The Rewind Technique
The Rewind Technique is also known as the Fast Phobia Cure or V/K
Dissociation technique (V = Visual, K = Kinesthetic)
It was initially developed by Dr David Muss who published what was probably the
first self-help book in the UK for PTSD sufferers: Book Title - The Trauma
Trap. It is now out of print in the UK but copies may occasionally still be
found on Amazon. The Rewind technique is deceptively simple to use, yet it is
highly effective. Dr Muss himself claims an 80% success rate using his
technique, however this figure is likely to differ from therapist to therapist
and to be influenced by client group. As well as PTSD the technique is also used
to help with panic attacks and phobias.
The aim of the technique is to help sufferers put the traumatic incident behind
them by stopping unwanted thoughts and images intruding during their day to day
lives. It is known as the Rewind Technique due to the use of the clients
memory of the event to ‘experience’ rewinding occurrences of the incident(s) in
their own mind’s eye. The technique can be practiced 'content free' which
means that the therapist can use the technique without having to know details of
the incident. This is often a relief to clients who may otherwise have
difficulties discussing their experiences.
It is also an advantage as the client does not experience unnecessary
re-telling of their story, and the upset that this can cause.
It is believed that the process works as the traumatic memory is 're-processed'
and re-encoded in the brain. This re-encoding stops the automatic triggering of
the fight or flight response whenever the memory is accessed and it is this
process which stops the unwanted symptoms of PTSD from occurring.
The process used may be slightly different from therapists to therapist, however
the following basics should be employed:
The therapists should first of all relax you and make sure that you are
comfortable and at ease. Relaxation can be achieved in many ways, the use of a
hypnotic induction is ideal here. There should be no need to discuss the
incident in any great detail and as suggested earlier, the entire session may be
conducted content free, without having to discuss the incident at all. The
therapist should be trained and/or experienced in using the technique - if
someone tells you that they have read a book about it this does not constitute
training! They should be able to provide you with clear and concise
instructions on what they want you to do during the session. The Rewind
Technique is carried out in a very structured way, don't be concerned about
this, it is the therapists job to ensure that they explain exactly what will
happen and to ensure that you are comfortable with the process.
It may be useful to practice the Rewind Technique several times during the
same session, however you should not attempt to deal with more than one incident
per session using the technique if that is your situation.
Points to consider:
The rewind technique is not widely known to the general therapy field,
although it is well known to trauma specialists. Because of this it has
many critics among therapists because the technique is completely different to
anything that they use, and they do not understand it. Most of the
criticisms of the rewind technique are voiced by people who have had no
experience of using it.
Staff writer |
