This clinical psychologist, and researcher has used yoga to dramatically improve the lives of those suffering from PTSD.

photo by: Spirit-Fire

When I ran across the work of today’s guest, Dr. Richard Miller, much was familiar. I’ve practiced yoga for a long time, and although I’m not a yoga scholar, or practitioner of Richard’s caliber, I understood where he was coming from. But Richard Miller is pulling yoga and psychotherapy together in a  new and powerful way I never seen before. As I say in the interview, I was drawn to him because I listened to 5 Questions As Being and was amazed at the effect it had on me.

Another exciting thing about Richard’s work is it seems to be piling up a lot of points from the medical/scientific community as well. Of course, if mind=brain, there’s no way a simple meditation technique should pile up points scientifically, but that’s another show for another time. Let’s get on to my conversation with Dr. Richard Miller.

Alex Tsakiris: When I was watching one of your presentations you said to your audience that not sharing this protocol with them would be like medical malpractice. That is, as a clinical psychologist you are so confident in the effectiveness of this protocol that you feel obligated to share it. That’s awesome in terms of getting it out, but it also hints at  just out of alignment we are in medicine and in clinical psychology.

Dr. Richard Miller: This is a direct quote from a veteran who took part in one of our studies in Miami. He said, “Every intervention I’ve had to date to help me heal through my post-traumatic stress has always started with what’s wrong with me, trying to show me what’s wrong, and how to fix and change what’s wrong with me. You’re the first protocol. You’re the first intervention that has started with what’s right about me. And now that I know what’s right about me, I’m wiling to face my worst nightmares.”

Click here for forum discussion

Click here for Richard’s website

Download Richard’s guided meditation, 5 Questions as being (music by Solon)

 https://youtu.be/sWEKtJ9YGOA

Read Excerpts From Interview:

Dr. Richard Miller: As a scientifically oriented westerner, “trust me” doesn’t really resonate with me. I wanted to understand how does this actually work. So I started reading into the literature in the ‘70s and ‘80s. Then in 2004 the military called me and asked if I would be interested in partaking in a study of my protocol with veterans and active duty coming back from the war front with PTSD. I said, fantastic. We entered into a study and the results we got were so effective they hired the teacher that I had trained who was teaching in the study to teach the protocol to all returning wounded warriors through Walter Reed Army Medical Cen...