The traumatic events from earlier continue to haunt Dr Hendrew, manifesting in the form of recurring flashbacks and nightmares. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that may develop after an individual has experienced, seen, or been threatened by an exceptionally stressful or terrifying event. An estimated 3.9 percent of the global population has experienced PTSD at some point in their lives. Affected individuals may have repeated and unwanted recollections of the t

When traumatic memories are recalled, the brain and body can respond in a way similar to how they did during the original trauma. This response is often referred to as the “fight or flight” response. -Memory encoding: During a traumatic event, the brain’s limbic system, particularly the amygdala, plays a significant role in processing emotions and encoding memories related to the traumatic experience. The amygdala tags these memories as highly emotional and potentially threatening. -Triggering t

Sharing a traumatic memory can be a challenging and painful part of therapy for clients. It’s a time when we have to be particularly alert for signs that the client is getting either too hypo- or hyperaroused to safely continue. But compassion-based approaches increase a client’s capacity to revisit traumatic memories and explore difficult sensations. So in the video below, Dennis Tirch, PhD explains how he integrates a compassion-based approach into narrative exposure therapy for trauma. He’ll