Cousin Jaqueline had died from a fast moving cancer that went from a lung to her bones. Almost a year later, Cousin Jeannie sent back-to-back emails that were verbose. She was in fight mode. Her words were less edifying and more domineering. Jeannie had activated all sorts of thoughts and emotions in me, mostly hurt and confusion.

Now here I am, a psychotherapist streaming over the internet. There’s always a possibilty of ruptured connectivity. Degraded or lost digital signals do not concern me, because we have Plan B for that. It’s physiology signaling feelings, emotions, thoughts that are grist for the miller, the therapist. Signals flow back’n’forth, they thin and thicken, coalesce or smatter or shatter. My client is viewing me, initially and recurringly, through a matrix of their own mirrors, their kalaidescope. My job: Engage fully - and stay clear in my own self-reflections.

The purpose of “Thanksgiving EMDR” is to show healing as it occurs, and the hard-to-see effects of past trauma on current experience. The injustices of our society reinforce past trauma and the hope is enhanced resiliency. “Surfing” refers to the release of molecules and bio-electricity whenever past trauma is re-entered at a time when the person knows they are absolutely safe and respected. The concept, “surfing”, is based upon EMDR theory, polyvagal theory (Stephan Porges), and my own clinical observations. The session shows teamwork.

What can we do to calm down when intense emotions spike and are overwhelming? Our thoughts are racing and words become combative. We become exhausted and wobbly. It’s hard to gain solid footing while nauseated and dizzy. Calming down to re-energize and stabilize becomes the priority. There are two how-to-methods: Self-Care and Relationship-Care.

I listen as others share their thoughts. Sometimes I'll say, "That's a Thought-Mistake" and other times, "You are very clear and powerful!" Every Thought-Mistake contains a clue about power and love; and this is a short how-to guide.

Anger expresses denial of wants/needs and resistance to domination/control [and it] subsides when [they] are satisfied and [there is] relief from domination… What happens if satisfaction of our humanity is hopelessly denied, domination and control is inescapable? One response is rage. Rage lacks empathy for anyone touched by destructiveness. There is a pandemic of defining people as Things and the domination/degradation that flows from that. [It] is ongoing and for that reason healing and empowerment must be perpetual. This is the outline …

Stricken by COVID right before Thanksgiving 2023, in the ER I felt helpless. Later during days in bed at home I had a recurring sensation during fits of coughing and fever and low blood-oxygen: Helpless is familiar to me, it's a ghost from the past and a shadow cast by realities of today. … A client of mine lives in a country alongside the Baltic Sea. Material conditions that support personal health, professional identity and the joy of living began to erode after the end of the Soviet Union, now life is almost unbearable from the effects of Russia's unrestrained war to destroy Ukraine. Last winter, visions of Armageddon, physical pain and social isolation led them to imagine lying in the snow to die by freezing. Sometimes there's power in giving up - we're still talking, we're not surrendering.

Posted by permission granted by Celeste, a dear friend of ours. Diane has known Celeste since she was Assistant to the Producer for Trevor - the movie, and I joined the special group of friends when I became “Mx. Diane”. I present to you the essay because the words of this playwright and human rights activist embodies my idea “Five Ways of Lifetime Healing: Self-Love, Helping Friendships, Villages, Social Justice Work, Tell The Story”. Celeste is Artistic Director and Co-Founder of the Future Perfect and a 2023 Guggenheim Fellow.

A client asked me, “What can I do to feel better?” Over the years I have wondered, is there a simple outline to help a person take care of themselves throughout the ups-and-downs, be they mild or intense?

The Fight-Flight-Freeze response to danger (real or imagined) released molecules to get ready for action. The therapist’s non-threatening way contrasted sharply with the painful sensations felt by the client. In the presence of a trusted therapist healing occurred: emotions were released along with chemicals that calmed. The client relaxed and thought freshly (freed from some toxicity of the past injury.) I call this Emotion Surfing because we ride a wave to a shoreline of rest.

We know from in-person experience that feelings, whether they be identified as bodily sensations and/or as emotions, are fundamental to each person’s evaluation of any social interaction. Talk-therapy is a social interaction, albeit a special kind... The psychosocial distance of Telehealth, I had thought prior to listening to clinicians, was something that would diminish therapeutic efficacy. Now, I think that “distance” might be a reason to (sometimes) recommend Telehealth.

The first set of articles is derived from my book, “Transformative Psychotherapy and Telehealth” and the posts often use words precisely and there is jargon that I avoid when I write for the general public. This glossary covers most of the special concepts. Please don’t hesitate to suggest updates. Thank you.

Posts often have citations. This reference page is all that you need to follow-up on a citation.

Transformative Psychotherapy and Telehealth: Original Dissertation

Copyright 2021 Victor D. Bloomberg

This is a reproduction of my dissertation, presented to the Graduate Review Board of the Western Institute for Social Research and approved for the doctoral degree in “Higher Education and Social Change” conferred on September 30, 2021. This eBook is free and it is provided for educational purposes only.