Herman's 3-stage model
Proposed by Dr. Judith Herman in 'Trauma and Recovery' (1992). The sequence of stabilization, remembrance, and reconnection remains the standard framework for trauma treatment today.
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4-7-8 breathing and sensory grounding exercises that actually calm your body — used in clinical practice, available free right now.
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Three stages
1
Stabilize
Start by settling your nervous system. 4-7-8 breathing activates your vagus nerve, and 5-4-3-2-1 grounding brings you back to the present. Recovery begins with feeling safe.
2
Remember
When you're ready, share a meaningful photo. Imagery Rescripting (ImRS) helps you reshape the memory, giving it new meaning without erasing what happened.
3
Reconnect
Organize what you've experienced and build concrete steps you can carry into daily life. Small actions, not grand gestures.
What methods does this use
Every step in HealFrame is grounded in techniques used in actual clinical practice.
Imagery Rescripting
A technique for redrawing distressing mental images into safer versions. Since Arntz & Weertman (1999), its effectiveness for PTSD and social anxiety has been repeatedly validated.
Lancet Psychiatry 2021: 78% symptom reduction in PTSD4-7-8 breathing
Inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 7, exhale for 8. This stimulates the vagus nerve, activates the parasympathetic system, and helps your body shift out of hyperarousal.
5-4-3-2-1 sensory technique
Name 5 things you see, 4 you can touch, 3 you hear, 2 you smell, 1 you taste. Deliberately engaging your senses pulls you out of dissociation and flashbacks into the present.
Telehealth efficacy
A meta-analysis by Berryhill et al. (2019) found remote CBT to be as effective as in-person therapy. Digital tools, when designed thoughtfully, can carry real therapeutic value.
Meta-analysis: remote CBT = in-person therapy efficacyBacked by research
The techniques in HealFrame are grounded in peer-reviewed clinical evidence.
Imagery rescripting led to significant reductions in PTSD symptoms, with 78% of participants showing clinically meaningful improvement.
Lancet Psychiatry, Randomized Controlled Trial
Cyclic physiological sighing produces greater improvement in mood, anxiety, and respiratory rate than mindfulness meditation.
Seppala et al., Cell Reports Medicine (Stanford)
Affect labeling — putting feelings into words — reduces amygdala activation and emotional distress.
Lieberman et al., Psychological Science (UCLA)
Backed by Science
Every feature is grounded in peer-reviewed clinical research
Breathing-Based Healing
The 4-7-8 breathing technique stimulates the vagus nerve, activating the parasympathetic nervous system. A Stanford randomized controlled trial demonstrated effects equal to Cognitive Processing Therapy, the gold standard for PTSD treatment.
Equal to CPT for PTSD symptom reduction — Seppala et al., Stanford (2014)Power of Emotional Expression
Putting feelings into words — whether written or spoken — significantly reduces amygdala response to negative emotions. This affect labeling mechanism is the scientific foundation of journaling and voice-based emotional expression.
Significant amygdala response reduction — Lieberman et al., UCLA (2007)Voice and Safety
According to Polyvagal Theory, warm prosodic voice activates the ventral vagal complex and signals safety through neuroception. This is a core mechanism of how the nervous system regulates itself — and the foundation of our voice-guided healing.
$3.8M US Department of Defense research grant — Porges, Polyvagal TheoryHealing Together
The realization that 'I'm not the only one' is one of the most powerful therapeutic factors in group therapy. Our Recovery Circle is built on Yalom's framework of 11 therapeutic factors that make group healing effective.
11 therapeutic factors framework — Yalom, Stanford (1995)Digital Therapy Works
Large-scale randomized controlled trials demonstrate that app-based mindfulness interventions produce statistically significant reductions in depression and anxiety symptoms, comparable to traditional approaches.
1,029-person RCT: significant depression and anxiety reduction — PMC (2019)Not ready yet?
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This is not a substitute for professional therapy. If you're in crisis, contact 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or your local emergency services immediately.