-IBIS-1.5.0-
rx
process work
working on the edge
psychospiritual approaches

definition

see preliminaries
:
process paradigm
process work: basic principles
process work: glossary
process work: observation
process work: channel examples
process work: interventions
process work: working with signals

The following methods further illustrate working at the edge between what is consciously known, and that which is waiting to be discovered:

• Ask the client to image or feel or move like a dream figure or another person who could do what s/he cannot. Encourage the client to be the other person, and see what information that figure brings.

• Support and love the dream figure on the other side of the edge. Even if it is an awful demon.

• Model behavior over the edge. Make it look really juicy.

• Provoke the client. "I know you are a proper woman and you will never be direct. You're just not up to it."

• Be patient. Tell the client you will wait for ten years. Ask if this is agreeable.

• Give bare bones feedback. Just tell the client exactly what you see.

• See if the client can go over the edge in another channel. Use occupied channel.

• Tell a story about some else who did it, or make up a fairytale or story: "Once upon a time ..." and let them take over and complete the story.

• Recommend primary process behavior. Tell the client to do primary process really strongly for another two weeks. Then s/he will get sick of it.

• Talk to the primary process. Emphasize with how awful it is to have a secondary process. But reason with the primary process and explain that these things do not go away and getting into it is the first step to transforming it, that perhaps later it will become likable.

• Make the pattern conscious and be satisfied without going over the edge.

• Generally speaking, in order to go over the edge, the client needs a pattern for what is on the other side. If you push a person over an edge where there is not pattern for the secondary process, integration will be problematic.

miscellaneous pearls of wisdom:
• Helping people be aware is harder than "doing" therapy. Don't rob the person of his/her process. Use phrases like, "What did you notice?; Do you notice how you don't notice?; Did you notice what happened between things?"

• The symptom is the solution. Chronic symptoms are frozen states, processes waiting to happen.

• Don't interpret. Ask for information.

• Listen to your own body.

• If you support anybody the way they are, they will open up.

• To be healed is to be aware.

(Mindell, training seminars)
(Burg)

see:
process work: interview
transference and countertransference


footnotes