MAWASI. in the therapy room

Transcription

1 MAWASI in the therapy room Bonnie A. DenDooven, MC, LPC Art of Henri Matisse At the center of all of us is a single overriding desire that of survival, or to continue our existence. It is so strong that even when we meet overwhelming circumstances we will continue to modify our behavior in an attempt to survive. If we understand this desire we understand virtually everything else about ourselves and about MAWASI permission of the presenter) 1

2 In psychology Basic tension between freedom and determinism ~Co Creating Change by Jon Frederickson, p 1 Clients come because they have lost their freedom to engage in self creation. They have become determined by defenses of which they are unaware. They know they want something different in their lives but are unable to see what inhibits their freedom. permission of the presenter) 2

3 FREEDOM vs. DETERMINISM Just reacting? Freely striving? Blindly driven? Wisely driving? Who's the rider? Who's the horse? Who's in charge? Who charts the course? Tom Greening Dialogues: Therapeutic Applications of Existential Philosophy. Vol. 1, No. 2 The past, the childhood, the diagnoses,the MAWASI scores are easy to mistake as factors that DETERMINEr lives Co Creating Change, p. 1 permission of the presenter) 3

4 It is not easy to define being because in our society ~Existential Psychotherapy by Rollo May and Irvin Yalom we often subordinate the sense of being to our economic status... ~Existential Psychotherapy by Rollo May and Irvin Yalom permission of the presenter) 4

5 or the external type of life that we lead.... ~Existential Psychotherapy by Rollo May and Irvin Yalom A person is known (and knows self) not as a being or a self, but as a ticket seller in the subway, a grocer, a professor, a vice president, or as whatever his or her economic function may be. This loss of the sense of being is related to mass collectivist trends and widespread conformist tendencies in our culture. ~Existential Psychotherapy by Rollo May and Irvin Yalom permission of the presenter) 5

6 ELECTRONIC MAWASI = 16 permission of the presenter) 6

7 ELECTRONIC MAWASI = 16 ELECTRONIC MAWASI = 16 permission of the presenter) 7

8 MAWASI FIRST SESSION VIDEO FOR CHANGE TO HAPPEN THESE CONDITIONS MUST EXIST: 1) Client must have a problem 2) That they are willing to work on 3) With me today 4) And they must have a specific example of that problem permission of the presenter) 8

9 permission of the presenter) 9

10 Which fish on the wheel of pain is the greatest need of rescue first? permission of the presenter) 10

11 MAWASI FIRST SESSION cont VIDEO WORKAHOLISM EVERY INTERNAL CONFLICT HAS THIS FORM 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH FEELING ANXIETY DEFENSE SUFFERING The client has a feeling Client experiences automatic anxiety and feels it physically in the body The client uses a defense to ward off that feeling The defense creates symptoms presenting problem. permission of the presenter) 11

12 Graphics by B.DenDooven, Nov 2013 Every Therapy Intervention Co Creating Change by Jon Frederickson Every Therapy Intervention If the anxiety is too high: (1)regulate the anxiety (2) then help the client feel feelings. Graphics by B.DenDooven, Nov 2013 Co Creating Change by Jon Frederickson,, p. 5 permission of the presenter) 12

13 Graphics by B.DenDooven, Nov 2013 Every Therapy Intervention If the defenses are present: (1)Point out the defense and its cost (2)then help the client feel feelings. Co Creating Change by Jon Frederickson,, p. 5 Therapist looks for: Anxiety symptoms in the striated muscle Hand clenching Tension in the intercostal muscles in the chest Sighing Tension in arms, shoulders, neck, legs and feet Jaw clenching Biting Tension headache permission of the presenter) 13

14 Therapist looks for: Anxiety symptoms in the striated muscle Hand clenching Tension in the intercostal muscles in the chest Sighing Tension in arms, shoulders, neck, legs and feet Jaw clenching Biting Tension headache Therapist looks for: Anxiety symptoms in the smooth muscles Bladder urgency and frequency Gastrointestinal spasm Irritable bowel syndrome Nausea Vomiting Vascular symptoms Migraine Hypertension Asthma Jelly Legs Unsteady gait due to lack of tension permission of the presenter) 14

