The
Client Who Canceled
Piecing Together the Puzzle of Shock and Trauma
by Stephanie Mines Ph.D.
"Massage therapists and bodyworkers
have the unique privilege of working closely with many people-and
so we have the opportunity to educate them about the preciousness
of their bodies and their experiences, and their right to honor
the beauty within themselves. Past violations are tremendously healed
through this awakening to self-respect and empowerment."
Stephanie Mines Ph.D. examines the massage
therapist's role in treating clients who suffer from shock and trauma
through the eyes of Brett Anderson, a therapist determined to discover
the reason for a client's withdrawal, in "The Client Who Canceled:
Piecing Together the Puzzle of Shock and Trauma." Anderson's
discovery that his wife has been traumatized by incest and rape
forces him to face his own issues and the way in which he interacts
with his clients. This causes him to reflect on his experience with
Marcia, a client, to search for clues as to why she suddenly and
inexplicably canceled her appointments. What emerges from his reflection
is a detailed discussion of how shock and trauma presents in adult
clients. Mines uses Anderson's journey of self-discovery to explain
eight ways in which a therapist can develop a protocol for building
a practice that is sensitive to those clients that have experienced
shock and trauma in their lives.
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