The Embodied Trauma Recovery (ETR) Model

About ETR

Embodied Trauma Recovery (ETR) is a unique healing model developed by Brent Peak, a Trauma Recovery Specialist with extensive experience and a deep understanding of the complexities of childhood trauma. ETR offers a transformative path to healing from trauma, integrating principles from Somatic Experiencing (SE), Post Induction Therapy (PIT), and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) with innovative somatic-emotional imagery and visualization methods. This holistic approach goes beyond traditional therapy, helping clients reconnect with their True Worthy Essence, the inherent source of value and worth untouched by trauma. Through ETR, clients can release shame, build a new, empowered self-image, and reclaim their lives. ETR is not just about recovery; it’s about transformation and reclaiming your life.

Benefits of ETR

  • Deep Healing: ETR goes beyond symptom management, addressing trauma as the root cause of shame and poor self-esteem to facilitate deep, lasting healing.
  • Empowerment: ETR helps clients build a new, empowered self-image, unburdened by childhood trauma, enabling them to reclaim their lives.
  • Reconnection: The program assists clients in reconnecting with their True Worthy Essence, the inherent source of value and worth untouched by trauma.
  • Emotional Mastery: ETR equips clients with tools to regulate their emotions, helping them to manage distress and cultivate positive emotional states.
  • Holistic Approach: ETR integrates mind and body in the healing process, recognizing the interconnectedness of physical sensations, emotions, and thoughts.
  • Personal Transformation: ETR is not just about recovery; it’s about personal transformation, helping clients to create a fulfilling life beyond trauma.
  • Improved Relationships: By resolving childhood trauma and developing a healthier self-image, clients can improve their relationships with others.
  • Increased Self-Esteem: ETR helps clients to release shame and reconnect with their inherent worth, leading to increased self-esteem and self-confidence.

Principles of ETR

  • Everyone Matters.
    Every individual inherently possesses worth and value.
  • Trauma Disconnects Us From Our Sense of Inherent Worth.
    Relational trauma disconnects us from our inherent worth and induces a state of shame and fear.
  • Shame and Fear Drive Dysfunction.
    The shame and fear induced by trauma drive the dysfunctional behaviors and emotional states that cause suffering.
  • We Are Not Our Thoughts, Feelings, or Beliefs.
    Our true identity is separate from our thoughts, feelings, and beliefs. By recognizing this, we can free ourselves from the limitations imposed by negative self-perceptions.
  • Healing Comes from Within.
    The healing of trauma is an inside-out process. It involves reconnecting with our inherent worth, the True Worthy Essence within us.
  • Visualization is Transformational.
    The mind’s ability to visualize is a powerful tool for healing. Through somatic-emotional imagery, we can create transformative change as we learn to regulate and change our emotional states and heal our trauma.
  • We Can Construct a New Self-Image.
    Once we have connected with our True Worthy Essence, we can construct a new self-image that is congruent with this essence and the values it represents.

True Worthy Essence

The True Worthy Essence is a foundational concept in the Embodied Trauma Recovery (ETR) model. It refers to the inherent worth and value that every individual possesses, regardless of their past experiences or current circumstances. This essence is not something that can be diminished or tarnished by trauma, shame, or negative self-perceptions. It is an unchanging and unchangeable core of self-worth and dignity.

In the context of ETR, the True Worthy Essence is seen as the source of healing and transformation. It is the part of us that remains untouched by trauma and is capable of fostering resilience, empowerment, and positive change. The journey of trauma recovery, in this model, is essentially a journey towards reconnecting with this True Worthy Essence, learning to recognize it, and allowing it to guide us towards a fulfilling and emotionally healthy life.

The True Worthy Essence is not just a theoretical concept but a felt experience. Through techniques such as Somatic-Emotional Imagery and guided visualization, individuals are guided to connect with this essence on a deep, visceral level, creating a powerful shift in their self-perception and emotional state.

Phases of ETR

Phase 1: Learning & Resourcing
In this initial phase, clients are introduced to the Embodied Trauma Recovery (ETR) model and its underlying principles. They learn about the role of childhood trauma in shaping their current emotional states and behaviors. The focus is on building a strong foundation of understanding and self-awareness. Clients are also introduced to Somatic-Emotional Imagery (SEI) techniques, specifically learning to create and manipulate positive somatic-emotional states. This phase is crucial for resourcing clients with the knowledge and skills they need to engage effectively in the subsequent phases of ETR.

