The Comprehensive Resource Model: Effective therapeutic techniques for the healing of complex trauma

by Lisa Schwarz, Frank Corrigan, Alastair Hull

- provides an innovative, integrative approach to the healing of complex trauma, identifying a flexible model suitable for use in a variety of practices- comprehensively describes techniques and tools that can be applied to real life settings- written by authors who are experts in the fields of psychotherapy and trauma.

270 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 4, 2016

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read about Lisa and CRM in a Newsweek article and decided I had to check it out. This book is an absolute tour de force. Lisa and her coauthors knows their neuroscience inside out and backwards. Perhaps a reasonable critique of the book would be that it is heavy on the neuroscience for readers who are less geeky about neuroscience than I am. Lisa has put together a technique for working through trauma that draws on many sources. What I am inspired by in this model is the variety of strategies that Lisa has drawn on and implemented to support the client while working through traumatic life events. She has created a Russian doll model of resources beginning with breathing techniques and moving through sacred space, to the creation of a somatic grid, to attachment resources such as a power animal, to most intriguingly the distress itself and finally a potent concept she refers to as core self. As she details the procedures for resourcing the client it is clear that Lisa has worked through the intricacies of individual client differences and worked out a flexible system capable of supporting the most challenging of clients. In my work with trauma patients I am aware that providing support to the clients nervous system is the key to having success in trauma resolution and Lisa's model provides the best articulated strategies that I have read about. Schwartz refers to the EMDR literature, Porges' polyvagal theory, Schore and Panksepp and even Vasquez eye position work It is also clear that Schwartz is integrating ancient healing practices from age old traditions, weaving them into the modern day practice of mind body healing. This makes me even more intrigued to learn about this practice. As a result I have signed up for a 5 day training later this year.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some of the most advanced treatment for severe trauma that currently exists.

I very much appreciated reading something that is body-based but from a separate school of thought than Peter Levine / Polyvagal theory. I also wonder if that was intentional, as the politics in therapy worlds are no less shady than other industries.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite a lot in this book went over my head. Regarding the neuroscience, I only took 1 course in grad school that was very broad and this book goes into specifics and is completely clinical. But the shame discussion really registered for me emotionally. It explained a whole lot about my own shame and how it shows up. I registered for a training that starts in Nov 2024 and I’m hopeful it will scrub away any residue of trauma, and help me achieve that for others!

[Jenifer Jacobs · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love this trauma treatment (CRM) but this book is dense and would be extremely difficult to follow without already having extensive knowledge of the model.