When people are jarred from sleep because of a nightmare, the disturbing images can be difficult to shake. Even though they’re “just dreams,” nightmares can be very upsetting and can sometimes haunt us long after we’ve awoken. But believe it or not, there may be a good reason for them. Nightmares are part of the […]
How PTSD changes children’s brains
Trauma can change the brain . . . . . . but it doesn’t just change the survivor’s brain. In fact, it can actually change the brains of the survivor’s children – in some pretty insidious ways. Ruth Lanius, MD, PhD explains how traumatic experiences can affect a mother’s children, even if the children themselves […]
Preventing post traumatic stress disorder with immediate trauma therapy
We see clients who were traumatized as children, and yet their experiences may only be bubbling to the surface now. And sometimes, the longer traumatic experiences lie in the subconscious, the more disruptive they can be to our clients’ lives. But an interesting study conducted by Emory University researchers raises an important possibility. What if […]
What Does Beethoven Have in Common with Jimi Hendrix?
A while ago, I went to a concert at the University of Connecticut. An orchestra from Germany was playing the music of Beethoven, but I came away with an appreciation of . . . . . . Jimi Hendrix? It might sound rather unlikely, but stay with me here. Because as it turns out, even […]
How Trauma Traps Survivors in the Past – A Look at Trauma Therapy with Bessel van der Kolk, MD
One of the perils of trauma is that it can destroy a survivor’s sense of time. But when this happens, how can we help to restore it? Recently, I spoke with Bessel van der Kolk, MD, considered the world’s leading expert in post-traumatic stress. Watch below as Bessel explains how trauma affects our patients’ sense […]