ABSTRACT
Feelings work is an essential component of the healing process. Many times, talking about anger, fear, sadness, rage, hopelessness, and shame is not sufficient to express, release, and heal those feelings. Expressive therapies and body work often supplement “talk” therapy by tapping into another level of people’s feeling reality and allowing feelings to be expressed in nonverbal and less intellectualized, verbal ways. Preparation for feelings work includes letters to, dialogues with, or visualizations about putting inner children in Safe Places with Higher Powers with the reminder that they only tell the Adult part what the feelings are, and the Adult is then responsible for expressing and healing the feelings. Trauma occurs and clients disassociate their feelings, thoughts, senses, and behavior as a way to psychologically survive the trauma.
