Traumatic Stress Consultant

What traumatic stress is

Traumatic stress refers to our feelings, thoughts, actions, and our physical and spiritual reactions when we are exposed to, or witness, events that overwhelm our coping and problem-solving abilities. These events are often unexpected and uncontrollable. They compromise our sense of safety and security, and leave us feeling insecure and vulnerable.

What a traumatic stress consultant does

When people experience a traumatic event, there’s always a rush to address physical and safety needs. We would never wait to help someone who is bleeding profusely. In the same way, we should not wait to address overwhelming feelings. We must address the “emotional hemorrhage” early on.

As a Traumatic Stress Consultant, I empower individuals, families, organizations and corporations during and in the wake of a crisis. My consultative approach is short-term. My goal is to ease emotional pain, keep people functioning and lessen the likelihood of long-term suffering. Ultimately, I strive to empower people to harness the painful energy within and use that energy to propel them to not only survive, but thrive!

With whom I have worked

For over twenty years, I have worked with thousands of people who have experienced traumatic events. My clientele has included individuals, organizations, schools, universities, small businesses, governmental agencies and large corporations. I have worked with people in the health-related fields and the entertainment industry, with educators and professional athletes, with emergency responders and governmental leaders, with artists and business executives. I have worked with young people and old people, poor people and wealthy people. And in all my work, I have consistently found that we wait too long to address the emotional needs of people following a traumatic event.

When I become involved

There are many faces of trauma, from the seemingly mundane to the most severe. I have a passion for helping people who are experiencing the worst events that life can bring (e.g., loss of a loved one, serious illness, accidents, domestic problems, sexual molestation, suicide, criminal victimization, war, natural disasters, etc.).

When I work with people

I enjoy working with people before a traumatic experience. For example, I empower businesses, schools and universities to develop Organizational Traumatic Incident Management Teams (OTIM). Traumatic events, by their very nature, compromise our ability to think clearly. Having a road map, a preconceived plan, makes good sense. Also, I have found that people who are knowledgeable about traumatic stress, prior to a traumatic experience, regain a sense of control more rapidly in the wake of a tragedy. They understand that their responses are normal reactions to an abnormal experience.

In the same way that we rush to address physical needs during a crisis, I work to address emergent psychological needs—the hidden trauma … traumatic stress. My goal is to provide support, information and practical strategies that will enable individuals and organizations to cope more effectively.

In the aftermath of a tragedy, I help people to seize the energy from a traumatic experience, and use it to propel them to set realistic goals, make decisions and take action! So many people who have experienced adversity have harnessed painful emotional energy and used it to cultivate a mission and purpose (e.g., Oprah Winfrey, Carolyn McCarthy, John Walsh, Lance Armstrong and countless others).

How we can work together

Whatever happens to us during peak emotional experiences in our lives, the gifts of life and the losses of life, becomes etched in our minds forever. In the same way that negative information (e.g., sights, sounds and smells) stays with us, so too can positive information. Hearing the right thing, at the right time, can make a tremendous difference in how people ultimately respond to a tragedy. Consider the following:

I recently consulted with Walter, a law firm senior partner, following the suicide of a beloved attorney, colleague and ... friend. I provided support and practical information that empowered him to help others. Walter contacted the family of the deceased in order to obtain facts and to know what was okay to share with members of the firm. He arranged for staff members to be contacted at home and asked that they attend an important early morning meeting. Walter conducted the death notification with 28 people. He provided factual information in order to prevent rumors and he informed staff of the families’ wishes concerning the funeral. Walter provided support for staff and practical documents to help people to know that their reactions were very normal, given an abnormal experience. I empowered Walter to help others.

If commuting to New York is difficult, given your circumstance, arrangements can be made for us to communicate via telephone, or e-mail. Arrangements can also be made for me to come to you, your family, your organization or your client.

When a workshop or presentation is needed

I have conducted workshops and presentations with schools, universities, businesses, governmental agencies and large corporations. I customize my talk based on your group’s needs. I have presented at workshops with groups as small as a half dozen people to keynote presentations for several thousand people.

Traumatic stress consulting versus therapy

For years, I have worked with people as a Clinical Psychologist, providing psychotherapy in the months and years after a traumatic event. As a Traumatic Stress Consultant, I work with people before, during and in the aftermath of a traumatic experience. By reaching individuals, families, groups and organizations early, during and in the wake of a tragedy, we can keep people functioning and lessen the likelihood of long-term emotional suffering. My consultative approach is short-term and goal-oriented ... generally from one to several sessions.

If you’re still with me, reading this, you are already on your way to benefiting from consultation.

How we can get started

Simply e-mail me a brief message, describing the nature of your situation and how I may best help you—DrMarkLerner@mac.com. If the matter requires immediate attention, please telephone my offices at (631) 673-3513.

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SUMMARY

TRAUMATIC STRESS refers to our feelings, thoughts, actions, and our physical and spiritual reactions when we are exposed to, or witness, events that overwhelm our coping and problem-solving abilities.

WHO: Dr. Mark Lerner, a clinical psychologist and traumatic stress consultant, focuses on helping people through a traumatic experience. His consultative approach is short-term and goal-oriented ... generally from one to several sessions.

WHAT: Dr. Lerner consults with individuals, families, organizations and corporations. His primary goals are to ease emotional pain, keep people functioning and lessen the likelihood of ongoing suffering. He strives to empower people to harness painful emotional energy—and use that energy to propel them to not only survive, but thrive.

WHERE: Consultation may be take place at the offices of Mark Lerner Associates, Inc. in New York. When arranged, Dr. Lerner travels internationally, as a traumatic stress consultant, to organizational venues and client’s private residences.

WHEN: Dr. Lerner seeks to empower people with practical information and proactive strategies before, during and in the wake of a traumatic event. In the same way that there is a rush to address physical and safety needs during times of crisis, Dr. Lerner strives to address our feelings, thoughts, actions, physical and spiritual reactions—traumatic stress.

WHY: By reaching people early, we can potentially prevent the acute difficulties of today from becoming the chronic problems of tomorrow.

HOW: Email Dr. Lerner a brief message, describing the nature of your situation and how he may best help you—DrMarkLerner@mac.com. If the matter requires immediate attention, telephone Dr. Lerner at (631) 673-3513.

traumatic stress consultant

Empowering

individuals, families,

organizations and communities

during and in the aftermath of a crisis