Single-Session Manualized Ego State Therapy (EST) for Combat Stress Injury, PTSD, and ASD, Part 1:The Theory

Abstract

Ego state therapy (EST) evolved from a psychodynamic understanding of personality as a product of an individual's ego states to a conceptualization of how ego-energized and object-energized elements are bound together to cope with a traumatic event. Neurobiological studies now substantiate Watkins's war neuroses conceptualizations. Because of their severity, trauma memories are encoded in the subcortical-subconscious brain regions that are accessed by the single-session manualized EST procedure but not by the popular cognitive-behavioral management therapies. The imprint of the trauma is not accessible or resolvable by such top-down verbal understanding or reframing; EST is a bottom-up therapy. Abreactive hypnosis facilitates ego state expression at physiologically and psychologically intense levels sufficient to activate subcortical processes to release affect in the presence of the therapist, who adds ego strength to the patient. This is followed by interpretation and reintegration. The result is a reconstructed personality that is adaptive and resilient.

Efficacy of Single-Session Abreactive Ego State Therapy for Combat Stress Injury, PTSD, and ASD

“…The patient is returned to the Downloaded by [Cukurova Universitesi] at 10:40 04 November 2014 trauma and an abreaction is precipitated. This is essential to the activation of bottom-up brain functions (Barabasz et al, 2011). The abreaction, when skillfully encouraged and carried out to completion by the therapist(s), will release feelings that belong to the time of trauma but are no longer relevant to the present.…”

“…This can leave them dysfunctional. The theoretical basis supporting single-session EST for CSI, ASD, and PTSD, including the neurological underpinning, appears in an earlier International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis (IJCEH) article (Barabasz, Barabasz, & Watkins, 2011).…”

“…Watkins developed Ego State Therapy (J. G. Watkins & Barabasz, 2008;J. G. Watkins & Watkins, 1997) from his work with these patient groups, which guided the structure and development of the manualized singlesession theory and procedure (Barabasz et al, 2011).…”

Efficacy of Abreactive Ego State Therapy for PTSD:Trauma Resolution, Depression, and Anxiety

“…The principle involves the revivification of an emotionally disturbing experience that happened to an individual much earlier and the release of the affect that has presumably been bound up in that experience. When successful, the result is a great feeling of relief to Downloaded by [Dokuz Eylul University ] the individual and often the dramatic disappearance of the individual's psychopathology related to that experience (Barabasz, Barabasz, & Watkins, 2011.…”

“…The theoretical basis for a manualized single-session approach is elucidated elsewhere (Barabasz et al, 2011).…”