Accredited Facilitator Trainer and Mentor

She added:

‘One of our strengths is to demonstrate that recovery is possible by employing people who have transitioned from chronic symptoms of Complex PTSD to training as a counsellor or therapist and working with clients. Rates of pay need to reflect their knowledge and skillset.’

Above: Analisa Borneo, Founder and Managing Director, Recovery Code X

Photo credit: Mark Deg

‘When we involve the community in designing a new project, it is often a question of speaking to those who work with vulnerable adults in health and social care. Handing out leaflets in town is a form of outreach, but few members of the public can tell us what our clients actually need in psychological or therapeutic terms – that’s a job for the professionals.’

The social enterprise boasts two registered clinical psychologists, a shamanic counsellor, trauma specialist and NHS-qualified peer facilitator trainer, among others on its team.

Recovery Code X designs and delivers specialist Complex PTSD peer support services with a holistic approach, designed by ‘survivors’ who have recovered and trained as professional therapists, counsellors, psychologists.

ENDS

Melanie addressed an audience of entrepreneurs about the possible causes of Complex PTSD and how it can be transmitted through families. She gave some helpful indications on how it can be treated and the work of Recovery Code X.

She said: ‘They found it informative. I could see it landing as an awaking in some members of the group.’

Melanie brings her expertise as an experienced shamanic practitioner, teacher, counsellor and homeopath to the development and delivery of courses at Recovery Code X.

ENDS

Dr Lukanova's passion for this work is informed by her personal experience of trauma and ongoing healing journey. She says:

'I feel that a complex PTSD centre is important due to the prevalence of CPTSD, and due to there not being enough organisations where people can feel safe and supported by others who can relate to their experience.

'When one has CPTSD it is a very isolating experience, which is why peer support is invaluable in normalising and validating the experience. My hope for this role is to aid in Recovery Code X's growth and expansion, as well as aid the wellbeing of the team which is pivotal in making this a successful enterprise.'

Ms Finnigan joined the organisation in August 2022, serving as Clinical Support Advisor, providing professional development, administrative, and supportive supervision to teams running the Survivors Hub peer support groups.

Jacqui will now have a greater involvement in the strategic direction of the organisation, while continuing to ensure the effective and safe delivery of client services to the highest quality and clinical outcomes.

She is well trained in CBT, ACT, DBT, CFT, mindfulness and EMDR. Jacqui specialises in Schema Therapy and is certified as an Advanced Schema Therapist, with the International Society of Schema Therapy. 

She has 16 years’ experience of working with clients with psychological difficulties including complex trauma, anxiety, chronic depression, eating disorders and relationship difficulties.

Reason to celebrate

Bedford-based Recovery Code X is celebrating the news that it has received a stamp of approval from Companies House and is now incorporated as a Community Interest Company (CIC) Limited by Guarantee. From now on, the former community organisation will be able to trade, as well as bid for grants, provided that profits are invested back into the business.

Founder and Managing Director, Analisa Borneo, said:

'We hope that being a social enterprise will help us attract more support and funding for our projects and programmes aimed at helping improve the lives of people suffering from the long-term psychological effects of domestic abuse and other types of prolonged, repetitive trauma from which there was no escape.'

Survivor-led programmes with a holistic approach

Our peer support groups are aimed at those with mild to moderate Complex PTSD, and looking for a supportive community. More here on our Groups page.

Although they have been women-only groups to date, we are looking to create Survivors Hub groups that address men's needs.

The Venue

Green Earth Cafe

13, St Paul's Square

Bedford

MK40 1SL

Book a space at our table, and choose from one of these slots:

10am to 11am

11am to 12pm

Drinks not included. Please buy your own at the counter.

Email: admin@recoverycodex.org

Look forward to seeing you there!

BRINGING BACK the magic in 2023

Recovery Code X pledges to do everything it can to bring back the magic in 2023 – and the sooner the better.

A big thank you to everyone who joined the group and made it special – a force for good in a turbulent world.

