Counseling Services of Portland
Outsmart depression, anxiety and stress. 503-224-3318
suzie@suziewolfer.com
SoulCollage® in Chemical Dependency Treatment
By Suzie Wolfer LCSW
Most clients struggling with chemical dependency issues
suffer from mistaken identity.
They confuse the thoughts arising form the body’s Addicted Self
with the Authentic Healthy Self. The
genetic pattern that makes drug and alcohol use a supercharged dopamine high, gradually
eclipses the real self. The day by day
process of letting alcohol or drugs gradually take over is so subtle, that most
people never realize the ruse. Then they
find themselves in front of a judge, trying to explain their 2nd or
3rd DUI, or discover that their liver enzymes are dangerously high.
SoulCollage® comes to the rescue by externalizing the voice
that votes for drug and alcohol use and all the behaviors that support it. And even better, with skilled use, SoulCollage®
can also help clients find and strengthen the Healthy Self who chooses
recovery, not just resorts to change.
Most clients vaguely realize that their drinking or drug use
creates some problems, but often minimize the impact it is having in their
lives. However, when clients make a
card for “The Conman” or “The Saleswoman” or the “Con-artist” they can begin to
see who and what is doing the thinking for them, without the stigma and judgment
attached.
With help, clients begin to take back their role as CEO at
the head of their personal “corporation.”
The very act of making and reading cards develops healthy, observing ego
skills. They become powerful witnesses,
rather than bystanders in their own lives.
And they recognize that they have a troublesome, permanent board member,
such as the “Conman” or “The Depressed One” and learn to manage these
characters. The client learns to
identify the Con Artist’s “advice,” notice where it will eventually lead, and
then take appropriate action as “Chair of the Board.”
SoulCollage®’s unique power to launch the client out of the gravity
well of logical thought, can put them back in the drivers seat again. Imagery has staying power. Long after the client has forgotten the
words, images remain, and continue to working while they are doing other
things.
Use “externalizing questions” appropriate to the stage of
change for each client, we explore the territory that drugs and alcohol have
claimed. Some clients may not yet
connect choices with consequences. These
“externalizing questions” start to weave a tapestry showing the effects of
alcohol and drugs in every day life. For
example:
·
What made you vulnerable to the Conman, that he was
able to dominate your life?
·
In what situations is the Con Artist likely to take
over?
·
What has your Salesman convinced you to do that was
against your better judgment?
These types of questions “de-construct” the story and belief
that the client is helpless against what is often thought of as an “addictive
personality” or “character defect.”
Shelly, an attractive, intelligent 33-year-old woman in
early recovery from alcohol problems had a wake up call from her doctor who
warned her of liver problems. She made
a card for her Con Artist and interviewed her:
“I am the One who says relax, have
a good time. Just one won’t hurt.
Who would know? Only idiots can’t handle their liquor, and
you’re no idiot. Take the road with
me. You think it goes nowhere, but with
me, we’ll discover new horizons, new friends, new experiences wherever we
are. Just relax.”
Shelly discovered that her Con
Artist would encourage her to “just look at” all the bottles of wine at the
store, to “test her strength” not realizing it was the slippery slope . . . a
hypnotic induction to anesthetize her to early warning signs of relapse.
She learned to consult her Con
Artist frequently. She realized that
though her advice seemed logical, sound and even in her best interest, she
would listen respectfully and do the exact opposite, taking the nearest exit
off the road to relapse.
Most
clients feel scared to personify what they believe are their worse fears. The buried shame they feel can also make it
challenging to look at the problem directly. They mistakenly fear that if they
made a Conman card, it will have more power over them. Even though in practice, the opposite happens.
Working with a skilled therapist or sponsor helps them stand up to the Conman’s
conviction that drinking and drugging are safe.
When
we help clients externalize the problem using SoulCollage, they quickly
identify the thinking errors and shame that condemns them to repeating
destructive behaviors. They can identify
the old story and begin to author a new story.
By externalizing the relapse process through SoulCollage, they can begin
to see choice points rather than bad luck or fate wearing them down.
Using
SoulCollage, many clients have fun making and working with their cards. They shed their shame, and move more easily
into recovery, with a stronger sense of self, as Chair of a colorful and
diverse Board of Directors including the Conman, who in recovery can work for
the client rather than against them. . . . all using a few recycled magazine
images.
To
learn more about SoulCollage®, visit Suzie’s website at www.suziewolfer.com and click on the SoulCollage® link.
You can also read about SoulCollage®, a trademarked process developed by
Seena Frost in SoulCollage: An Intuitive Collage Process for
Individuals and Groups.
To see a video about how to make SoulCollage® cards, and find other SoulCollage®
resources click this link http://www.counseling-portlandoregon.com/SoulCollage_Resources.html.
Also visit the SoulCollage® web site at www.soulcollage.com
About Suzie Wolfer LCSW
In her 23 year career,