Most therapists will tell you that healing occurs when awareness is opened up and learning occurs. When we learn about who we are, why we are like that and what it is that effects us we start to improve our life. If awareness is undeveloped we are in denial of that aspect of our life and we cannot grow or heal whilst it stays that way.
I’m a trained Body Psychotherapist which means I help people improve their life by looking at the body to see what has happened during crucial developmental years and how that is now causing problems in the personality. When I teach my clients how to see this in themselves, that is what gives them the awareness to start to lift the lid on their denial and their behaviours and gives them the reins back on their life. What you resist persists so in other words what stays in unawareness will continue to persist until it is released into consciousness so you can then make new choices. New choices will improve your life simple as that.
Patterns that show up in your life are the result of your character structure/defence playing itself out over and over getting the same results until you one day wake up and ask why on earth this is happening … again.
Here’s a brief review of the 5 character structures. I learnt these structures during my Core Energetics training and they were renamed by Robert Kirby (my mentor). You will notice each structure has 2 sides to it, positive qualities and negative or unhealed qualities. The goal of therapy is to be more aligned with the positive qualities and having the unhealed qualities coming out less and less. See if you relate to any. People often notice themselves in more than one category.
The Unwanted Child – often extremely intelligent, artistic, creative, highly spiritual and often psychic. They are also unable to connect with others instead living in their fantasy world to escape reality, they often have trouble with money or making things happen and the world can seem terrifying.
The Abandoned Child – a genius, very loving and giving, very compassionate and empathetic. Also can feel empty and needy and believe there is never enough of anything (possessions, love, attention, etc), they talk a lot trying to get attention from others, often addictive and exhausting to be around.
The Suppressed – loyal, hard working, energetic, huge heart and very giving. Biggest issue is feeling suppressed and trapped even in adulthood, was not allowed no in life so they are people pleasers, no inner life, always have the brakes on in life, huge no sabotages everything.
The Achiever – manifests easily and is successful, seems to have it all, usually good looking and everyone notices them, they find life easy. However their heart is closed and broken and they find it hard to trust others out of fear of rejection so they stay in their head. Life can seem routine as there is no connection to feeling. Sex and love are two different things.
The Visionary – natural leader, very charismatic and inspiring to be around, huge heart, easy communicator. But they want their own way all the time and can abuse power, trust is a big issue they fear betrayal from others, can come off superior or aloof yet they are inferior underneath.
As you learn about your character structure you go into the material that will improve your life and you will find that lifelong problems begin to unravel and fall back into place as you find a new way of being. This is the exciting world of body psychotherapy.
