Orientation and Self-care in the COVID-19 Pandemic:
Application of Advanced Integrative Therapy (AIT) Trauma Treatment for Psychotherapeutic Practitioners
By Dr Asuka Yamashina
AIT Teacher and Supervisor, Chartered Counselling Psychologist
In consultation with Dr Asha Clinton (Developer of AIT) and Ruth Pimenta (AIT teacher), I have put together an e-booklet as a free resource for psychotherapeutic practitioners (including those not trained in AIT). It is a guide on how to use AIT (in a simplified form to treat current traumas) for their own self-care, in the context of the COVID-19 crisis where many of the unhealed past traumas are triggered and resurfacing as current difficulties. It presents the main traumatic themes of the pandemic and gives examples of treatment areas and phrases, as well as reframing the crisis as an opportunity for further growth.
The booklet represents how I reflect on the pandemic situation and how I integrate AIT into my psychotherapeutic practice as an AIT therapist, and is not intended as ‘the right way’ to do AIT or representing the official views of the AIT Institute.
Please scroll down to view it on this page or press the button to open it on a new webpage.
Asuka Yamashina
April 2020
Table of Contents
Preface 5
Psychological challenges of COVID-19 6
Unmet needs create fear and anxiety 6
Shock, grief and fear about the sudden loss of the world we knew 7
Introduction to AIT theory and its stress reduction technique 11
How the AIT theory of trauma illuminates healing in the pandemic 11
AIT’s energetic trauma release 13
AIT Opening of the Heart Meditation 18
Strengthening positive qualities and beliefs with AIT energy treatment 19
AIT Centering Meditation 21
Protecting yourself from burnout 22
Preserving our energy while the world is encroached by death 22
Filling ourselves with healing and regenerative emotional frequencies 24
Being filled with love and peace in the eye of the storm 26
COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity for healing and growth 27
Our shared priorities in re-orientation through the crisis 27
Reaffirmation of hope, dreams, joy, peace and love 30
Appendix: Further resources on AIT and its seminars 31