Responding to Parts within Structural Dissociation: Notes from Janina Fisher's Book

Responding to Parts within Structural Dissociation: Notes from Janina Fisher's Book

1) Compassionately 'Listen' to the dysregulated emotions conveyed by parts.

2) Curiously inquire about the thing behind the feeling: "What are you worried about?"

3) First response is more concrete or superficial: just like children, child parts tend to be more concrete & stimulus-bound: might be afraid of {worried about} making a mistake, afraid of being hurt, afraid of being judged or neglected, afraid things will fall apart.

4) Inquire more deeply: What is the deeper fear of that worry? {Fisher, 227}

5) Normal Life Self makes connection between the parts' fears & the childhood environment in which the trauma occurred: "Why would a child be scared of being judged in that world? Why would she be terrified of making a mistake in that family?"

*NOTE! The purpose of this step is NOT to retrieve a memory! Making a connection between past & present ALWAYS reflects the goal of increasing empathic connections to the parts' emotions & cultivating attunement. The trauma-related memory is NOT explored in detail but SERVES AS A VEHICLE for EMPATHY.

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