-IBIS-1.5.0-
rx
process work
interview
psychospiritual approaches
definition
see preliminaries:
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
CLEARING: PERSONAL PREPARATION FOR EVALUATION:
What is happening in my own awareness in each channel?
Vision:
internal ____________________________
external ____________________________
Auditory:
internal ____________________________
external ___________________________
Kinesthesia:
movement(s) ________________________
Proprioception:
feelings in the body ____________________
emotions ____________________________
smell _______________________________
Relationship: _______________________________
World: ____________________________________
Pay special attention to your own (__________) system. (insert name of system)
What is your relationship to your own (__________) system?
» Is this interview in the best interests of the person?
» Do I have any reservations?
» Is my heart open to being with this person and following where their experience leads?
» Can I imagine the experience of this condition in my own body?
» What are my associations to this condition?
» Do I have any preconceptions of how this person needs to change?
» Does anything need to be processed or confronted before I embark on this relationship?
» Do I have expectations and/or rules, and if so, can I warn my patient about them if they would interfere with his process.
» Do I understand what the patient wants?
» Am I prepared to be aware of my own double signals and to confront them with the person if necessary?
» Can I accept this person, myself, and our relationship, and be conscious enough to stay at the edge of what happens?
What is hard for me to do with this person?
» What is impossible?
» What information, idea, or belief stops me?
» Do I need help or a process observer?
» Is this a dangerous situation physically for the person or practitioner, or to my reputation?
» Should I have supervision with this person?
development of associations:
The most important functions of the therapeutic interview is to develop an understanding and experience of the person's pattern and process. The condition the person presents with (elevated blood pressure, depression, relationship problems, habits, phobias, whatever illness, etc.) may have historical correlations with other similar conditions, and may appear similar to other syndromes with the same symptoms and physical symptoms, but the nuance and precise meaning of the person's process is individual. They do indeed reflect the holographic identity with society, the world, the universe, and their own family; but for the primary process, what happens is happening to the person and they are identified with a certain response.
To develop the "meaning" of a condition, explore the person's own associations with the condition. These associations, which represent the primary consciousness, are the individual's personal response to the situation. As one becomes aware of what the person is identified with, the secondary, more unconscious signals will become apparent. The practitioner's first responsibility is to understand and accept the world of the person. By amplifying and clarifying the person's associations, the primary process can be supported to completion, and new behavior, meaning, and healing may become available.
It is unlikely that we will know what to do with a person with a specific condition. For example, a person with a skin rash may possibly have issues dealing with sensitivity and irritation, but one does not know this for sure. What we can do is listen to the persons' associations with the rash and follow carefully what happens in the moment as we accept his/her world. The condition will then begin to appear as part of the whole process with which the person is involved. Healing sometimes occurs, but it is not the inevitable outcome of this work. The meaning may be related to suffering or death as well as health. For these reasons, no "psychospiritual meaning" is given for specific conditions, as this is developed with each individual.
(For examples of development of associations, see each system interview; i.e. see process interview: cardiovascular system)
interview:
Observe the person and yourself. What is happening? Are there any aspects which draw your attention (such as appearance, gait, physical characteristics, synchronistic occurrences: the phone, sounds, interruptions, weather, etc.)? Pay attention to these, and the first things that happen, as they are often a pattern for the rest of the interview. Follow the person's process, and see what happens! Especially note what is hard for you to talk about or bring up. Note the same for the person. Many therapists quickly take a few notes in these first few minutes to record brief statements that the person makes which indicate primary identification, conscious and unconscious processes, important images, or the sense modality (channel) that s/he habitually uses. These may be of help to refer to later in the interview.
analysis:
Note the primary process. While listening to the persons' story, often you will hear of a problem or set of associations which relate to what is occurring in his/her life, and which will contain the pattern/relationship that you are looking for. Note simultaneously the double signals which indicate the secondary process, and the edge between the primary and secondary processes. Examples would be body language, movements, eye direction, and the polar aspect of the primary process. Often what a person cannot do is helpful in defining the area of the edge.
