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 (PTSD link will open PDF file)
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.
Links - Register of Trauma Specialists: http://www.traumaregister.co.uk/
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