Just as we encouraged our client to give a voice to the feelings that were happening within…the things that are unseen, we can also give a voice to our outward movements. For example, someone might report that she feels like she wants to curl up on the floor. Rather than ask her why, we ask her to do it…give that urge a voice…by executing the action, rather than talking about it. This action, in turn, might segue into an urge to kick out with a leg. We ask her to do it…to give this urge a voice.
In order to do this our client has to sidestep her ego. When the body begins to demonstrate its distress, the first impulse is to speak about it…and keep speaking. Because, doing so makes the distressing feeling go away. This is how we repress uncomfortable feelings.
When we ask the client to give the impulse a voice, we are sometimes met with more words: “this is stupid”. “I feel goofy doing this”, etc. Again, this is how we repress our distressing feelings.
I have heard this inner voice referred to as “the committee”. Your committee wants to keep you in your head, so you won’t feel the distressing trauma signals that are on the move.
As long as you keep listening to the committee, no healing can occur. As long as these survival reactions remain unfelt, they will unconsciously re-express themselves. And you will continue to suffer and act out. Rather…give a voice to what you feel….by sound, word, phrase, or movement. This helps you bypass the committee. As you begin processing your survival reactions, by making them conscious, the energy driving your emotional problems begins to decrease. The act out becomes less compelling.
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