The emotional reactions you are experiencing today are not new. Probably thousands of times, you have felt that gut punch, that fluttering of your heart, or feelings of rage. Because underneath the anger and anxiety is hurt, that hurt began at a certain age, and we can create a connection to that part inside of us, wrap our arms around it, send our love, and interact through Opposite Hand Writing or re-parenting exercises. That wounded part responds. Now, this isn’t a one-time thing because of the term “reparenting.” When we go through a shock, oftentimes we get emotionally stuck at that period in our life. We may be 5 years old, or we may have gone through a shock a week ago. When love is applied to our hurt—we heal. Talk to that younger part inside of you. Opposite Hand Writing allows you to have a conversation on paper. Your dominant hand represents you now; your opposite hand represents the younger you. Ask your younger self what it needs from you to feel better and do it. A simple formula that goes such a long way.

Oh, have I seen the miracles. Ask other therapists how people heal—you won’t hear this. This is new psychology, and it has been tested and proven true. Granted, people just want to vent, and of course I allow them the luxury of doing this—to a point. Do you want to vent, or do you want to heal? Fritz Perls, the innovator of Gestalt therapy, had people imagine a person was in an empty chair facing them. Then the person was helped to talk to the empty chair, and when finished, he made them switch chairs and have that person talk back to them. Yes, the greatest tool ever invented (in my opinion). Opposite Hand Writing works the same way. Instead of switching chairs, you switch hands. It’s easier on your butt.

We cannot outthink an emotional wound. Our emotions run deep, and when you apply love to the hurt at its core—everything similar in your life will heal. No longer having to deal with every single issue in your life—which would take lifetimes—targeted core healing gets the job done, and quickly!

Notice that this article focuses on emotional wounds. Why? My theory is—we are more emotional in our makeup than mental. Now, our mind is very powerful, and there are numerous emotional tools that we mix and match at Basic Steps Mental Health; therefore, the combination of the two works best. Exploring how logical your thinking is through Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, intention work through Wayne Dyer and Louise Hay. Plus, positive self-talk can bring you incredible mental results—but healing? Combined with emotional work—then yes. On its own, it is limited.

Physical interventions are incredible and cannot be denied. Exercise, good nutrition, staying hydrated, and getting adequate rest and sleep help a person be at their physical best. I myself get regular bodywork, acupuncture, and medical checkups. I am trying to keep my figure as I advance in years. Physical, mental, emotional—you can see the importance of addressing all of these. I started working at a 12-Step facility in 1994; their approach was behavioral—which is physical in nature. Avoid the substance, talk about how you failed yourself and others, and try to make amends. Why were so many people relapsing? For this reason, I got inspired to continue my education to discover what helped people heal. In doing the right behaviors over and over again, only a few were recovering. In adding on the mental and emotional tools, amazing success with my clients was achieved.

Educate yourself. See what therapists offer and ask yourself if that resonates with you—meaning, do you think this would work for you? Do you feel comfortable with the person over the phone? That one element is so important and not discussed enough in this industry. Some people may be saying all the right things, but why do you feel creeped out inside? This is your treatment. Shop around, educate yourself, and open up to the therapist if you feel something just doesn’t add up. It is people like this, who question me, that I respect. It shows me that they care about themselves.