Herman’s Intervention Model of Recovery Therapeutic healing according to Herman, 1997, is the most important thing a therapist brings into the relationship with a client like Kathy, who has experienced any form of psychological trauma, is the formation of a healing relationship. The client’s traumatic event has left him/her experiencing a disconnection from self, others, and feelings of disempowerment. Therefore, the primary principle for the therapist is to act as a guide or an ally in reestablishing empowerment in the client toward their recovery. Throughout the healing relationship the client develops autonomy/self-determination, a rebirth of power and control, and a new sense of self (Herman, 1997). Safe Herman’s continuum of recovery involves three stages which are not linear, but each stage continues to be revisited throughout the process of recovery from a traumatic experience. The concepts of recovery are …show more content…
During the reconstruction phase safety of the client and their experience of pain from the traumatic experience must be balanced. The process is similar to taking the pieces of a puzzle and start placing them within the frame until the picture forms into a verbal context of meaning and expression. The participation of all five senses is necessary to bring their memories into the conscious state. Two techniques that have proven to be effective in transforming traumatic memory are flooding and testimony. Flooding is used to manage anxiety, a script is used to provide context, fact, emotion, and meaning to the experience. Testimony helps the trauma client address the abnormal processing of the traumatic memory while telling their story in the safety of a protected relationship (Herman,