Reflection is a bit like the work of the Spirits of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come. We mirror or reflect our client’s experience—the content presented, the process or experience in the moment (e.g., nonverbals, tone, pattern of speech, etc.), self and world constructs (e.g., “I am…”), protective patterns and inner tensions, and core vulnerabilities or wounds.
Existential-Humanistic theory holds that the self of the client relies on protective layers. A diagram of those layers includes the following:
The Chinese finger trap is a good illustration of the law of reverse effect: try something and get the opposite. The framework is helpful to remember when working with psychological protections (i.e., “spacesuits”). When we push or confront, we may get resistance.
Working with “spacesuits” is part of the art of therapy. Still, there are points to keep in mind.
“Houston, I feel a lot of water on the back of my head.” Instructed to return forty-five minutes into a maintenance repair spacewalk on the International Space Station, astronaut Luca
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