For those who have been on the course, we are hosting a special pre-Christmas Chat 'n' Chill evening on 7th December. We’ll be joined by special guest, Melanie Tomsett, who will be sharing her experience of her own Complex PTSD journey of recovery and supporting the group.

Melanie Tomsett BSc (Hons) who will be co-facilitating the Chat 'n' Chill last Survivors Hub session in 2022

Melanie says: 'I am a shamanic practitioner, teacher and homeopath, and I realised I had CPTSD while undertaking my own journey to heal my life.

'I have been helping others on their journey for many years now, and my own experiences and learning deeply inform and underpin my continuing work to help others regain their personal power, strength and resilience.'

For further information contact: survivorshub@recoverycodex.org

INTRODUCTION - September 20th 2022

Meet the facilitators and other members and share your goals and aspirations, experience a holistic approach to symptom management and recovery.

Register online now.

This course is completely FREE.

For further information see our Groups page.

COMPLEX PTSD diagnosis - benefits

A diagnosis can help make sense of frightening, overwhelming or confusing thoughts and feelings and make access to support easier. Getting the right diagnosis can lead to referrals to helpful professional treatment. Anecdotal feedback suggests traumatic histories are overlooked, and symptoms such as depression and anxiety medicated rather than explored.

COMMUNITY BUBBLE - Panel explores reality for service users

This month (July 2022), we asked our Community Bubble focus group of mental health workers, clinicians and service users for their thoughts on why it’s so difficult to get a Complex PTSD diagnosis.

Here’s a snapshot of what they said.

Reproduced with kind permission of the panellists.

Severely traumatised people are being let down at the first hurdle, that first meeting with a counsellor or therapist, who simply lack the tools to communicate with them, said panel members.

CBT - one-size-fits-all approach

‘With PTSD on its own, it’s hard enough to find someone who’ll understand what the hell you’re talking about,’ said Carl, who believes he has Complex PTSD, but has been diagnosed with Acute PTSD.

In Rotherham, 1,400 young girls were abused over a period of 16 years, groomed and exploited by gangs, disbelieved until it was too late and the damage had been done. ‘No one wanted to talk to them about it,’ said Mark.

Young people don’t (on the whole) want to engage with mental health professionals, they don’t want to talk to them, added Carl. ‘If you’ve got them in the [consulting] room for an hour, it might be the one hour of the day that they’re all right. They might not talk. If you’ve got a mental health professional who can’t, and won’t, attempt to communicate with the young person, then that’s another young person that gets lost.’

Underlying the difficulty of getting a Complex PTSD diagnosis is the one-size-fits-all approach to therapy offered by the NHS, chimed our panel. Nearly everyone is offered Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) which is focused on the present, whereas the kinds of trauma leading to intrusive thoughts, dissociative disorders, triggers and flashbacks, are rooted in the past, requiring years of investigation and psychodynamic therapy. And this is simply too costly, and inconvenient, said clinical psychologist Rafida Alhagiali. Staff morale is low, impacting service delivery to some of society’s most vulnerable.

SAFEGUARDING LAWS limit the conversation

Professionals need to make a distinction between past and present behaviour, because if they don’t, that’s another barrier to the therapeutic alliance, another reason not to trust them.

The scale of the impact of complex trauma in society, the hidden impact of childhood abuse and neglect, and other prolonged disruptions to healthy psychological development, is only just beginning to come to light. It’s a global issue, requiring a global solution.

DOMESTIC ABUSE peer-led support

The Survivors Hub Project is aimed at supporting women who grew up in an atmosphere of domestic abuse/trauma, who may have suffered further victimisation as an adult.

HOLISTIC symptom management

The sessions, led by a clinician and trained peer facilitator, will combine peer support with clinical information and holistic symptom management skills. It is hoped that attendance will reduce anxiety for people on long NHS waiting lists for trauma therapy, who cannot afford private treatment. The series could also help people who have exited a rehabilitation programme and wanting ongoing support.

The sessions will be held on Zoom as Recovery Code X's research shows most women prefer the anonymity, being in the comfort of their own home, not having to travel, and saving on childcare.

