Jul 29, 2021
What does it mean to "Heal the Moral Wound"? Have you experienced life-changing events that you have not been able to get over? Our guest today is Dr. J. Eric Gentry, renowned psychologist, author and speaker. His recent book Forward-Facing Trauma Therapy provides steps for reclaiming a life "filled with dignity, meaning and purpose".
Eric is more than my guest today. He is a friend and co-author of our book The Trauma Practice: Tools for Stabilization & Recovery. I have known Eric since we worked together in 1997 with Dr. Charles Figley, one of the committee members who helped to set the foundational DSM criterion for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
We grappled in those early days with approaches that fit the trauma clients we were working with at the Stress Research Lab that Charles ran. This was the beginning of Trauma Practice. Eric has focused his career on working with trauma survivors and training 1000's of professionals on how to help trauma survivors.
The crucial part of his Forward Facing work is that it provides an approach that goes beyond identifying and managing triggers and integrating past trauma to "Aligning behavior with values". This creates an intentional anchor that allows action to follow values and meaning rather than simply reacting to life events. This means you can choose to follow your own life purpose and beliefs instead of the triggers from the past.
Dr. Rhoton describes the FFTT approach as "a compelling case that stress reduction and symptom alleviation are only the first steps in the healing process and that our ultimate goal must be to ... achieve a congruent life based on integrity and choice. "
We will learn about Dr. Gentry's approaches to helping you Identify Triggers, Establish a Healthy Lifestyle; Practice Self-Regulation; Develop a Mission and Code of Honor and hold true to your core of Intentional Living.
While Dr. Charles Figley states that FFTT has the potential to "substantially increase the effectiveness of psychotherapy for the traumatized with a one-two punch:
(1) Direct exposure to the root of the traumatic memories paired with
(2) resilience-building self-care practices that promote principle-based living ... while rapidly optimizing ... quality of life."
So let's spend some time with Dr. J. Eric Gentry to better understand how he integrates "Intentional Living" to create meaningful, principle-based lives into the core of his pivotal work.
If you read through Dr. Gentry's work and watch his videos, you will see an earnest dedication to the work of healing and recovery.
So let's enjoy our dialogue with Dr. Gentry and understand the Forward Facing Trauma Therapy approach.