(The following is not based on any of my real cases. It is an example of how I use my skills.)
“See the True Self” Painting by Elizabeth Brandon
Jamie was a woman who had been through the Criminal Justice system many times. She looked ‘rough’. So, I was amazed when she immediately went to a deep issue.
“I have worked very hard to establish a legal lifestyle and be sober, but I keep screwing up in small ways that trip me up. I want to change that.”
The first step was to use Gestalt and dialogue between one part that wanted to stay the same and the other part that wanted to change. From that interaction, we discovered her memory of her mother’s voice telling her she would not succeed in life.
I taught her how to challenge and face down that memory. She saw immediate improvement. At the end of our working together, she announced that she was getting engaged and out of the legal system.