When I visualize a traditional therapist’s office, and then a military boot camp . . .
. . . I come up with two very different images.
It might seem obvious to those of us within the helping professions that, in order for treatment to be effective, we need to match the intervention to the person sitting in front of us.
But what if our own life experiences are so vastly different from our client’s that we’re barely speaking the same language?
And, is it possible we don’t even realize the degree to which unfamiliarity with another’s way of life impacts our ability to offer help?
That’s the situation my good friend Belleruth Naparstek found herself in when working with soldiers suffering from symptoms related to PTSD. She discovered that the typical approach we, as practitioners, take when working with soldiers didn’t translate well into the language and customs of the military.
I admire Belleruth because she didn’t allow unfamiliarity with military culture to stand in the way of getting help to wounded men and women who truly need it.
Her work offers an example of what can happen when we reach far beyond our own cultural inclinations and open our hearts to connect with the unfamiliar.
Take a look at the video below to see how she and one particular soldier bridged their communication gap in order to help him begin to find relief from PTSD.
Every time I post this video, people have asked where they can find these resources, so here’s the link.
Now I’m not an affiliate or anything, and if you decide to purchase anything from Belleruth or Health Journeys, I will not receive a commission. It’s just good stuff and I thought you’d like to know about it.
And there’s one more reason . . .
. . . according to the National Institute of Mental Health, millions of people in the United States suffer from
PTSD, but less than half of those diagnosed with the disorder have received treatment.
As we think about the sacrifices of men and women who have laid down their lives in military service, I also want to highlight the challenges that many face when they return home.
If you or someone you know is suffering from symptoms related to PTSD, I hope you’ll share this video with them.
Now I’d like to hear from you. How might Belleruth’s experience in working with Sergeant Rauls change your approach with clients suffering from PTSD? Please let us know in the comments section below.
Hi, I wanna give some feedback on the presentation. I feel unease to give some critical point of view about it. But it is necessary. For me, at least. First, Dave’s recording makes sense especially when talking the loss of his son, and that’s what he is trying to take control of through this meditation taped session. Quite influential. The tape is basically well founded, considerate, has a purpose, and considerate about the solders role and identity in their function, and job. But it is an intense world with lots of doubt, They need a “toolbox” All of this is great to show another perspective and very healing. But it is, likely to be from my view, that it is Dave insecurity and difficulty of dealing with grief, future, and stress about uncertainty that need to be deal with rather than the trauma. It is a sad tape. Isn’t it about the emotional “dysregulation” more than about the fight in the field and the military? This is just my critic about how the two is mixed in and creating more confusion and doesn’t help Dave to sort out his chaos. Despite of the altering of his sound, his speech is very pessimistic still, and sad. I don’t see myself listening to this affirmation every day for so long.
So moving, thank you
I love the point that this makes and find it highly relevant to interactions with my healthcare professionals, most of whom have *no* training in trauma care. Usually, I get a blank stare and “I’m sorry that happened to you,” spoken like it came right out of a textbook. Even many of pros in psychology have no clue. I look forward to the day when most do.
Thank you for this wonderful example of a therapist prepared to attune to the client’s language and culture, and to learn from him how to reach him and people like him.
I think it was Steve de Shazer who said, ‘”resistance” is the client’s unique way of helping the therapist’.
guided imaginary, is a form of ancient 15000 years old yog nidra.
Western views is just discovering it now.
I LOVE this. We really do need to adjust ourselves for the person (and their culture) that is in front of us. I have done some intercultural counseling studies, have studied a few languages, and I do work with military. I am a Feldenkrais teacher and have been trained in Somatic Experiencing and some other trauma-informed methods.
This reminds me, when I was training for Feldenkrais, one of my teachers was from New York. He said that people in New York tend to be very intense, life moves fast, and they move fast. For those who may not be familiar with Feldenkrais, it brings awareness to your body and how you are using it. You often lie on the floor (if you can) and people can frequently go to sleep in a lesson, (depending on the lesson–there are hundreds of lessons, and some of them are really active–but generally speaking, it is a calming experience). A kind of moving meditation. So anyway, this teacher said people would come into class a lot like our drill sergeant Dave. Very intense, energized and having been moving fast all day. Very activated nervous systems. This teacher learned to start his groups lessons (or private work) speaking very fast and seemingly not in a calming way at all. Then he would, as Dave did, gradually settle his voice, slow down and get quieter.
