Although this is strictly speaking a Shamanic term, it does explain the process of going back and “retrieving” those parts of your soul that split off and are “left behind” at times of trauma. Some people call these sub-personalities, and the process is the same.
Parts of our soul can split off at any time from birth onwards. Typical situations would be a young child abused by a parent or family member; a teenager whose heart is broken; a parent who experiences a stillbirth or whose child dies unexpectedly; and someone who loses a loved one through death or divorce: there are many more, but as you can see, most people nowadays will have gone through at least one of these situations if not more.
The process starts with me putting the client into a deep state of relaxation. I then talk direct with the client’s unconscious, and ask it to indicate the different ages at which there are situations to be addressed. Armed with this list, we start the journey. At each stop, we look for and find the “splintered-off” or “left behind” part of the client. It may be a frightened little boy who was bullied at school, too scared to tell his parents what was going on. He will probably still be scared, confused, shy… Or a teenage girl who was forced to have an abortion: she may be sad, feeling a sense of loss, angry … A young adult whose mother or father died suddenly before there was a chance to say those last goodbyes: he or she could well be feeling cheated, frustrated, angry, confused ….
Each of those lost parts need to be re-integrated into the client. This is not always easy, but is always very emotional. Sometimes the lost parts are defiant: “you’ve forgotten all about me”; “why should I trust you now?”; “I hate you …” But eventually, with love and warmth and compassion, they can be embraced back into the heart where they belong. Interestingly, some of those parts may also be having an influence on the adult, and those can be identified and addressed too. A ritual of cleansing, healing and grounding rounds off the session.
At the end of the journey, the client generally feels like a wrung-out dishcloth! It is exhausting but at the same time clients say that they feel much better, “whole” somehow, something has definitely shifted. The many tears that are shed during the session are an expression of emotions and feelings that can be offloaded and left behind, no longer needed for the onward journey.
It is my firm belief that no real emotional healing can take place unless and until the individual is “whole”, and this process is one of the most powerful in allowing that to happen.
If you would like to know more, or to experience this cathartic work for yourself, get in touch. Call me on 07597 020 512 or email me on:
judy@effective-hypnotherapy.co.uk .
I work from Vinings Natural Health Centre in Haywards Heath, West Sussex.