WORKSHOP LEADER

Profile

Paige Alisen, Ph.D., is founder and director of The Emma Center, a new nonprofit women's center for abuse and trauma survivors in Arcata, California. Her long-term goal is to open a nonprofit residential facility for women recovering from serious trauma-related conditions. She is an educator and activist, and author of the book, Finding Courage to Speak: Women's Survival of Child Abuse. Dr. Alisen holds a Ph.D. in Political Science. (She is not a therapist.)

Workshop: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): What It Is, How You Get It & What You Can Do About It

PTSD is a serious mental and medical condition that affects millions of women each year, most of whom are survivors of childhood abuse, domestic violence, and rape. Some of the symptoms of PTSD include flashbacks, severe anxiety, hypersensitivity to external stimuli (e.g., sounds, touch, or smell), sleep disturbances, chronic headaches, fatigue, somatic complaints, poor memory, and dissociative symptoms.

PTSD is highly treatable. In this workshop, you will learn about a number of approaches to treat PTSD, as well as how it affects your nervous system and the physiobiological aspects of trauma. We will discuss the myriad of treatments available, from western medicine's focus on medication and psychotherapy, to more holistic approaches, including herbal and dietary remedies, yoga, body movement, acupressure, meditation, and biofeedback. It is important that people discover the right combination of treatments for themselves, as everyone's symptoms and healing process is a little different. We will practice some of these treatment techniques as well. Time will be allocated in the workshop for questions and answers. Handouts will be provided.

Contact
Paige Alisen, Ph.D.
The Emma Center
920 Samoa Blvd, Suite 207
Arcata, CA 95521
(707) 825-6680
info@emmacenter.org
www.emmacenter.org/emma