Path of the Wounded Healer (PWH)A Dissociative-Focused Phase Model for Normative and Pathological States of Consciousness 

The theoretical basis for Path of the Wounded Healer (PWH) is the Addiction as Dissociation Model (ADM). ADM was developed by Adam O’Brien, Ph.D. and Jamie Marich, Ph.D. We will be continuing our research on the ADM to ensure transferability. The foundational study and the basis for ADM is Adam’s doctoral dissertation (Addiction as Trauma-related Dissociation: A Phenomenological Investigation into the Addictive State (O’Brien, 2023)). We are looking to support the field’s understanding of how the lived experience can help produce accurate understandings of human existence, hence gaining a clear clinical understanding of what people are truly suffering from. PWH is a spiritual, moral, and developmental path that offers modern answers for ancient questions. PWH is a phase model of care for normative and pathological trauma, dissociation, and addiction. PWH is an evidence-informed approach.
 
Please join us in learning more by joining our free portions of our Addiction as Dissociation and Orientation Class: HERE.
 

WHI trainings utilize experiential scaffolding and conditioning to help unconscious states learn how to navigate different states of healing, dissociation, and consciousness. We provide state-dependent learning to help providers become knowledgeable in working with altered-states of consciousness (ASC) and therapeutic dissociation. As we define in our foundational ADM literature, these states of consciousness are readily accessible to clinicians to support their use and development of therapeutic dissociation. While some would call these states “ASC,” our research points towards the possibility that these medicines make us more grounded, induce states of healing and transformation, and are foundational for supporting our physical and mental health. Participants will learn how to navigate therapeutic dissociation, as we are calling it: mindful dissociation. For more advanced practitioners and researchers, our enhanced bracketing techniques are taught. WHI also encourages participants to incorporate these states of consciousness into one’s self-care program.

PWH is broken up into 4 parts PWH 1-4. PWH-1 presents our seminal research (O’Brien, 2023a) and provides foundational knowledge, skills, and structure for the rest of the program. PWH-2 explores facets of memory reconsolidation and how to use it with your specific personal need or professional craft. PWH-3 supports the development of self-healing of our addiction networks, which promotes recovery and posttraumatic growth. PWH-4 is our professional development and enhancement program where we help you maintain your health and your expansion. There are also shorter workshops for professional development for different venues and circumstances such as community and parent offerings.

As a part of entering into any aspect of our programming, all students/participants must fill out our application and perform our initial interview to see if our programming is right for them. Applications require an essay submitted prior to the initial interview. For the essay, please write a paper, essay, or poem, that outlines your wounded healer’s story up until this point in your life. No other instructions can be given, as we are inviting your qualitative process into our process. This is another major point to our program, which we know to be the spiritual component to our programming, we are educating you on how develop your implicit dissociative process so you are not so addicted to our reality. In this way, we are helping people learn to heal from their developmental traumas, patterns of normative dissociation, and their universal addictions. Attendees will be oriented towards the ADM prior to engaging in training with our prerequisite. Interested participants can explore our work HERE.

To be considered trained, participants must successfully complete PWH 1 and 2, which includes a minimum of 3 individual consultations and 20 group consultation hours, over the course of the training program (other information below) within 5 years. Certification in ADM and PWH demonstrates a higher level of competency in applying ADM and PWH phase model. Train-the-trainer (TT) is for participants who want to branch out to train others in PWH. Affiliate Faculty is for community members who are educating on PWH, and are setting up a round of PWH-1-2, which portions must be observed by Dr. Adam (Yearly agreements are required). Faculty is for community members who are educating on PWH, and have held a round of PWH. Senior Faculty is for community members who are actively presenting PWH. (Yearly agreements are required.) 

 

See Training Schedule HERE for payments and more details  

 

Certification is granted by WHI to those who have earned this designation by meeting these criteria of:

1) Successfully completed PWH1-3,

2) Able to articulate and express the tenants of ADM, PWH, and our mission,

3) Are in good standing with their professional approach,

4) Adhere to PWH personal and professional code of ethics/Kolhbergs moral development,

5) Completed capstone project (which can double as your application for PWH4),

6) 6 individual consultations (Final individual review (last individual consultation),

7) 20 group consultation hours over the course of PWH1-3 (you have 5 years to complete),

8) 200 hours of session time with clients (Notarized),

9) Maintain membership with PTG,

10) Letter of recommendation (LOR) from PWH Approved Consultant (AC),

11) Application and fee of $200.

*must be completed within 5 years of completing PWH3


Consultant-in-Training (CIT): 

To become a CIT:

1) must get approval from AC,

2) 6 hours of individual

3) 10 group consultations

4) 100 Hours session time with clients

5) Final Interview w/ Adam

6) Maintain Active PTG/Rabbit Role Membership

7) Complete PWH-4

8) 50 hours of training time

9) Application and application fee of $150

*must be completed within 2 years of completing PWH-4

*Successfully completing these earns you the status of Approved Consultant (AC)


Approved Consultant (AC): To maintain AC status:

*must be completed within 2 years of completing PWH-4


To become a TT:

1) must get approval from AC with a LOR,

2) 6 hours of individual

3) 10 group consultations

4) 100 Hours session time

5) Final Interview w/ Adam

6) Maintain Active Rabbit Hole Membership

7) Complete Shadow PWH 1-2 (at half cost)

8) Application and application fee of $150.

*must be completed within 2 years of completing PWH-4

*This track includes entry into Affiliate Faculty Status.

 

Faculty:

1) must have provided a full round of PWH-1-2

2) has approval from Dr. Adam.

 

Senior Faculty:

1) is actively presenting PWH in their community and get consultation as needed.

 

Certification and Professional Paths and Criteria –

PWH Trained

Complete PWH 1 and PWH 2

3 hours of individual or 10 hours of group.

Participated in all practicums

In good standing with WHI and policies.

PTG membership available for $250 year

PWH Certification

Complete

PWH1&2&3

Application

$150

6 hours of individual or

20 hours of group consult

over the course of

PWH1-3*

*5 yr limit

200 hours session time

LOR

At the end of PWH3 in Final Interview

w/ Adam

Maintain Active PTG Membership

$200 year

w/ active solos and volunteering

Consultant-

In-

Training (CIT)

Complete PWH 4

6 hours of individual/

10 group consultations

100 Hours session time

Final Interview

w/ Adam

Maintain Active PTG Membership

$200 year

PWH Approved

Consultant

(PWH AC

Of AC)

Complete CIT

Application

$150

6 hours of individual/ 10 hours of group consultations

100 hours session time

Needs WHI Approval

Maintain Active

Rabbit Hole

Membership

$200 year

Train-

The-

Trainer/

Adjunct

Faculty

N/A

Complete AC

Shadow

1 Round

of PWH 1-2

50 hours of training time

Needs WHI Approval

Final Interview

w/ Adam

Maintain Active

Rabbit Hole

Membership

$200 year

PWH Faculty

TBD

TBD

TBD

TBD

Maintain Active

Rabbit Hole

Membership

$200 year

PWH

Senior Faculty

TBD

TBD

TBD

TBD

NA

LOR: Letter of Recommendation

 

Addiction as Dissociation Model (ADM) Workshop:

1-Day INTRO

1-Day MASA

Day 1 ADM

Day 2 PWH

1) Opening

Orientation

ADM/PWH

2) Breath Exercise

3) States of Healing

4) Informed-Care

Addiction as Dissociation Model’s Meeting Area Screening and Assessment Script and Protocol.

1) Opening/Orientation 

ADM/PWH

2) Breath

3) States of Healing

4) Informed-Care

1) Meeting Area 

w UIC & Hx taking

2) MR

3) Breath/CBD

4) ASC and Psychedelics

*ASC = Altered-States of Consciousness, MR = Memory Reconsolidation, UIC = Unconscious Informed Consent

*Suggested Reading: Dissertation and Dissociation Made Simple.

 

Advanced Topics and Retreat for Memory Reconsolidation (e.g., EMDR, Brainspotting, Psychedelics): HERE

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

Day 6

1) Meeting Area w UIC & Hx taking

2) MR

3) Breath/CBD

4) ASC and Psychedelics

1) Meeting Area 

MASA script

2) Two containers

1) Meeting

Area w/

Bulk Blink

2) Addressing

Toxic Shame

1) ADM/PWH

Resetting

Orientation/

Affect Circuits

PWH Script

1) Develop Tx/Inter-gen

2) Normative

Dissociation

3) Universal

Addictions

1) Working with Healthy

Shame

2) Positive

Psychology

3) Recovery  

WHI Path of the Wounded Healer (PWH) Training Program:

Program

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Day 4

Day 5

PWH 1

Regulation

Topics:

1. Mindful

Dissociation/

2. Neurobio-

Dynamic

3) Therapeutic

Dissociation

1) Opening

Orientation

ADM/PWH

2) Breath

3) States of Healing

4) Informed-Care

1) Meeting Area w UIC & Hx taking

2) MR

3) Breath

/CBD

4) ASC and Psychedelics

1) Meeting Area script

2) Two containers

1) Meeting

Area w/

Bulk Blink

1) Self-care

2) Skill building/

Conditioning.

3) Resiliency

Building.

4) Review.

5) Closing Ceremony.

PWH 2

Topics:

1. Care Planning

2. Memory

Work

Opening

Orientation/

Review.

ADM/PWH

Resetting

Orientation/

Affect Circuits

PWH Script

1) Develop Tx/Inter-gen

2) Normative

Dissociation

3) Universal

Addictions

1) Parts Self-Work

2) Toxic Shame

1) Healthy

Shame

2) Positive

Psychology

Recovery

1) Self-care

2) Skill building/

Conditioning.

3) Resiliency

Building.

4) Review.

5) Closing Ceremony.

PWH 3

Topics:

1. Advanced

Memory Work

2. PTG/

Dissociative Lands

3. Recovery

Opening

Orientation/

Review

PWH

Psychedelic Care

Clinical

Dissociation and Addiction

Disorders

Advanced

Aspects of

Dissociative and Addiction

Memory

PTG/Spa

Recovery Memory

Network

1) Self-care

2) Skill building/

Conditioning.

3) Resiliency

Building.

4) Review.

5) Closing Ceremony.

PWH 4:

Rabbit Hole

Consultation

EBT

CIT and AC

Path

Opening

Orientation/

PWH and

Consultation

Consultation

EBT

Rabbit Hole

Into the night

Rabbit Hole

1) Self-care

2) Skill building/

Conditioning.

3) Resiliency

Building.

4) Review.

5) Closing Ceremony.

ASC = Altered-States of Consciousness – AC = Approved Consultant – CIT = Consultant in Training – EBT = Enhanced Bracketing Techniques – MR = Memory Reconsolidation – PTG = Posttraumatic Gym/Spa – UIC = Unconscious Informed Consent