Narcissistic Abuse Intensive Stabilization Program©
Information
Purpose:
This program was created for survivors who have struggled to gain traction in their recovery. It is a ‘mini’ intensive outpatient program (which is a designated ‘type’ of level of care based on intensity of care needed/provided, and the number of hours of care during a week). It runs for three hours (in one sitting, with breaks every hour) once a week, for eight weeks.
The content of the program was designed for survivors who have failed to stabilize their trauma symptoms—either on their own/or over time, with coaching, support groups, or even with therapists. Or they had stabilized–but are now back into symptoms and ‘destabilized.’ Often, survivors have not sustained improvement with the many different approaches they have tried.
These survivors often have unmanaged trauma symptoms of fight/flight/freeze with co-occurring cognitive dissonance. They have suffered a significant impact on their neuro-cognitive functioning from PTSD (or more severe levels of trauma). They struggle with system flooding from adrenaline throwing them into fight/flight, anxiety, and agitation. Or they struggle with system collapse in the freeze response, leaving them foggy, not present, dissociated, avoidant, and depressed.
This program is not a narrative group (telling your story).
It is also not a ‘workshop’ or a ‘course.’
It is likely different from any type of previous program you have attempted.
It is an intensive submersion into trauma management utilizing trauma science, polyvagal approaches for management, and requires a survivor’s investment into daily practice of the skills taught for regulating ones trauma. As a form of ‘acute’ care, this is the ‘ER’ of narcissistic abuse but requires a survivor’s investment in the work to intervene at the neuro-cognitive and body level. This is active daily work and not passive participation.
The Intensive Stabilization Program© is best suited for survivors who have failed to acquire, or sustain, stabilization or have never been taught, trauma symptom reduction and management through other avenues. This program was created for survivors who have unmanaged trauma symptoms, which may include (but are not limited to):
- Irritability and high reactiveness, causing emotions to be a rollercoaster,
- concentration/organization/memory problems,
- avoidance of people/places/things/treatment that remind them of the events,
- soft boundaries and reticence,
- trauma attachment (bonds),
- racing mind with flashbacks and intrusive thoughts,
- cognitive dissonance with both craving the relationship while also loathing it,
- poor recontact control,
- mood problems like dual occurring depression and anxiety,
- dreaming/nightmares of the relationship,
- a constant focus on positive memories,
- freeze reactions that cause avoidance, fogginess, dissociation, lethargy, depression, and disorganization.
This is a 3 hour ‘intensive’ program delivered in a Zoom format, once a week (12 hours per month) for eight weeks.
The program will run on Thursdays. The official date for this cycle has not been announced yet but is estimated to run beginning late January/early February 2025. Those who fill out the application, will be notified by email AS SOON AS WE SET FIRM DATES.
The program begins online at 6:30 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. weekly EASTERN STANDARD TIME (with two breaks during the three hours).
The cost is $33.33 per programming hour. 3 hours per week x 4 weeks is $400 a month, x two months is $800 total. It is pre-paid monthly–$400 in one payment in September and $400 in one payment in October. Or you may pay it in one lump sum.
Recommendations
Survivors must have a Certified Trauma Therapist or be actively searching for one. This program is not in lieu of individual trauma treatment—this is an additional, or adjunctive program, with your trauma treatment.
Pre-Approval Required
Many survivors have experienced being placed into prior programs (coaching, groups, and/or therapy) without consideration of the trauma they have, the severity of it, their ability to handle trauma reactions while in the program, or if the program is the right fit for their current symptoms.
We utilize an in-depth intake/assessment package to consider if this program is a good fit for your current symptoms and challenges. You will be notified after its review by email stating whether you have been cleared, or not, for the program. There are some other diagnoses that are outside of stabilization availability for this program which it isn’t designed ‘for.’
If you are cleared for the program, you will be notified by email and payment information will be given to you and you will be given a date the payment is required before the program begins.
Technology Needs
You will need the Zoom app either on a computer or phone. (Computer preferred)
You are required to have a working camera so that you are visible to the other survivors and the therapist and to leave the camera on. This is recovery participation that requires visual presence.
You will likely need a computer to fill out the application form, and email back to us. Also, other checklists and symptom lists are needed throughout the program, at different times, so you will need a computer to access them or print them out.
