Method Offers Release from Painful Past

By Margaret Nelson and Katherine Ridolfo

Is there a painful incident in your past that you just cannot seem to ‘get over’? Is there some aspect of
your life that you wish was different? Or perhaps you know someone who is overwhelmed with the
difficulties of life.
Often the problems experienced in life come from painful incidents of the past. Some examples of
painful, or traumas, include a tragic fire, a car accident, the loss of a loved one, war or serious conflict, or
some form of abuse. Such traumas may eventually lead to other problems such as intense fear reaction to
animals, anxiety triggered by crowds, little satisfaction from one’s work or relationships, or the severe
condition called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). In any case, the impact of negative past
incidents can damage a person for a long time, even for the rest of their life.
Today, there is an exciting modality which is having exciting results. Traumatic Incident Reduction
(TIR), which, when applied correctly improves or eliminates the negative impact of post traumatic events
for most people. TIR is a short, one on one (non-hypnotic) person-centred method. It involves repeatedly
recalling a traumatic memory in a safe, secure situation with no distractions, under the guidance of a
trained practitioner.
The person who delivers the TIR is called a facilitator and the person receiving the TIR services is called
the viewer. The facilitator is highly trained to provide a safe environment and ask the guiding questions
of this modality. They help the viewer through the procedure by keeping the structure of the session in
tact and giving the viewer a clear task to do at all times. By finding a repeatedly viewing a painful
incident, the viewer comes to see it in different ways and in much more detail. Ultimatly the viewer
experiences a change in feelings and attitudes, and often has some new insight that relieves them of the
heavy burden they have been carrying. The result of well delivered TIR sessions is that the viewer feels
empowered and can face their live with renewed confidence.
One example of client satisfaction come from Viet Nam War vet, Lt. Col. Chris Christenson, who wrote
in January 1991: “ Needless to say, TIR has my personal recommendation. It worked on me, and I have
seen it relieve the suffering of many others as well. I greatly regret that such a procedure was not
available earlier. Much suffering…could have been avoided.” [V.R. Volkman (Ed.) (2005), Beyond
Trauma, p.49]

For more information about TIR visit the web-site at www.tir.org
To find out if TIR can help you or a loved one, call Katherine Ridolfo at (416) 451-1644. Katherine is a
trained facilitator who has an office in Port Credit, Mississauga, Ontario.