What Is an Effective Self-Soothing Technique That I Can Teach My Client to Use at Home When Stressed?

Abstract

Question: What is an effective self-soothing technique that I can teach my client to use at home when stressed? ANSWER BY FARNSWORTH E. LOBENSTINE:The Over-Energy Correction (OEC) is the single most calming technique I have ever learned and taught. It can also be very helpful for inducing restful sleep. In fact, I have done this so often for sleep that I cannot demonstrate it to my clients without yawning. So I just tell them why! The OEC is similar to Cook's Hook-Up, which was developed by Wayne Cook in the 1970s. The OEC is taught by many yoga practitioners and clinicians using energy therapies. It is based on Chinese medicine and was developed to correct an over-or under-energy state by using the meridians of energy, or chi, in the body. I often teach it to clients in the fi rst few sessions. Then I can encourage home use and we may use it before or after EMDR.You can easily teach this exercise to your clients after practicing it a few times yourself. As you sit, hold your arms straight out in front of you, back of the hands together, fi ngers extended and thumbs down. Put one hand over the other, so that palms are now touching, and interlace your fi ngers. With hands clasped, bring them to rest over your heart. (If your right wrist was on top with hands clasped in front of you, the left wrist will be on top when they are resting on your chest.) Cross your ankles so that the same side is on top. If it is more comfortable to have the left wrist on top next to your chest, then put the left ankle over the right ankle. This setup phase is thought to center and contain the energy in the body. Now the really powerful part clinic al q&a Editorial Note: The Clinical Q&A is a regular journal feature in which master clinicians answer a question posed by a reader who is requesting assistance with clinical challenges. In this issue's column, responses are written by two clinicians who are EMDR approved consultants: Farnsworth Lobenstine, a licensed independent clinical social worker from Amherst, Massachusetts, and Elan Shapiro, a psychologist in private practice from the Haifa area of Israel. Readers can send questions for future issues to journal@emdria.org.

Early intervention for residential out-of-home care staff using eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR).

“…The study was based on a stepped model of intervention, beginning by teaching all staff a stress management technique called 4 Elements (E. Shapiro, 2007); followed by G-TEP for individuals experiencing symptoms of traumatic stress or a recent traumatic event; and individual EMDR for those who continued to have high levels of stress following G-TEP. A three-step process was employed: (a) staff experiencing a critical incident or identified as needing support were offered a 30-min stabilization and assessment session with the EMDR consultant; (b) if they were able to regulate using the 4 Elements, were motivated to attend group treatment, and sufficiently stable, they were invited to participate in a G-TEP session; (c) where the staff member was deemed not suitable for group treatment or continued to have a high level of disturbance following G-TEP, they were offered individual EMDR.…”

“…The study was based on a stepped model of intervention, beginning by teaching all staff a stress management technique called 4 Elements (E. Shapiro, 2007); followed by G-TEP for individuals experiencing symptoms of traumatic stress or a recent traumatic event; and individual EMDR for those who continued to have high levels of stress following G-TEP.…”