-IBIS-1.5.0-
rx
principles (Mind/Body)
subjective inquiry approach
psychospiritual approaches

definition

CONDUCTING A SUBJECTIVE INQUIRY:

Information manifests through perceptual modalities (or channels):
Visual
Auditory
Proprioception - feelings of the body
Kinesthesia - movement of the muscles and structure
Personal relationships
Larger relationships (World) - work, community, culture, God

These may be in an introverted or extroverted form. A given symptom may be experienced by different individuals in different modalities. New insight and understanding may come when a symptom is fully experienced (i.e. acting out in an exaggerated manner the "burning" of the stomachache, the "stabbing" of the headache, the dreamlike "trance" of an exhausted state). Additional insights may come from accessing the subjective experience of the symptoms through the unused modalities (i.e. seeing the stomachache, or moving the way the muscle is causing spasm). In a sense, it is to voluntarily experiencing from the outside what the symptom seems to be doing to the patient.

APPROACH: This is given as an example and place to start. Training is essential in order to follow a patient's process without injecting one's own bias, and in order to follow all the subtleties of the channel-shifting as the person experiences material which is less available to consciousness.

(1) Ask the person how they "know" the symptom. Their choice of words and behavior will indicate which modality is dominant in their own subjective experience of a particular condition, i.e., "I can feel it in my leg," or I can see the swelling." Note that saying, 'How do you "see" or "feel"?' may lead the patient away from the modality in which they experience the symptom! Further observation of a person's style will give some evidence for which modality the person habitually uses. Relating to the person in their channel may facilitate communication.

(2) Ask person to exaggerate the experience to gain fuller consciousness of it in the manner s/he described it - switch to other modalities when one seems blocked.

(3) Look for restrictive or prohibitive factors which may limit full experience of the issue - bringing these into focus by inhibiting or restricting behavior and/or movement may help understanding of the process.

(4) Integration: If integration has occurred, the person may demonstrate insight and behavior changes. It is possible to discuss the process and the relationship to this symptom and to life issues. However, experience, not intellectual assimilation, is the key.

NOTE: This may be an unfamiliar area, so gentle investigation and practice is required. Avoid judging and blaming. Support of the primary process without trying to change the person should lead to awareness of the secondary process. Because of the multiple layers of this work, and relative ease of inappropriate interpretation, it is important to avoid issues of causality. Instead, accept work as parallel to that in the physical realm which can be objectively known. Brief work of this sort may suffice to add to healing or lead to a quality referral. For in depth work, training is recommended in order to sharpen perception, practice role flexibility, uncover projections (blind spots), and improve integration of the work into the traditional, objective role of the healer.
(Wambach)

see also:
converting a symptom to a signal
exploratory or investigative?
process paradigm
transference and countertransference


footnotes