To ask someone to face a traumatic memory head-on, we need to establish a number of things first. Is the person:
- In a good condition physically, well fed and well rested?
- Emotionally ready, willing and able to face the trauma?
- Mentally able to focus and to stay with the work long enough to get a good result?
- Feeling secure in a safe space to do this work, free from distractions*, free of judgment or interpretations from the practitioner?
Once we have someone who is well informed as to the nature of Traumatic Incident Reduction and willing or even eager to face a trauma that is holding them back, the amazing work of TIR can begin. It is often less scary or painful than we may have expected. Consider this: a traumatic memory is of an event that we did live through. It did not kill us at the time, no matter how bad it was, and it will not kill us now.
Client and practitioner have the same aim: the resolution of the traumatic memory or sequence of memories…
* Crisis TIR, done in field conditions with crisis responders, done by experienced, fully trained practitioners. may bend a few of these rules at times.