So important to mirror who you are working with. Thank you, Ruth and Bellaruth. Thank you for this and for honoring our men and women this day.
Its a soundly reasonably well-done tape. Thanks.
As mentioned by another commenter, i am not a vet but have CPTSD. I will compare the Vet’s initial response to one of my own where i was to listen to a 15 min meditation of piano. My reaction essentially the same that i ran out of the room and when asked to return I could not due to my triggered response. It’s been 5 years since that experience. I easily related to the newly created intro which instantly made me comfortable and interested in what he had to say. I imagine i would have stuck around for the guided imagery to follow.
I have come across a young mother who is married to a veteran with PTSD issues and considering divorce. She lives near Jacksonville FL. Does anyone know of a specialist in this area who can help them?
Gc11530@gmail.com
Such a good reminder to meet our clients where they are. I can imagine something like this could be adapted for inner city trauma students.
I have not been in the military, but I have had PTSD, and Dave’s introduction really spoke to me. I may listen to it a few more times. Thank you.
Also I have an offering. I was upset that Belleruth smiled the whole time she spoke about the man’s child dying by suicide.
My life partner, Harry, served in ‘Nam. He broke down after six years of living with me. What we experienced, because his living experience was n the room, the house, the spaces we share, reminded me of my own PTSD and so I was less afraid than perhaps some other partner may have been. What he learned was that he is a Warrior, and in this culture there is no place for Warriors without a War. What he learned, through conversations with health care workers and primarily with me, was he had always been in the role of being a warrior. That role had been supported by his family lineage. What he learned was that he had to develop the human side of himself, the side that responds to what his body and emotional needs are now. He is underneath the raging, ranting warrior, a sweet man and since those early years, this sweet man, who currently loves his cats as much as anything in the world, has emerged into the safety that is our home. Vets need a place to learn how to be human again.
As a veteran, I have worked with soldiers and sailors. While effective with most, I have had some who chose to go to the VA and talk to therapist there. This have said they did feel comfortable in my therapy setting. This certainly speaks to their disconnection.
This is great for soldiers! Thank you so much for sharing! God bless this guy for having the courage to reach out to Belleruth and for her to listen! So many soldiers are hurting and I believe this will truly speak to them from their world.
Wish you had warned the audience of the horrible story this would be addressing. I usually enjoy the information. Look forward to listening to your input.
But…I have been exposed to four deaths within this year and the last one of family who had been abused by a priest in childhood and never dealt with it. He was one of the most brilliant minds of our time, yet his past got to him. He destroyed his body, his family, leaving my granddaughters without a father, after the medical world caused further problems and destroyed his life beyond recognition in a matter of a few days and causing his death. Two weeks later same situation of one client’s relative who died with similiar experience. This was just this past two months.
Weekly I deal with clients who experiences some of the worst deaths imaginable that have occurred only recently. Was not prepared to watch that guided imagery story but am retraumatized myself, still nauseated as I work on calming this triggering video. Usually I thoroughly enjoy the treasures from these emails.
Sorry for the comment, please keep sending your special thoughts in the emails for another wonderful piece of information, but PLEASE WARN when the content is this triggering. Please hear me, I do not want you not to connect as the rest of the information, especially the speakers at the end helped calm me down but these times are so hard for this longterm clinician not because of my work, but for the DAMAGE being created by our own leaders within our country causing clients further FFF on a daily basis.
There has been so many needless deaths this past year. I think it was the son of the vet brought up in this video that was triggering due to all the shootings these past three years all over the world. The work is just harder to compensate for what we all hear on the news daily.
I appreciate you taking a stand to help in the next election, heard and shall comply. Please continue your wonderful work, but just a warning. Still trying to calm but needed to get it out instead of burying the trigger.
Our clients are overwhelmed by the state of those running this country.
Bellaruth is delightful and wish her continued great work with those soldiers. I would like to use her guided imagery as I work with vets weekly. Where can one get the CD as I have one who could use it this week. I can actually hear him laugh at first as he starts to listen and then calm down to hear the familiarity he speaks of so often with the men he fought beside.
That is absolutely wonderful! Parts of it made me laugh out loud. Kudos to Belleruth for opening the door to people who need to hear this kind of intro!
