A Note From The President

Trauma and addictions are similar in that they both induce emotionally dysregulated trance states of altered consciousness (Miller, 2012; Shapiro & Forrest, 1997). Trauma invokes this trance state with negative, painful affect, and addiction invokes it with positive, pleasurable affects. Iraq war veterans and rape victims know this all too well when they are presented with reminders of their traumas. Addicts can often recall with vivid detail the “rush” of their first experience getting high with such clarity that it almost feels like it is happening in the present. This is not just true for drug abuse. This phenomenon can be observed with behavioral addictions like gambling addiction and sexual addictions. The resolution of these trance states can often be achieved by reintegrating the client’s core affects and unmet relational needs. The Reintegrative ProtocolTM aims to achieve this.The focus of this paper will specifically examine the protocol’s application within the context of treating males presenting with same-sex attractions and will provide instructions for using self-compassion as a method of trauma resolution, as well as instructions for EMDR-trained psychotherapists who wish to use EMDR as a method of trauma resolution.