Research on ecstasy as a treatment for PTSD is not new, but it has been sparse at best due to the government ban on schedule 1 drugs for research. But that has been changing in recent years, and that is good news for patients as well as researchers. Perhaps veterans, who are expected to constitute t...

Daniel Siegel: A System's View of Disintegration & Integration (He's still cute, he's still brilliant, he speaks in easy-to-remember aphorisms and he's still heartful. What's not to like?) "Integration is the linking of differentiated parts. The concept is useful for ass...

Day 1: Bessel van der Kolk is lovely. He's humble, he's funny, and he is the premiere researcher on the neurobiology and/or efficacy of trauma treatments in the world. And cute and brilliant, of course. Here are nearly random gems from 3 hours of notes: With trauma, there are no stories, onl...

Yesterday I held my new book in my hands. It's hard for me to make meaning of 14 months of work being encapsulated in a 1 1/2 pound book. As I paged through it, I recalled the process of writing; my appreciation of the content of other people's chapters; editing squabbles; waiting, waiting, ...

"Every status has its symbol" - Advertising SloganIn 1985 I was branded. I was branded a slut, a whore, an unwed mother, an unfit mother, a stupid girl, an unacceptable mother, a sinner, a fallen catholic girl, a girl whose mother had not taught her to keep her legs closed and a girl that was not ma...

I went for a haircut today. OK, so that's hardly starting a post with a bang, but bear with me, it's leading up to something. I'm not promising that something is going to be particularly good, but you're here now so you might as well give it a go. You can hum to yourself if it makes the time go any ...

Those of us who've spent more time than we care to admit it around religi-anity are familiar with the story of the Apostle Paul. Probably a Hellenic Jew, he had a strong background persecuting -- i.e., killing -- Christians --......

Interesting post from Reality Sandwich on trauma and memory - and how the two are related to ego development. Aside from a reference to L. Ron Hubbard, who was a nut-job on his best days, this is an intriguing article. Cellular Memory and the Essence of Healing Gary Lachman I believe that we would n...

[Abu Ghraib] There are a few brave and compassionate therapists who specialize in disaster situations - the actual front line of trauma work. Not only is the work itself challenging, but their clients can sometimes be difficult to feel compassion for - war criminals, for example. Extreme Psychology ...

I think I may have accidentally pissed off God this weekend. I'm not sure exactly what it is I did, but She's certainly doing a damn fine job of getting her own back. To start with, all the lights at the front of the house went, 'Fut!' Just like that. Fine one minute, 'FUT!' the next. And it's not e...