For decades, I thought I was broken. Unfixable. And since I didn't “feel” my problem in my body, I thought it must be in my mind. Last week, I helped teach TRE® to a group of veterans in Pennsylvania who felt exactly the same way. It was through TRE that I realized I was fixable, and it was gratifying to be present when these veterans made the same realization.
The lightbulb went on for them when Dr. David Berceli, who founded TRE, said, “PTSD isn’t a psychological problem. It’s a neurological problem.” Like these vets, I discovered that PTSD was in my body, and as it began to release old trauma, my mind began to heal as well.
I was one of eight TRE providers who volunteered to join Dr. Berceli in Manheim, Pennsylvania, for an event organized specifically for veterans. I enjoy being present any time Dr. Berceli teaches, even if it is just for two hours, like this event was. There’s always something to learn.
We were able to get these vets to tremor, helped some move the tremors to different parts of their bodies, and helped others experience deep release. They walked away with a tool that will help them heal and contact information for each of us.
In Manheim, it became clear to me why some people aren’t ready for TRE. Some identify themselves with their condition, and there are hidden benefits to it that get in the way of healing. For example, for some, healing would mean a loss of disability income, a loss of attention, or disconnection from a tribe of survivors. The fear of these losses can make people unwilling to heal.
That’s difficult for me as a provider to live with, but David has often said, I'm trying to “learn to be comfortable with the unknown.” We are allowed into someone’s life at a singular moment, and we don’t know all the before or after moments. We have a chance to introduce people to feeling safe with themselves, possibly for the first time. The fruit of that may come later. All we can do is make the moment we have with them count.