Darrel,

Please tell your grandma that I'm still praying for her too. It sounds like she's improving? I hope so.

If anyone tries the role playing idea, I would not drop out, but would watch with interest and add comments if I have anything to say. Don't worry about it

The Socratic method also sounds interesting, but difficult to impliment in this setting. It's another thing that might work better in the chat room.

Everyone who has participated in this thread has had valuable ideas and contributions, and it does take some courage to face our garbage like this, so a round of applause to all is very appropriate.

As for further discussion of the questions, I have a few more ideas. I need to go back to <font color=red>3. What is the dragon about?</font color=red>

My original answer was a screen to hide my feelings and keep me out of trouble. That may be part of it, but there is more to it than that. It is also conflict, which causes anxiety. This could be conflict between my need to have and express feelings and my parents' wish to suppress my feelings. Or conflict between what we are or what we need and what others want us to be/ consider acceptable, or even our own ideas of what we should be. Or to hide the conflict. Once more, this was necessary when growing up - it was functional and adaptive - although now it doesn't work so well and is no longer as appropriate.

On to number 4. <font color=red>What does the dragon / inner child / cloud / etc.. want?</font color=red>

I said to be safe and to be free to feel. In other words, not to have to hide? The feelings and the conflict needs to be recognized and explored, as well as validated. There is more to it, I'm sure. What do you think? I've lost track of your answers to the questions. How does this tie in with your answers? (plural - I'm asking anyone who answered or who has something to say.)



<font color=purple>"The real problem of mental life is not why some people become insane, but rather why most avoid insanity." -Erich Fromm</font color=purple>