Sometimes my clients tell me during our first meeting: "I don't know where to start, how can I talk about difficult things from the past when I don't even know where to start? I'm exhausted, my sleep is terrible, my memory and concentration are gone.....".
That's why we always start by addressing the things that are taking our attention in the present; problems, worries, upsets, withheld communications. Not only at the beginning of our partnership but at the beginning of each session. I also make sure to work together on stress management strategies if necessary.
When we use a method that is truly person-centered, clients are never pushed or forced to work on something they are not ready for. Hence the step-by-step approach.
This leads me to mention that TIR is one of the few helping methods that uses a plan. This allows us to systematically examine the contents of our mind and deepen our level of awareness. By succeeding in recovering the memory of difficult events and periods in our lives, we also recover the memories of the good times surrounding what we have suppressed.
