Recap: The Dharma of Adverse Life Events Retreat at the Vajra in Seattle

It took me a minute, but here are a few words about the wonderful half day retreat I led at The Vajra on Tenth in Seattle at the end of August after the EMDRIA Conference. I say wonderful not to give myself a pat on the back, but because 25 practitioners stayed indoors on what might have been one of the last sunny days of a Pacific Northwest summer to sit, walk, listen and look within.

We focused together on the Dharma of Adverse Life Events, borrowing from the language of trauma therapy to describe all of those below-the-threshold of trauma instances and beliefs in our lives that can drive us to unskillful intention and action. A different option proposed on our retreat was to deeply investigate the nature of these events and beliefs and see their emptiness, allowing us to utilize that wisdom to set new intentions for our thinking, our speech, our day to day lives. "Right now it's like this" becomes the mantra, and from that acknowledgement, new potential unfolds.

Rachel and the rest of the sangha are doing a superb job of building a dharma community for their area. Many of the ATS teachers are coming through town, and there is a great energy and excitement about practice. I look forward to getting back up there sooner than later to spend more time with my Seattle spiritual friends...

MET(T)A Method training for Orange County Therapists: The County Series on Topics in Spirituality and Therapy

I had the opportunity to present the MET(T)A Method to a group of over 80 therapists who work for Orange County. I was presenting at the invitation of the Therapy and Spirituality Committee that allows the County to invite a variety of speakers on subjects related to spiritual interventions. I was told that I was the first Buddhist, as well as the first mindfulness based presentation of the series.

My observation continues to be that there is quite the hunger, quite the thirst for this information. I mean this to include Buddhist based interventions like Refuge Recovery and the MET(T)A Method, and an integration with EMDR therapy with a focus on trauma resolution. My hope is that not only will people find their way to utilizing these modalities in their office, but also through MET(T)A will find ways to reimagine treatment centers and improve the delivery of services.

Some of the comments after the training reaffirmed my deep desire to find a way to bring MET(T)A Method to underserved communities. It may be that this type of structured approach could end up providing the best trauma treatment at a reduced cost and with an added benefit of having a long range plan for aftercare that is not just trauma informed, but trauma resolution focused. More and more theoreticians and practitioners are calling for this, and so why wait another minute?

I am looking forward to more opportunities to be of any assistance I can be to the therapists of Orange County, and my hope is to meet them again sooner than later. 

2016 EMDRIA Conference Presentation released as EMDRIA Online Course

Last year I had the opportunity to speak for the first time about the MET(T)A Method at the 2016 EMDRIA Conference, and now that presentation is available as an EMDRIA credit and NBCC CE bearing online course! Mindfulness and the 8 Phase Protocol as a Template for Addictions Treatment has now been presented online and live in Minneapolis and again live at EMDR Canada... and now can be downloaded for $45 (which includes the 1.5 EMDRIA credits and 1.5 NBCC CEs) as part of the EMDRIA On Demand program... as we head toward the publication of EMDR Therapy and Mindfulness for Trauma Focused Care, and head to the East Coast for EMDR and Mindfulness workshops, there is a lot of excitement around here as this important information becomes more available...

Click through to learn more about the EMDRIA on Demand offering of Mindfulness and the 8 Phase Protocol as a Template for Addictions Treatment

en route to present at EMDR Canada...

My goal was to write this post before my trip to Canada, so I am going to say that I made my deadline as I am still in US territory as I fly toward Calgary... there has been more progress in the use of the MET(T)A Method at Refuge Recovery Centers, and the list of those clinicians and treatment centers who are interested in the model continues to grow. The initial response to my new book (coauthored by Jamie Marich) has made it more clear that this is the right direction to take EMDR therapy on its own, but also emboldens our efforts at the Center to provide an improved addiction treatment experience to clients, as well as to staff.