The goal is to build a new virtual community that can survive any future restrictions on gatherings, providing a reassuring sense of continuity.

Details of how to register will be posted on the Recovery Code X website soon.

PUBLIC TALKS planned

Project Manager, Anna Bragga, said:

‘We’re looking at setting up public talks in faith and community centre settings to help spread the word to BAME groups and help remove cultural barriers, demonstrate that we are open to honour-based faiths. Complex PTSD can touch anyone exposed to domestic violence, and we want to be as inclusive as possible.'

SPIRITUALITY IS a fundamental human need

Emma Jaynes, director of the Central Beds-based Adept Living Foundation, spoke candidly about her own previous battles with alcoholism. She said, ‘from an emotional and psychological needs perspective, spirituality is a fundamental human need, essential to coping with life’s stresses. I came back to spirituality via the 12 Steps of the AA. I’ve been through many different phases.’

Spirituality is synonymous with religion to many people, but to our panel it meant a connection to God.

Resilience and well-being coach, Sorrel Pindar, who yesterday (13^th June 2022) gave a public talk about ‘finding peace in difficult times’, in the Arcade’s Hippy Wytch Emporium, said: ‘The thing that made the biggest difference to me was understanding that I am God. We are all God. We’re not separate from God. And because we’re all God we have unlimited healing potential.’

BELIEF IN A Higher Power

The belief in a higher power and having an inner spiritual framework can have life-changing consequences, commented another member of the panel. It's about taking responsibility for your recovery. It gives you a reason to get up in the morning.

Vanya Paterson, a qualified counsellor and natural empath training as a Deep Memory Process (DMP) regression therapist, said she wouldn’t have experienced recovery from childhood trauma without spirituality: ‘My connection with God deepened,” she says. 'It’s definitely an inner thing.'

The Community Bubble launched on 16^th December 2021 and meets monthly on Zoom to discuss topical issues of concern to service-users and mental health professionals.

We hosted a discussion involving people from different backgrounds with three things in common: they’d all struggled with severe mental health challenges and sought help from the NHS, and all had been Bedfordshire residents.

“I’ll never change, I’ll always be medicated,” announced Carl, who has been diagnosed with acute PTSD. The former drug user said he’d been in recovery for nine years, and managing it was key.

SHARING STORIES, having a voice

HUMANISING difficult themes

Discussions took place about the broad range of symptoms associated with Complex PTSD. The speakers answered diverse questions such as: Is PTSD or Complex PTSD worse? And, how do I join a peer support group?

Power point slides lit up a wall at the front of the room in cinematic style, and an atmosphere of quiet concentration formed. Each speaker warmed to their topic, humanising difficult themes, drawing on their own experiences of recovery, both personally and professionally.

 Guest speaker, Amit Shenmar, drugs and alcohol misuse worker

Special guest, Amit Shenmar, a former drugs and alcohol misuse worker who has facilitated countless peer support groups with a well known organisation, commented:

“I can see Recovery Code X offering different packages to suit people exiting treatment programmes. You’ll need an easy referral process and to reassure people of confidentiality.”

Referrals could come from GPs and other local health services. “Making those links is our next priority,” said founder and chair of Recovery Code X, Anna Bragga.

"A series of presentations is planned for 2022 aimed at raising awareness of the organisation, and looking at ways of working together."

'This brilliant meeting summed up the support Recovery Code X has to offer which is not available elsewhere.'

Jane from Bedford

To sign up for further information about upcoming talks and peer support groups email admin@recoverycodex.org.

PANEL of speakers

Open to anyone with interest in this subject: trauma victims, survivors, friends and loved ones of sufferers, researchers, professionals.

             ------------------------------------

Date: March 10th 2022

Time: 6pm – 7pm

Venue: ACCM UK, 3a Woburn Road MK40 1EG

Entry: FREE

Book your place by emailing: amit.shenmar@nhs.net or phone 07387 259 843

TURNING AN IDEA into reality

We formed this Bedford-based community organisation in order to run face-to-face peer support groups with a holistic approach, and with National Lottery funding started the Survivors Hub in November 2019.

