[CantExplain]

Hi guys! I did a Small Figures exercise with Mr T. It shows significant scenes from my relationship with Madame T.
The beginning is at the back on the orange board. The middle is in the middle on the yellow board. The end is in the front on the dark blue board.

[CantExplain]

The Beginning
On the orange board we have Madame T in purple and three copies of myself: the young child, the teenager and the adult.
Young child faces Madame T with arms stretched out: he adores her.
Teenager faces away with arms held backwards to fend her off. He hates her.
Adult faces sideways with one arm up and one arm down. He is undecided.
Madame T is impassive.
Overall I am divided and desperately unhappy.

[CantExplain]

The Middle
Four scenes, mostly happy:

1. Madame T accepts my inner child. Both have arms out and I am sitting in her lap.

2. Madame T accepts my feminine side. Seated facing each other (I'm wearing pink) with arms stretched out.

3. Madame T and I seek the help of another therapists. All standing facing each other. We are adults and equals.

4. Madame T and I working together as equal adults. Sitting side by side holding hands. This was after I did the work on what I would feel and do if she were to die. In retrospect, this was the high point of our relationship and would have been a very good place to stop.

[CantExplain]

The End
Two scenes, both bad.

1. Madame T rejects me. Her back is turned even though I am reaching out to her.

2. Total rupture. Back to back.

[growlycat]

Wow-I've never done this kind of narrative in therapy before but I see how it is useful. I appreciate it when people share this stuff, art therapy etc.

However,

I wish Madame T could no longer cause you pain.

[AllyIsHopeful]

CE...Wow...This was incredibly powerful to see. How did it feel to do this exercise? Empowering? Healing??

Thanks for sharing this!

Originally Posted by CantExplain

Hi guys! I did a Small Figures exercise with Mr T. It shows significant scenes from my relationship with Madame T.
The beginning is at the back on the orange board. The middle is in the middle on the yellow board. The end is in the front on the dark blue board.

[CantExplain]

Originally Posted by growlycat

Wow-I've never done this kind of narrative in therapy before but I see how it is useful. I appreciate it when people share this stuff, art therapy etc.

However,

I wish Madame T could no longer cause you pain.

Thanks. I get the occasional burst of pain, but every burst produces a new thread!

I don't hurt worse than others, I just squeal louder.

[anilam]

It's so lovely yet heartbreaking. I do hope you'll be able to get over her...

[CantExplain]

Originally Posted by Hopelessly Hopeful

CE...Wow...This was incredibly powerful to see. How did it feel to do this exercise? Empowering? Healing??

Thanks for sharing this!

It was helpful, and I think it's a fair summary of my version of what happened. Mr T was impressed.

[CantExplain]

Originally Posted by anilam

It's so lovely yet heartbreaking. I do hope you'll be able to get over her...

You guys are really great!

[Chopin99]

I am fascinated by this methodology! Will say more about this later (if I forget, remind me to).

[CantExplain]

Originally Posted by Chopin99

I am fascinated by this methodology! Will say more about this later (if I forget, remind me to).

I don't know if it's as grand as a "methodology". It's just a Jungian sandbox. But it's a good way to access the visual-spatial part of the mind that talk therapy neglects.

On the other hand, when I've set up the scene and posed the figures, I still have to explain it to Mr T.

[Asiablue]

Incredibly poignant. Thank you for sharing this.

[bounceback]

That was amazing and you depicted how you were feeling so well. Sorry it had to end that way.

[HealingTimes]

I think the insight you have here can be very healing for you, CE. Sending you strength and (if its ok with you), hugs.

[Chopin99]

Originally Posted by CantExplain

I don't know if it's as grand as a "methodology". It's just a Jungian sandbox. But it's a good way to access the visual-spatial part of the mind that talk therapy neglects.

On the other hand, when I've set up the scene and posed the figures, I still have to explain it to Mr T.

Still. I am not familiar with psychoanalytic/dynamic theories. That is really cool for the very reason you explained above. As a visual person, I could see myself using this.

[SeekerOfLife]

Originally Posted by Asiablue

Incredibly poignant. Thank you for sharing this.

Love it! Perhaps there is an additional message in it: don't prolong therapy if you ready and ok about it stopping.

