Why look at trauma?
Sandra Wieland, Ph.D.
Registered Psychologist

It is so tempting just to say forget it, get on with your life; forget it, go out to play. But trauma isn't forgotten. Trauma is encoded through both the hippocampus (verbal memory) and the amygdala (sensory and emotion memory).

If a child is very young when traumatized, or if the child or adult is highly stressed, the hippocampus may not register memory. The individual will not recall in words what happened. But the individual does remember (re-experiences) the sensory and emotional responses from the trauma (e.g., a freezing of the body, a feeling of terror, rage, helplessness). When something happens in the present environment similar to the original trauma, these sensations and emotions come back at trauma intensity to a level way beyond what is appropriate for the present situation. In addition, the feelings of being at fault or responsible for others, of being damaged in some way, of not being able to trust, do remain. The individual's present life is distorted.

When working with someone who has experienced trauma, it is important to start with the individual's present concerns. It is important to review their view of what happened and the internal thoughts they had while the event was happening. Giving voice to these internalizations and checking them with reality is essential. When working through childhood trauma, a therapist should not go looking for memories but work through the individual's emotional and cognitive recall of the past, remembering always that the recall is of a child's perspective. Therapy provides a safe place to be and a safe relationship in which to explore the past and grow into the future.

Panic Disorder
John R. Cook, Ph.D.
Registered Psychologist

Panic attacks are short periods of intense fear or discomfort that happen when our bodies go into a state of alarm. Unlike normal alarms, these attacks sometimes happen for no apparent reason or "out of the blue." They are accompanied by intense physical symptoms such as pounding heart, dizziness and shakiness that may cause us to wonder if we are having a heart attack or going insane.

Panic Disorder often co-exists with depression, substance abuse, agoraphobia, and other anxiety disorders. In any given year, Panic Disorder can affect over two percent of the population, resulting in tragic loss of ability to function at home and in the workplace.

Fortunately, an effective treatment does exist. Research has shown cognitive behavioural group therapy (CBGT) has been beneficial for more than 80 percent of panic sufferers. The approach consists of breaking panic attacks into three parts, and dealing with each part separately. The physical component relates to our bodily sensations, the behavioural component to our actions and the cognitive component to what we think.

CBGT involves a two-hour pre-group interview and 12 weekly two-hour sessions. The fee is $320 for the interview and $960 for the series of 12 therapy sessions. Extended benefits are accepted. The sessions are run in the Fall, New Year and Spring, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., at Aegis. If you are interested, please call my assistant at 881-1206 to register and book your pre-group interview.