Gentle Reprocessing™
Gentle Reprocessing is a complete therapy made up of a unique integration of guided imagery, inner child work, cognitive therapy and EMDR components, among other proven therapies. It is designed to gently and rapidly dissolve trauma symptoms that prevent clients from living fully. Gentle Reprocessing reduces symptoms of PTSD, Anxiety, Depression, OCD, phobias, emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, and Dissociation. Gentle Reprocessing has also been used with success for Performance Enhancement and Anger Control.
During the conception of Gentle Reprocessing an external and an internal approach were developed. The internal approach worked well for most adults to release traumas and mental health symptoms. The external approach was developed for children as young as 2 ½ and has been proven to work well with fragile adult clients as well.
Gentle Reprocessing has been patiently and caringly refined since its inception in a private practice outside Boston in 1993. Slowly, a few psychotherapists were made aware of this approach, and it was gradually examined and field research was expanded. With this added corroboration, the Gentle body of work grew steadily from its origins of limited anecdotal evidence to where it currently spans the healing of thousands of clients, with a growing number of psychotherapists using it in both private practices and community agencies. Gentle Reprocessing has been presented at national and international conferences, and has been taught in accredited workshops in New Mexico and held annually at Boston University as well as at other New England sites.
To be more thorough, Gentle Reprocessing Level I workshops have been intensified to include two days. Also there is now an annual Level II workshop available for clinicians who want to blend Gentle Reprocessing more successfully with Inner Child Work. In addition, there is a monthly free group phone consult designed to allow Gentle clinicians around the country to share their stories and get direct feedback from the Gentle Founder.
To better understand how Gentle Reprocessing was being used by trained clinicians, Gentle therapists were surveyed in the summer of 2008 about their years of experience, some stemming back to the first workshop in 2001. The feedback was surprisingly positive. Over 50 % of those asked responded to the mailed survey. Most of these clinicians were still using some form of Gentle Reprocessing after only a one day training. Gentle clinicians reported being impressed at how easily and quickly their clients could release their traumas and that they could feel relief within the first few sessions. Some Gentle therapists stated Gentle Reprocessing had revamped and revitalized the way they did therapy.
Internal Gentle Reprocessing™
Internal Gentle Reprocessing uses a sensitively buffered and personalized protocol that is derived from an integration of leading psychotherapies. Internal Gentle Reprocessing engages the emotions and body sensations connected to the trauma target. Instead of a client needing the confront the trauma target, emotions and body sensations, as well as the negative beliefs they have about themselves due to the trauma in an overwhelming group, only the emotions and/or body sensations are examined. This approach brakes down the trauma into manageable bites. Visualization is then utilized to release these emotions and body sensations one at a time. The advantage of visualization is that it creates protective shields for the client from the emotions associated with the target, thus reducing abreactions, dissociation and resistance to further treatment. When each emotion/body sensation has been processed, the target is neutralized. It no longer is disturbing for the client. At this stage, positive cognitions are installed to replace the negative beliefs. Internal Gentle Reprocessing is specifically designed to help clients advance quickly, deeply, and easily, whether healing a single trauma event or recovering from a chronic array of emotional distress such as growing up with an abusive parent. Clients report feeling a sense of deep relief and relaxation.
External Gentle Reprocessing™
When young children are traumatized, they lose their sense of control over their everyday life. The External Gentle Reprocessing protocol was developed to help children regain that control. This technique works well for children who frequently come to therapy with a list of symptoms, but either do not know what ‘event’ triggered these symptoms or if they do know, do not want to talk about it. This technique is unique because it allows relief from trauma without needing to articulate the event that caused the symptoms or requiring one to remember what the event was. It has been used with children as young as 2 ½.
External Gentle Reprocessing works through combining bilateral stimulation with drawing, storytelling and positive cognitions. It also works well with resistant teenagers, and fragile, sensitive adults, including DIDs. This simple technique has been shown effective in reducing clients’ symptoms such as flashbacks, nightmares, anxiety, depression and phobias. It works well with traumas from various types of abuse, loss, accidents or hospital experiences.