My friend George Matchette, MFT, who works at the Community Healing Center in SF, recently sent me a link to some really promising research about getting real, durable resolution of traumatic memories.
Apparently, when we remember events that evoke anxiety, there is a window of time during which it is possible to eliminate the associated fear. This is different than previous understandings which seemed to suggest that the best we could learn to do was manage them.
The research was conducted by NYU psychologist Elizabeth Phelps. Listen to her interview on NPR’s Science Friday.