The Timberlawn Trauma Program was created to provide quality treatment and education in the area of trauma and extensive comorbidity. Comorbidity is defined as an extensive history of multiple symptoms and diagnoses. The Trauma Program does not utilize regressive treatment modalities such as focusing on the retrieval of repressed memories. The treatment team members work collaboratively emphasizing acute stabilization, improved functioning and self management for the chronic, high cost, high utilization patient with extensive comorbidity.

The program is under the direction of Colin A. Ross M.D., an internationally renowned clinician, researcher, and author. The program is based on Dr. Ross’ "Trauma Model". This model emphasizes the effects of trauma as multiple symptoms expressed by multiple diagnoses. The unresolved trauma and the resulting attachment conflicts are the common themes throughout these various diagnoses. A goal of the program is to reduce the number of admissions and overall cost by addressing the core attachment issues.

Program Philosophy and Treatment

The Trauma Program focuses on the effects of trauma and unresolved attachment issues. The treatment goal is to help individuals improve their adult functioning by helping them to stabilize and continue their recovery with new tools learned in the inpatient setting. This progression is obtained by utilizing the structure and processes of ego state theory within cognitive-behavioral, experiential, and didactic therapies.

Ego state theory ascribes to the belief that human personality is not a unity, but instead is composed of different elements or modules that jointly shape individual thought and behavior. In normal human development, experiences are assimilated and integrated as the building blocks of personality. Severe, chronic, unresolved trauma and attachment conflicts interrupt this process. As a result, the mind develops an unhealthy fragmentation of thought, feeling, memory and perception. This fragmentation is manifested as personality disorders and extensive comorbidity.

Cognitive therapies allow patients to identify conflicts and unlearn specific cognitive distortions related to attachment conflicts, trauma and identity. Experiential modalities foster the development of self-awareness and trauma processing on a visceral level with an emphasis on affect regulation. Didactic therapies emphasize the importance of education about trauma and its effects, including comorbidity. Each patient is provided with four hours a week of individual therapy. Additionally, psychotropic medication is prescribed as needed. The program’s emphasis is not diagnosis-specific, but instead focuses on the symptoms treated, which are described in the following section.

The Timberlawn Trauma Program includes acute inpatient, partial, and support group services. The average length of stay is two weeks for the inpatient program and two weeks for the partial program. The Trauma Program utilizes a multidisciplinary focus to insure an integrated approach that facilitates increased ego strength, stabilization and growth.

The Timberlawn Trauma Program is committed to preparing clients for re-integration into society. While in the program, patients are expected to be responsible for their behaviors and committed to treatment.

Research findings indicate that trauma and unresolved attachment issues affect normal human development and functioning. These maladaptive symptoms are the program admission criteria. They are the following: suicidal ideation, homicidal ideation, self-destructive and addictive behaviors, and inability to function as manifested by regressed, chaotic, and unorganized behavior.

If a patient is actively using drugs or alcohol, cross programming is available on the Dual Diagnosis Program. This provides an integrated effort to address not only the active addiction, but the underlying dynamics driving the addictive behaviors.

Patient Population

The Timberlawn Trauma Program treats all poly-diagnostic disorders related to unresolved trauma and attachment issues. This would include, but is not limited to: Borderline Personality Disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Acute Stress Disorder, Depression, Panic Disorder, Substance Abuse, Somatization Disorder, Dissociative Disorders, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and Eating Disorders.

Current research indicates that memory recall is, at best, unreliable. Fortunately, healing does not take place at the level of memory or their retrieval. Rather, healing occurs at the level of processing and integrating feelings, thoughts, and perceptions and re-framing cognitive distortions. Therapeutic neutrality is essential for processing unresolved issues of any kind.

The treatment team is composed of psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, licensed professional counselors, registered art therapists, group therapists, recreational therapists, nurses, interns, and psychiatric technicians. Each team member brings clinical expertise to the program. Under the direction of Colin A. Ross M.D., the team holds regular meetings to address the needs of each patient.

Referring therapists and psychiatrists are an integral part of the treatment team. The Timberlawn Team works closely with referral sources to insure continuity of care and to formulate efficient treatment recommendations.

The Timberlawn Trauma Program includes acute inpatient, partial, outpatient, and support group services. The average length of stay is two weeks for the inpatient program and two weeks for the partial program. The Trauma Program utilizes a multidisciplinary focus to insure an integrated approach that facilitates increased ego strength, stabilization and growth.

The program, under the direction of Dr. Ross, continues to engage in significant teaching and education on the understanding and treatment of trauma and comorbidity. For more information on Dr. Ross' latest publication in the American Journal of Psychiatry, please see our web site at www.rossinst.com.

Visiting professionals will have the opportunity to experience a variety of group therapy interventions including: cognitive therapy, anger management, psychodrama, process groups, trauma education, and art therapy. Visitors are included in multidisciplinary treatment team meetings. For more information regarding the visiting professionals program please call 800-426-4944 ext. 6338 or click here to download a brochure.