When I present on Sunday, I will be highlighting some of the case examples from Refuge, and not just case examples of clients but also examples of the effect on therapists who are trained in this therapy and who work on a team using this method. So far I have not had any pushback or lost any clinicians due to our using this method of treatment. In fact, as we have accessed so far trainees from Antioch and USC, with other colleges to follow including Pepperdine and Pacific Oaks, potential trainees are seeking us out because they hear what we are doing. Some are aware only of the Buddhist mindfulness aspect, others only of the EMDR therapy aspect, and others of the whole of the method. New cover letters and resumes of those who want to train with us come in every week. Those trainees who have signed on and worked with us have either learned and implemented new skills or deepened already developed skill sets. For instance, one of our therapists was a very experienced yoga teacher who had some mindfulness background related to yoga practice, and now has a dedicated Buddhist mindfulness practice and an ability to share that with clients. She also has become a very effective EMDR therapist, drawing on trauma education in school, and then ongoing training, consultation and supervision at Refuge.

And then there is the team aspect. The clinical team works very closely together using the language of EMDR therapy and trauma treatment as it relates to addictions. We come from the premise that all clients are receiving Phases One and Two of EMDR for certain, and we talk about how to support the client's continued trauma recovery journey. So far what we have noticed as a team is that this common language and set of goals makes us much more effective. One signpost of possible effectiveness is that a vast majority of our clients ask to stay longer in treatment than they originally signed on for. Therefore, they might have increased time in a contained and supportive environment to get to and through some of their trauma work while still in treatment.

I am looking forward to sharing this all with the conference attendees. And yes, I am looking forward to driving through a national park to get to the conference center in Banff...

We are starting our descent... I will have more to say from the conference and after the conference... Until then...

The MET(T)A Method - Updates for EMDR Canada

It has been about a year now since Noah Levine and Refuge Recovery Centers gave me the go ahead to begin implementing my vision for a new approach to addictions treatment, now known as the MET(T)A Method. My thought was that with our having already established Buddhist Mindfulness as the base and foundation of the program, that integrating EMDR Therapy as the front line clinical intervention would be a natural fit. At that time I also started working on my upcoming co-authored book with Dr. Jamie Marich on EMDR and Mindfulness for Trauma Focused Care, within which are many of the principles, theoretical underpinnings and practical activities embedded in the MET(T)A Method. Finally, through both meditative consideration and practice in the field, I noticed that a significant aspect of the method should be that we look at the work of the agency as a whole using the 8 Phase Protocol and Adaptive Information Processing Model (AIP) of EMDR therapy as the way to vision, frame, evaluate, plan and deliver treatment. I had the opportunity to present these ideas and some of what has been gleaned from our experience at the 2016 EMDRIA Conference in Minneapolis. Having had the opportunity to present again at the 2017 Evolution of Addiction Conference, and having been asked to do the same at the 2017 EMDR Canada Conference in Banff this April, I now have the opportunity to provide some updates as the model and method have progressed.

At Refuge Recovery Centers, we have since doubled the number of trained EMDR therapists on staff to 10 (11 if you include myself), and that includes our founder Noah Levine. Our staff psychiatrist had to postpone his Part 2 training for scheduling reasons, but the hope is that he will find his way into a Part 2 training and join the fully trained team. Our supervision meetings are now running fully through the prism of the 8 phase protocol and the AIP model, with cases being discussed from the point of view of where the client is in the 8 phases, what resourcing work is being done, whether they are ready for transition into reprocessing, and discharge planning that takes all of this information into account. Addiction specific protocols are discussed and utilized as necessary, as are interventions specific to the variety of comorbid Complex PTSD issues we see at the center, but our main focus is this focus on the possibility of trauma resolution as part of the treatment - regardless of whether it happens at the center, at a lower level of later care, or upon discharge. By acknowledging that not all clients can be prepared and stabilized to that level where reprocessing can begin, but that all clients can go through a profound building of resilience and become familiar with the language and practice of EMDR therapy, we become able to provide trauma focused care while being distinctly not cookie cutter.

The mindfulness that the clients are practicing is that described by the historical Buddha delivered through the Refuge Recovery program, where the 4 Noble Truths and the 8 fold path are distilled into an addictions treatment modality. These practices are helping clients to move into the painful experience of their addictive minds and habits and build distress tolerance while also finding ways to cultivate positive states such as loving kindness and self compassion.  Supported by Mindfulness Based Relapse Prevention, Trauma Informed Yoga, Attachment Theory Psychoeducation, and other trauma informed and trauma focused modalities, Buddhist psychology has proven to be a powerful central organizing methodology for addiction treatment.  When paired with EMDR therapy, it seems we have a new level of possibility of ending the cycle of addiction.  We do this by ending the cycle of untreated trauma while treating the addiction, at the speed that the client is able to tolerate. There is a great deal of hope being generated by this approach, and a lessening of suffering that is profound.

