TRE® Founder
About Dr. David Berceli
David Berceli, Ph.D. is an international expert in the areas of trauma intervention and conflict resolution. He is the creator of Tension & Trauma Releasing Exercises (TRE®). This revolutionary technique is designed to help release the deep tension created in the body during a traumatic experience or through chronic stress. He is also the energetic and creative founder and CEO of Trauma Recovery Services.
Dave has spent two decades living and working in nine countries providing trauma relief workshops and designing recovery programs for international organizations around the world. He has lived and worked extensively in Israel/Palestine, Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, Yemen, Egypt, and Lebanon. He is fluent in English and Arabic.
David is unique in that he holds a solid academic and experiential grounding in psychotherapy and therapeutic body-work. He integrates that with a keen understanding of the intertwining dynamics of religion and ethnic customs. This combination has allowed him to develop unique and specific processes that enable people from all parts of the world manage and move beyond personal trauma as well as bring healing and reconciliation between diverse groups.
History of David Berceli & the creation of TRE
Dr David Berceli – Founder of TRE. “People have asked me to explain the origins and development of TRE from my perspective. So, I put together this series of 8 short videos which explains my personal evolution which strongly affected the way and the purpose for which TRE was developed. This is part 1. Other TRE Providers and Trainers are organizing Part 2 which will come later.”
This is a series of personal reflections of my life’s journey which ultimately gave rise to the development of TRE.
Dr. David berceli
Mini-series Part 1: Dr. Berceli discusses his journey and how TRE came to life through a quick overview. The countries, cultures and religions that Dr. Berceli encountered when living in various countries showed results of seeing similarities in humanity rather than differences.
Mini-series Part 2: Moving to the South Bronx, New York, living with disenfranchised populations and meeting Mother Teresa for the first time.
Mini-series Part 3: This part of TRE’s development happened in the Middle East. Dr. Berceli lived in Egypt, Northern Yemen, and Lebanon. In Lebanon, he experienced war for the first time. It is here that he experienced body tremors from terror and impulsive reactions into the fetal response. These experiences would later inform the development of TRE.
Mini- series Part 4: Dr. Berceli met Alexander Lowen and was introduced into Bioenergetic Analysis. This was the beginning of his recovery process from Post Traumatic Stress. During these two years, he integrated his body, mind and spirit through his studies and practices.
Mini- series Part 5: Dr. Berceli explains how his recovery from the trauma of war led him to a deeper place within himself. He needed deep reflection, solitude and silence. This took him to Western Samoa and then to a hermitage in California. Through this extended process of reflection, he was able to integrate all the difficult experiences he went through.
Mini- series Part 6: This section is about his experience in New Zealand working as a Bioenergetic Therapist. He met the Maori culture there and was influenced by the nature and outdoor lifestyle that was so important to the New Zealand culture.
Mini- series Part 7: Dr. Berceli shares his experience of living in Israel and the Palestinian Territories. It is though these two communities that he learned to separate the tremor mechanism from psychodynamics which gave rise to a more solid expression of what we call TRE.
Mini-series Part 8: This video includes video sections of Dr. Berceli’s work in Sudan where TRE was firmly established. It gives you a deeper understanding of the circumstances, cultural context and applications of TRE as a self-help process for relieving stress, tension and trauma symptoms from a community perspective.