roles:
guide
admin spec: stage: id: 4 name: Reactivity prerequisites: - Client has recognised the fluid nature of the sense of self description: | This stage explores reactivity. Once we no longer hold tight onto our sense of who we are, we can start to dig into the reactivity that is a natural part of the human experience. As we explore the mechanisms at play, we begin to realise that it is, in fact, optional.
objectives:
- “Help client identify and recognize reactive patterns”
- “Establish a relationship with reactive sensations”
- “Begin developing the skill of inner listening”
exercises:
name: “Exploring Resistance” purpose: “Identify the relationship between felt sense and resistance” conditions:
- “Client has basic awareness of felt sense”
- “Client experiences resistance to emotions”
- “Client needs to understand the purpose of resistance”
- “Client is ready to explore the nature of resistance” steps:
- instruction: “Ask client to bring to mind a moderately challenging scenario” guide_notes: “Choose something that evokes a noticeable reaction but isn’t overwhelming”
- instruction: “Guide client to notice the felt sense that arises with this scenario” guide_notes: “Help them locate and describe the bodily sensations in detail”
- instruction: “Ask client to notice if there’s any resistance to this felt sense” guide_notes: “This might feel like pushing away, tensing, or mental distraction”
- instruction: “Invite the client to ask: ‘Can this felt sense be okay as it is?’” guide_notes: “Allow space for them to explore this question without forcing an answer”
- instruction: “Guide client to ask: ‘Is this resistance truly needed right now?’” guide_notes: “Help them inquire into the necessity of resistance in this moment” expected_outcome: “Client begins to recognize the distinction between felt sense and resistance to it”
name: “Welcoming Resistance” purpose: “Discover the purpose behind resistance and felt sense” conditions:
- “Client can identify basic resistance patterns”
- “Client is able to stay with uncomfortable sensations”
- “Client is curious about the purpose of their reactions”
- “Client needs to understand the protective nature of resistance” steps:
- instruction: “Ask client to recall a scenario where they noticed resistance” guide_notes: “Can use a previous example or find a new one of moderate intensity”
- instruction: “Guide client to notice the felt sense that arises” guide_notes: “Help them locate and describe bodily sensations”
- instruction: “Ask client to notice any resistance to this felt sense” guide_notes: “Help them identify the quality and location of the resistance”
- instruction: “Invite client to say ‘welcome’ to the resistance” guide_notes: “Emphasize a tone of genuine curiosity and appreciation”
- instruction: “Guide client to ask: ‘What is your purpose, resistance?’” guide_notes: “Allow silence for an answer to emerge, noting any insights”
- instruction: “Then invite them to ask the original felt sense: ‘What is your purpose?’” guide_notes: “Help client compare the purposes of both the resistance and felt sense”
- instruction: “Ask client: ‘Are these purposes the same or different? Is resistance still needed?’” guide_notes: “This helps uncover if resistance is still serving them in the present” expected_outcome: “Client understands the protective nature of resistance and can evaluate its current usefulness”
name: “Comparative Resistance Mapping” purpose: “Identify patterns in resistance across different scenarios” conditions:
- “Client has experience with basic resistance inquiry”
- “Client notices recurring reactive patterns”
- “Client benefits from pattern recognition”
- “Client is ready for more complex comparative work” steps:
- instruction: “Ask client to identify three different challenging scenarios” guide_notes: “Choose scenarios that evoke different types of reactions but are manageable”
- instruction: “For the first scenario, guide client to notice the felt sense and any resistance” guide_notes: “Help them explore the motivation behind the resistance”
- instruction: “Ask: ‘What is this resistance trying to accomplish? What is its motivation?’” guide_notes: “Note the specific motivation of resistance in this first scenario”
- instruction: “Then ask: ‘What is the felt sense trying to communicate? What’s its motivation?’” guide_notes: “Note this motivation as well”
- instruction: “Repeat this process for the second and third scenarios” guide_notes: “Keep notes on the motivations for each scenario to compare”
- instruction: “Help client compare the resistance motivations across all three scenarios” guide_notes: “Look for patterns in how resistance functions in different contexts”
- instruction: “Compare the felt sense motivations across all three scenarios” guide_notes: “Help client notice if different scenarios have similar underlying messages”
- instruction: “Ask: ‘Do you notice any patterns in how resistance operates across situations?’” guide_notes: “This helps identify core resistance strategies that may be habitual” expected_outcome: “Client recognizes patterns in how resistance operates across different situations”
name: “Emotion to Sensation to Belief” purpose: “Track the relationship between emotions, bodily sensations, and underlying beliefs” conditions:
- “Client can identify emotions”
- “Client has some body awareness”
- “Client is curious about the source of their reactions”
- “Client is interested in uncovering belief systems” steps:
- instruction: “Ask client to bring to mind a scenario that evokes a clear emotion” guide_notes: “Choose an emotion they can easily identify, like anger, fear, or sadness”
- instruction: “Guide client to name the emotion they’re experiencing” guide_notes: “If they name several, choose one to focus on first”
- instruction: “Ask client to find where this emotion lives in their body” guide_notes: “Help them locate specific sensations associated with the emotion”
- instruction: “Guide them to explore: ‘Can you find the emotion directly in your bodily experience?’” guide_notes: “This helps them recognize that emotions are felt in the body”
- instruction: “Ask: ‘What beliefs might be connected to these sensations?’” guide_notes: “Listen for beliefs like ‘I’m not safe’ or ‘I’m not valued’”
- instruction: “Invite them to notice if they can find these beliefs in their direct experience” guide_notes: “This helps differentiate between direct experience and conceptual overlay” expected_outcome: “Client recognizes the connection between emotions, bodily sensations, and beliefs”
name: “Tracking the Reactive Impulse” purpose: “Identify the beliefs that drive reactive behaviors” conditions:
- “Client experiences strong reactive urges”
- “Client wants to understand their reactive patterns”
- “Client sometimes acts on impulses they later regret”
- “Client is ready to explore the beliefs behind reactions” steps:
- instruction: “Ask client to recall a scenario where they had a strong urge to react” guide_notes: “Choose something recent and specific, but not their most triggering scenario”
- instruction: “Guide client to notice the felt sense that arose in that situation” guide_notes: “Help them locate and describe the physical sensations”
- instruction: “Ask them to notice the reaction or impulse that followed” guide_notes: “This might be an urge to speak, move, leave, or take some action”
- instruction: “Invite them to track this impulse in their body” guide_notes: “Where do they feel the urge? What qualities does it have?”