The following year we were successful in being awarded funding from the Bedfordshire Charitable Trust to help cover staff training costs in psycho-dynamic counselling.

We produced a set of practical self-help guides about Complex PTSD now being distributed in GP surgeries, health centres and charities working with abuse survivors. The project was executed with the assistance of the East London NHS Foundation Trust and our own steering group of mental health professionals. We are currently recruiting volunteers to help spread the word on social media.

The Recovery Code X team launching Project Educate 2021 with Bedford Mayor, Dave Hodgson. Photo credit: Mark Deg and Izzy Smart.

LEARNING AND GROWING

Our involvement with the Bedfordshire and Luton Recovery College’s peer tutor training programme has broadened our knowledge of workshop styles of delivery and content, and shown us that there is a demand for online groups and their unique advantages. As a result, we are in the process of fundraising for a new series of online single-sex Survivors Hub peer support groups for men and women.

Now, with the right funding and collaborative support, we’re looking to run the Survivors Hub all year, and host public events and talks so that people can find out more about Complex PTSD, the benefits of peer support and what we mean by a ‘holistic approach’. We’ll be looking at refining our products to meet the needs of those in treatment programmes and high functioning adults looking to improve the quality of their lives and discover new paths to recovery. We’ll be developing collaborations with local groups so that we can support each other as best we can through this topsy turvy pandemic environment.

OPENING DOORS to recovery

Recovery is a journey. Our mission is to inspire and empower people who have experienced repetitive, ongoing abuse and trauma to find the keys to unlocking the codes of their own recovery. We aim to provide a safe environment with tools to support them on their journey to wholeness and harmony in mind, body and soul.

Contact us for further information about our Survivors Hub programmes or to be a social media volunteer, or just send us your thoughts and ideas. We’d love to hear from you! Email: admin@recoverycodex.org.

Anna L. Bragga

Founder, Chair

MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES don't work with feelings

The problem with services, said another, is that they can’t work with your feelings. You get terrible support in most services. The process is slow as well.  You can’t beat addiction without mental health support. Peer support groups are key. You’ve got to keep attending though.

The ever-shifting pandemic restrictions needn’t get in the way of meeting up with a ‘blended approach’ to group work – where people can join in either online from home, or in person at a venue.

“We’ve seen it work at the Quakers in Bedford,” said Mark, who works with army vets suffering from PTSD. “Sitting in your own room is gateway stuff; you can join in after you’ve seen others in a group.”

PEER SUPPORT GROUPS make you feel less alone

But first there are a few misconceptions about peer support groups that need clearing up. First off, these groups are not about fixing people, you don’t have to talk, you can just listen, and nor are they a substitute for 1-2-1 therapy.

Carl, a peer support worker from Hertfordshire, who spent nine years in recovery, says: “People coming into mental health services are often forced – by a family member, coming out of hospital or prison. People often don’t even know they are suffering when they’ve got an addiction. Lots are anti-groups. I was.”

“When I needed serious help, I did join a group. You don’t have to talk about anything. Attendance is a beautiful thing. You click with the stories and you don’t feel alone. You feel like you’re supporting each other.  Zoom makes it much easier – you can have the camera off.”

Stigma makes it hard to join a group, but the power of being in a group kickstarts recovery

- CARL

The success of a peer support group is directly linked to the ability of the facilitator to relate to the specific challenges and needs of members of the group. The Community Bubble heard that while a therapist should always be present to explain people’s problems and help them if they feel triggered by material, the peer trained facilitator with lived experience will be able to break down barriers with their own personal narratives and create a non-judgemental sharing space.

Carl says: “My job is to get people into a comfortable enough position to talk. You don’t have to talk though. Trauma shows itself differently in different people. A lot of this is about trust. It’s about who’s running the group, how they facilitate, boundaries and the chance to speak to someone afterwards if you get triggered is important.”

“Groups can work to help people, but they can also damage people if they are not run properly”, commented Jennifer, who works for a Bedford-based consumer health watchdog. “With a therapist present, they will learn something.”