15 Therapist looks for: Anxiety symptoms in the smooth muscles Bladder urgency and frequency Gastrointestinal spasm Irritable bowel syndrome Nausea Vomiting Vascular symptoms Migraine Hypertension Asthma Jelly Legs Unsteady gait due to lack of tension Therapist looks for: Anxiety symptoms in the Cognitive/ Perceptual Disruption Drifting Dissociation Confusion Losing track of thoughts Poor memory Visual blurring Tunnel vision Sudden loss of feeling in body Fainting, freezing, dizziness Ringing in the ears Projection permission of the presenter) 15

16 Therapist looks for: Anxiety symptoms in the Cognitive/Per ceptual Disruption Drifting Dissociation Confusion Losing track of thoughts Poor memory Visual blurring Tunnel vision Sudden loss of feeling in body Fainting, freezing, dizziness Ringing in the ears Projection Client s has completed the Wheel of Pain MAWASI THERAPIST: Which of these spokes on the wheel create an internal problem that that you would like help with today? [Invite the INTERNAL problem] CLIENT: I think I scored high on so many categories that it s no wonder I m a mess with my money and work. [Defense: Super Ego Self Attack] THERAPIST: If we do not engage in self attack, which could divert us from our current task and might make it difficult for us to focus on your problem, which of the categories creates an internal problem that you would like me to help you with today? [Point out the defense, encourage the client to turn against the defense, point out the cost of the defense and then invite the client to return to the task.] CLIENT: I feel so angry with myself. [Defense: again the super ego is engaging in self attack it is important to intervene quickly because the anger toward self could manifest as depression hypothesis at this point is that client is angry with someone external.] Co Creating Change by Jon Frederickson permission of the presenter) 16

17 ANXIETY S SHOWS UP TO HELP Anxiety arises from our personal need to survive, to preserve our being, and to assert our true self. Rollo May defines anxiety as the threat to our existence or to values we identify with our existence (1977, p. 205). SURVIVE DISAPPROVAL PRESERVE OUR VERY BEING ASSERT OUR TRUE SELF IF ABLE ANXIETY ANXIETY Protective role of anxiety Body s warning system for danger Avoid separation from parents Be vigilant for predators/dangers Mild anxiety enhances concentration, performance Anxiety flooding too much of a good thing permission of the presenter) 17

18 WITHOUT ANXIETY THERE WILL BE NO PERMANENT CHANGE MAWASI FIRST SESSION cont VIDEO WORKAHOLISM BREAK THROUGH TO THE UNCONSCIOUS permission of the presenter) 18

19 Defenses TACTICAL DEFENSES: Tactical Defense is about trying to keep therapist at a distance. REPRESSIVE DEFENSE: Repressive Defense is about keeping feelings at a distance. REGRESSIVE DEFENSES: CHARACTER DEFENSE: Regressive Defenses are about moving to a younger emotional age. Character Defense does to himself what others did to him in the past. Co Creating Change by Jon Frederickson,, p Defenses Self critical thoughts Depression Avoidant Behaviors The individual who projects criticism on others and lives a life of loneliness. Co Creating Change by Jon Frederickson,, p permission of the presenter) 19

20 Intellectualization I think I spent all the money because I was mad at my wife and I just wanted to even things out and probably... The defense of intellectualization. Defenses Rationalization I feel he GAMBLES all our money in order to try to make a better life for us and he did the best he could because of his upbringing. Co Creating Change by Jon Frederickson,, p permission of the presenter) 20

21 I grew up poor and we never had anything. I don t want my wife and I feel betrayed. children to Is do not a without, feeling but but I rather don t the defense need much of repeating myself. I the can get stimulus by on that little or created the nothing. feeling. Co Creating Change by Jon Frederickson,, p Money Avoidance Disorders involve I feel a systematic detached. rejection Is or avoidance not a feeling of money. but These disorders rather stem the from defense scripts that equate money with negative of avoidance and emotions or painful events. Most people warding who suffer off from these believe that money feelings. is the root of all evil. Co Creating Change by Jon Frederickson,, p permission of the presenter) 21

22 Avoidance of Anxiety as Self Sabotage: How Running Away Can Bite You in the Behind I feel like leaving. Is not a feeling, it is a possible action mobilized by the feeling. ~ Over-coming Self Sabotage Co Creating Dr. Edward Change Selby, Jon Ph.D. Frederickson,, p MAWASI SECOND SESSION VIDEO CODEPENDENT GIVING BREAK THROUGH TO THE UNCONSCIOUS permission of the presenter) 22

23 QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSION permission of the presenter) 23