Managing the Internal Chaos

Initially there is internal chaos as we separate ourselves as a person in an environment.   The internal chaos gets projected out as external chaos  – drama, life struggle, any attempt to stay separate.

Story of lifeThe interaction between the two,  the ‘person’ and the environment comes to life through resistance to “what is”, which, in turn, creates memories and habits.  This turns into ‘conditioning’ – which is a pattern of prediction  and perception projected onto the present moment.

The life that is lived then becomes a play, the “Story of Me”, played out in time through thought.   This creates tension and anxiety, which increases over time.  Effectively living life then  becomes learning how to manage and/or relax the tension and anxiety that is created through the “Story of Me.”

Tension Management

There are both destructive and constructive strategies for tension management.

Destructive strategies are addictions and behavior that is “tissue destructive” (picking, high-risk behavior, being accident prone, autoimmune diseases, overweight, etc) or in some other way, self-defeating.

Constructive strategies include resolving trauma and releasing the conditioned neural patterns that are based in memories and habits, while incorporating tension management strategies to ease the internal chaos.  These strategies include changing ones’ involvement in the “play” and developing a mature philosophy of life.   This includes doing activities that nourish the body/mind, such as yoga, meditation and eating nourishing foods.

 

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Dr. Amber Quaranta-Leech, LPC-S

Amber holds a PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision from Regent University. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor in both Texas and Oklahoma and holds Supervisor credential for Texas. Amber is an EMDRIA consultant and trainer. She has over a decade of experience in the trauma field in work with uniformed services, domestic violence, childhood trauma and abuse, and recent mass trauma events. Amber provides consultation for EMDRIA certification, for consultants-in-training, and supervision for LPC-Associates. Amber continues to research the benefits of EMDR therapy with a variety of populations. Her goal is to help build strong clinicians who are well versed in trauma interventions to better support their clients. Amber sees a limited number of clients with a focus on trauma work, she is also a Certified Career Counselor and Certified through EAGALA to provide equine-assisted therapy. 

Dr. Jose Carbajal, LCSW

Dr. Jose Carbajal, a U.S. Army veteran, earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work and a master’s in theological studies from Baylor University, and a Ph.D. in Social Work from the University of Texas at Arlington. With over 15 years of clinical experience and extensive teaching experience, Jose specializes in trauma, sexual abuse recovery, domestic violence, and substance abuse. His research focuses on trauma interventions, neuroscience, and faith. He is EMDR Certified, an Approved Consultant, and an EMDRIA Approved Trainer, with numerous publications and professional presentations to his name.

Dr. Amanda Martin, LMFT-S, LPC, BCN

Amanda Martin holds a PhD in Family Therapy and is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Supervisor, and EMDRIA Approved Consultant. With over 14 years of experience, she specializes in trauma therapy for individuals and families in residential and outpatient settings. Amanda also provides supervision for EMDR certification, EMDR consultants-in-training, and LMFT-Associates. Her mission is to help people find a healthy, joyful, and fulfilling path in life. Her warm, supportive, and interactive counseling style incorporates Symbolic Experiential Therapy, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, EMDR, HeartMath, Animal-Assisted Therapy, Neurofeedback, and Collaborative Problem Solving.

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