I thought this was quite amazing. It reminds me just how important it is to not only start where the client is at, but proceed with caution thereafter. Whenever I do guided imagery for my clients who are competent, non-disordered individuals who are living with the unacknowledged trauma and grief as a result of being raised by parental figures with a serious mental illness. They are all different and so their guided imagery is different each time. This work is based on my (easy to access) research at The University of Melbourne entitled: “Lives unseen: unacknowledged trauma of non-disordered, competent Adult Children Of Parents with a Severe Mental Illness”. If people are interested, they just need to Google my name: Suzette Misrachi and they’ll get it for free. I think Belleruth Naparstek is great that she has got that flexibility and acceptance of difference!
Thank you, I was actually thinking of recording my pain-meditations for clients with chronic pain. I wasn’t aware that a touchy-feely voice could sometimes be counterproductive!
This is great insight for me, especially from a clients point of view with a traumatic history!
We’ve been working as volunteers for 25 years in the Balkans with civilian and military war victims and with asylum seekers and refugees and those assisting them. We need this kind of material and new approaches that will speak to them in their own language – and I don’t mean only Croatian or Pashtu – at a grassroots level. We are the Coalition for Work with Psychotrauma and Peace.
excellent introduction
I was very impressed with the humility of the therapist. She used the lessons from this soldier to enhance her ability to help. I am sure that it may be useful to some who have a great deal of pride as well as soldiers . Those who feel shame and humiliation at what they deem as weakness. Thanks again
Great article and interesting, thank you for sharing.
I use Bellaruth’s book of guided imagery frequently in session in concert with slow ABS (EMDR). Works like a charm. She is brillian.
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As usual, Belleruth leads the way. I use her Imageries daily at the Cancer Clinic where I’ve been a volunteer teacher for the past 15 years. Thanks again, Belleruth.
Very helpful and I believe this approach would be helpful with soldiers I work with. yhank you for sharing.
I used Belleruth Naperstak’s guided imagery resources for myself as well as with hospice patients. What an effective this “alternate” introduction, designed for those who have been shaped by military culture … in this population, it’s bound to create more initial receptivity to the guided imagery experience she offers.
Yes! The video is creative, succinct, and welcoming to those of us who have experienced mild to severe trauma. I am a three-hatter; trauma survivor, alcoholic/addict, and therapist. I’ve been working in Human Services for 33 years. My service includes the VA system, Indian Health Services, and now after 32 years, private practice. My husband is what I call a four-hatter. He is also a Veteran. We are both American Indian, and I am half Irish as well. Thinking culturally comes naturally to us. We spend almost no time in the work of feeling empathy for the cultural lives of our clients, including the military experience. Even though I am not a Veteran, my Father was a WWII Veteran and he raised us as though we were in boot camp, no feelings allowed. As a result of our low income, minority, oppression-centered early lives, we find that our approach has always been like the one Ms. Belleruth developed. It isn’t new, but the video clinches the effectiveness, a genius idea. I could go on and on about how much torment my husband and I were subjected to by Clinical Supervisors who told us we couldn’t laugh with our clients, be so “harsh”, use such common language, and generally demand that we become like them, all touchy freely without any use of the “hard way” in our approach. Since we are both severe trauma survivors, their relentless criticism created a hostile and threatening environment for us. We knew one important thing, first we had to stay clean and sober which meant some pretty firm self talk. We sometimes had abreactions which got us into deeper problems. Today we are finally free in our own practice to use the methods that we know are effective. We were always more successful in treating trauma survivors than the majority of our colleagues. We need to have a voice in the therapeutic world as those who comprehend trauma, mental illness, and addictions from both the inside out and professional views. The most important letters we have behind our names are BTDT, Been There Done That. Our client love it and we are grateful for the opportunity to work for their healing, particularly the hundreds of Veterans we’ve served.
Hi, wow what an incredible bridging of two divergent worlds! I work with First Responders and agree that many would find this appropriate because many were in the Military before. One cautionary note is that there tends to be a “general” group this approach will work for 100%, but my approach is more focused on the client’s emotion regulation state – if they are up and super anxious, I introduce the concept of calming activities that will bring their emotions down to a calmer state for their mind, emotional, physical and spiritual/religious aspects of self. It could be short audio meditations, playing golf or walking through nature, reading/watching/listening to a comedy, going to a support group, swimming, listening to music, attending church or listening to a spiritual/religious affirmation or teaching, etc. Obviously I would do opposite activation if client has a low emotion regulation (limited affect or avoidance behaviour). All I know is this was very refreshing and bold! It’s best to be a therapy-mut and just keep on learning…we tend to play a small role in recover! Thanks
Loved this intro. Reason being, he’s real! His language, demeanor and stories. I can see where this would help many give something so out of their character a try. Brilliant.
