unhealthy shame (continued)

I have great faith in the unsent letter setting out the client’s unmet needs as a child, (the client writes these needs as if he were a child). It is important, also, to express our feelings about being abandoned (emotionally neglected), and not being allowed to separate properly from our primary carer. As adults we must be aware of the needy child in us that was created by being abandoned and shamed. It is vital to visualise this child, see how vulnerable it was/is, and love it. This can be a powerful and healing image. We can use artwork to externalise this inner child, we can talk to it and, as adults, tell it that we will protect it. We can tell it that what happened was not the child’s fault.