ETT
You keep seeing the same problem behaviors over and over. You implore with logic. You provide incentives and consequences. You have sought professional help. It makes no sense. Why would an otherwise good person keep having the same problems even though they want to change and don’t like the outcomes?
Let’s explore a new explanation and solution. This is about patterns stored in the nervous system. These patterns are subconscious, or outside awareness. These patterns continue to be triggered. Suddenly the nervous system is hijacked and the better parts of this person disappear. Afterwards you ask, “Why did this happen, why did you do this?” You either get “I don’t know,” or “Somebody else caused me to do this.”
What happens when a stored trauma pattern is activated? It can be a defensive fight, flight, or freeze response. It can also include disassociation.
What is Disassociation?
Dissociation is a mental process where a person experiences a disconnection from their thoughts, feelings, memories, or sense of identity, often as a way to cope with overwhelming stress or trauma.
Mild forms of disassociation include daydreaming and highway hypnosis. More significant symptoms could include not feeling like oneself, feeling separate from body and identity, disconnected from the environment, and inability to recall what happened during the dissociative event. It could also include a panic attack or a rage episode.
Disassociation can serve as a defense mechanism to avoid feeling unwanted and overwhelming feelings or a traumatic event. These traumas can remain stored in the nervous system and get triggered over and over.
Does it seem like the person is not themselves during an episode? They say and do things inconsistent with their normal thoughts, feelings, and behaviors? Or maybe they seem to “go somewhere else,” can’t think or seem very uncertain and disorganized.
This is a phenomena that often can not be addressed with logic, conversation, cognitive-behavioral therapy, or behavior modification involving a structure of rewards, consequences, and reminders.
Are there ways to access these patterns, clear them, stop the disassociation so the person remains wholly themselves and present when a trigger is presented? Yes there are, and I’ve seen it happen about 96 times so far. One technique is EMDR. It can work, and it can take some time. I found something that is in my opinion, and the opinion of several EMDR therapists who have done ETT training with me, a faster and more effective method.
What is ETT?
Emotional Transformation Therapy is an attachment based interpersonal therapy with outcomes radically enhanced by the specific application of light, color, and eye positioning. The light and color allow more direct access to the nervous system via the ocular nerve. When disassociation occurs about a specific concern brought by the client it is immediately evident. For example, if we are using a spectral color chart, which is just printed color that does not change, the client will report that they can no longer see the color or they see the color change. Except the color does not really change. When this happens clients are often initially quite surprised and a little confused!
So ETT is like EMDR on steroids. It can quickly bring up related issues or memories that may have been avoided, hidden, or unrealized. Using ETT I can often very rapidly help a client stop disassociating and clear old trauma response patterns. In my training I experienced this for myself with lasting effects. I watched it done with professional colleagues in my training sessions repeatedly with incredible results.
I’m not fast to jump on the bandwagon with anything new I come across that may make me a more effective therapist. I have to see it for myself. Having seen it and started using ETT in my practice I am very excited to offer this additional tool to help the people I see find solutions and get rid of stubborn old problems with thoughts, feelings, and consequent behaviors.
You can try something new that has a good chance of clearing these trauma and disassociation patterns permanently. Schedule an appointment today on my website bradmasoncounselor.com.
I welcome any questions you may have.
Brad Mason, LPC, LPA, LSSP
512-636-6250
https://www.etttraining.com/what-is-emotional-transformation-therapy-ett