You will need Zelle payment processor (download the app) to make payments to The Institute. We no longer use PayPal because of their charges per payment. Please check with your bank in advance to see if they offer Zelle payment processing. It is advised you do not until the last day to try to set up Zelle as it can take a few days to do.
Environmental Needs
Being in this group is the same as being in an in-person group environment which includes anonymity, timeliness, quiet, focus, and an environment conducive for healing.
You should be in a private and quiet space and ready for the group. Do not be driving, or be out in public, have the TV on, or other background noise, or be receiving texts on your phone.
Survivor Time Investment
In addition to the three hours in the program each week (with breaks), this program is based on building mastery to regulate the nervous system with a wide range of regulation techniques.
Survivors need time daily in their schedules to work with the techniques. Survivors are introduced to a daily self-care plan that is a regimen of working with the techniques that are part of the three-hour programming as well as restructuring their lives to include other elements that are affected by trauma—such as proactivity with their bodies/health/self-care, elevating investments in safe socialization to break patterns of isolation, and (self-selected) inspiration/spiritual practice.
The program is a daily rebalance that puts recovery and its investments first. The program is not something we ‘do to you’ like EMDR; it is the participatory utilization of a recovery-driven life.
What the Program ‘Is Not’
** This is not a processing, narrative, storytelling group. This group is likely different from the types of triggering programs you have been in that rely highly on the narrative. This program is therapeutically designed to not be narrative-oriented, on purpose.
Because this is not a narrative group, it is important, and one of the reasons we recommend having a Certified Trauma Therapist. The narrative and content are for your therapist, in private sessions.
The group is made up of survivors who have unregulated trauma and are triggered by the similarities of the stories which is why we don’t use stories. This group is skills-based, learning how to manage triggers—not the discussion of the content, or the story of, the trigger.
Eight Week Programming Includes
Intake and Assessment including Typical and Atypical Trauma Assessment
Neuroscience, how trauma works, and Polyvagal-based skills for system regulation
Trauma Reduction Assessment/Intervention on Trauma Worsening Behaviors
Symptom reduction exercises, handouts, worksheets, daily self-care planner
Emotional Regulation Skills (various methods including poly vagal/vagus system, vagal braking and shifting reactive states, somatic experiencing and pendulation, bilateral stimulation (based on EMDR), methods based on Mindfulness and grounding, and other fight/flight/freeze regulation work.
Life restructuring for easier daily living with trauma
Nutritional Neurochemistry/Supplements
Homework/self-work
Links and resources for deeper work
What Is Required of Survivors
As an immersive trauma management program, survivors are required to:
- Have time/make time for using the tools and skills daily.
As new skills and tools are added weekly, the list of available skills grows. All tools should be worked with, so you have a working knowledge of how to use them both when you are regulated, and when dysregulated. By the end of 8 weeks, the tools list includes approximately 20+ skills that will require your work with them daily. So, each week, the list of skills and time to work with them increases.
- Be willing and able to follow a treatment plan called a Weekly Self-Care Plan.
Each week, you print out the weekly self-care plan that is being added to each week and put it somewhere that will remind you to make time daily to use the skills. Trauma recovery is work and requires consistent use and intervention with skills to help with the rewired nervous system and brain.
- It requires survivors to make lifestyle changes such as being willing to add and remove certain elements of their daily life that will enhance their recovery.
It means adding things that help the body regulate like walking to help burn off adrenaline. It means removing things that cause your trauma to worsen—like non-trauma-informed social media sites that allow survivors to tell their story unmoderated setting off your own fight/flight or when possible, removing high drama people and adding people who are good for your nervous system, or who we call ‘neuro-regulated’ people. It requires more contact with neuro-regulated and calming people through direct contact or socialization. It means using apps and other ‘cue systems’ that remind you to use the skills throughout the day as you establish new patterns for preventing trauma meltdowns.
- It requires discussion in our group every week of what tools are working or not working so we can tweak approaches that work for you.
It also requires an accountability check-in where survivors are honest about any avoidance they are experiencing about implementing these changes in lifestyle and skills usage, as trauma has ‘avoidance’ as one of the symptoms.
If we can answer further questions, please contact us at survivortreatment (at) gmail.com. You should also submit your intake package for consideration to that email.
I look forward to working with you in the program.
Sandra L. Brown, M.A.