Usually, one may not take on to heavy a situation. But if so incountered, given what u know would need to be integrated into their level of understanding.. His voice is perfect for getting the public to understand. Heck, it can even be in a commercial for those with PTSD to be informed of alternative healing…
As someone with a foot on both sides of this fence- a vet and a therapist- I have to say this is 100% spot on perfect. Meeting the client where they are instead of where the therapist is.
Well. It’s about time. I have been telling “privileged” psychologists and medical practitioners in the field to take a look at the raw primal authentic aspect of what we call life. The whole mindfulness meditation crap has never worked for most of my underprivileged, marginalized trauma survivors, and even returning veterans who have experienced and witnessed “hell on earth”. This is good that Belleruth actually listened and paid attention to the voice of the very human that we are all trying to help.
Good work Belleruth and kudos to Dave, the brave man in uniform, who fought for those that really know what real pain is like. Your courage, Dave, has helped bridge this long dismissed and ignored gap that most “privileged” clinicians fail to see, clinicians who are all “minds” but not a lot of authenticity and heart, clinicians who have been “pampered” and “sheltered” from life’s horrible terror, clinicians who have never felt a single horror of real torment and suffering on a daily basis, most of their lives. Thank you, for bringing the truth into light.
great intro.. I also favor integrative imagery which offers the client more choice and more power and reinforces the reality that it is an inside job.
This was very well done! In any situation, to effect change, you have to speak to someone in the language that they understand and that they relate to, in order to be heard. This is not only true in PTSD but also in other high-stress situations that are difficult for individuals and families to approach. So to speak, you have to talk the talk to help someone else walk the walk. This is very common in cross cultural exchanges for behavior modification. The discussion on the tape is like comparative psychology — the use of psychotherapy in a cross cultural setting.
That was awesome! Finally a therapeutic approach that doesn’t require a guy to shed his manhood!
Thank you for this move toward treating the individual starting with where the client is. One size just does not fit all!
And thank you Dave for sharing your story and inviting your fellow soldiers to give it a try!
Makes sense to me. the training anchors certain routines as normal. that is normal. alien to us. and that transition and speech normalizes. anything that bridges the gaps…helps. thank you Dave and others for having the courage to make the suggestions.
Dear Ruth and Belleruth,
This is brilliant and so important! I just listened to it with my daughter who has many friends in the Marines. She also is the most passionate athlete I know, including rugby (to my dismay!). She immediately thought of friends in the military to whom she wants to forward this. She commented on how Dave’s tone becomes more mellow as he talks and was curious about how the transition to Belleruth’s voice and approach would be made. She knows military guys and gals and definitely thinks you are onto something with this. (Thank you because you have also helped me help her!)
Thank you so much for this alternative version–and what a good example of
meeting clients where they are–and being a resourced, grounded and flexible clinician. Fantastic.
Ruth, I have a case at the US Supreme Court, “Conversion Therapy” and am finding that very few members of my strict religious upbringing understand that I fell in love with Nancy and want to spend the remainder of my life with her. Our church believe we are mentally ill, sinning and demanded that we undergo “the cure”! This trauma triggered a bleeding ulcer and now a MALT Lymphoma, stomach cancer. My work is in “Cancer Aftercare” She is a retired school teacher. Please send references of how we cope with this lack of understanding by people who have loved us our entire lives! I moved to Washington, DC yesterday and went to an accepting church today, St. Mark’s Episcopal, an answer to prayers. Your current newsletter resonates. Thank you so much.
Ruth, I have a case at the US Supreme Court, “Conversion Therapy” and am finding that very few members of my strict religious upbringing understand that I fell in love with Nancy and want to spend the remainder of my life with her. Our church believe we are mentally ill, sinning and demanded that we undergo “the cure”! This trauma triggered a bleeding ulcer and now a MALT Lymphoma, stomach cancer. My work is in Cancer Aftercare” She is a retired school teacher. Please send references of how we cope with this lack of understanding by people who have loved us our entire lives!
