A lady called me one day to say she had a troubled daughter who was also very hard to live with. She told me that a relative had abused the girl sexually as a twelve-year-old and threatened her with a knife and further harm if she ever told anyone. The relation had died now, the girl was twenty and she told her mum. The girl had had eighteen months of a therapy but was still very troubled and behaved badly. The girl came for a session she became aware of an old upset, when I told her I did want any details of what happened she broke down and cried. I thought I had done something wrong – when I asked what was the matter – it turns out they were tears of joy – she said:

“I have told that story so many times before in therapy, I am so relieved I don’t have to tell it again”.

Her session lasted about one hour  handling only how it made her feel and dis-creating negative opinions of herself (the Negative Identities involved).

Her mother called a few days later to report the daughter was a changed girl – now happy, co-operative and enthused about life.