Grounding Center For Counseling

I have been trained in TIR by a certified/accredited TIR trainer and technical director at a four-day workshop sponsored by TIRA (Traumatic Incident Reduction Association).

Key points about TIR are that it ...

... is a structured and person-centered means of resolving any degree of trauma, from the mildest (day to day hurts) to the most intense (resulting in PTSD).

... handles many mental and emotional difficulties (such as depression, anxiety, phobias, anger, guilt, and negative habits) whose cause a person may not be aware of.

... tends to facilitate progress and improvement sooner and more effectively than other therapeutic approaches.

... often results in a person feeling emotionally much better and lighter toward the end of a session than they did at the beginning.

Alex Chapunoff, LMHC

TIR is a process by which the emotional and/or bodily pain resulting from past traumatic incidents can be reduced or eliminated. This is accomplished through a structured person-centered process in which the viewer (client) is guided by the facilitator (therapist) to repeatedly and safely review the contents of his or her mind regarding the original incident, and to discover therein the unknown facet or facets that created and maintained the trauma (unhealed emotional or physical pain). It is different from most counseling or psychotherapy techniques in that it is not conversational; the facilitator does not offer the viewer any advice, suggestions, or interpretations. Rather, the viewer is provided with a special procedure and space in which it is easier to heal whatever needs to be healed in his or her mind.

In TIR, the painful energy which makes certain past incidents traumatic is called charge. This charge tends to adversely affect a person’s mental, emotional, and even bodily functioning. The purpose of TIR is to reduce or release this charge.

Traumatic incidents can range from the mild (such as a remark that confused you or hurt your feelings) to the severe (such as participating in combat, going through an accident, or being subjected to a threatening or violent act). However, it’s important to note that what is “traumatic” varies subjectively. Sometimes what is commonly considered “minor” can have long-term debilitating effects and what is “major” can leave little to no negative trace — these variations can sometimes also occur within the same person.

TIR tends to work much more rapidly and effectively than typical counseling because its elegantly simple design allows a person to view, contact, and resolve — in an uninterrupted and uncluttered format — whatever has been causing them lingering pain. After a TIR session, a viewer often feels a sense of relief, vitality, and understanding, as though a heavy and hurtful weight was removed, which, in fact, is the discharge of the negative traumatic energy (charge).

With less charge, a person can be him- or herself more ably. Traumatic pain tends to be limiting, and it is easier to think more clearly and feel more fully and securely without it.