British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy South London Branch

This is an easy technique to learn either for yourself or to teach your clients.

It is a useful intervention for people who are highly critical of themselves and who continue to 'beat themselves up' for past errors.

It is also helpful for those who would wish to acquire greater social and interpersonal skills.

I would be interested in feedback from anyone who uses this technique.

There is a positive print of it and a negative just like there are positive and negative aspects of us all.

Now take about half a dozen deep breaths. Breathe as deeply as is comfortable and as you breath slowly hear yourself saying “ R E LA X “. Pause before slowly inhaling your next deep breath and as you do so, mentally say the word R E L A X to yourself as you breathe, in repeating the word on the outward breath as well.

After a few moments of focusing on your breathing, feel your body and limbs become heavier. Keep your eyes closed.

Now see the ways in which this negative part undermines you, how it cuts you off from others, how it turns other people off.

Observe the negative aspects of the ways you interact with others, the ways you communicate, socially, sexually, verbally and non verbally.

Imagine vividly your negative behaviours and perhaps you may even recognise the reasons behind your actions….or not……….either way it is unimportant,….

Look closely at this part of you that keeps you down, keeps you weighted and prevents you from doing all those things you have always dreamed of being or doing

Examine the parts of you that feel inadequate, that lack confidence. Gain understanding about these parts and accept that they have always done the best they could for you in their limited yet well-intentioned way.

Self-exploration of your negative aspects should be fleeting - remember you are only exploring observing and gaining insight. Be conversational to the negative part of yourself.

You might say something like
I can imagine when I get angry. The negative side of me wants to pick things up and throw them. I feel like screaming my lungs out. I may say things that are not true because I want to cause hurt. I can see myself become stubborn and cold, turning away from facing the truth and that I may even have got it wrong.

As I understand this, I can see how the dark parts of me can easily begin to change into light shades of the positive, just as a negative can be developed into a positive photograph. With my new understanding from this experience of self-exploration, I can turn the negative parts of myself more towards the positive. I can and am making positive changes in my life through awareness, through acceptance and behaving in new, healthier and self-productive ways.

		British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy South London
		The Picture Technique
	Home Contacting BACPSL Joining BACPSL Communications * NEW * Discounted Training Online Directory of Counsellors List of Low Cost Counsellors List of Low Cost Supervisors Trainers and Facilitators Members' Area (Yahoo Groups) Bite Size Learning Useful Links Online Adverts	This is an easy technique to learn either for yourself or to teach your clients. It is a useful intervention for people who are highly critical of themselves and who continue to 'beat themselves up' for past errors. It is also helpful for those who would wish to acquire greater social and interpersonal skills. I would be interested in feedback from anyone who uses this technique. Gwen Palmer Imagine yourself in a photograph. Visualise a picture of yourself that some one else has taken. There is a positive print of it and a negative just like there are positive and negative aspects of us all. Close your eyes and get yourself comfortable. Now take about half a dozen deep breaths. Breathe as deeply as is comfortable and as you breath slowly hear yourself saying “ R E LA X “. Pause before slowly inhaling your next deep breath and as you do so, mentally say the word R E L A X to yourself as you breathe, in repeating the word on the outward breath as well. After a few moments of focusing on your breathing, feel your body and limbs become heavier. Keep your eyes closed. Now see the ways in which this negative part undermines you, how it cuts you off from others, how it turns other people off. Observe the negative aspects of the ways you interact with others, the ways you communicate, socially, sexually, verbally and non verbally. Imagine vividly your negative behaviours and perhaps you may even recognise the reasons behind your actions….or not……….either way it is unimportant,…. Look closely at this part of you that keeps you down, keeps you weighted and prevents you from doing all those things you have always dreamed of being or doing Examine the parts of you that feel inadequate, that lack confidence. Gain understanding about these parts and accept that they have always done the best they could for you in their limited yet well-intentioned way. Self-exploration of your negative aspects should be fleeting - remember you are only exploring observing and gaining insight. Be conversational to the negative part of yourself. You might say something like I can imagine when I get angry. The negative side of me wants to pick things up and throw them. I feel like screaming my lungs out. I may say things that are not true because I want to cause hurt. I can see myself become stubborn and cold, turning away from facing the truth and that I may even have got it wrong. As I understand this, I can see how the dark parts of me can easily begin to change into light shades of the positive, just as a negative can be developed into a positive photograph. With my new understanding from this experience of self-exploration, I can turn the negative parts of myself more towards the positive. I can and am making positive changes in my life through awareness, through acceptance and behaving in new, healthier and self-productive ways. Gwen Palmer
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