the connection between the body and the mind is something that has been understood for many, many years within Eastern traditions, and more recently the Western world has also been taking an interest in some of the wisdom from the east.
Trust issues can have an impact on our most important, intimate relationships. Indeed, it is in these relationships where our trust issues are most apparent, because it is these relationships where we are more vulnerable.
PTSD can affect anyone who has experienced or been witness to a traumatic event, it can even effect those who have been indirectly exposed to something traumatic. For example, PTSD can occur in a family member learning of the violent death of someone else in the family.
There is often the idea that when treating clients we should help them process their negative emotions. Believing that only by ridding them of these will space be created for new, more positive feelings to gather. However, there is no immediate cure that will take the pain away but by moving forward incredibly slowly, they will begin to find their own sources of hope and motivation in their daily lives and routines that will enable them to keep going.
