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The fast cure for phobia and trauma: evidence that it works

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had been affected since the trauma, and to scale the level of distress they were experiencing. We asked them to scale their willingness to try rewind; the physical, emotional, social, personal and behavioural effects on them of rewind; and their rating of the technique. We hoped to establish:

• overall success rate of rewind, as measured by clients in terms of their physical, behavioural, emotional, social and personal lives

• success rate correlated to how long ago the trauma had been experienced

• success rate correlated to type of trauma

• success rate correlated to number of traumas experienced

• success rate correlated to the having or not of previous treatment relating to the trauma

• success rate correlated to unrelated problems in client's life

• success rate correlated to client's openness to treatment.

The completed questionnaires were analysed by an independent research company.

The findings are exciting

Forty per cent of clients rated rewind as extremely successful; 53 per cent rated it as successful and seven per cent rated it as acceptable. No one rated the method poor or as a failure.

Prior to rewind, clients on average rated their well being as 12 out of 50. Seven to 10 days after treatment, the average score was 30.3 out of 50. Three to six months later, the average score was 32.2. This represents an improvement of 167.4 per cent on their original ratings.

On a scale of 1—10 (1 is unwilling, 10 is very willing), clients on average scored 9 on willingness to try this type of treatment. The average level of distress immediately prior to treatment on a 1—10 scale (10 highly distressed) was 6.2.

On a scale of 1—10 (where 10 is excellent), the degree of relaxation induced by the counsellor (Keith) just prior to treatment was 7.8.

Age, sex, occupation, type of trauma and length of time since trauma was experienced did not affect the efficacy of rewind.

Seventeen clients needed one session of rewind, 11 clients needed two, and two clients needed three sessions. However, in no case did the same trauma need to be treated twice. All clients with a single trauma needed only one session.

On average, clients needed four rewinds in each session.

In general, the presence of other areas of difficulty in clients' lives did notaffect the efficacy of rewind. There were two exceptions: in one case there was an outstanding claim for compensation and in another an outstanding inquest. Outcome from using the technique was probably least satisfactory for these two people.

The client treated for fears of heights, flying and enclosed spaces has fully overcome them. She had been transferred to the 13th floor at work and had previously been planning to resign. She is now not only able to work high up in the building but also to use a lift. She recently flew to India with no difficulty.

Quite evidently, rewind is a consistently successful trauma treatment, with dramatic improvements in clients' wellbeing, self esteem and capacity for
a more fulfilling life, sustained over time. It consistently works in one session, although multiple traumas may need additional separate sessions.
Clients were able to clearly understand and measure their own increase in wellbeing and decrease in unwelcome symptoms. The most commonly mentioned effects that rewind had on the client' lives were:

• increased confidence

• no more flashbacks

• more positive mood

• ability to speak about the trauma
without triggering alarm or difficulty

• no more fear.

The fact that the treatment was quick, easy and painless was commented on by very many and most said they would recommend the method to others. No other treatment was deemed to equal its success. One client's comment, we think, sums up exactly what rewind aims so successfully to achieve in the treatment of trauma: "I can still recall the picture but it doesn't have the emotional punch. It doesn't hold emotional power any more."

We must profess ourselves unable to understand why rewind is not a routinely available trauma treatment, or indeed cure. The only caveats seem to be that, if there is "unfinished business" which makes the trauma ongoing (such as compensation claims or, of course, continued abuse), this can over-lie a client's ability to move on from trauma.

Back in perspective

It is our sense that trauma is often seen within the mental health profession as a long-term problem, and is perhaps more often misdiagnosed than diagnosed. Some of the symptoms, such as dissociation, hallucinations and intrusive memories, can be mistaken for symptoms of psychosis, and treated accordingly. Also, certain treatments — those which encourage the reliving of the trauma — can deepen it and further embed it. Rewind, however, puts a trauma into perspective very neatly. The treatment takes only a short time, perhaps close to the length of time the incident took to occur — a terrible experience but a tiny part of an entire life. By relocating the traumatic memory from one part of the brain to another — the place where it was meant to end up in the first place, it re-balances the experience within a person's life.

Most of the people we work with just want to put their experience into proper perspective, not suffer symptoms any more, and get on with
their lives. Rewind is not only powerfully effective in that respect but side effect free. It is also suitable for use with children. We are determined to press for rewind to be recognised and adopted as a first line treatment for trauma symptoms, accessible to all who need it.

References

1] Tehrani, N (1998). Debriefing: a safe way to defuse emotion? The Therapist, 5, 3, 24—29.

2] Griffin, J and Tyrrell, I (2001). The shackled brain: how to release locked-in patterns of trauma. HG Publishing, East Sussex.

3] Muss, D (1991). British Journal of Psychology, 30, 90—91.

4] Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,
4th edition (1994). American Psychiatric Association.

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© Human Givens Publishing Limited, Keith Guy and Nicola Guy (2003)

This article first appeared in Volume 9, No, 4 (2003) of the Human Givens journal.

KEITH GUY is a qualified social worker and counsellor with many years experience in workplace counselling, both in the public and private sector. He has developed a special interest and expertise in trauma work and, until recently, worked for Coventry City Council Occupational Health as an in-house staff counsellor/trainer and trauma specialist.

NICOLA GUY is an experienced social worker and counsellor, also with many years' experience in work place counselling, in the public and private sector.

Together, they run the Red Poppy Company, which is dedicated to increasing the awareness of the rewind technique and its use in the treatment of trauma.

> More information, including all references, can be found in the following book, by Joe Griffin and Ivan Tyrrell

Human Givens: A new approach to emotional health and clear thinking

> You can find out more about the rewind technique MindFields College workshop:

The fast trauma and phobia cure

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> Click here to read more about trauma and phobias

> More information can be found in the following book, by Joe Griffin and Ivan Tyrrell

Human Givens: A new approach to emotional health and clear thinking

> You can find out more about the rewind technique MindFields College workshop:

The fast trauma and phobia cure

Return to top