What to expect in an individual session
When exploring the shadow we make use of the idea that we are all made up of many different ‘parts’.
People use this idea in everyday life when they say things like ‘Part of me would really love to stay, but the sensible part of me knows I should go.’ These parts can also be thought of as different points of view. Most of us are familiar with being able to hold two different points of view about the same problem. This seems to be a natural part of our makeup, and the idea that we are made up of many different parts is very helpful when exploring the shadow.
Healing The Shadow work takes place on a carpet in the centre of the room.
This carpet represents your ‘inner world’ and you are invited to symbolically represent different parts of yourself on this carpet. The parts can be represented by coloured cloths and, if helpful, also by other props such as cuddly toys or decorative/symbolic objects. You are physically active, stepping on to the carpet and ‘inhabiting’ these different parts and speaking and acting from them. After this you come back to an ‘observer’ place away from the carpet, where we can then discuss the process and what to do next.
The whole process is guided by you, and at every new step you chose which direction to take.
We spend time exploring the parts that you think are most relevant, and we find out as much information as we can about them. At each stage you choose which part to explore next. This way we build up a picture on the carpet of what is going on in your inner world. We can then look at what changes you might like to make to this picture.
Bringing these changes about involves you stepping on to the carpet and interacting with some of the parts there.
This can take many forms, for example: There may be a part you want to give comfort or support to, there may be a part you need to speak to or negotiate with, there may be a part you want to stand up to or set a boundary with, there may be two parts that need to make peace with each other. The possibilities are endless, and as the client, you will usually see clearly what is needed. The decision of what will happen and how it will happen is made by you, with my support and guidance as and when required.
Prior to this ‘Carpet Work’ we will spend time getting clear what you want from the session.
When you first arrive we will take time to ensure we are both clear about what you are wanting from the session. We will write this down and use it to help guide the work and ensure the session stays on course. We will also talk through any previous experiences or incidents in your life that may be relevant to the work you have decided to do.