Amy was STUCK! She had been struggling with her weight and with her relationship to food since she was a little girl. Now that she was in her forties she was ready to stop struggling to finally find peace. She was incredibly articulate in our first session. She knew exactly what was wrong and she was confused at her inability to shift the issue. She said, “I abuse food in order to dampen my feelings. I have been doing it for a long time and I’m done. I’m done being overweight and I’m done feeling bad about myself. But I haven’t been able to stop doing it and that’s why I’m here.” That’s a pretty clear, insightful statement made by a very self-aware person. Those are the people that I tend to work with – incredibly intelligent and competent yet stuck in one area or another.
During the course of our work together, we did some work with hypnosis. The act of relaxing the body and focusing internally, which we do with hypnosis, can allow wisdom to arise. When we went deeply into the way in which she abused food to dampen her feelings, we found a well of sadness. As we explored the sadness she was taken into a memory that she hadn’t recalled in a very long time. She was 8 years old and she was at her dad’s funeral. She felt completely alone as everyone scurried around her to take care of the food and the flowers. She missed her father and she was terrified at the thought that he was dead in the box at the front of the room. She realized then and there that she now had to take care of herself. So she stood up and walked over to the food and started to eat sweet desserts in an attempt to feel better.
She had finally found the beginning! She had uncovered the place in which she made the connection that taking care of herself was connected to feeding herself whether she was hungry or not! That insight became incredibly helpful as she continued to delve into her relationship with food. Being able to find compassion for that 8 year old child was the beginning of her being able to nurture herself in a healthier and more balanced way. She worked hard to use this insight for transformation. And when we finished our work together she was healthier, slimmer, and happier than she had been in many years.
If you or someone you love has a “stuck” issue that is ready to shift, please call or send me an email to discuss how working together might help.
My goal as a therapist is to help each of my clients feel more empowered, balanced, and whole in their lives. Achieving this allows each client to uncover his or her unique path toward leading a fulfilled and meaningful life. Seeing my clients achieve and embrace a life of being at ease is a gift I receive nearly every day. 