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Ego State Therapy
Ego State Therapy is a powerful therapy based on the premise that personality is composed of separate parts; rather than being a homogeneous whole, these parts (which everyone has) are called ego states.
Lucia works directly with the state that can best benefit from change, the parts that are harbouring pain, trauma, anger or frustration; she then facilitates expression, release, comfort and empowerment to those unresolved states that come out and makes us feel out of control. (The statement “I hate myself when I am like that” indicates two states lacking in proper communication).
We are each made up of a number of different states; each has its own feeling of power, weakness, emotion, logic, or other personal traits.
When we say, “Part of me wants to,” we are talking about an ego state. When we say, “I feel at peace with myself on this issue,” we are talking about our ego states agreeing, not having an internal struggle. Our various states help to make our lives rich, productive, and enjoyable. A state harbouring pain can cause unrest and unwanted emotional reactions.
The goal is to help you learn your ego states so that the states may be better used to your benefit (e.g., allowing you to, at one time, be open to enjoy emotional experiences and, at another time, be assertive to feel expressed when challenged).
We are not born with our different parts or ego states. We make them as we live. Our ego states are formed when we do something over and over again. This ‘over and over again’ learning creates a physical neural pathway in the brain that has its own level of emotion, abilities, and experience of living.
By repeating actions over and over again the brain will grow and connect in such a way that will create a physical neural pathway that is an ego state. We will switch into an ego state when a need for that state occurs, or when an injured part is reminded of the injury it may come out in an attempt to gain some resolution. That is why a bad feeling can come over us all at once.
Each of our Ego states may be either, healthy and functioning well, or may be functioning in a way that prevents us from being the best we can be.
Lucia was fortunate to be amongst the few privileged ones to have studied with the acclaimed Dr Gordon Emmerson.
Gordon Emmerson continues to support my practice as a specialist mentor.
Ego State Therapy
Normal Functioning
.Functions with a positive role to the benefit of other states and the person. It is the purpose of Ego State therapy to help all states to be normal functioning.
Vaded
Overcome by negative experience to the point where it can no longer conduct its role. This state may interfere with the life of the individual when it comes to the executive, bringing with it bad feelings and a sense of being out of control.
Retro Functioning
Maintains a role it learned in childhood that is opposed to other states or opposed to the benefit of the person.
Conflicted
A state that is in conflict with another state to the extent it is a problem for the person.