“It’s about educating people as well. Group rules are needed,” said Amit, a peer tutor supervisor with the Bedfordshire and Luton Recovery College. “We’re not a substitute for therapy. We’re not dictating anything either.”

If you’re interested in joining a male peer support group with Recovery Code X, please contact admin@recoverycodex.org to register your interest. Further news and updates will appear on our website.

RECOVERY STRATEGIES BY PEER TUTORS with 'lived in' experience

Anyone who lives in Bedfordshire can come along and learn about a subject of interest and receive support from people with shared experiences.

The courses and workshops are focused on recovery strategies and psycho-educative support. Most of the peer tutors have ‘lived-in’ experience of a mental health challenge and experienced personal transformation. Their stories and accumulated knowledge can offer hope to the lost and hopeless, kinship to the lonely and disillusioned. This ethos makes the Recovery College stand out from other NHS services, helping sufferers feel understood, fostering a relaxed, safe environment for sharing.

 Anna says:

“I was able to draw on the research I’d done for our Project Educate 2021 Complex PTSD self-help factsheets in producing my Power Point presentation. My training in psychodynamic theory and experience of a variety of healing modalities probably helped add more depth.

“The peer tutor training and 1-2-1 supervision provided by the Bedfordshire and Luton Recovery College was fantastic. I feel privileged to have been given this opportunity and worked with a highly dedicated team. My supervisor was always at my side guiding me and building up my confidence until I had proven to myself that I could do it.”

FEEDBACK FROM THE GROUP

‘A very professional, educative and interactive course.

I learned a lot.’

   - T. Kore (Participant)

‘Very sensitive but amazing workshop. Although it triggered some past issues for me, it gave me awareness and tools how to cope and seek further help.’

   - Anon (Participant)

‘Evocative, professionally produced and life-affirming. You combine the creative with the psycho-educative. What you say resonates with people. It’s transformative with a liberatory undertone.’

   - Amit Shenmar, Bedfordshire and Luton Recovery College Co-ordinator

Register your interest in joining a new series of workshops about Complex PTSD with Anna and the Bedfordshire and Luton Recovery College by emailing admin@recoverycodex.org.

CULTURAL STIGMA still a barrier to seeking help

People entering the mental health system are too often treated like ‘pariahs’ and made to feel as if their problems are their own fault, commented one delegate. ‘This adds to the burden of self-blame and shame so common among people with Complex PTSD.’

There were calls for an ‘ideological revolution’ with emotional intelligence and empathy, a gentle bedside manner, placed at the forefront of professional training.

There’s enough ‘self-stigma’ around mental health as it is, said another delegate. Domestic abuse breeds a lack of self-compassion and self-forgiveness, and physical health problems like ME, fibromyalgia, and HIV - high among African women, create additional layers of shame that don’t necessarily belong to the patient.

FAMILIES SHUNNING loved ones

in mental health crisis

Project Educate 2021 Stage One, funded by the National Lottery Awards for All, comprises four colourful A4 double-sided self-help factsheets and four corresponding podcasts aimed at helping people who have experienced prolonged interpersonal trauma and abuse better understand their symptoms and provide information on NHS treatments and complementary therapies.

The initiative comes at a time when the country is facing unprecedented pressure on mental health services and many people without previous experience of mental health problems are seeing their mental health and wellbeing decline.

Recovery Code X founder, Anna Bragga, said:

“We’d like to thank Bedford Mayor, Dave Hodgson, for supporting our project. We contacted him back in March asking for help and were lucky to meet him to discuss our work and get his advice on several questions we had.

“Our next priority is getting the factsheets and podcasts out to the public. We’re organising an online forum to discuss this with mental health professionals and support workers in September. This initiative is about self-empowerment at a time when many people are feeling confused, anxious and disempowered. If we can get just one person on the path to healing and recovery, the work will all have been worthwhile, if we can get twelve, we’ll be ecstatic.”

People interested in finding out more about Complex PTSD can join Anna in a series of interactive online workshops next month with the Bedfordshire and Luton Recovery College.

REACHING OUT to survivors