
Abreaction
Abreaction Management
1) Remain Calm, Clear, and Confident
Maintain your energy and voice with clarity and confidence.
2) “Let It Come Up - And Out”
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Don’t fear, resist, or deny their reactions.
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Utilize and frame their reactions positively.
Examples:
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Let those tears wash away the past.
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Let those movements move you beyond those old feelings. Shake it off.
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3) Encourage Them To Stay With It
Encourage courage, not fear.
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“This is why you are here. You are doing great. Stay with this as much as you can, because you can go to this - and you can go through this - now, so you go beyond this, once and for all.”
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4) Take Strong Control of the Situation
If they cannot find their courage, step in with strong control and confidence.
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“You are safe and supported here. You, (name), are with me in this room. Your wise adult self knows this is a memory. Your subconscious is helping you now—it only gives you what you can deal with. It knows what a strong person you are at your core, so it’s giving you this strong feeling to help you make a strong and great breakthrough, because you and I can get this done now.”
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5) “Just Watch From a Distance”
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“You can still get the learnings, but you don’t have to feel the feelings.”
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6) Last Resort: Step Back
If necessary, you can bring the regression to a halt.
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“Breathe. Slow down. It fades away. Go back to your safe place.”
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Step-Back Procedure
Breathing
Take three slow, deep breaths:
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Breathe in deeper and slower, hold it… and exhale, release and let go. (Repeat.)
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Black and White TV
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Imagine this scene on an old, small black-and-white TV.
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Visualize it slowing down, with the volume lowering, the picture getting fuzzier and out of focus, and the feelings diminishing.
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Breathing & Protection
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As you breathe out, imagine or feel that you can breathe out any stress or tension, like a grey color that dissolves away.
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As you breathe in, imagine the color of your calm, cleansing energy surrounding your body like a healing protective cocoon of light.
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Your Safe Place
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Go back to your safe place—your beach, lake, garden, or a natural environment.
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Feel the sun or water on your skin.
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Notice the colors, sounds, and smells around.
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Observe the sky above with clouds floating and dissolving like thoughts in your vast awareness.
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Muscular Tension and Relaxation
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Tense and Relax:
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Tense your muscles with energy, but without excess strain.
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Hands and Arms:
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Form a fist and tense the biceps. Bend the arms, hold for five seconds, and release slowly. Observe the relaxation.
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Legs:
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Tense the quads, glutes, calves, and feet. Hold for five seconds, then release slowly. Observe the relaxation.
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Jaw and Face:
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Open the jaw, squeeze the eyes closed, and tense the lips and cheeks. Hold, squeeze tighter, and then release.
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Full Body Relaxation:
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Let tension drain away, allowing the whole body to relax. Observe the difference and continue releasing tension.
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