- instruction: “Guide them to find the part that believes this reaction is necessary” guide_notes: “Ask: ‘What part of you believes this reaction is the right thing to do?’”
- instruction: “Explore: ‘What does this part believe would happen if you didn’t react?’” guide_notes: “This reveals the underlying fear or concern driving the reaction”
- instruction: “Acknowledge this part with appreciation for its protective intent” guide_notes: “Express gratitude for how it’s trying to help, even if the strategy is outdated” expected_outcome: “Client identifies the beliefs driving reactive behaviors and acknowledges their protective purpose”
name: “Breaking the Reactive Loop” purpose: “Recognize and interrupt cycles of reactivity” conditions:
- “Client engages in repetitive thought patterns”
- “Client gets caught in escalating emotional cycles”
- “Client is interested in interrupting reactive patterns”
- “Client has sufficient awareness to track internal processes” steps:
- instruction: “Explain the reactive loop: stimulus → felt sense → thought → new felt sense → etc.” guide_notes: “Draw this out visually if possible to help client conceptualize the cycle”
- instruction: “Ask client to recall a recent reactive loop they experienced” guide_notes: “Help them identify a clear example from their own experience”
- instruction: “Guide them to track: ‘What was the initial stimulus?’” guide_notes: “This could be external (something someone said) or internal (a memory)”
- instruction: “Ask: ‘What felt sense arose in response to that stimulus?’” guide_notes: “Help them locate and describe the initial bodily response”
- instruction: “Explore: ‘What thought or interpretation came about this felt sense?’” guide_notes: “This might be something like ‘This is bad’ or ‘I’m not safe’”
- instruction: “Ask: ‘Notice how that thought created a new felt sense. What is that like?’” guide_notes: “Help them see how thoughts generate additional bodily responses”
- instruction: “Demonstrate how to break the loop by either: noticing thoughts without believing them, or replacing thoughts with more supportive ones” guide_notes: “Offer specific examples relevant to their situation”
- instruction: “Guide client to practice breaking the loop with their example” guide_notes: “Help them experiment with different intervention points in the cycle” expected_outcome: “Client understands how reactive loops form and learns methods to interrupt them”
content/exercises/urge-to-react.md:title: Urge to React
content/exercises/not-okayness-hunt.md:title: Not-Okayness Hunt
content/exercises/finding-anxiety.md:title: Finding Anxiety
content/exercises/emotional-buttons.md:title: Emotional Buttons
explanations:
topic: “The Nature of the Felt Sense” content: | The felt sense is the body’s way of communicating the full meaning of a situation. It contains more information than our conscious thoughts and can guide us toward what we need.
topic: “Why We Greet Sensations” content: | By acknowledging and welcoming sensations rather than avoiding them, we create safety. This allows the nervous system to process information that may have been stuck or overwhelming.
topic: “The Importance of Relationship with Sensations” content: | Creating a relationship with our sensations helps integrate disconnected parts of our experience and builds internal resources for self-regulation.
topic: “The Role of Resistance” content: | Resistance to our felt experience is a protective mechanism. By approaching resistance with kindness rather than judgment, we can discover its positive intention and determine if that protection is still needed.
topic: “Breaking Reactive Cycles” content: | Reactivity often follows a predictable cycle where a stimulus triggers a felt sense, which is then interpreted in a way that generates a new felt sense. By recognizing this cycle, we can intervene at any point to change our experience.
session_notes_guide: observations: - “How easily does the client identify reactivity patterns?” - “Are they able to stay present with uncomfortable sensations?” - “Do they recognize the protective nature of resistance?” - “Can they identify beliefs underlying their reactions?”
next_steps: - “If client struggles with identifying reactive patterns, consider more sensory awareness exercises” - “If client connects well with the reactive patterns, prepare to move toward integration work” - “If client becomes overwhelmed, return to regulation techniques from earlier stages”