[tametc]

Originally Posted by CantExplain

I don't know if it's as grand as a "methodology". It's just a Jungian sandbox. But it's a good way to access the visual-spatial part of the mind that talk therapy neglects.

On the other hand, when I've set up the scene and posed the figures, I still have to explain it to Mr T.

Thank you so much for the pics and the explanations. I found it all very touching, and sad. It seems that you tried so hard to make things work. I understand your anger and divided heart even more than I did before, and I just want you to know that I support you.

Also, this has been very helpful for little kids inside (I have DID) who have not been able to use words very well. I will be starting work with a new trauma T in March or April, and this feels like a safe and effective way for very young parts to express themselves. I can't thank you enough, but all parts of me want to give you hugs. Thank you for being brave and vulnerable with us.

[blur]

what a great way to express your evolving relationship with madame T. i'm sorry it ended so poorly though. mr. T sounds pretty groovy though.

[CantExplain]

Originally Posted by blur

what a great way to express your evolving relationship with madame T. i'm sorry it ended so poorly though. mr. T sounds pretty groovy though.

He's groovy all right!

[brillskep]

This is such an extremely cool exercise! Thank you so much for sharing it! Is it just me or are those Lego figures? Way cool. Did doing this help you? I want to try this too. I'm excited.

Originally Posted by CantExplain

I don't know if it's as grand as a "methodology". It's just a Jungian sandbox. But it's a good way to access the visual-spatial part of the mind that talk therapy neglects.

On the other hand, when I've set up the scene and posed the figures, I still have to explain it to Mr T.

But how does it actually work? Did you set up the scene at home and bring the picture? Or are these things that Mr T has in his office? If so, do you talk to him while you set it up, or do you talk afterwards and explain it all in one go? How long does it take to decide what to do with the figures? How do you know when you've done it right? And what kind of feedback does Mr T give?

Sorry about all the questions, and feel free to ignore them if I'm being too intrusive. I am just trying to understand how this works. I've never heard of anything like this.

Very good work CE! I like the different colored mats, like helping you not only put the whole relationship with madame t into a visual but also giving you separate 'chunks' if you will to work with that way it's not so intimidating trying to figure out the whole thing at once. or something. not sure i'm getting the right words here. but i did sand trays quite a bit with my t, they were always helpful because i'd get new insights into myself every time I created one and have one at home I haven't used for awhile this inspires me to create another sand tray and maybe send a picture of it to t before we talk again next week. thanks for sharing!

[CantExplain]

Originally Posted by brillskep

This is such an extremely cool exercise! Thank you so much for sharing it! Is it just me or are those Lego figures? Way cool. Did doing this help you? I want to try this too. I'm excited.

Not Lego, but I'm sure Lego would work too. Yes, it did help.

[CantExplain]

Originally Posted by Mastodon

But how does it actually work? Did you set up the scene at home and bring the picture? Or are these things that Mr T has in his office? If so, do you talk to him while you set it up, or do you talk afterwards and explain it all in one go? How long does it take to decide what to do with the figures? How do you know when you've done it right? And what kind of feedback does Mr T give?

Sorry about all the questions, and feel free to ignore them if I'm being too intrusive. I am just trying to understand how this works. I've never heard of anything like this.

Mr T has a big box of these colourful plastic figures. There are two sizes, adult and child, and they come in male and female. They have different clothes and hair. To me that was a distraction. But you'll notice that the third figure in the standing group is wearing something like a police uniform. The figures can stand or sit and raise or lower their arms.

This is a timeline exercise, hence the three boards. It is possible he was expecting a more linear sequence, but that doesn't matter. He said to make scenes from my relationship with Madame T.

I chose and posed the figures in an allegorical fashion, because otherwise there would be nothing to show. (Every scene would be two seated figures facing each other.) I don't know if this is what Mr T expected. The instructions are deliberately vague. The reaction on this thread shows that I did a good job.

The order the scenes happened is not the order I made them. I started at the end, then did the accepting scenes in the middle, then the beginning and finally the adult scenes in the middle. At the same time I was explaining what the scenes meant. I'm guessing it took 15 minutes, but it could have been longer.

Mr T does a lot of work with children.