Healing Trauma with Imagery

Amsterdam School for Imagery

Learn practical, imagery-based techniques to heal trauma and enhance resilience. Join us and gain tools to use in your practice.

Trauma is a psychological wound that remains unhealed, continuing to negatively influence a person’s life. It affects a vulnerable, valuable part of the individual. Healing trauma is not just about alleviating pain or overcoming obstacles—it also releases essential life energy, which can bring forth positive qualities and skills that enrich the person’s life.Trauma can manifest at various levels, from hypersensitivities and phobias to severe psychological injuries that block personal growth. Imagery provides an effective method for healing trauma. Throughout history, imagery has been used as a healing therapy, with evidence of its use in all known cultures and continents, dating back to prehistoric times (Sheikh et al., 2003).In modern psychotherapy, imagery is applied in many forms, including flooding, systematic desensitization, various exposure techniques, rescripting, and in therapeutic approaches like hypnosis, gestalt, psychosynthesis, Jungian therapy, daydream therapy, psychodrama, art therapy, and schema therapy.One of the more recent methods gaining popularity is EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), which combines exposure with distractions, such as eye movements or sounds. This approach helps individuals to desensitize traumatic images, allowing them to take on a different, less distressing emotional charge. However, like all exposure techniques, EMDR can be ineffective—or even harmful—if a person’s "I-strength" is not adequately considered.**I-strength refers to the psychological and emotional ability to cope with internal states and external challenges. It reflects a person’s capacity to maintain emotional and psychological balance when facing difficulties. Tailored to the Individual and Their Context In trauma healing, the individual’s I-strength should always be the central focus. What the person needs to heal the psychological wound is a delicate, personalized process. The emphasis should be on the development of what is necessary for the person’s healing, rather than on mere exposure. In imagery therapy, the image leads the process, guiding us to the core of our deepest identity (Taal, 2022; Taal &amp; Krop, 2003). Effectiveness Several factors contribute to the effectiveness of imagery in healing trauma:<ol><li>Spontaneous images linked to the trauma are a crucial part of the person’s symptoms and represent a vital psychological field of work for healing. Words are often insufficient to fully convey the inner experience; images provide a richer medium.</li><li>Stressful or fearful situations can be treated with imagery in a symbolic, transformative way without the need to recount all the details.</li><li>Reliving the trauma may offer insights into what is needed for healing, but it is not always necessary. In fact, it can sometimes be harmful by unnecessarily resurfacing the pain, leading to imbalance (I-weakness). Imagery offers means to heal ‘the psychic wound’ in a symbolic way.</li><li>Archetypal images can have a beneficial effect on the individual, strengthening their I-strength in relation to the trauma. Imagery can also tap into spiritual sources within the person, making these resources more accessible.</li><li>A key factor in the healing process is the person’s own involvement and active participation, which can often be fostered through simple imaginative and creative exercises.</li><li>By healing the psychological wound, the person gains new qualities and strengths that can benefit multiple areas of life. Step-by-Step Plan Healing deep trauma requires a personalized, step-by-step approach tailored to the individual’s specific situation and needs. The enhancement and anchoring of I-strength must guide the entire process. This step-by-step plan will be demonstrated during the workshop and practiced by participants.</li></ol>In this personalized plan, the focus is on what facilitates healing for the individual. Each trauma and person is unique, so the process emphasizes the development or rescripting of what was missing or insufficient when the trauma originated. Confronting the traumatic images (exposure) may be part of the steps, but it is not always necessary. When a person’s I-strength is too weak, exposure can be counterproductive.After the workshop, participants are encouraged to apply the presented tools with clients or volunteers. A follow-up session on June 21 will provide an opportunity for participants to share their experiences, which will be discussed and supervised.This workshop is intended for psychotherapists, psychiatrists, counsellors, art therapists, social workers, and healthcare providers in general. Register If you have any difficulty registering, please email us so we can resolve it for you: office@imaginatie.nl* Prior to the follow-up on July 3 2025, 19:00 - 21:00 AM CEST, you will receive a new Zoom link via email. Please ensure you provide your correct email address.

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Healing Trauma with Imagery

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Healing Trauma with Imagery

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