2007-04-18 21:23:54 - A team of Scientology Volunteer Ministers (VMs) in Blacksburg, VA, are providing grief counseling and trauma relief for students, family members, friends and local residents affected by the incident.

With 33 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.

A team of Scientology Volunteer Ministers (VMs) in Blacksburg, VA, are providing grief counseling and trauma relief for students, family members, friends and local residents affected

by the incident. Any Scientology Volunteer Minister who can do so, is urged to help in this relief effort.

The International Volunteer Ministers Consultant, who is coordinating the VM activities in the area, also encourages anyone in need of help to contact her. "So many people are in shock over what occurred," she said. "Anyone needing help should call in to find a Volunteer Minister in their area."

The techniques the VMs use, called "assists," have been made available online so people can study and use them. They can be found at the Scientology Handbook web site, www.scientologyhandbook.org. 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.-

An 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 at www.scientologyhandbook.org/SH6_5.HTM

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 dramaticeven with people who were completely grief-stricken. This is also described in the Scientology Handbook web site, at www.scientologyhandbook.org/SH6_7.HTM.

For those in need of grief counseling, the assist to use is 'Handling a Loss.- This is online in a chapter of the Scientology Handbook called 'Solutions for a Dangerous Environment,' at www.scientologyhandbook.org/LESSEN.HTM.

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.