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rx
process work
observation
psychospiritual approaches
definition
General format for process evaluation:
(foundational theory for 'process work: interview')
see preliminaries:
process paradigm
process work: basic principles
process work: glossary
Note primary process, i.e. parts of personality, activities and intentions a person is identified with. (I feel well, I want to get on with life, I am angry, etc.) Secondary processes are experiences and parts that a person doesn't identify with. "I feel well, but my knee is hurting." Feeling well is primary, the hurting knee is secondary. Does the condition, problem, happen to the patient (secondary), or is it something they are identified with and do themselves (primary)? WATCH FEEDBACK.
People can be aware of these identifications or not. Symptoms are secondary processes, they are physical experiences that a person doesn't identify with and therefore cannot unfold. In relationships, this happens often with DOUBLE SIGNALS, e.g. intended and unintended information. (A person's hand is making a fist, while she might talk about relaxing and letting go). Working with double signals requires some skill. No one double signals intentionally, it's an unconscious emanation of a part of the self with which the person is not in touch with at that moment. It is useful to support the double signal in a way that the patient can befriend himself with the process contained in it. Supporting and unfolding secondary processes like symptoms and double signals requires respect and love for nature, that is expressing itself, observational and technical skills for the support of the unfolding, and self-knowledge about one's own belief systems and personal development. process is a very safe method of working with people if these three pillars are sufficiently developed. (see below: interventions).
Honor/validate the primary process. Truthfully support it. WATCH AND NOTE FEEDBACK. Follow positive feedback to see what happens. (note: NO feedback is often negative feedback).
Be aware of secondary process possibilities. They are usually polar or nearly opposite to a person's belief systems, around which primary processes are organized, and more foreign or distant from the patient's identity. "Every secondary process presents one with a sort of identity crises, these parts are more difficult to get in touch with." (Mindell, 1985, p.13) The patient does not consider it characteristic, it may just pop out occasionally. Double signals clue you to the presence of a secondary process. If the process is happening to the patient, it is more secondary. NOTE FEEDBACK.
Develop information:
» where is the patient's limit of behavior/perception?
» who are the figures who limit or empower this personality?
» how does s/he know anything? hear it, feel it, see it, etc.
» who/ what is this person in relationship with?
» how/ when does person process information? i.e. which channel are they occupying?
visual:
The eyes or head move upward, uses words like "see" or "looking".
auditory:
The eyes move sideways, or body posture freezes without the head moving downward; words may be "listen, hear, speak".
proprioception:
(noticing feelings of the body such as pressure, heat, temperature)
The eyes/head move downward without speaking, stomach breathing, sighing, touching painful area, eyelid flutters with closed eyes; speaks of feeling, pressure, depression, pain, joy, being turned off or on.
kinesthesia:
(movement of the muscles and structure)
Notice movement or lack of movement.
relationship:
Another person is the central object of awareness, "my partner is my big problem" or "how are you today?", an invitation to be in relationship.
world:
This includes larger relationships - community, culture, world, universe, God - unfamiliar people, foreign objects and events.
"Heartful openness to the prima materia, that which is brought to us, is the starting point of process-oriented psychology. In process work, we do not attempt to reduce what is happening to something else; rather, we encourage the happening to unfold itself. We try to work with the process so it can become self-explanatory. We take the dream, body problem, relationship difficulty and develop methods for unfolding these events and processes."
(Mindell, training seminars)
(Burg, Mische', Schuepbach)
see:
process work: channel examples
process work: interventions
process work: working with signals
process work: working on the edge
process work: interview
transference and countertransference
footnotes