Is this supposed to be normal part of therapy?

Do all clients regress and act young?

Or is the theory here, that the regression is in an attempt to get what the client needs or did not get during development?

[Perna]

What specific behaviors are you talking about Rip? I didn't "act young" I don't think. I was working on issues from when I was 2 and 3 and felt and thought as I had then when I was working on specific memories and trying to see why I'd done things a specific way then, and trying to feel my way through, but I didn't say or do anything out of character for me.

[ECHOES]

Yes to your questions. Me too. Not acting like a child but feeling like one. Wanting to be her child I was just now wishing to be with T, thinking of her. Nothing on my mind.. I just want to be there with her.

I just had the thought a while ago that I want to grow up with her. Not that the clock can be turned back, but that the growing and learning now includes feelings of nurturing and care that I missed. The longing for it was not buried too deep and was easily nudged into awareness in therapy.

It can be that we feel that having needs at all is childish if we were taught to 'not need' and/or if those needs weren't met.