Becoming Safely Embodied Skills Manual

A Skill Based Approach to Working with Trauma and Dissociation

You can live the life that you want, instead of living the life your trauma physiologically propels you to lead.

For most clients with a trauma history, especially those grappling with dissociation, living inside their own skin is challenging. Most clients struggle between sessions often feeling overwhelmed, out of control and can't figure out a way to help themselves. The results of therapy once, or twice a week fade quickly when faced with the many hours week they're besieged with overwhelming anxiety or despair.

The skills in this manual are the foundation of the Becoming Safely Embodied experiential skill set developed to help clients learn step by step ways of being with themselves, especially when they are on their own, between therapy sessions. Nine easy to learn skills are presented and can easily be taught in a group format or to individual clients.

Skills taught include:

• using meditation principles to skillfully build observing ego functions
• build connections on positive experiences rather than their traumatic history
• intervening in thoughts / feelings / body sensations
• separating traumatic schemas from the present experience
• understanding the parallel life that trauma survivors live
• basics of working with parts of self / ego states
• harnessing habituated, familiar physiological responses and exploring new choices
• explore new ways of perceiving current life circumstances

The Becoming Safely Embodied Manual is being updated. Until then it's no longer available for purchase. Sign up for my free ezine to keep in touch and find out when the next version will be available.

© 2010 Deirdre Fay, MSW, LICSW, Psychotherapist