In my next blog post, I will share some of what our clinicians are saying about our work, as well as some of what our clients have to say. Until then...

EMDR Canada: Updating Mindfulness and EMDR Therapy for Addictions

I have had two wonderful opportunities thus far at the conference level (EMDRIA 2016 and The Evolution of Addiction Conference 2017) to present the MET(T)A Method, the integration of Buddhist Mindfulness and EMDR into an addiction treatment setting. My next conference appearance currently scheduled will be EMDR Canada, taking place this year in Banff. I will present on the final afternoon, Sunday, April 23 at 130pm. I am so excited for this opportunity to continue to share that which has become my passion, utilizing the 8 Phase Protocol and the Adaptive Information Processing Model of EMDR therapy as a design for addiction agency treatment. As I continue to train more therapists in the model, and as those therapists (and I) work on case studies and other qualitative research, my hope and excitement grows for the possibility of trauma resolution for those that suffer from addiction. In the same spirit of reflection and action that I applied in preparation for EMDRIA 2016 back in August, I will be blogging regarding my thinking about this work, the growing anecdotal reports and case study evidence, the progress on generating quantitative research, and any other thoughts and actions that grow from considering this upcoming presentation...

Evolution of Addiction Treatment Conference - Upcoming Presentation

"Mindfulness Informed EMDR Treatment: A Treatment Planning Template for
Recovery Services" will be the topic of my workshop at the Evolution of Addiction Treatment Conference in Los Angeles at the LAX Sheraton. The conference runs from Thursday February 2 through Sunday February 4.  My workshop is from 4-6pm on Saturday, and I hope to follow it up with a book signing for Clinical Dharma, and perhaps a dinner party with interested others hosted by Refuge Recovery Centers, but more will be revealed on this page and others... This workshop will bring to light the two most important projects of 2017 for me... the publishing on Springer Books of EMDR Therapy and Mindfulness for Trauma Focused Care, co-authored by myself and Dr. Jamie Marich. More specifically the workshop addresses the MET(T)A Method (Mindfulness and EMDR Treatment Template for Addictions), developed by me for Refuge Recovery Centers and now spreading beyond to other treatment centers. I am excited to have this platform at this particular conference to bring the message of trauma focused care a little further into the addictions world.

Serene Scene Magazine: The Mindfulness and EMDR Pathway

Dr. Jamie Marich and I are well on our way to completing our manuscript regarding Mindfulness and EMDR therapy as a new template for treating addictions.. In this article with Serene Scene Magazine, we outline some of what we are writing about and previewing what we will be presenting at the Evolution of Addiction Conference in February of 2017.

Click here to read the article!

Mindfulness and EMDR: From Addictions to Body Image Issues and Beyond

Heading out to Claremont tomorrow to give a talk on the use of Mindfulness and EMDR therapy in the treatment of Body Image issues and Eating Disorders. This is an exciting time for me, as the training of all the clinicians at Refuge Recovery in EMDR is almost complete, and my presentation at the EMDRIA Conference in August has been accepted and scheduled. My colleague Dr. Jamie Marich and I are forging ahead with our book on Mindfulness and EMDR. The theory and ongoing practice of using the 8 phase protocol as a way of seeing cases at an addictions rehab truly seems to be making a difference, and I am looking forward to initial research and ongoing research on the subject.

When I was invited to give this talk in Claremont, it struck me that body image difficulties make perfect targets for trauma reprocessing, and it also became clear that this 8 phase protocol template for running an agency could have even wider implications. I am going to continue to present on the topic, write about the topic, and see what we all can do to hopefully better the lives of those who struggle with trauma related disorders.

More to come!

Clinical Dharma - Half Day Retreat #2 w/ Dave Smith

Enjoy some of the audio recordings from the 2nd Clinical Dharma Half Day Retreat with guest teacher Dave Smith:

Dr. Steve leads a loving kindness (metta) meditation to start off the second Clinical Dharma retreat. Initially breath is focused upon and then metta is sent in all directions.

