Have you ever seen colors spelled out using the wrong color font? It’s called the Stroop task and it might look like this: Red Blue Green Yellow. Instead of reading the word, you have to determine the color of the word. Researchers from the University of Toronto, led by psychologist Michael Inzlicht, PhD, examined subjects’ […]
No Expertise Required – A Spiritual Practice for the Practitioner
When we think of spirituality, scriptures, ceremonies, and specific religious practices often come quickly to mind. But even beyond these rich traditions, spirituality can run deep to engage the entire mind, body, and spirit of each individual person. Spirituality dictates that we look for and honor the essential humanity in each individual. As practitioners, many […]
Aspects of Spirituality May Help to Heal Chronic Illness
We know that spirituality can help us feel connected with ourselves, others, and even a higher power, but what are the specific aspects that are associated with improved healing? Researchers from the University of Missouri recruited men and women suffering from chronic health conditions to find out. Participants suffered from a range of conditions including […]
Spirituality and Self-Control
Wouldn’t it be nice if there was an easy way to have more self-control? Imagine how different our daily lives would be if we could tolerate more discomfort, increase our patience, delay gratification, and refrain from impulsive responses. All of these qualities were found to increase after subjects were primed with a spiritually oriented task […]
Forgiveness Is One Key to Unlocking Mental and Physical Wellbeing
Forgiveness has always had a place in spiritual teachings, but now there is scientific evidence that supports the claim that forgiveness can actually help increase mental and physical wellbeing. Frederick Luskin, PhD and his colleagues conducted The Stanford Forgiveness Projects and found that using a randomized controlled procedure, they were able to teach participants a […]
Can Spirituality Improve Outcomes for Traumatic Brain Injury Patients?
Spirituality can help people heal in a number of ways. But does it have any effect on traumatic brain injury? A recent study by Brigid Waldron-Perrine, PhD at Wayne State University has found that it just might. More specifically, she found that religion and spirituality may help improve the emotional and physical rehabilitation of patients […]
How You Are Changing the World
When you help someone to heal from trauma, they are not the only one who benefits. Healing is like throwing a pebble into a pond. It sends ripples out in all directions. Which is why, as the 2012 Trauma Therapy Series draws to a close, I can’t help but feel grateful… Over 7,938 practitioners, according […]
Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Female Rape Victims
PTSD can occur when someone experiences a single traumatic event. But what happens when a person is exposed to a traumatic environment over a long period of time? Healing from PTSD is challenging enough, but a person with a history of trauma who is re-traumatized is often likely to develop what’s called complex PTSD. Patricia […]
Women in Abusive Relationships: Their Telomeres Tell the Story
We know that trauma has a significant psychological impact, but it has long-term biological consequences as well. In the past we’ve talked about how trauma affects the body, such as increasing chances for irritable bowel syndrome. This is another case that exemplifies this effect, but this time, using telomeres. As we’ve mentioned before, telomeres are […]
The Polyvagal Theory in Action – How Heart Rate Figures into Trauma Treatments
How can the body and its natural processes be tools for treating trauma? The Polyvagal Theory helps us answer this question by explaining how people process their environment and how the body regulates itself in the face of stress and trauma. Watch the video below as Stephen Porges, PhD, creator of the Polyvagal Theory, shares […]