ABSTRACT
Toxic forms of shame, anxiety, guilt, and self-protective strategies (SAGSS) are intrapsychic processes that crush well-being and derail therapy. These barriers to feeling and intimacy occur in a fleeting moment, and both partners easily overlook them, causing a loss in therapeutic momentum.
The Healing Triad is a triumvirate of healing forces that therapists can use when hurdles block the path to emotional connection. These forces include: “Awareness of barriers to feelings and connection,” the “Therapeutic Transfer of Compassion for Self,” and “Mobilization of the will to feel and connect.” Session vignettes will demonstrate the process of catalyzing the Healing Triad to help clients surmount barriers to emotional intimacy, the lifeblood of relationships, and healing.
