Author Archives: Tian Dayton

About Tian Dayton

Tian Dayton, MA, PhD, TEP, is the Director of the New York Psychodrama Training Institute and the Program Development for Breathe Life Healing Centers and executive editor of the Journal of Psychodrama, Sociometry and Group Psychotherapy. She serves on the board of the National Association for Children of Alcoholics and is the author of 15 books. Dr. Dayton is the creator of the Internet's first interactive self-help website, www.emotionexplorer.com. Learn more at www.tiandayton.com.

What Do We Mean by Relationship Trauma?

May 30th, 2014 | Posted by Tian Dayton in ACoA | Addiction & Recovery | Adolescents | Adolescents' Issues | Family Issues | PTSD | Relationships | Trauma - (Comments Off on What Do We Mean by Relationship Trauma?)

(Note, continued training along with streaming video available on “The Workshop” on the www.tiandayton.com membership site) Relationship trauma is the kind of emotional and psychological trauma that occurs within the context of relationships. We are biologically wired to seek close and ongoing connection. It’s nature’s way of insuring that parents stay committed enough to children …
Read more

Forgiveness: Why It’s Worth It

April 29th, 2014 | Posted by Tian Dayton in ACoA | Grief | PTSD | Relationships - (Comments Off on Forgiveness: Why It’s Worth It)

Life is full of pain. About this we have no choice, it comes with the territory. What we do have choice around is how much we suffer. Life is full of ups and downs and feeling wounded occasionally doesn’t necessarily indicate that we’re doing anything wrong. Forgiveness allows us to be in charge of our …
Read more

The Use of Psychodrama in Dealing With Grief and Addiction-Related Loss and Trauma

March 27th, 2014 | Posted by Tian Dayton in Addiction | Addiction & Recovery | Grief | Therapy | Trauma - (Comments Off on The Use of Psychodrama in Dealing With Grief and Addiction-Related Loss and Trauma)

ABSTRACT. This article is an adaptation of a chapter from the author’s 2005 book, The Living Stage: A Step by Step Guide to Psychodrama, Sociometry, and Experiential Group Therapy. The author proposes the use of psychodrama to help clients in recovery who are dealing with complicated grief issues associated with  addiction and addition related trauma. …
Read more

High-End Deprivation, the Dark Side of Wealth

February 27th, 2014 | Posted by Tian Dayton in ACoA | Addiction | Adolescents | PTSD | Relationships | Shopping Addiction | Wealth Addiction - (Comments Off on High-End Deprivation, the Dark Side of Wealth)

Understanding Children of Wealth It is no social secret that having wealth can provide a person with status, power, and open the doors to acquiring education and polish.  If the rest of a person is attended to by maintaining healthy moral and personal values the wealthy person will generally have a strong enough inner world …
Read more

The Black Hole: Trauma and Addiction

February 3rd, 2014 | Posted by Tian Dayton in ACoA | Addiction | Addiction Discussions | Addiction Education | Adolescents | PTSD | Relationships | Trauma - (Comments Off on The Black Hole: Trauma and Addiction)

It has long been understood in the vernacular of the addictions field that those whose “lives become unmanageable” through excessive use of drugs and alcohol may be trying to “drown their pain.” While initially, addicts may feel they have found a way to manage a pain-filled inner world, this synthetic form of mood management can …
Read more

Using Drugs to Belong, Drinking to Manage Depression: Chiara de Blasio Tells Her Story of Substance Abuse

January 20th, 2014 | Posted by Tian Dayton in Addiction | Addiction Discussions | Alcohol Addiction | Drug Addiction | Marijuana Addiction - (Comments Off on Using Drugs to Belong, Drinking to Manage Depression: Chiara de Blasio Tells Her Story of Substance Abuse)

Nearly a million people have watched Chiara de Blasio describe her journey of recovery on YouTube since the video was released over the holidays last month. Chiara wanted to speak out to help all those who are suffering in silence. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, approximately 3.1 million Americans need …
Read more

Broken Rituals: Restoring Our Connection to Hope and Happiness Around the Holidays

December 11th, 2013 | Posted by Tian Dayton in ACoA | Addiction | Addiction Discussions | Relationships | Trauma - (Comments Off on Broken Rituals: Restoring Our Connection to Hope and Happiness Around the Holidays)

Who wants to be dark and dreary around the holidays? Everything around us suggests that this is a season of merriment, that holidays are meant to be a time of touching togetherness and affirming bonds of family and friends. But for those whose lives have been affected by living with addiction, this season can also …
Read more

Why Do Guided Imagery?

October 18th, 2013 | Posted by Tian Dayton in Trauma - (2 Comments)

Guided imagery is not only deeply relaxing and soothing, it actually helps to balance the nervous system and teach the skills of self-regulation and relaxation. Guided imagery also allows us to learn how to become conscious of our own emotional and mental processes, it takes us on a journey in which we make conscious, process, …
Read more

Journaling: Weaving Together Thoughts and Feelings through Writing

September 9th, 2013 | Posted by Tian Dayton in Addiction | Trauma - (Comments Off on Journaling: Weaving Together Thoughts and Feelings through Writing)

The translating of emotion into words is both illuminating and healing. It allows us to label what we’re feeling so that we can use our logical thinking to process and understand it. It allows us to witness the contents of our mind and heart as they pour out onto the paper. It helps the right …
Read more