Why some Chesterfield inmates are learning trauma therapies in jail: 'These are people with broken wings'

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By: Elizabeth HolmesPosted at 5:55 PM, Jul 16, 2024

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. — Simplicity is the solution when it comes to helping people recover from substance use disorder at Chesterfield County Jail. Those in the Helping Addicts Recover Progressively program, also known as HARP, know it firsthand, using trauma therapies like "tapping" or "Havening," which focus on using hand movements, breathing techniques, and meditation.

The techniques only take a few minutes to complete.

"It has helped me a lot," said a participant named Warren, who shared his experience with Senator Warner when he came to visit last month. "Like, with my stress and my anxiety, worrying, fear, it really helped."

Ulf Sandstrom, a trauma consultant who travels across the globe sharing different trauma-informed techniques through the internationally recognized NGO he co-founded, Peaceful Heart Network, helped bring these techniques to Chesterfield.

"All it does is lower arousal and at the same time, it could not only lower it, but take away the traumatic experiences people have," Sandstrom said about the techniques he uses.

In July, Sandstrom visited the HARP program, after spending months working virtually alongside participants and program coordinator, Kerri Rhodes.

"This program blew our minds in every way," Sandstrom said. "Partly because it's integrated from the top down. So that was like, unheard of. I mean that happens in, once in a thousand, once in a million."

Rhodes commented on how using Sandstrom's techniques and support has proven positive results.

"Havening is quick, and without your permission or with it, it's going to calm your nervous system. It's going to turn off that alarm in your brain. Same with tapping," Rhodes said. "It equips them to go out and have a better shot because they're armed differently, they're ready."

Both are working to bring this kind of therapy, targeting trauma and how to handle it, to the world outside of Chesterfield County Jail's walls.

"Right now, Chesterfield is a psychiatric ward, more or less, and so it's about being able to change how society regards what this is, and what has to be done in society that created these people. I mean, these are people with broken wings," Sandstrom said. "Angels with broken wings. Something broken. It wasn't in here. It was why they came here. So once the wings are repaired, they have to be let out where the wings don't break again. And that's up to politicians and that's up to society, and down to every single person involved."

"We have a whole country that's not okay. And a whole world that's not okay. People need information, skills, and resources," Rhodes said. "About 170 people every day commit suicide in this country and about 305 people overdose every day. Those are tremendous losses. I mean, if that many chipmunks died in front of the White House, we'd be picketing. These are people. These are people's children."

Trying new tactics in a safe space, where Rhodes and Sandstrom say they start to see success. Sandstrom brought new techniques of meditation and thought-processing to the jail when he visited, meeting with participants daily.

"When you have people who love you genuinely, who care about you genuinely and want the best for you, for somebody like me who has never felt that, that's everything," said a participant named Jen, who would be released from Chesterfield County Jail the next day.

The kind of comradery found while recovering in Chesterfield's HARP program, Sandstrom told CBS 6, hasn't been seen anywhere else.

"Considering how the world is right now, which is messy, I think this is a strong glimmer of hope," Sandstrom said. "Bottle this and give it to the nation."

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