Digging into emotional issues on your own
We are all human beings. We all have emotions whether we want to or not. If you take the time to look at the emotional baggage you carry, you might be surprised at how you can release health issues, clean up relationship issues and make your life better. Seeing a therapist is a great idea, however, it can be too expensive for some, and it isn’t for everyone.
Couple personal comments on therapy since I was one for several years. I have met and worked with many therapists, and just like every other profession — there are amazing therapists and some that are not, and everything in between. It is important when deciding to go to a therapist that you interview them to make sure you are seeing someone that is able to assist you with the issues you want to work on. You are the consumer, and it is important that you get what you are paying for. Optimally a quality therapist should listen to the challenges in your life and provide tools and resources to help you let go of or re-frame the emotional baggage you may be carrying and empower you to achieve the goals you are working towards. I know many people that see therapists, but they are still working on the same issue years after they started. If your therapist isn’t working well for you, there are others available and as a consumer you are welcome to find a different one with a different skill set to help you on your next level of healing. The therapist is meant to be a tool to get you to a better place to be stronger on your own, not a crutch that keeps you stuck in your issues.
Ensure you aren’t using therapy as a way to perfect your issue.
Another option for many is group therapy. Many people find group therapy a more powerful technique for reaching their goals. Listening to what others are experiencing in a group setting and being able to hear language to validate what a person is feeling provides re-framing and connection to others which is so important to healing. You can do a web search for Group Therapy in your area to find resources for this powerful resource.
With or without therapy, it can be helpful to have some tools available that you can use on your own to provide insight to what may be happening inside of you. Below is a technique many of my clients have been able to use successfully to help release emotions that were affecting their lives.
Inner Child Healing Technique
In this technique, you will visit with the different ages within yourself to learn more about yourself.
Sit in a quiet space where you won’t be disturbed, turn off your phone.
Take 3 gentle breaths to relax and be present in your body.
Start with age 1 or in utero. Be gentle with yourself and these parts of yourself.
Picture your 1-year-old sitting on your lap — if you have an actual picture from your childhood, you can use that, or find a picture of a 1-year-old you resonate with that you connect with. If you don’t have any pictures of yourself at that age, or any ultrasound pictures, you can find one online that you resonate with.
Spend a few moments connecting with this part of yourself — be open to hearing, feeling or seeing any images this experience brings up for you.
Do your best to prevent any judgement — this is all about accepting the different parts of yourself — to learn what these parts of yourself have to teach/tell you.
Sometimes the information is confusing — remember it is from the mind of a 1-year-old or whatever age you are working with.
Once you get the information — thank this part of yourself. If you don’t understand the information — maybe write it down and meditate on it later as to what it means in your life and what that part of you is trying to share with you. There is no wrong information, but it may take time to understand and incorporate any learnings into your life.
If so moved- ask what you can do for this part of yourself. For example — maybe your 1-year-old wants a hug, maybe your 5-year-old wants to go see a caterpillar, maybe your 7-year-old wants to go swing on a swing set. Do your best to provide this ask where possible. Connecting with this part of yourself continuously only increases the trust they have for you and opens up more information for you to access.
Do this for each year of your age. If you are 30, you will do this 30 times. Go through each age either daily, weekly or whatever timing feels right for you needs. Some ages may need more time. There may be layers of information that need to be gently peeled off as this part of you learns to trust you. Be gentle with yourself. This isn’t a race, just a way to learn more about yourself and gather information to help you in your life.
Once you have gone through all the ages and received information, you can use this as needed and visit various ages as you feel warranted for the work you are trying to achieve.
If you do see a therapist, you can speak to them about your experiences with this or talking with your close friends can also provide you further insight.
Free Emotional Healing Resources
These are in no particular order. Choose what feels best for you.
Steven Horne is a Registered Herbalist with and past president and council member of the American Herbalists Guild (AHG). He has received two honorary degrees from the World Organization of Natural Medicine, a Doctor of Natural Medicine and a Doctor of Humanitarian Services. He has a free Emotional Healing Training Program on YouTube. He is the author of numerous books, courses, and education materials and a popular teacher on the topics of herbalism, nutrition, emotional healing, and natural wellness. You can listen to our discussion on my radio show for additional learnings.
Grace Bell will be on my show in the next few months, and she provides a free course on dissolving extreme self-sabotage (binge-eating, under-earning, procrastination, people-pleasing), difficult feelings, and stressful thinking. Grace is trained as a therapist and is a certified facilitator of The Work of Byron Katie. She also offers some amazing classes, both individual and group sessions. Listen to the show here.
Lawrence Gold has practiced clinical somatic education (Hanna Somatic Education(R)) since 1990, and specializes in working with people difficult cases, those whose pain has persisted despite therapy. He developed The TetraSeed Awakening Invocations — useful for getting free of emotional distress, improving insight into relationships, clearing up self-sabotage and internal conflict, revealing and releasing hidden obstacles, optimizing intelligence, and for understanding experiences (including dreams) more deeply. Lawrence was on my show where he provided an example of one of his healing techniques. He offers a free procedure called The Gold Key Release that helps with releasing difficult emotions. Lawrence can be reached at https://somatics.com for more assistance.
Recommended books
Feelings Buried Alive Never Die by Karol Truman — This book saved my life, and I recommend it to all my clients. This is an amazing resource to help people understand any emotions buried causing health issues. If you let anyone borrow it, you won’t get it back, so buy two if you have a friend who would benefit from it.
UNenlightenment by Eric Scot English — A powerful book that provides a theological foundation for deconstructing and reconstructing the Christian faith. More importantly, he has a complete system for helping people use critical thinking to determine what is best for their lives. You can listen to my interview with Eric here to determine if this would be a useful resource for your life.
Remember to enjoy the journey within yourself. You might be truly surprised at how incredible you really are.
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About the Author
Kasara is educated as a Mental Health Therapist, Master Herbalist, Traditional Naturopath and Energy Worker with over 35 years of helping thousands of clients find alternative health options that work. She writes articles on Medium, and on her website truhealth.com. You may subscribe to her Medium account or her newsletter to stay connected.