-IBIS-1.5.0-
rx
process interview
psycho/neurological system
psychospiritual approaches

definition

process work psycho/neurological system interview:
development of associations

see preliminaries:
process work: interview

The most important function of the therapeutic interview is to develop an understanding and experience of the person's pattern and process; that is, to find the individual's precise meaning of their relationship to their specific psycho/neuro condition. The 'meaning' of the specific condition may be consistent with the person's own associations with their condition, which represent the primary consciousness. As one becomes aware of what the person is identified with, then the secondary, more unconscious signals will become apparent. When we observe the persons' associations with their condition and follow carefully what happens in the moment, the condition will then begin to appear as part of the whole process with which the person is involved. By amplifying the person's associations with the psycho/neuro system and their individual symptoms, the primary process can be supported to completion, and new insight may be facilitated. No "psychospiritual meaning" is given for specific conditions, as the meaning of symbols/symptoms is individual and does not have a universal interpretation.

The following are some of the 'associations' or concepts which came to mind by allowing possible ideas, thoughts, visions, and/or feelings of the psycho/neuro system to come into consciousness. As you think of the psycho/neuro system, ask yourself what do I know about it, what are my associations? Try other channels, for instance feeling and seeing, etc. It is most helpful to examine your own and the client's associations at the time of the interview. These examples represent the reviewers' associations at a moment in time:

• psyche/soul
• bodymind; mind/body splitting
• altered states of perception: visions, voices
• stimuli; synapses, accelerated or delayed; responses; thresholds
• dysfunctional/retarded/impaired awareness; genius
• anxiety, anger, joy, sadness, grief, despair
• sleep/ dreams/ nightmares/ sleep disorders
• which nervous system is dominant/stimulated/depressed? what are the associations?
• cranial nerves: in their head
• sympathetic: gut reactions, feelings
• parasympathetic: balance; fear/harmony; internal/external
• coping; imprinting; state-dependent learning
• who is having a change or dysfunction in thinking or feeling or perceiving? is the person having the problem, or is it happening to them? how do they experience it? vision, hearing? what is it they cannot do? move, think, get along with others, remember, etc.?
• what if they experienced this more completely? what figure is stopping it?
• what is the person identified with? what is happening to them? dreams, body symptoms, movements, appearance
• what does this condition allow them to do in life?
• what it is that they cannot do? what is stopping them?
• what is the belief system about the condition? is it happening to the person? is s/he aware of their responses in the body? where? how? is there a part of the person that is not responding psychologically? who are the figures?

specific conditions: for example,
anger - where is hurt? where is fear? who are figures? old, recent? resistance to expressing completely, who/what's limiting it? what if you were really angry?
anorexia - what is food? body image; proprioception? who is huge, fat person? what/who is eating? who says not to eat or be fat? who is authority?
anxiety - who is afraid? of what? old/new? right now, what is anxiety? change channel, what does it feel like? how does it move/not move? what does it say?
autism - who is not in touch, who needs attention? what is content of behaviors and movement; inhibit or amplify these; take over role of autism, feel this yourself
bulimia - who is vomiting? what does it feel like to gorge, to vomit? can you allow this? who needs support?
depression - who is depressed? reasons? can you be more depressed, go deeper? are there old tapes? who in family was depressed? what does depression allow? who is afraid of joy, of happiness? what would it take to be happy?
fear - relationship of primary process: who is afraid? how much? and secondary process: where is courage?
grief - who is grieving? over what? any anger? aloneness?, loneliness? giving up?
insomnia - who is awake? who needs to sleep? what is the relationship?
mania - who is crazy, busy? who is repressed? what is hidden?
manic depression - can you go higher/lower? who is going back and forth? how do you know you are manic-depressive? what is normal? what can't you do?
nightmares - what is the content? who are the figures? can you establish a relationship with the figures? what do you like/dislike? what are the associations in the real world? can you be awake and afraid right now?
post-traumatic stress disorder - does reliving the trauma help? (this may not be therapeutic and may be contraindicated) can the patient do this? is it too stressful? becoming the abuser, becoming the victim; where is the trauma right now? this week? what is the current response? is this response in awareness?

see:
process paradigm
process work: basic principles
process work: glossary
process work: observation
process work: channel examples
process work: interventions
process work: working with signals
process work: working on the edge
process work: interview
stress-hardy profile


footnotes