The authors critically review memory research, trauma treatment, and legal cases pertaining to the false memory controversy. They discuss current memory science and research with both children and adults, pointing out where findings are and are not generalizable to trauma memories recovered in psychotherapy. The main issues in the recovered memory debate are covered, as well as research on emotion and memory, autobiographical memory, flashbulb memory, memory for trauma, and types of suggestions, such as misinformation suggestions, social persuasion, interrogatory suggestions, and brainwashing. Research on the reliability of memories recovered in hypnosis is reviewed and guidelines for using hypnosis with patients reporting no, partial, or full memory of having been sexually abused are outlined. The authors review the development and current practice of phase-oriented trauma treatment and present a standard of care that is effective and ethical. Their exploration of memory in the legal context includes a review of malpractice liability and current malpractice cases for allegedly implanting false memories in therapy, as well as the evolving law around legal actions by people who have recovered memories and around hypnosis and memory recovery. This is an essential reference on memory for all clinicians, researchers, attorneys, and judges.

An accessible user's guide to overcoming trauma from the creator of a scientifically proven form of psychotherapy that has successfully treated millions of people worldwide. Whether we’ve experienced small setbacks or major traumas, we are all influenced by our memories and by experiences we may not remember or fully understand. Getting Past Your Past offers practical techniques that demystify the human condition and empower readers looking to take charge of their lives. Shapiro, the creator of EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), explains how our personalities develop and why we become trapped into feeling, believing and acting in ways that don't serve us. Through detailed examples and exercises readers will learn to understand themselves, and why the people in their lives act the way they do. Most importantly, readers will also learn techniques to improve their relationships, break through emotional barriers, overcome limitations, and excel in ways taught to Olympic athletes, successful executives, and performers. An easy conversational style, humor, and fascinating real life stories make it simple to understand the brain science, why we get stuck in various ways and how to achieve real change.

ATTENTION PSYCHIATRISTS, PSYCHOLOGISTS, SOCIAL WORKERS, LICENSED PROFESSIONAL COUNSELORS AND MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPISTS: Do you know that there is a powerful new therapeutic process that will heal your PTSD clients' traumatic memories quickly? And is far less stressful than Prolonged Exposure Therapy? It can also be used effectively with many other clinical issues. It works within the short-term cognitive behavioral therapy model and can be easily learned without requiring certification. With the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, there has been increased public awareness of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), present both in active duty military men and women as well as in veterans. Returning from combat or deployments in a war zone, many serving in our military have highly traumatic memories from witnessing the really horrible things that happen in war. Althouh psychiatrists and psychotherapists have been treating victims of PTSD for many years--from sexual assault, fires, robberies, car accidents, shootings, natural disasters and other traumas--the surge of people suffering from trauma related to our recent wars has given new impetus to finding innovative ways to treat the symptoms of PTSD. With BRAIN-SWITCH, a single traumatic episode or nightmare can usually be healed in one session. Someone with many different traumas may require many BRAIN-SWITCHES, but therapy is significantly shortened. BRAIN-SWITCH not only works with PTSD--but also with anxiety, depression, phobias, belief changes, self-esteem problems, rejection, abandonment and numerous other clinical issues that ciients present when seeking psychotherapy. This book describes the BRAIN-SWITCH process in detail and then describes numerous case examples (including both trauma and non-trauma applications). Written by two highly experienced clinical psychologists (and developed by one of them ), BRAIN-SWITCH tells you everything you need to know to begin using this dramatically effective process that is revolutionizing psychotherapy.

This engaging and compassionate book provides a hopeful and helpful perspective for trauma survivors. Cameron''s documentation of her extensive and innovative research with childhood abuse survivors is also a gift to the field of traumatic stress. She captures the experiences of her research participants-- including the challenging and significant domain of losing and regaining memory- in both quantitative and qualitative terms -- globalbooksinprint.com.

Designed for psychotherapists and their clients, Peter Levine's latest best-seller continues his groundbreaking exploration of the central role of the body in processing—and healing—trauma. With foreword by Bessel van der Kolk, author of The Body Keeps the Score In Trauma and Memory, bestselling author Dr. Peter Levine (creator of the Somatic Experiencing approach) tackles one of the most difficult and controversial questions of PTSD/trauma therapy: Can we trust our memories? While some argue that traumatic memories are unreliable and not useful, others insist that we absolutely must rely on memory to make sense of past experience. Building on his 45 years of successful treatment of trauma and utilizing case studies from his own practice, Dr. Levine suggests that there are elements of truth in both camps. While acknowledging that memory can be trusted, he argues that the only truly useful memories are those that might initially seem to be the least reliable: memories stored in the body and not necessarily accessible by our conscious mind. While much work has been done in the field of trauma studies to address "explicit" traumatic memories in the brain (such as intrusive thoughts or flashbacks), much less attention has been paid to how the body itself stores "implicit" memory, and how much of what we think of as "memory" actually comes to us through our (often unconsciously accessed) felt sense. By learning how to better understand this complex interplay of past and present, brain and body, we can adjust our relationship to past trauma and move into a more balanced, relaxed state of being. Written for trauma sufferers as well as mental health care practitioners, Trauma and Memory is a groundbreaking look at how memory is constructed and how influential memories are on our present state of being.

"[R]eading this book has given me a whole host of new ideas about working with complex and dissociative clients... Clear and engaging, peppered with relevant case histories, this book would make an important addition to anyone's EMDR-related book collection." -- Dr. Robin Logie, EMDR UK & Ireland This book is the first to bring together in one volume an overview of the principal issues in treatment of dissociative disorders in complex PTSD, and a description of the integration of specific EMDR-related interventions or "tools" with other psychotherapeutic treatments. These tools can significantly extend the therapeutic power of EMDR-related methods. Each intervention is examined in detail with accompanying transcripts illustrating the nuances and variations in how the intervention is applied. It is written by a highly esteemed EMDR scholar, trainer, international speaker, and author who is an EMDRIA-designated "Master Clinician." The book discusses how the concepts and vocabulary of other models of dissociation (particularly the Theory of Structural Dissociation of the Personality, and the Internal Family Systems model) translate directly into EMDRís Adaptive Information Processing language. It presents detailed descriptions of specific EMDR-related tools that are useful in facilitating and safely accelerating therapeutic progress with clients suffering from Complex PTSD. These include such standard EMDR procedures as Trauma Processing and Resource Installation, several conceptual/cognitive/phenomenological models of dissociative personality structures and symptoms, and specific EMDR interventions for resolving dysfunctionally stored post-traumatic elements. The book will be of great value to therapists who wish to extend their use of basic EMDR with "easier" clients to using it effectively with more complex clients. Key Features: Provides a theoretical framework to guide assessment and treatment of clients with Complex PTSD Serves as a "hands-on" resource for using specific EMDR procedures Describes each intervention in detail, illustrating the nuances and variations in different applications Includes specific "AIP" tools, actual therapy scripts, and client drawings Covers DSM-V PSTD criteria