-IBIS-1.5.0-
rx
process work
basic principles
psychospiritual approaches

definition

basic principles of process-oriented work:

• process is a phenomenological approach. It works directly with the patient's subjective experience.

Something is right about what is happening. Even if it is uncomfortable or even tragic, it contains the seed of future growth and shows the directions in which a person could grow.

• There is a process in progress and it has an innate wisdom/blueprint/plan. This "implicit order" or "spiritual" process has more growth potential for the individual than our prescriptions of how to change or what needs to change. If this growth process is being picked up by the individual, there frequently is an alleviation of symptoms.

• Following the process: This means that the practitioner is willing to observe and accept and follow all aspects of appearance and behavior, so that the person feels supported in all her parts, her process is facilitated and allowed without 'a priori' judgment. This close observation of the person and its amplification usually results in positive or negative feedback which directs the course of the interventions.

• Information occurs in different "channels", or forms, and may be represented by movement (kinesthesia), internal and external vision, internal and external auditory perceptions, and body sensations (proprioception). In addition process uses relationship experiences between two people and the interaction with the world at large (professional, environmental, synchronistic events, etc.) as separate channels, since these seem to be modes of experience that transcend the sensory aspects of the simple channels. If a person has feelings, emotions, ideas, etc., process workers frequently ask how they are experienced, to establish the channel. (A sad feeling in the chest would indicate the beginning of a proprioceptive process, while a swirling feeling points at movement.)

• A person usually has a limit to perception and/or behavior ("edge") and will be hesitant to experiment with new patterns and behaviors. These patterns will then tend to appear as symptoms, unintended movement, dreams, and relationship conflicts. process tries to help raise the patients' awareness about these dynamics and support him to experiment with "going over the edge" as well as with exploring the belief systems that inhibit change. Insisting that the person go beyond their usual position or forcing perception or behavior is not helpful, and may cause damage/trouble. The patient decides upon the pace of her development.

• The unknown or secondary process contains the elements which the person needs to become whole. They often seem to be unattainable, impossible, sometimes even repugnant, objectionable, and avoided by the person, to the extent of finding them morally objectionable (i.e. killing, war). process supports the patient to use these energies but not necessarily the contents The energy required to keep this suppressed/repressed is large and can be made available for healing. The "safe" expression of these aspects is important for healing. The secondary information needs to be unfolded and brought into awareness, to allow any integration and/or healing.

Healing may or may not occur, depending on the underlying direction of the person's process. Healing often occurs with changes in awareness. But it is not useful to offer to "help" or "heal" or "fix". It is more useful to support the process, and understand its nature.

Polarities exist as parts of a whole. Thus such concepts as "good and evil" require that both parts be honored to allow wholeness and integration. To allow one and not the other requires energy to contain the excluded aspect, and limits the flow of energy available to the person.

• Dreams, synchronistic events, illness, body symptoms, and disease can be known more fully by experiencing them through the process of amplification in the channel in which they occur, and represent important access to secondary/unconsciousness information.

Acausal systems, such as irrational and spiritual consciousness, can be as helpful as a causal (mechanistic) view. Avoiding mystery, and assuming that all things can be explained, is not necessarily helpful.

• There are no universal symbols or interpretations. Symptoms, signs, perceptions can have the same content (i.e., pain) but have vastly different meanings to different individuals. Following a person's process precisely will produce a nuance which is important, and allow the person to invest energy into their awareness (become more aware) which is more important than the content of the awareness.

"An explorer with a beginner's mind" would see the 'patient' as someone she does not understand, someone to be discovered. The process concept adds to this view the idea that to discover someone you must pay strict attention to his behavior and to the events around him. The human being in front of us is perceived correctly only when he totally agrees with our observations. Experience shows that this agreement occurs most readily when we appreciate the content of what he says, the structure of his language, the type of body signals, relationships, and synchronicities associated with him."
(Mindell, 1988, p. 21)

(Mindell; training seminars)
(Burg, Mische', Schuepbach)

see:
process paradigm
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
search for god
the shadow and physical symptoms
transference and countertransference


footnotes