Amanda Newman
Forum Replies Created
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Kent it sounds like you were really able to support your client and give her the space she needed to feel all of what was coming up for her. I love that you invited the idea of a sit spot into her life as well as finding something that can symbolize her own strength. I think it’s great that your client acknowledged that she needed to see a therapist and that you were still able to comfort her and help her create a mantra for moving forward in her life. Great job!
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Summary Post
I haven’t worked with a practice client in a while. I don’t know if anyone else has noticed this about partswork but has anyone been catching the voice(s) in their head and are cognizant to it? Does anyone else ask the question, “who is speaking?” I’ve noticed I do this often; somebody is speaking and I become very aware of it right after I experience something of significance. Granted, I talk to myself all day and do not constantly ask myself “who is speaking?” but, I’ve created an intention of becoming more aware to my inner monologue. I feel as though if I can program myself to be this aware than I really can help other people. I’ve created the possibility of not staying on autopilot all the time and asking myself meaningful questions throughout the day. I think Partswork has opened the creation of me knowing myself more than ever and I know that I’ve helped the people in my life bring that to their reality, even though they aren’t a client. -
Lauren, I think you did a really great job in creating an outline of what you and Wendy were working with and the realizations Wendy was having. Something that really spoke to me about your post was when you mentioned the Judge and Child. Almost polarizing parts characteristically speaking, and yet they were the ones speaking the loudest to Wendy. I remember the session Michael did with Wendy and how interjecting actually allowed Wendy to notice it wasn’t her or just that one part coming up. Something that I appreciate about Wendy is her vulnerability to work with these parts even though there could be resistance.
It’s wonderful that you and Wendy have such a close, loving relationship that creates such openness and vulnerability during your sessions. As a guide, you did great job helping her identify what she wants and how she needs to be through Partswork. -
Initial Post
During my fishbowl at the Star House, my partner and I created an open bond from the beginning. He helped me a lot identify which parts of mine were clashing and it created a possibility of being more open to my parts working together. When it was my turn to coach him, he immediately was accepting of moving into partswork. In fact, this had been a session that he wanted to do for a while now. As we sat in the grass, there were a couple different parts coming up. The Escape Artists was one with the loudest voice, who helped him run and avoid the things in life he did not want to deal with. So we spoke to the Escape Artist for a while, working to understand how he served my client. Mainly what we received from this part was that he protects my client but does in fact suppress the Little Boy. This part did not want to come speak in the space we were in, so my client and I (and the transcriber) walked over to the big tree with the swing. My client sat down on the swing and we sat in silence for a few moments.
The Little Boy was very hesitant to come out, very reluctant to speak. My client’s was able to speak about why this part did not want to come out, dealing with trauma from childhood. As I spoke to this part and asked them more questions about how he serves my client, what is he scared of, what does he want and need, he became more open to talking about it. Ultimately, the Little Boy needed to be nurtured and loved. Now the Escape Artist never went away, and the two parts and Soul were able to create a communication around what the Little Boy needed. This created a trifecta of communication, stemming from where each part was going to show up in my client’s life and how they were going to work together.
With the work we do, especially partswork, I believe we embody those parts so authentically because humans have such an inherent connection to nature. -
Wendy, this was written so beautifully and painted a really great picture of your time with Lauren. You were very clear about Lauren’s work with speaking her own truth. It sounds like there was a clear intention on what happens when Lauren is triggered and how the two of you were to create a mantra that created a new possibility in her life. I also really like how you mention someone who is not familiar with parts work or nature connection could find this concept a bit hard to grasp. Talking to a tree who you are envisioning as your father could potentially be weird (HA) but I think most people relate to this idea that there are so many complexities about us and partswork brings that into their lens.
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Summary
I’ve had some time to reflect on the people I would like to serve. I suppose that I am working to reach a demographic that either aligns with my nature connection or who may not be exposed to that sort of connection; people who don’t reject the idea but who simply may not be exposed to the awareness of nature connection. Their are those who may not be aware or exposed to nature connection, so I would like to work with people, either in educational groups or speaking opportunities, to give a larger number of people the education on why this is important and why it benefits them. -
Initial Post
When I think about guiding others, I think about multiple kinds of people. First off, I think of people who love the Earth. The have a distinct love for the planet we live on and the detrimental effects humans are having on the planet. These people institutionally have a love for nature, find beauty in it and are conscious about their role on this planet.
Another kind of person who I can see myself guiding are people who struggle in their lives to find purpose other than just surviving. These people deal with the brunt of environmental devastation and have their voices ignored because of the background, economic status or geographical location. I believe I’m able to help people step into their power, help guide them into tapping into their emotional, physical, mental struggles.
These two demographics excite me because I feel a strong connection to helping those in need, from all walks of life. It’s important for me to help guide people who want to be guided and who may not know that coaching is available. I don’t expect this to be easy but I do wish to work to reach these people.