Phase 2: Future Visioning
In this phase, clients engage in specific visualizations designed to connect them with their Future Empowered Self and their True Worthy Essence. This process helps clients to envision a future where they are not defined by their trauma, but instead, are empowered, resilient, and deeply connected to their inherent worth. This visioning process serves as a motivational tool and provides a positive framework for the healing journey ahead.

Phase 3: Processing & Empowerment
This phase is where the deep healing work begins. Clients process distressing childhood memories using the Empowered Solution Protocol (ESP), a unique protocol that combines elements of visualization, somatic techniques, and cognitive restructuring. The goal is to reduce the emotional charge associated with traumatic memories and to replace negative emotional states with positive ones. This is also where the Emotional Regulation and Replacement (ERR) and Empowered Emotional Recall (EER) techniques come into play, helping clients to improve their ability to regulate their emotions and to recall positive emotional states on demand.

Phase 4: Healing & Accountability
In this phase, clients engage in healing visualizations that focus on re-parenting themselves and holding childhood figures accountable. These visualizations are designed to help clients address unresolved issues from their past, to redefine their relationships, and to reclaim their personal power. This phase is crucial for breaking free from old patterns of behavior and for fostering a sense of personal responsibility and empowerment.

Phase 5: Integration & Maintenance
In the final phase of ETR, clients work on integrating the skills and emotional states they have learned and practiced throughout the program. They develop strategies for maintaining their progress and for dealing with potential triggers or setbacks in the future. This phase is about reinforcing the changes made and ensuring that clients are equipped to continue their healing journey beyond the ETR program.

Innovative ETR Techniques

Somatic-Emotional Imagery
Somatic-Emotional Imagery (SEI) is an innovative process that emphasizes the profound connection between bodily sensations and emotional states. Rather than focusing solely on mental visualizations, SEI encourages clients to tune in to their bodies, creating somatic awareness and manipulating subtle but tangible physical sensations that are very real and serve to reinforce desired emotional states. This process of sensing and visualizing what is happening inside the body strengthens the mind-body connection and allows clients to tap into their inherent capacity for emotional regulation and healing. SEI is a key component of the Embodied Trauma Recovery (ETR) model and the Empowered Solution Protocol, helping clients to create and reinforce positive emotional states, manage their emotional responses, and ultimately gain control over their healing journey.

The Empowered Solution Protocol
The Empowered Solution Protocol (ESP) is a transformative protocol within the Embodied Trauma Recovery (ETR) model that focuses on addressing and resolving traumatic memories. ESP combines elements of visualization, somatic-emotional imagery, and cognitive restructuring to help individuals process traumatic experiences in a safe and controlled manner. Central to ESP is the Cinema Countdown, a visualization technique that uses imaginal exposure to allow a client to recall a distressing memory in safety and quickly reduce their emotional responses to these memories, usually leading to rapid desensitization in just one session. ESP reduces negative somatic-emotional states associated with traumatic memories through a process referred to as Emotional Regulation and Replacement. ESP empowers individuals to create and amplify positive somatic-emotional states, fostering emotional empowerment and well-being. As individuals gain proficiency in creating these positive states, they are encouraged to apply these skills in visualizing future scenarios, using Empowered Emotional Recall to transform their future into a landscape of potential and possibility, marked by emotional resilience and empowerment.

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Embodied Trauma Recovery, The Way Within, and any services provided by Brent Peak are intended as a personal growth experience, and not a substitute for professional psychological or medical treatment. This is not a therapy service, and Brent Peak does not provide medical or psychiatric advice or treatment. While the program is designed to provide tools and insights to support personal growth and healing, it's important to understand that individual results may vary greatly. The effectiveness of the program can depend on many factors, including your personal commitment, application of the strategies, and individual circumstances. Therefore, we cannot guarantee specific results or outcomes. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical or psychological condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website or learned in the program. By participating in Embodied Trauma Recovery, The Way Within, or any other programs offered by Brent Peak, you acknowledge and agree to these terms.