Dr. Steve's talk at the second Clinical Dharma retreat covers a few topics including gradual vs swift awakening, self-compassion, and the 8 Fold Path. Modern applications of dharma for helpers is the focus.

Dave Smith gives a Dharma Talk at the second Clinical Dharma retreat. Dave brings clarity to the human dilemma of suffering, and how the helper or healer can take care of self while also taking care of others. He speaks of training our attention and our intention.

Dave Smith leads a meditation combining elements of loving kindness, self compassion and insight. This meditation was given at the second Clinical Dharma Retreat at Against the Stream Santa Monica.

Dave Smith and Stephen Dansiger take questions and comments at the end of the second Clinical Dharma Half Day Retreat at Against the Stream Santa Monica. A number of topics are covered to help the healer to restore themselves and to work with their clients, with a focus on how the truth of impermanence can bring both challenge and balance.

Dharma Talk - The Brahmaviharas

A talk I did as part of DharmaSpring on the Bramaviharas, the Four Divine Abodes of Loving Kindness, Compassion, Appreciative Joy and Equanimity - also touching upon the 4 Noble Truths and the 8 Fold Path of the Buddha.

Recorded on Saturday, Jan 09, 2016 during a Day Long Retreat

Clinical Dharma Q&A w/ Dr. Dansiger & Noah Levine

Noah Levine and I provide answers to participants questions at the Inaugural Clinical Dharma Half Day Retreat. We address some of the issues to be dealt with in subsequent retreats and classes. These will be of interest to professional helpers and those who help people avocationally.

Recorded at the Inaugural Clinical Dharma Half Day Retreat on Saturday, Jan 30th, 2016 at Against The Stream, Santa Monica, CA.

Successful Launch of Clinical Dharma!

A successful launch of Clinical Dharma with our first Half Day Retreat. Thank you so much for your attendance, your practice and your work! Also thank you to Lynne Biehl for the photo. #clinicaldharma #againstthestream
- Dr. Steve

4-Class Series: Transforming The Poisons

TRANSFORMING THE POISONS

A four part class series w/ Dr. Stephen Dansiger

Against The Stream - Melrose
Class dates: February 5 / 12 / 19 / 26, 2016
7:30 - 9:00PM

The three poisons – Greed, Anger, and Delusion – can be extinguished according to Buddhist teaching.
Are they extinguished suddenly, or are they actually more often transformed through dedicated practice?

In this four class series we will look at each of the poisons individually to gain insight into their nature and to discover the practices that can help us in their metamorphosis. The fourth class will bring all of our sitting, talks and Q&A discussion into focus, with the goal of each of us leaving the last gathering with a personal practice blueprint for transformation.

Early Buddhist teachings will be referenced as well as Zen teachings and teachers from the modern Insight tradition.

Cost: $20 per evening or $70 if paid in advance. There will be an opportunity to offer dana to the teacher at each class (teachers receive a portion of the reg fee and are supported by dana). Please pay at the highest level you can afford to support the Against The Stream programs and those who have less.
Some scholarships and work-study are available. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.

$100 Plus Monthly Supporters of Against The Stream attend for no reg fee (but dana to the teacher is appreciated).

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

This class will be held at 4300 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, 90029

Inaugural Clinical Dharma Retreat

Join the inaugural Clinical Dharma Retreat for helping professionals with Dr. Stephen Dansiger and guest Noah Levine, followed by a 12 week class series in person or online.

Saturday, Jan 30th, 2016 (10AM - 1PM) @ Against The Stream - Santa Monica
1010 Colorado Blvd, Santa Monica CA
Free (Dana optional)

Clinical Dharma is a series of 12 classes designed by Dr. Stephen Dansiger to help helpers to infuse their self care, and their care of others, with the 4 Noble Truths and the 8 Fold Path of the Buddha.  Also featured as part of Clinical Dharma is the opportunity to go on short retreats with Dr. Steve and guest teachers, where the focus will be on how our work practice is fed by our practice of Buddhist mindfulness.  These workshops can be found both in person and online.

All attendees of this first retreat will be given a 10% discount for one year on any Clinical Dharma classes, retreats or products.

Please RSVP on the calendar event page: