Trauma, PTSD, Phobias

Crossinology’s Brain Integration Technique has proven to be very effective for children and adults struggling with PTSD or unresolved trauma, whether or not there is an official diagnosis. Several people have taken the time to write their “before and after” stories, and in some cases have made videos, because they want others to know that BIT gave them their lives back. Several also got back in touch years later to let us know that they continue to thrive, and those updates are also included below.

Client Stories…

Karon – Adult PTSD and Emotional Control

Karon and her son came from Michigan to address significant PTSD and Emotional Control issues. Her story gives all the relevant background.

My teenage son and I flew from Michigan to Arizona to receive Brain Integration Technique with Lynn Leu at Prescott Brain Integration. My hope was to resolve the way trauma from our past was still affecting our lives. For me, an unstable and unloving childhood followed by the complex-PTSD fallout from an emotionally abusive 22-year marriage had me “stuck” in life, unable to heal, make decisions, or move forward. I am a mother of four, a grandma of five, and I had been a stay-at-home mom homeschooling my children for the 20 years prior to my divorce. I am starting my life over at the age of 53. But despite my bravery and commitment to seeking truth and solid ground to stand on, my life was not blossoming into the life I wanted. I was stuck and could not move forward. Instead, I had constant feelings of being triggered and overwhelmed emotionally, I could not make confident decisions or follow through on decisions I did make, I was unable to trust myself or others, I had a general sense of anxiety and fear, and I had trouble sleeping at night, among other things.

The changes I saw after my treatment with Lynn achieved all I hoped for – and so much more! I still have the memories of the traumas, but they have lost the overwhelming emotions attached to them. I can look at them clearly and objectively, learn my lessons from them, see the lies that my brain has believed because of the abuse, heal and move on. Even in my “trigger” moments, I now have a breath of separation between the trigger and my reaction – just enough time to stop and see things more objectively before my emotions can be hijacked. My story is now just that: the story that shaped me into the person I am today.

The day after my treatment was complete I immediately noticed how quiet my head was and how calm I felt. I actually felt like I was worthy of love and peace and the good things in life. That has become my new normal! I am not in a constant battle to overcome and survive. The circumstances of life, which can still be difficult, do not have control over me. I have the feeling of being on solid ground instead of riding waves. Life just is what it is now. I can calmly wait for it to unfold before I make decisions instead of constantly reacting to what is thrown at me. I still have to do the hard work to heal, to pursue the life I want, but it is possible now. In the few months since my treatment was completed, my life is blossoming in so many ways and I am so grateful!

I am happy to report that my son saw improvements as well. He is a very smart young man with a high reading level who loves to learn. But he could not even perform basic skills: consistently recite or write the alphabet, remember how to spell common words, tell time, remember math facts or months of the year. He battled anxiety and depression and had trouble sleeping at night. After treatment with Lynn his brain seems to be working on all cylinders and we have begun catching up on his school work with ease. His anxiety and depression symptoms have improved as well. He is relating better to other people in his life and he is sleeping better and without nightmares. He has gained confidence and maturity that reveal who he is as a wonderful young man – not just as a victim trying to survive the disappointments of life.

I will be forever grateful to have found Lynn. She is just a beautiful person and a treasure to know. She had a confident, intuitive manner about her treatment and showed such grace and support and was so non-judgmental of our past as she treated us both. In her kindness Lynn did draw out some of the hurtful parts of my story – but it truly amazed me that I could find healing from deep wounds without actually speaking about them during treatment. Unlike in other therapies I had tried in my effort to resolve my painful past, I did not have to relive all the pain or stay in the memory feeling the pain while we worked it out. The healing happened without the horror of reliving the abuse and I am so grateful. I highly recommend Brain Integration Technique. Lynn is an extremely kind, calm, safe, encouraging and effective practitioner and our lives will never be the same.”

Michelle – Teen PTSD & ADHD

Michelle came for BIT at age 15 for PTSD and severe ADHD for which she was unable to take medication because of side effects. She has had extreme learning difficulties and behavioral issues all of her life. She is currently in therapeutic foster care.

This is what her therapeutic foster parent had to say about school six weeks after BIT:

If I had to choose one word, it would be “amazing”. There have been amazing changes at school. Her teachers have congratulated her, and have a very different attitude about her now. In the past, she couldn’t really concentrate or actually do the work, so they didn’t really grade her – if she just stayed in class, they passed her.

Two days after BIT I started getting calls from her teachers, one of whom said “What happened to her? I don’t even know who she is!” Within six weeks she brought all of her F’s up to B’s. And I haven’t had to go to a single teacher’s conference since BIT, compared to 4-5 per month before.

Michelle told me that she feels “normal” for the first time. She has stopped saying “I’m a loser”, and sees that she doesn’t need to be quirky to get attention.

This is what Michelle herself had to say about eight weeks after BIT:

As far as school goes, it’s the best thing ever. I can focus really well. Teachers are complimenting me. I can really understand math – I’m getting a B instead of an F. I’m enjoying reading books that I like and actually remembering what I read.

For the first time in my life, I like myself!

Ashley – Teen PTSD & Traumatic Brain Injury

When Ashley was removed from a severely abusive and neglectful family at age three, she was non-verbal and suffering from traumatic brain injury. With her new, loving Mom, who works with special needs children, she made considerable progress. Still, when she came for BIT at age 12, she was still struggling with developmental delays in all areas, especially speech, which despite special services at school made school stressful both academically and socially. She was very withdrawn and her Mom had difficulty getting her out of the car for BIT or any other new experience. Her therapist warned me that she was likely to close down to a degree that she would be unable to participate in the BIT process.

The changes in Ashley by the end of the two days of BIT were dramatic. By the final afternoon she was gleefully spelling six and seven letter words backwards and reading fluently with high comprehension. When we worked on marching, she went from confused, embarrassed and clumsy to being able to march with good form and rhythm while doing several other things at once.

Her Mom told Lynn at the end of the second day:

I spent the afternoon fighting back tears of joy and amazement at how she literally transformed before my eyes. It was SO much more than I thought possible.

A month after BIT:

Ashley’s Mom called Lynn to say that she was thrilled with the continuing daily behavioral changes – that Ashley was much more assertive and engaged, that her organizational skills were way up, that she was actually “industrious”, and not so upset when things didn’t go her way.

Now she can let things go – stop perseverating. I keep saying “Oh my gosh, she’s never done THIS before”. She’s also more affectionate. And in situations where she used to fall apart and become highly reactive and intense, she is staying calm and matter of fact. I find myself tensing up, anticipating the old reactions, and they aren’t there. Sometimes I feel like I have a new kid.

Here’s an example. We went to McDonald’s and ordered our food from a disinterested teen-age cashier. When our food arrived, Ashley’s hamburger had mushrooms on it. In the past, Ashley would have gotten quite upset and asked me to fix the situation. I would have taken her with me back to the cashier and asked her to tell the cashier what the problem was, and she would have refused to speak. Here’s what happened after BIT. Ashley saw that her hamburger had mushrooms. She calmly put the bun back on the hamburger, got up without saying a word, took her hamburger over to the same cashier, told her the problem, waited for her new hamburger, walked back to the table, and started eating her hamburger. All without saying a word.

Ashley’s therapist told her Mom that while historically Ashley spoke very little in her sessions and avoided early memories, in the first session after BIT Ashley made good eye contact and talked willingly for the whole hour about memories from “the bad times.” Several weeks later she stopped taking medication for anxiety. Stewart, the therapy cat, who used to avoid Ashley, started sleeping in her lap during her sessions.

Six years after BIT:

Ashley graduated from Prescott High School.

Anonymous – Brain Injury, ADHD, PTSD

This college student prefers to remain anonymous. She had many different issues when she arrived for Brain Integration, and here reports some of the changes she observed.

After experiencing brain integration with Dr. Leu, I experienced multiple shifts in my life. I had been diagnosed with dyslexia, a couple concussions, and suspected ADHD. I came to Dr. Leu in hopes for help with all of those things, but mostly for my situational depression that I had been experiencing after a traumatic experience. Brain integration made me feel at peace with my reality and with what had happened. I no longer hold the event in the present. Dr. Leu helped my brain to understand that it is in the past. I also saw a huge improvement in my ability to remember what I read, and to memorize what I need to, and to recall numbers and how to spell words. I have always struggled to do things like keep my room clean. After brain integration I have been able to do this much more successfully!”

Anonymous – Adult PTSD

This letter was written by the wife of a combat vet who came for Brain Integration due to severe PTSD:

After three tours in Iraq, my husband suffers from severe combat related PTSD. Brain Integration Technique (BIT) has helped him deal with day to day activities by helping him process his thoughts in a different way. He has better concentration and reacts with less impulsive behavior. Before BIT, stress was a huge problem. Stress for him would induce disassociation behavior or a flashback where he would not know where he was or what he was doing. After BIT, he is now able to internally process stressful situations in a different manner. He has had fewer flashbacks since BIT and it has positively impacted his life. As the wife and caregiver of a combat veteran, I highly recommend Brain Integration Technique for all veterans who suffer from PTSD.

Deanne Clark – Adult Anger Management & PTSD

Deanne came for Brain Integration at the recommendation of her therapist. She is a disabled vet (US Navy) who has great determination to be able to live independently and to go back to work. She described herself as having been “living in a cloud”, often confused, not able to focus, or multitask, or find the right words, or remember things from moment to moment, let alone over time. She also had significant problems with anger management, and with PTSD issues from her childhood and from combat. She was taking 14 different medications under the supervision of her VA doctors – some for depression, some for pain, some for focus issues, others for other health issues.

Two Weeks After BIT
Here is a video Deanne made two weeks after her experience with Brain Integration Technique. What Deanne doesn’t mention in the video is that at the end of her two days of BIT, her ability to remember numbers went from 4 forward and 3 backward, which is early elementary school level, to 7 forward and 7 backward, which is beyond the target for adults. This was a joyful moment for her. She also was amazed to see her reading go from choppy and hesitant to smooth and fluent and her ability to remember what she read jump from 20% to 90%. On the coding exercise Deanne was able to remember all 9 symbols on her first try, a result she met with disbelief. Her most moving moment, as she expressed in the video, was when she realized she was no longer “in the cloud” – that she felt part of the world around her again.

As she mentions in the video, Deanne met with her VA psychiatrist who immediately noticed the changes in her. Deanne was taken off her medications for concentration and focus, as well as sleep, since she no longer needed them. At this point she was going to the gym every day, and her anger issues had disappeared. Her psychiatrist asked her to volunteer in the pain clinic at the VA as an inspiration to others vets.

Eight Months Later
Deanne called to say that she is off all three of her medications for anxiety and depression, and that she would describe herself as “exuberant” – she loves her life and has found her purpose. The only two drugs she is now taking are for pain. She was asked to give a presentation to the senior management and doctors at the VA center about her transformational experience, and it was met with applause and followed by many personal congratulations. She gives much of the credit to BIT, and so does her psychiatrist.

We are hoping that the VA will fund a study and move ahead on how BIT can help other vets with similar challenges.

Pam – Adult Trauma & PTSD

I was introduced to the idea of Brain Integration Technique (BIT) and practitioner Lynn Leu by my therapist during a time when I was experiencing ongoing debilitating emotional flashbacks from a life of severe trauma.

Though I was in regular psychotherapy, I was unable to gain control of my symptoms. My therapist had a few clients with similar symptoms who had benefited from BIT. She told me they were able to find some space around their pain so they could introduce rational thoughts, thus preventing the inevitable downward spiral into debility.

I was desperate for relief, so with much reassurance from my therapist, I decided to undergo the two consecutive days of BIT treatment. I was way out of my comfort zone: my thoughts and feelings as I approached Lynn’s office were like an uncontrollable flash flood roiling down a desert spillway. My life taught me to trust no one, believe no one, and stay away from everyone. What was I doing here? I was scared. However, I quickly discovered that Lynn expects that response from trauma victims. Her warm welcome put me at ease immediately.

I think it is important to mention, especially for trauma victims, that during BIT you remain fully clothed while relaxing on a massage table. The procedure does require light touching by the therapist. I wasn’t prepared for that and initially I wanted to run out of the room screaming. But, my curiosity about the process and Lynn’s professional demeanor kept me there.

For Lynn, BIT is a calling; her training and giftedness is evident. During the process, she patiently and willingly answered my many questions, offered wise and timely words relevant to my life situation, and she opened her heart to my pain. I especially was touched by her compassion and willingness to hear me. BIT was a sacred time for me – a safe place for self-discovery as well as an opportunity for Lynn to help me be free of those debilitating flashbacks and a lot of old pain.

The changes I experienced from BIT are astounding. Despite my initial skepticism, I am overjoyed to report that the changes were immediate and have remained with me. In addition to addressing the flashbacks, BIT improved my memory, my attention span, my self-confidence, and my patience. I am much better at math and reading, and my test anxiety is greatly reduced. I get more out of my individual and group therapy sessions because I can think more clearly and concentrate more fully. I know I am thinking with both sides of my brain because I can see the “big picture” instead of the details I thought limited my ability to change.

Most important, though I still experience occasional, less intense flash backs, I have the ability to decide how to respond before I spiral towards a place of self-harm. I also can distinguish between the pain of a flash back and the emotional adjustments required every day in ordinary situations.

Before BIT, my mind interpreted every stressful situation as danger. I was overwhelmed by emotional pain when habitual hyper-vigilance automatically took control. Now I am learning to be present, to talk to myself about what I’m feeling, and to live through these episodes with awareness. BIT does not magically remove the struggle, but it makes the struggle manageable.

A few days after BIT, I was hired by a desirable employer for a job I really wanted. I interviewed better than I ever have due to my improved memory, reduced anxiety, and increased self-confidence. Moreover, I learned the names of all of my co-workers on the first day, which would have been impossible for me before. Along with this success, I find I am willing to try new experiences with less fear. My relationships at work and at home are improving because I can see past my pain; I recognize my role now, be it helpful or destructive. I am unafraid of taking responsibility for my mistakes and oversights.

BIT offered other, unexpected benefits. I used to approach bedtime with trepidation because of my history. I stayed up so late that I rarely got enough sleep. Now I go to bed happily at 9:00pm. We also did a clear for my intense discomfort with cigarette smoke, again related to my history. Weeks later a colleague pointed out to me that during a meeting with a chain smoker, I didn’t complain or leave the room. I used to get so angry around smokers I could not stay near them.

Just three months ago, I crawled through blackness every day of my life. Now, for all the reasons I described above, I feel hopeful that my improved concentration, patience, academic skills, and emotional control could produce joy in my life. Perhaps I’ll even discover what I like to do and what I’m good at doing- what my purpose might be in this life. I am very grateful for the blessing of this experience.

There is no way to put a price tag on a gift of this magnitude.

From Gudrun Miller, a Licensed Professional Counselor in private practice in Prescott:

When I first heard about Brain Integration Technique, I thought in particular of three of my clients who suffered chronic abuse and neglect throughout their childhoods. Although all of them had worked hard on their recovery, none had been able to break through to their trauma and release it. After working with Lynn, I saw tremendous and sustained changes in all three of them. All were able to resolve old issues and move ahead in their therapy and their lives. I would recommend BIT for the treatment of severe, locked in trauma based on the changes I have seen in my clients. One of them, Pam, wrote a detailed client story about her experience with BIT and its effect on her severe flashbacks, her long-standing depression, and many aspects of her functioning, because she wanted to reassure other trauma survivors that BIT could help them. Her story is elsewhere in this section of the website.

At this point I was interested enough in BIT to want to try it myself, and last year I spent two days with Lynn as a client for Brain Integration Technique. What I noticed was a clearing and ease in my mental process and consequently my emotional balance. I was more easily able to resolve both interpersonal and inner issues without the usual rumination. I can let things go more easily and truly don’t sweat the small stuff. At the time of my BIT, I had resolved my emotional issues but apparently the pathways between the left and right hemispheres were significantly blocked. Doing Brain Integration has made a positive difference in the quality of my life!

I have known Lynn personally since 2005, and have always found her to be a person of high integrity, intelligence and insight. She has significant healing capabilities, and has found in Brain Integration Technique and excellent vehicle for sharing these gifts.

Nancy – Adult Phobia

Nancy’s phobia about cats is a wonderful example of how BIT works with phobias. This successful professional woman was so frightened of cats that she organized her life around avoiding them. At the end of the BIT protocol, when we got to the place where we clear emotional issues and phobias, I had Nancy recall the frightening incident that had happened with two cats when she was a young child. This experience had led to the creation of the original “fear of cats” pathway directly to Nancy’s limbic system, the seat of emotion, and it resulted in a choiceless fight or flight reaction – flight, in Nancy’s case – every time she saw a cat. I hear that Dr. Phil calls this “being hijacked by your limbic system,” which is certainly a phrase that captures the power and choicelessness of this reaction. That pathway never included the frontal cortex, the center of logic and rational thinking – the part of her brain that could have told Nancy that she is an adult now and that the cat at her friend’s house is a different cat. Instead she would have the same response to every cat in every situation – terror.

So what we did is to create a new pathway that brought in the frontal cortex. We did this by gently touching certain acupressure point and by using other techniques based on knowledge of Applied Physiology. What happened? After BIT Nancy was able to visit her daughter in San Diego for the first time since her roommate acquired a cat named Georgia. Her first night there she was settled in the guest room when Georgia entered the room and jumped up on the bed. In the past Nancy would have run screaming from the house and driven back to Prescott. Now she noticed she was not feeling panic, and had the thought that this bed might well be where Georgia slept and that she could check out the situation and see what was true about THIS cat. Georgia curled up at the foot of the bed and went to sleep, and much to her surprise, so did Nancy. During the night Georgia slid under the covers. In the past, this would have been like “snake in the sleeping bag,” her worst nightmare come true. Instead, she had the thought that perhaps Georgia was cold, and that she could wait and see what happened next. The cat went back to sleep under the covers, and so, amazingly, did Nancy!

Three weeks later Nancy called me on her cell to say that she was lying on her friend’s couch in Phoenix and that the sound I was hearing was that of her friend’s cat Tara purring, and that Tara was lying on Nancy’s chest while being petted by Nancy!

During the same BIT session Nancy also overcame a phobia that was making her world start to shut in on her. She had an increasingly strong fear of driving over mountains, which was particularly troublesome since she lives in Prescott and spends a lot of time in Sedona. Nancy has been avoiding Mingus Mountain for years, but now she was having trouble with I-17, on the hill just above the Verde Valley. She was actually considering going to Williams and down through Flagstaff to get to Sedona when she came for BIT. Now she enjoys the view going over Mingus Mountain.