I think it is important to meet the person where they are – my guess is the majority of men in the military are not upper class or white. Personally I’ve never cared for the this so-callled “soothing” voice either that is often found on relaxation tapes myself. I agree with Dr. van der Kolk that we therapists like to talk too much and assume that intellectual understanding is the cornerstone of healing.
DEAR RUTH AND PELLERUTH,
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION OF GUIDED IRMAGERY TO PTSD, STARTING WITH THE MILITARY AND THOSE IN NEED. MY FIRST JOB ONCE MEDICAL TRAINING WAS FINISHED, WAS TO SERVE WITH THE U.S. NAVY DURING THE VIETNAM CONFLICT. I NEVER SAW COMBAT OR WAS NEAR TO SAME, BUT WHAT ALMOST DESTROYED MY HEART WAS OBSERVING THESE KIDS, AND THEY WERE KIDS, DRAFTED KIDS AT THAT RETURNING FROM COMBAT AND HAPPY TO BE ALIVE AND OUT OF HELL, BUT TOTALLY CHANGED FROM THE KIDS WHO HAD BEEN DRAFTED. THE VIOLENCE THEY WERE TAUGHT, WHICH IS NECESSARY, HAD TOTALLY CHANGED THEM. THEY WERE GLAD TO BE BACK AND OUT OF HELL, BUT THEY WERE BEING DISCHARGED INTO A SOCIETY WHO WAS SICK OF WAR AND, UNFORTUNATELY, TOOK IT OUT ON SOME OF THESE KIDS. AND THERE WAS NOT A THING I COULD DO ABOUT IT. SO I EMERGED FROM MY TWO YEARS OF SERVICE ALCOHOLIC, SUICIDAL, AND TOTALLY LOST. THE ONE REASON I DID NOT KILL MYSELF WAS NOT BEING AFRAID OF WHAT COULD HAPPEN ON THE OTHER SIDE, BUT IT WAS MY FIRM BELIEF IN REINCARNATION, AND I WANTED NO PART WITH HAVING TO REPEAT THIS SCENARIO. IN ANY EVENT, I AM STILL HERE AND DOING FAIRLY WELL, BUT PERIODICALLY A CLOUD COMES OVER ME AND I FEEL AS TOTALLY DEPRESSED AS I WAS THEN. I THINK YOUR TEACHING WILL REACH THESE KIDS, IF SOMEONE IS THERE TO HAVE THEM TRY IT AND STICK TO WHAT MAY HELP THEM. THAT IS NOT ALWAYS EASY IN THIS GROUP, OR ANY GROUP FOR THAT MATTER. SO IT IS ON WITH THE SHOW TILL THE CURTAIN FALLS, AND I TRUST YOUR TEACHING WILL MAKE THEIR SHOW AN ENJOYABLE ONE. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. LOVE pro
I AM A GOOD FRIEND WITH NORM SHEALY, WHO I THINK HAS ONE OF THE BRIGHTEST MINDS I EVER MET IN THE FIELD OF MEDICINE.
Wow! That was fantastic and it makes complete sense. Kind of like “toddler talk” (well nothing like that really), but you have to speak their language to open them up. Dave = Hero, no doubt about it.
This is so appropriate for the culture of people under fire
in their jobs. It speaks their language in order to bring
about rapport for this work of guided imagery. The guided imagery
that I practice, gives the opportunity for changes peoples’ thinking about
about their truama.
That’s phantastic! And it definitely is so important to listen to the language veterans, still soldiers, or children of soldiers of ww2 have learned, internalized in their bodies. That’s what kept them alive – obviously! One has to listen in order to meet them where they are still moving around, in all these hell-like men-made disastrous situations. As therapists we have to do this step towards them in order to help them to begin gradually to trust that all these symptoms they are suffering from are normal responses of a human brain designed for an organism to survive.
As I am living and working in Germany I cannot use this video with patients of mine, but I will be even more careful and pay more attention to my words and my attitude when offering guided imagery with patients like these.
Thank you very much! it is very touchy!
Cordula
psychotherapist/ ECP
Ulm, Germany
This is brilliant! If only more clients would speak up & tell us HOW they really wish we would help them…and if only more practitioners would listen and act on it, like in this scenario. The day I started asking clients for honest feedback really began a new road of sharpening my skills as well as appreciating the ones I do have that I had taken for granted, yet really were important to my clients. This kind of co-creation of programs is so important.