A Disabling Bereavement
Eight years after the death of her 5-year-old boy, a mother of three remains stuck in depression, pain and guilt. This video shows the discovery phase of Coherence Therapy encountering significant resistance repeatedly, until the protective purpose of that resistance is accommodated. Then the unconscious emotional truths come into awareness, revealing how her emotional debilitation has been necessary for avoiding other specific sufferings that would be, for her, even worse.
The session provides a striking demonstration of symptom coherence by bringing to light the client's purpose and agency underlying symptoms that would be regarded by many therapists as an entirely maladaptive and dysfunctional state of emotional dysregulation. The necessity of working experientially is particularly apparent. The session illustrates the use of several different experiential processes.
Very soon after the client becomes aware of what she is protecting herself from by remaining depressed, a juxtaposition experience develops, and markers of transformational change then emerge: distinct somatic sensations of heaviness disappear and the array of responsibilities awaiting her no longer feels overwhelming.
Stuck in Depression
A Disabling Bereavement
One session, 40 minutes (1 hour 7 minutes with voiceover commentaries)
Therapist: Bruce Ecker, LMFTEight years after the death of her 5-year-old boy, a mother of three remains stuck in depression, pain and guilt. This video shows the discovery phase of Coherence Therapy encountering significant resistance repeatedly, until the protective purpose of that resistance is accommodated. Then the unconscious emotional truths come into awareness, revealing how her emotional debilitation has been necessary for avoiding other specific sufferings that would be, for her, even worse.
The session provides a striking demonstration of symptom coherence by bringing to light the client's purpose and agency underlying symptoms that would be regarded by many therapists as an entirely maladaptive and dysfunctional state of emotional dysregulation. The necessity of working experientially is particularly apparent. The session illustrates the use of several different experiential processes.
Very soon after the client becomes aware of what she is protecting herself from by remaining depressed, a juxtaposition experience develops, and markers of transformational change then emerge: distinct somatic sensations of heaviness disappear and the array of responsibilities awaiting her no longer feels overwhelming.