An Ode to Misfits

Introduction 13

1 Regular or orthodox treatments 24
1.1 Important boundaries to be upheld both by and between the various health care professions 24
1.2 Setting up a conventional counselling therapy 26
1.2.1 Intake questions 27
1.2.2 Childhood and growing up 37
1.3 Holistic vision and functional analysis 42
1.3.1 Holistic vision 42
1.3.2 Functional analysis 43
1.3.3 How to work out your holistic vision 45
1.3.4 How to work out your functional analysis 51
1.3.5 Recognizing irrational thoughts 54

2 Possible integration of conventional and complementary ways of treatment 62
2.1 Regular approaches 62
2.2 Complementary approaches 63
2.2.1 The homeopathic view 64
2.3 The most important prerequisite 66
2.3.1 The therapeutic environment 66
2.3.2 My personal view on working with clients 67
2.3.3 An instrument in counselling: the therapist 67

3 Dirk’s frightening ways and how he came to resolve them 72
3.1 Case study 1: The client called Dirk 72
3.1.1 Observations 72
3.1.2 Symptoms 73
3.1.3 Life-history 73
3.1.4 Childhood and growing up 75
3.2 The therapy 78
3.2.1 Therapeutic indication and motivation 78
3.2.2 Stabilization 78
3.2.3 Processing traumatic memories 82
3.2.4 Dream intervention 85
3.2.5 Further developments 85
3.2.6 Belief intervention 87
3.2.7 Ongoing self-reflection 88
3.3 Consolidation and letting go phase 90
3.4 Looking back at the therapy 92

4 The concept of reincarnation 98
4.1 Definition 98
4.1.1 Eastern religions 99
4.1.2 Western religions 100
4.1.3 Personal curiosity 101
4.1.4 Sidestep: Vitalism 103
4.1.5 Sidestep: personal formative reading 103

5 Iris’ many lives of servitude and how she came to understand their purpose 108
5.1 Case study 2: The client called Iris 108
5.1.1 Observations 109
5.1.2 Symptoms 109
5.1.3 Life-history 110
5.1.4 Therapy goals 113
5.2 The therapy 113
5.2.1 Therapeutic indication and motivation 113
5.2.2 Diagnostics 113
5.2.3 Stabilization 114
5.2.4 Second session, laying more groundwork for the therapeutic relationship 116
5.2.5 Third session, re-evaluating relationships 117
5.2.6 Fourth session, evaluation and first intervention 118
5.2.7 Fifth session, the hypnosis 119
5.2.8 Sixth session, results of the regression 129
5.3 Consolidation and letting go phase 131

6 Hypnosis and its uses in counselling 136
6.1 An incomplete history of hypnosis as a therapeutic tool 136
6.1.1 Western culture 137
6.1.2 Sigmund Freud 139
6.1.3 Milton Erickson 140
6.2 Hypnosis as a therapeutic technique in counselling 142
6.2.1 Stage hypnotism 142
6.2.2 Hypnosis in a clinical setting 143
6.2.3 Hypnosis: deep relaxation and heightened awareness simultaneously 143
7 The concept of regression and its possible use in counselling 148
7.1 Definition of regression 148
7.1.1 Medical definition of regression 148
7.2 Different states of regression 149
7.2.1 Psychological regression under pressure 149
7.2.2 Regression as a hypnotic technique 150
7.2.3 Regression as an occurrence in daily life 150

8 Beth’s secret, unexpectedly unveiled by a Tarot spread 154
8.1 Case study 3: The client called Beth 154
8.1.1 Observations 154
8.1.2 Symptoms 155
8.1.3 Life-history 157
8.2 The therapy 161
8.2.1 Therapeutic indication and motivation 161
8.2.2 Stabilization 162
8.2.3 Encountering the inner critic 163
8.2.4 Realization of small changes 164
8.2.5 Initial changes 165
8.2.6 More changes 167
8.2.7 Surprising turn of events and unexpected new insight 168
8.2.8 Ongoing change in behaviour: attaining more openness 170
8.3 Tackling Beth’s alcohol problem 171
8.3.1 Rounding off 172
8.4 Dream intermezzo 172
8.4.1 Unfolding Beth’s dream 173
8.5 Ending the treatment and saying goodbye 176
8.6 Looking back at the therapy 177
8.7 The readings of Beth’s Tarot spreads 178
8.7.1 Explanation/Clarification of Inanna’s Descent into the Underworld 179
8.7.2 Explanation/Clarification of The Way 183
8.7.3 Explanation/Clarification of the Four Card spread 186

9 Tarot cards and their possible use in counselling 192
9.1 Short history of the cards 192
9.1.1 Different card readers and their influences over time 193
9.1.2 The various cards in the deck 197
9.1.3 Reading the cards 198
9.2 Tarot cards as a possible tool in therapy 199

10 Dreaming and dreams and the valuable albeit subconscious information they give access to 208
10.1 Dreams and dreamwork 208
10.1.1 Definition of a dream 208
10.2 An overview of the history of dreaming, dreams and dream interpretation 209
10.2.1 The first known dreams in Western culture 210
10.2.2 Dreams and dreaming in Antiquity 213
10.2.3 Dreams and dreaming in the Middle Ages 218
10.2.4 Dreams and dreaming according to some Christian theologians (a.k.a. patristic dreams) 225
10.2.5 Dreaming in the Renaissance 230
10.2.6 19th century dream-interpretation 233
10.2.7 Conclusion 237
10.3 How to work with dreams in counselling therapy 237
10.3.1 An overview of types of dreams 238
10.3.2 Getting started 238
10.3.3 A practical approach 239

Rounding off 242
About me 243
Acknowledgements 247
Titles you might want to consider reading 248