Help to Overcome Trauma and Grief

With 32 dead and 29 injured, people around the US and throughout the world have been shocked by Monday’s events at Virginia Tech, the scene of the deadliest shooting incident in U.S. history.

While a team of Scientology Volunteer Ministers (VMs) are in Blacksburg, VA, to provide grief counseling and trauma relief for students, family members, friends and local residents affected by the incident, people all over the world have been deeply affected by this disaster.

The techniques the VMs use are described online. Anyone who is upset or distraught should visit the Scientology Handbook web site, learn how to apply the procedures and use them to get relief. The techniques are called "assists." Developed by L. Ron Hubbard, founder of the Scientology religion, assists address the emotional and spiritual side of trauma, enabling the person to recover fully from injury, stress or shock.

Those needing further assistance should immediately contact the Volunteer Ministers Consultant or their closest Scientology church or mission to speak to someone.

One assist that is very simple to learn is called the "Nerve Assist." When people have come through a traumatic incident they often have trouble sleeping. They can be extremely tense, unable to relax. Some people even shake or experience muscle spasms. Nerve Assists help with this and are a proven way to begin any trauma relief. Instructions on how to do a Nerve Assist can be found online.

Another technique that is recommended is the "Locational Assist." Shock tends to rivet an individual's attention. The Locational Assist helps orient the person in his or her environment. The relief people experience from this process can be really dramatic—even with people who were completely grief-stricken. This is also described in the Scientology Handbook.

For those in need of grief counseling, the assist to use is "Handling a Loss" in the chapter on "Solutions for a Dangerous Environment."

The International Volunteer Ministers Consultant has a hotline number. Anyone can call for help or to find a Volunteer Minister in their area. The number to call is 1-800 HELP 4 YU (1-800 435-7498) or e-mail her at vm@volunteerministers.org.