I have been fortunate to attend a training workshop with Shirley Jean Schmidt who teaches a powerful psychotherapeutic process (Developmental Needs Meeting Strategy) that helps clients to strengthen and develop a set of unique personal resources (nurturing adult self, protective adult self, and spiritual core self that we all have). Clients can apply those to meet their emotional or physical needs that were inadequately nurtured or supported at an earlier time, usually during childhood.
Why is this so important?
If our needs were not met well enough, there could be emotions, beliefs, or behaviour that we have now that we do not like or want. Have you experienced feeling like an adult one moment – then something upsetting happens and you are suddenly seeing the eyes through the eyes of a sad, fearful or angry child? Or have you experienced feeling burdened,somehow blocked in your body, yet unable to pinpoint what it is about?
You are likely to be stuck in childhood. If you are, a wounded child part of you is at the risk of being triggered, charged with powerful emotions and intruding in your daily living.
What inspired me about DNMS is that it can help us to get unstuck by using resources parts of self to meet the needs of child parts of self now in a compassionate, supportive and validating atmosphere.
What is completely new for me is the use of ABS (Alternating Bilateral Stimulation) throughout the steps of the DNMS process to strengthen all positive experiences. Shirley Jean uses a tapper that sends alternatively a small pulse into the hands of the client (however the DNMS works also without it).
The theory behind ABS is based on Neuro Psychology. The brain is composed of billions of individual cells called neurons. Neurons form simple and complex neuron networks that hold specific information about meaningful experiences. Some neuron networks hold emotions, body sensations, beliefs and behaviours frozen in a given moment or moments in time. It’s pretty mind boggling.
Shirley Jean also uses carefully mapped meditations to help clients connect to the three specific internal resources, the nurturing adult self, the protective adult self and the spiritual core self. In practice sessions I very much enjoyed identifying and enhancing my existing internal strength, and I am very curious to explore this method further.
If you would like to know more, you can contact the source: http://www.shirleyjeanschmidt.com
Mirjam Busch
Copyright © 10/2004 by Rumijabu | Originally published in “Partners in Dialogue” October 2004
Waiora Healing Waters 