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adapt [2026/02/12 19:25] – [The IEMT Adaptive Model makes fifteen operating assumptions.] andrewtaustinadapt [2026/02/12 19:41] (current) – [Adaptive Model and IEMT] andrewtaustin
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 Unlike EMDR, which focuses on processing trauma over multiple sessions, IEMT emphasises rapid emotional shifts, making it particularly suited for immediate adaptive challenges.” Unlike EMDR, which focuses on processing trauma over multiple sessions, IEMT emphasises rapid emotional shifts, making it particularly suited for immediate adaptive challenges.”
  
-{{:adaptive_1_.png?600|}}+{{ :adaptation-facilitation-model.jpg |}}
  
 ==== Environmental stressors have four components: ==== ==== Environmental stressors have four components: ====
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   - **Residual** - past events and traumas that leave a residual kinaesthetic that affects well-being and behaviour in the present moment    - **Residual** - past events and traumas that leave a residual kinaesthetic that affects well-being and behaviour in the present moment 
   - **Prospective** - habitual responses to “routine” triggers   - **Prospective** - habitual responses to “routine” triggers
 +
 +===== Physiological Adaptation & General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) =====
 +
 +While the Adaptation Model provides the framework for //what// needs to adapt, Hans Selye's **General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)** provides the biological mechanism for //how// the body responds to stressors over time. In IEMT, understanding GAS is crucial for identifying where a client is stuck in their trauma response.
 +
 +Roy's //Physiological Mode// can be mapped directly onto Selye's three stages of stress response. IEMT interventions are often most critical when a client has moved from "Alarm" into "Resistance" or "Exhaustion."
 +
 +
 +
 +==== Stage 1: Alarm Reaction (The IEMT "Imprint") ====
 +  * **Physiological State:** The immediate "fight or flight" response. The body mobilizes resources (cortisol, adrenaline) to deal with a **Focal Stimulus**.
 +  * **IEMT Context:** This corresponds to the formation of an **Emotional Imprint**. In a healthy adaptive system, this is a temporary state; the danger passes, and the system returns to homeostasis.
 +  * **Relevance:** IEMT does not seek to prevent this stage, as it is a survival mechanism. However, if the emotion is not processed, the "alarm" remains active as a **Residual Stimulus**.
 +
 +==== Stage 2: Resistance (The "Stuck" State) ====
 +  * **Physiological State:** The body attempts to adapt to the continued presence of the stressor. Physiological arousal remains higher than normal, but the individual appears to be "coping."
 +  * **IEMT Context:** This is the domain of **Patterns of Chronicity**. The client is expending massive amounts of energy to maintain a facade of normalcy while suppressing the emotional imprint.
 +  * **The Cost:** This stage creates a high load of **Contextual Stress**. The individual may develop psychosomatic symptoms (headaches, tension) as the body diverts energy from long-term maintenance (digestion, immune system) to immediate stress management.
 +
 +==== Stage 3: Exhaustion (Maladaptation) ====
 +  * **Physiological State:** The body's adaptive energy is depleted. The system can no longer maintain the resistance. Signs of burnout, depression, and chronic illness appear.
 +  * **IEMT Context:** This is typically when a client seeks therapy. The "coping mechanisms" (Patterns of Chronicity) have failed or become too costly to maintain.
 +  * **Therapeutic Goal:** IEMT intervenes here by accessing the original **Imprint** (from the Alarm stage). By neutralising the emotional charge of the memory, the demand on the system drops, allowing the body to exit the "Exhaustion" phase and return to a state of rest and repair.
 +
 +=== Clinical Implication ===
 +In the context of the Adaptation Model, IEMT acts as a catalyst for **Systemic Reorganisation**. By removing the emotional "glitch" (the active memory trace) that keeps the system in the Resistance/Exhaustion phase, the therapist allows the physiological mode to naturally self-regulate back to a healthy baseline.
  
 ==== Adaptation ==== ==== Adaptation ====
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 3. Maladaptive (failure to reorganise) 3. Maladaptive (failure to reorganise)
  
-{{ :coping_processes.png|}} +{{ ::adaptation-model-iemtcallista-roy.jpg |}}
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   - A positive and effective state of adaptation leads toward greater integration in an individual and also frees a person’s energy to respond to other stimuli.    - A positive and effective state of adaptation leads toward greater integration in an individual and also frees a person’s energy to respond to other stimuli. 
   - A limitation of IEMT is to only be able to make changes to the body's conditioned reflex responses, IEMT cannot, for example, change the genetics of a body, although it is hypothesised that further research could well find epigenetic adaptations occurring as a result from working with PTSD clients.   - A limitation of IEMT is to only be able to make changes to the body's conditioned reflex responses, IEMT cannot, for example, change the genetics of a body, although it is hypothesised that further research could well find epigenetic adaptations occurring as a result from working with PTSD clients.
 +
 +===== Comparison: Roy's Model vs. IEMT Model =====
 +
 +While both models share the language of "adaptation," their operational goals differ significantly. Roy's model is designed for **care and management** (Nursing), whereas the IEMT model is designed for **remedial change and resolution** (Therapy).
 +
 +
 +^ Feature ^ Roy's Adaptation Model (Nursing) ^ IEMT Model (Therapeutic Change) ^
 +| **Primary Goal** | To promote **coping** and maintain integrity/equilibrium in the face of illness or change. | To create **resolution** by depotentiating the emotional triggers that necessitate coping. |
 +| **View of Adaptation** | Adaptation is a continuous process of adjusting to environmental stimuli to maintain health. | Adaptation is often a result of **updating** the internal representation of a memory or identity. |
 +| **Focus on Stimuli** | Focuses on **managing** Focal, Contextual, and Residual stimuli to reduce their impact. | Focuses on **identifying** the specific "Lynchpin" (Focal/Residual) to completely neutralize its emotional charge. |
 +| **Role of Practitioner** | To alter the environment or support the patient's coping mechanisms (Caregiver). | To challenge the client's internal structure and provoke neurological change (Change Agent). |
 +| **Handling "Residual" Stress** | Acknowledges past trauma as a factor that influences current health; aims to support the patient despite it. | Views "Residual" stress (past trauma) as the **primary target**; aims to remove its active influence entirely. |
 +| **Approach to Symptoms** | Symptoms (anxiety, pain behavior) are signals that the system is struggling to adapt; the goal is to stabilize. | Symptoms are viewed as **"Patterns of Chronicity"**; the goal is to disrupt the pattern to allow a new adaptation. |
 +| **Desired Outcome** | **Stability:** The patient creates a new "normal" and functions as well as possible within their constraints. | **Evolution:** The client is freed from the constraints of the past, allowing for spontaneous and generative behaviors. |
 ==== Goal and Intention of IEMT ==== ==== Goal and Intention of IEMT ====
  
  • Last modified: 2026/02/12 19:25
  • by andrewtaustin