What have I got to lose?

Sometimes we encounter real resistance when we are attempting to go in a new and sometimes threatening direction in our lives. We find that despite the best treatment, support, motivation, and medications; we are resistant to change. We have chronic illness, chronic pain, chronic sadness and a sense we are overwhelmed. In these cases it is sometimes beneficial to attack the problem from a loss benefit analysis. Even though the old thought pattern, illness, or behavior has tangible negative impact on our lives, there is a reciprocal benefit which may be known only to the presenter. So the question becomes “What have you got to lose if you were better?” This question is a probing and yet brutally honest way to examine one’s participation in an unhealthy state despite the best efforts.

For example a woman who senses her marriage has deteriorated into a union of obligation, may manifest a host of pains and illnesses which require her spouse to be a reluctant caregiver--As long as the illness persists--the relationship maintains its status quo. Another example might be a pseudo illness such as a sensory deficit such as a hearing loss that results after a trauma. In this scenario the affected party may be reluctant to hear any more bad news and while there is no known etiology or cause for the problem, the loss persists. The body is designed to protect the soul and mind. Sometimes acknowledging the truth in a situation is too unsettling and the self defense mechanisms are engaged. There is sometimes a direct causal link between and event and subsequent guilt which then manifests as a form of self punishment. If you feel like you deserve to be punished, that feeling will manifest and will sometimes hide in plain sight. This is not the same scenario of someone who knowingly exploits an illness or problem for the sake of currying favor or special treatment. In most cases the client is not or is only vaguely aware that they may be impeding their own progress. In fact some clients do not acknowledge a belief in such a possibility but can actively engage with the part in a treatment session.

One way of treating these presentations is by using an advanced hypnosis technique known as parts therapy. Under a deep trance, the client confronts the unruly part and cooperation, integration or elimination is the result. Namely the client negotiates a truce with the part, assimilates the part back into the whole of the body, or the offending issue is figuratively dismantled and removed--thereby relieving the client of any residual influence. Parts therapy can be highly effective and should be considered when the client fails to make progress or you have tried every thing available and you cannot progress in your treatment. Parts therapy is an excellent to any addiction work as the potential for self sabotage and relapse is all too real. By working from a loving and understanding model the client can express real fears and make real progress without feeling ashamed or bad. They were not in conscious control and were truly a party to their own protection. Fortunately parts therapy is easy and effective and much resolution can occur in as little as one to two sessions with a trained professional. To learn more about parts therapy, contact Soul Centered Health for more information,

www.soulcenteredhealth.com