Working with our Brave Soilders

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Permalink Reply by Kevin Cole-NLPTrainingQuest.com on August 7, 2010 at 4:34pm

Wayne~ I've worked with a number of soldiers returning from war.

What kind of questions do you have?

Kevin

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Permalink Reply by Wayne Walker on August 7, 2010 at 4:40pm

Cool! What is your approach? How did they find you? Any apprehensions on any subject matter? Success rate? Anything you can offer would be appreciated.

Wayne

Kevin Cole-NLPTrainingQuest.com said:

Wayne~ I've worked with a number of soldiers returning from war.

What kind of questions do you have?

Kevin

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Kevin Cole-NLPTrainingQuest.com on August 7, 2010 at 5:10pm

First things first: If you've never worked with major trauma before, start with easier issues such generic phobias for example and build from there. Post War stress can be helped, often times in short periods of time, but you need to really feel highly confident in your competence level.

Second: Make sure to get a referral from their MD or therapist.

Now as far as my approach: My favorite (and what I believe to be the safest) approach is EFT and a modified version of EMI (Eye movement integration, originally created by Stephen Andreas http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnoqWqijYvQ ). I use other modalities as well, but those two are the safest for someone with less experience.

Also a good understanding of "sub-modalities" is helpful. If you're not familiar with the term, in this case I simply mean that you'll want your client to easily learn to turn images into black/white and push them back. Sometimes waaaaaaay back.

The way that I work with it is I tell my clients I'm going to assist them in moving past their issues with as little pain and as much pleasure as possible. Understanding simple sub-modalities will help you, help them with this tremendously.

That said, when working with soldiers returning from war, especially veterans that have carried the label of "PTSD" for many years, you really want to assist them with more than just overcoming the emotional pain associated to any specific traumas. You also want to teach them how to enjoy life more in all ways. The reason this is so important for those that have suffered for many years with emotional trauma, is that sometimes when you take away the pain, you also take away their identity. I've had a few clients that have had EMDR done and it worked great for taking away the emotional charge of specific traumas in their past, but it didn't fill them up emotionally.

Said differently, you want to be sure to help them take away their pain and make sure they learn how to fill themselves up with pleasure, otherwise there left with an empty feeling.

And again, be sure to build up your skill level with lighter issues before jumping into post war stress. Flashbacks can happen and you want to know how to remain confident in your competence if/when that happens. There's a lot of resources out there if you simply google EFT for PTSD.

As far as my success rate, although I'm not legally allowed to state percentages, every client I've ever worked with that came to me to overcome a specific trauma (as apposed to say weight loss or smoking cessation), has informed me that they felt profoundly better and I still receive cards, emails, and an occasional gift from many of them years later.

That said, if there are other issues involved such as alcohol and or drug abuse, that's a whole other issue and I can't say my success rate is nearly as high.

Oh, and as far as how they find me, these days mostly via referral and online.


Hope that helps!

Kevin

Wayne Walker said:

Cool! What is your approach? How did they find you? Any apprehensions on any subject matter? Success rate? Anything you can offer would be appreciated.
Wayne Kevin Cole-NLPTrainingQuest.com said:

Wayne~ I've worked with a number of soldiers returning from war.

What kind of questions do you have? Kevin

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Michael Ellner on August 7, 2010 at 5:42pm

Hi Wayne,

I also have lots of experience helping veterans with PTS and that's your 1st Lesson the D in PTSD is insulting and inappropriate - Our veterans are suffering from normal reactions to the extreme stress of combat - treating it like a disorder is demeaning and unhealthy

Okay --there are lots of powerful discussions on this subject on this website:

Two I recommend reading are:

I need information on P.T.S.D. - HypnoThoughts.com
http://www.hypnothoughts.com/forum/topics/i-need-information-on-pts...


http://www.hypnothoughts.com/forum/topics/ptsd-is-contagious-said-t...

Michael E.

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Permalink Reply by Wayne Walker on August 8, 2010 at 2:35am

I have worked with many people in many situations and on many issues. Just never a soldier. Thanks for you wonderful insight. It gives me a lot of insight and direction.

thanks,
Wayne

Kevin Cole-NLPTrainingQuest.com said:

First things first: If you've never worked with major trauma before, start with easier issues such generic phobias for example and build from there. Post War stress can be helped, often times in short periods of time, but you need to really feel highly confident in your competence level.

Second: Make sure to get a referral from their MD or therapist.

Now as far as my approach: My favorite (and what I believe to be the safest) approach is EFT and a modified version of EMI (Eye movement integration, originally created by Stephen Andreas http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnoqWqijYvQ ). I use other modalities as well, but those two are the safest for someone with less experience.

Also a good understanding of "sub-modalities" is helpful. If you're not familiar with the term, in this case I simply mean that you'll want your client to easily learn to turn images into black/white and push them back. Sometimes waaaaaaay back.

The way that I work with it is I tell my clients I'm going to assist them in moving past their issues with as little pain and as much pleasure as possible. Understanding simple sub-modalities will help you, help them with this tremendously.

That said, when working with soldiers returning from war, especially veterans that have carried the label of "PTSD" for many years, you really want to assist them with more than just overcoming the emotional pain associated to any specific traumas. You also want to teach them how to enjoy life more in all ways. The reason this is so important for those that have suffered for many years with emotional trauma, is that sometimes when you take away the pain, you also take away their identity. I've had a few clients that have had EMDR done and it worked great for taking away the emotional charge of specific traumas in their past, but it didn't fill them up emotionally.

Said differently, you want to be sure to help them take away their pain and make sure they learn how to fill themselves up with pleasure, otherwise there left with an empty feeling.

