Preverbal Trauma

[Chart]

I found this video this morning hosting Sandra Paulson discussing preverbal trauma and EMDR. I'm curious what others think and hope that this could be helpful.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKSu3sTYx3E

[dollyvee]

For me, I think she illustrates it well when she's talking about how you get people from the one side to the other (intellectualization to feeling etc) side of the cartoon. For me, that has been IFS, which was like a mainline to those feelings/emotions that hadn't been felt before. I think the issue then became that this experience didn't reintegrate back into the EMDR model/framework, or in how we were working. It was like I have this stuff that feels real to me, but they didn't understand it because it wasn't in the same language. So, it's great it if it's black and white, but in my experience wasn't so easily adaptable when things went outside the lines.

I also think it's very interesting what she was saying about the baby story, and how quickly and easily things in the present moment can begin to be interpreted as that because there is no picture memory, and only bodily sensations. As well, it was a light bulb when she talked about how all babies are passive. I wonder if this "flick of a switch" I have felt before when there is conflict, and how I seem to disengage or feel powerless, is actually reverting to that passive baby state because that's the age when I had to start dealing with conflict, and that's what I learned how to do to survive?

[Chart]

Yeah DV, that passive state stuff really hit me hard too. For me though it's rather continued apathy and an inability to get inspired or just simply moving for things related to my 'self'.

She does talk about how she's changed the emdr standard protocol, specifically for preverbal work. Any chance you can get your (next?) T to read up on that bit? I'm gonna bring this up with my T, see what she thinks...

[Armee]

I haven't watched the video yet but will.

And I don't know if this is part of the video...the question about how to combine preverbal and ifs and emdr in therapy.

In case it's helpful I'll share that my therapist does combine these things fluidly in one session. I don't know everything that he is doing technique wise but what I've caught on to is that he'll start with an update from me. After that he'll give me a choice...emdr or ifs to start or sometimes it just flows ..usually to ifs first.

But the moment there's something important being said in the realm of ifs he'll ask if I can feel that in my body. If the answer is yes or if it's obvious I am feeling something in my body because I'm wincing in pain or looking really sad or something, he'll suggest switching to emdr. 

And then when doing emdr if I come to some realization during emdr he'll switch to ifs to make sure I am communicating with parts. If there's some new understanding between parts he seems to jump back to emdr to lock that in. Everything is done with permission and communication first though, and my choice.

He'll also suggest if parts are present that they sit next to me and watch us do emdr or look out through my eyes and do emdr. That doesn't really work for me yet but it must work for his other clients.

I don't know if any of that is useful, I'll be quiet now until I've watched the video.

[Chart]

It's definitely interesting, Armee. Thanks for that little peep into one of your therapy sessions. Sounds like your therapist is really dynamic and engaged. (And you made me laugh at the end. Thanks for that most of all:)

[Blueberry]

I don't have time to watch it yet, but 'following' and hope to get back to it in next couple of days. Thanks in advance, Chart

[dollyvee]

Yeah DV, that passive state stuff really hit me hard too. For me though it's rather continued apathy and an inability to get inspired or just simply moving for things related to my 'self'.

I get that too I think Chart, but it shows up for me as doing things for myself are "difficult," or not going to work out, or it's always going to be "hard." I felt this yesterday as an "admin" day, and all the things I had a dreaded sense of doing were done quite easily with a couple hiccups, but it's almost as if standing up for the Self is the difficult part in it when (I take it as) people don't want to listen, or I have to prove what I say. I guess if I were to take it to a very young part, then there's a fear/sense of dread that comes out, but it's just a lack of motivation to do these things.

I also came across this video in the queue and it sort of goes into what I was describing with EMDR, that IFS informed EMDR gives the client and therapist a connection to their inner world (parts) and helps better navigate the experience. I think the issue with me, and going forward with DBR, was that it was going to skip this internal world (MY internal world and what makes sense to me), which is where my agency and sense of Self comes from IMO. To me, the preverbal parts make it more ephemeral and emotive, but perhaps it's much better to reassure those parts that they indeed have agency instead of skipping over them,, which is perhaps the bridge between complete intellectualization and complete feeling.

IFS-Informed EMDR Therapy with Annabel McGoldrick
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6l0lXIKhAmw