The secondary process is noted by what happens to the person. S/he is most likely unaware of this until it troubles him/her in some way. In a certain way the world around the person (events, people, problems) is the mirror of the secondary process; and the work of consciousness is to identify with this and become more identified with what is "outside". As the person is requested to identify with what is happening to them, resistance will occur. The secondary process is often objectionable and therefore the awareness of what is trying to happen is often rejected. The practitioner's job is to stay here at the edge, finding out everything that stops the practitioner, and what keeps the persons' awareness from accepting what is occurring.
During the interview, there is further opportunity to observe what sense modality or "channel" the person is using consciously, and which modalities are less aware of being used. For example, a person may be speaking of a symptom, using a certain tone of voice, and at the same time gesturing with the hands. The voice tone and gesturing are most likely the "unoccupied channels"; that is, the person is not really aware of them, yet information is being communicated. If the information that is unconscious is similar to the information that the person is aware of, the individual appears congruent. If there is an incongruency about the person, such as a violent hand movement or fist when talking calmly of the symptom, one can suspect two different sets of information in the person. Drawing attention to the patients secondary process is an art that needs to be studied. Lack of skill results in resistances and in the person becoming upset with the practitioner. Following the overall process, and validating the person and the primary process will develop trust, and the process will complete itself allowing the secondary material to emerge. It is important that both the practitioner and patient understand the usefulness of the patient's primary approach, and help to complete what the process is attempting to accomplish for the person.
interventions:
In process work, inhibition or exaggeration of signals will provide an opportunity to gather more information about the overall pattern, and will influence the rate of change of the process. If the practitioner and the person can allow an amplification of the signal, a new experience is obtained. A channel change often occurs as the behavior and awareness come close to the unacceptable material, and the person will shift to another modality of awareness. For example, if the person is speaking about an experience and suddenly begins to laugh or cry, a shift has occurred from the auditory to the proprioceptive channel. In body work, as the pain becomes too much, people will move or cry out, changing the modality from proprioception to kinesthesia to external auditory expressions.
This phenomena of changing channels can also be used consciously as an intervention. If a person is not changing and persists in the same awareness, one could suggest to that the person use another modality. Standing up and moving will express information that was in the auditory channel (an idea or belief) in a slightly different way, and may facilitate awareness.
At the edge of the persons' awareness, there is some information which keeps the person from accepting what is actually happening. This information can be approached in the relationship channel as a person or figure the person can relate to, or can be developed in any of the other channels such as movement, sound, visions, etc. The person could then be encouraged to "take over", or role play this figure (and whatever function the figure provides) with some awareness, so that it can be experienced consciously. Belief systems, old traumas, and habits may be found here. The awareness that this information represents an unconscious portion of the self is important to remember, as this integration may facilitate healing.
All interventions and responses need to be evaluated by observing feedback. If the practitioner offers an opinion or suggestion and there is contradiction, hesitation (no discernible positive feedback), or the person changes it, this is probably negative feedback and indicates that the understanding of the process is not correct, or that it is not precise enough. Often the person is able to say what is exactly right for them. If the practitioner ignores negative feedback, the patient will begin to feel abused, and relationship problems will develop between the person and the practitioner.
IN SUMMARY, the steps of the interview process will be:
» observation, noting carefully the information and signals present in the first few minutes, both in your own body and awareness and in the other person's process
» validation of the primary process
» identification of the primary and secondary processes
» amplification or inhibition of signals
» bringing to awareness the secondary signals
» staying at the edge and finding out precisely what stops awareness
» watching carefully for feedback, which guides the course taken with the individual
warning: The methods and tools of this work are potent and will possibly change your own or your patient's life. It is recommended that you obtain consultation or training before going further with these methods. Changes in relationships, occupation, and life style are not uncommon and must be considered potential outcomes of this work.
(Mindell, training seminars)
(Burg, Mische', Schuepbach)
see:
transference and countertransference
For development of associations, see each system interview:
process interview: cardiovascular system
process interview: cutaneous system
process interview: digestive system
process interview: endocrine system
process interview: eye/ear/nose/throat system
process interview: female reproductive system
process interview: immune system
process interview: male reproductive system
process interview: musculoskeletal system
process interview: psycho/neurological system
process interview: respiratory system
footnotes