And again, be sure to build up your skill level with lighter issues before jumping into post war stress. Flashbacks can happen and you want to know how to remain confident in your competence if/when that happens. There's a lot of resources out there if you simply google EFT for PTSD.

As far as my success rate, although I'm not legally allowed to state percentages, every client I've ever worked with that came to me to overcome a specific trauma (as apposed to say weight loss or smoking cessation), has informed me that they felt profoundly better and I still receive cards, emails, and an occasional gift from many of them years later.

That said, if there are other issues involved such as alcohol and or drug abuse, that's a whole other issue and I can't say my success rate is nearly as high.

Oh, and as far as how they find me, these days mostly via referral and online.


Hope that helps!

Kevin

Wayne Walker said:

Cool! What is your approach? How did they find you? Any apprehensions on any subject matter? Success rate? Anything you can offer would be appreciated.
Wayne Kevin Cole-NLPTrainingQuest.com said:

Wayne~ I've worked with a number of soldiers returning from war.

What kind of questions do you have? Kevin

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Wayne Walker on August 8, 2010 at 2:52am

WOW pretty much all you need is there. thanks for the direction. Amazing insight here.

wayne

Michael Ellner said:

Hi Wayne,

I also have lots of experience helping veterans with PTS and that's your 1st Lesson the D in PTSD is insulting and inappropriate - Our veterans are suffering from normal reactions to the extreme stress of combat - treating it like a disorder is demeaning and unhealthy

Okay --there are lots of powerful discussions on this subject on this website:

Two I recommend reading are:

I need information on P.T.S.D. - HypnoThoughts.com
http://www.hypnothoughts.com/forum/topics/i-need-information-on-pts...


http://www.hypnothoughts.com/forum/topics/ptsd-is-contagious-said-t...

Michael E.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by tony cott on August 10, 2010 at 11:56am

Wayne:

Sir, as a vet and one who was there (nam) let me tell you this, there is something with dealing with vets that your not going to find anywhere else, and that is the taking of a life, we were trained to kill without thought, which is fine until you take your first kill, and that moment never leaves your mind. When your sitting there day after day with the threat of death in your mind at all times is what you’re dealing with! If you really want to go into this area and work with this type of situation, go to your local Veterans asst office and work with them for a bit. This is not an area like any other and can not just be “learned”.
Sorry if this sound in anyway harsh, but many who tried to help me had no idea what it was like and could in no way relate to the shear reality of war or death. To see someone next to you get blown away is not something you can just hypnotize away, what I found is you have to “inset” the thought that what was, was. What happened happened; that one did their job with honor, and today is a new day, today is a new world.
I know you mean well, but please do not take this area as just a way to broaden your base.
With respect
Tony

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Permalink Reply by David Parke on August 10, 2010 at 1:43pm

Hi Tony,

I'd like to respectfully disagree. Not with your own personal map but with your generalization of a person's experience. I know many soldiers who were not bothered a bit by taking the life of others. I also know people who suffer from PTSD simply because they were within earshot of a mortar strike or shot at one time. I do believe that those who tried to help you didn't and I also don't know if that had anything to do with their inability to relate or simply their inability to help create change. Perhaps for you, shared experience was a requirement to build the rapport necessary for you to open up to change...I don't know.

I know that most people can't relate to the "reality" of war or death but many of the people that have experienced those have different realities and are affected in different ways, if at all. For some it may cause a great deal of psychological turmoil and for others it may open up a well-spring of compassion.

I know you were being helpful and I also understand that although this is your map it is not necessarily the map of those that Wayne may be helping. It is incumbent on Wayne to understand his client's map of the world and while you may have added to his own understanding and possibly given him a new view of things it may not be the model most effective when it comes to his clients.

When working with clients we don't necessarily need to know what it feels like to be phobic, molested, abused or heart-broken in order to help them. In fact, I think that we can occasionally get to involved in the "story" and minimize our ability to help.

Actually, is this post even about PTSD. Wayne mentioned working with soldiers coming back but didn't mention anything about PTSD in the title. I know it's become a PTSD discussion but is it about that or about helping them reintegrate into society, get along with their families, rediscover intimacy with their spouses....

All of these things are as important and common problems for returning soldiers.

Just my thoughts,

Also with respect
David

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Permalink Reply by tony cott on August 10, 2010 at 4:03pm

My map? I have been going to Unit reunions for a long time now, worked with many recovery groups both in them and running them, even the Vets that didn’t first admit it they carry a sense of guilt about surviving when so many friends didn’t come home. If someone other than Special Forces is telling you that face to face elimination of the enemy did not affect them then they have a lot bigger problems than you or they think! Mortar shells mean one thing to someone sitting in a mud dug out, and that is your next, at any time your next, that shot , the next one you don’t hear and that’s the one that’s yours, and that’s the hidden thought in your head, you try to bury it but its there. PTS (please don’t use the D) is about rejoining the world as you state.
And everyone coming back has it in one way or another, they might not know it, and even the Army (which is my only first hand knowledge) has started to understand this and on the return to country interviews are done.
As far as having to know what it feels like to be ( ) , I would agree you may not have to have first hand experience but you sure should have the Understanding, I have worked on crisis hotlines, in rape crisis centers, worked in the intake of county mental lockup, I took the time to work with many different types of Rehab groups just to get a firsthand understanding of what people really go though, not what was written in books, but what real life people go though.
To conclude what I was advising is this, if anyone wants to work with Vets, go work at the VA or at least go to a recovery meeting and get the real understanding of what they are going to be dealing with.

But your opinion is well taken , hopefully the ones that are reading this will see the balance of what you and I are talking about.

Tony

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