For both demographics, I would want to take them out into nature and work to understand their wants and deeper needs. What is stopping them for working to better themselves? Is it internal? Is it external? If it’s external, I’d invite experiments into play and invite them to work inwardly to retrieve fulfillment on the external. -
Summary
I remember feeling like I had to get everything right when I started guiding people. I remember over thinking during sessions as a guide, not always knowing where I was, where I was supposed to go and how to convey the conversation gracefully and fulfilling to my client. During this time, I hadn’t trusted my capabilities as a guide, someone who could take a client into severance, threshold and incorporation. Nonetheless, practice makes perfect! -
Summary Post
I thought that resourcing was a great exercise during this intensive. Internal, External and Spiritual. We sat in front of a partner and told each other things about ourselves that were positive and helped us through these three topics. In my personal experience, I’ve found that people don’t like to talk about themselves in a positive way. Of course there are exceptions and everyone is different, but many people feel awkward when talking about themselves. I thought this exercise was brilliant because it gave us the opportunity to listen to our truth and really feel it since we were talking to another soul. It also gave great clarity in deep listening, because we had to listen to our partner speak positively about themselves. It really held a container of positivity, love and connection. As a guide, I think this is a great activity to do, invite the client to be pushed out of their comfort zone a bit by giving them the chance to speak highly about themselves. What a concept! -
Initial Post
When I first got to this intensive, I was scared to open up about what I’d been going through. I did not feel like my full self, but I had experienced this part of Amanda, the part who was hurting and feeling lost. I had felt this all throughout my teenage years while simultaneously putting on a happy face. No one knew, or could even see, that I was hurting. The pain had followed me and I avoided it for a while until it became second nature to avoid the pain. Therefore, I ended up hiding it with drugs and alcohol, friends and sex until I thought I was healed.
When I walked into the Brain 1 and Trauma intensive, I felt more scared than I ever had before. Scared because I knew this was going to come up, I knew these magical people were going to see me in my Darkness, my ruthless Darkness. At that point, it had been consuming me. Externally, I understood why it was happening; I had no job, I was gaining weight, I was avoiding making good choices and I was surrounded by a man who I love but have struggled to be around – my dad.
Once we started going more in depth about how our brain stores everything, how our mind connects experience to emotion, how our experiences helped mold the ways we move through life, I finally recognized my trauma. That Darkness I had been holding and the way it was holding me was because I had not dealt with my trauma from my teenage years. And it finally clicked.
Nature had been protecting me for so long. My mind had been doing what it does best in fight or flight situations. During this intensive I discovered that I was never healed, that the world was protecting me the only way my mind could handle. Ever since this intensive, I have not dealt with my Darkness the same way as I had. I’m much more aware of how I can show up and deal with my Darkness. I would love to be able to guide someone into this clarity, something that’s been hurting and sitting with them for so long and guide them into the awareness, they can change the way they show up. Thus, they can shift their future experiences when triggered. -
Summary
To help people understand what nature connection is no simple task. As guides, we may find people who don’t mean to be harmful to our planet and yet they are. There is an lens that carries over many of us and to break out of a lens can be difficult if you are unaware or unwilling. As a guide, I hope to inspire people to break their molds and create a driving force of change; change of habits, behaviors and the way humans correlate with nature. Not everyone thinks their is a connection and that is why I’ve been called to do this work. I’ve been called to create an awareness of what is around them, even if it’s not effecting them personally. I’ve been called to start the conversation and create an expanded understanding of what this planet is for us. -
Summary Post
As I mentioned above, Partswork is my absolute favorite piece that we’ve learned throughout EBI. That is not to say I don’t love everything else, but partswork was especially magical. I was able to connect to soul and to nature, understanding how they both play such a tremendous role in my being, as well as many others. Partswork allowed me to fundamentally understand why I could so many polarizing feelings all at once. Love, fear, serendipity, unworthiness; all are feelings I have had at the same time. For so long I could not understand why or how, but Michael said that parts are parts of the whole. Wow! It made so much sense. It was truly beautiful and relieving to be able to put my feelings into words, categorize them into names and identify their personalities, their wants and needs. I find it a bit humorous that to allow myself to become stronger with my parts, I had to label them. I needed to use my human logic and give these parts names to identify how they were showing up for me. It sounds so simple yet it’s so complex. One way nature played a part in identifying my parts was the exercise we did out on the land. I used trees to represent the different parts of myself and consciously making my parts tangible beings became so powerful I couldn’t believe what was being said. Fully embodying my body and mind as one of the parts, I was able to understand why they are there, how they serve me and what their wants and needs are. Unbelievably transformative! -
Lauren, this demographic of people is right up your ally! I know how inspired you feel about guiding women who are doing well in their professional lives but lacking in their personal life. Or women who are moms that are seeking for something more. It’s wonderful that you’re looking to take a holistic approach on helping these people.
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Wendy I appreciate your willingness to support and guide young women but also be open to men wanting to do self work. You’re incredible thorough in your post and I like how you listed all of the categories of goals as well as the collaboration with nature. By listing the categories of goals, it’s a great visualization for us as the reader to understand your steps and processes of moving forward with your ideal client.
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Lauren, thank you for opening up about your threshold experience. I remember this intensive, how transformative these sessions were for you. It’s incredible how guides literally guide client’s into a stronger and deeper awareness of themselves. As one of your clients, I know first hand how mind rocking a threshold experience can be.