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I am a client of Pamela and Hugh for the past three years. I did
a lot of writing (journalling) during my therapy and found it helped
me in so many ways. Pamela asked me if I would post this information
on their website. (I am also their website designer.) I hope it
can help you. Christy
PURPOSE:
A journal is a means for you to write down your internal thoughts
and ideas. We don't spend enough time recognizing them. We are so
busy flitting from one external idea to another, that we often ignore
our internal messages. We were told as children to ignore our inner
voices ("Stop pretending", "You don't have invisible
friends", and so on) and do what the adults told us to do.
Journalling allows you to talk to those inner voices and children.
Just as an adventurer or explorer, when starting on a new adventure,
starts a journal of his/her experiences, you should keep a record
or journal of your life's adventures and journey. This journal can
include your ups and downs, your challenges and opportunities, your
likes and dislikes, and so on. The journal should be seen as more
than just a regurgitation of the daily events, but as a chance to
peer beneath the curtain of our inner selves and to record what
we see.
Journalling is a way for you to let your subconscious mind, conscious
mind, your body, your Higher Self, your inner children, your guides,
etc know what they say is important to you. When you write it down
you are saying "This information you give me is so important
that I am going to record it so I can read it again and again."
WHY DO I JOURNAL?
A journal is a way for me to communicate my inner children and
get their thoughts, feelings, pain, ideas, wants and needs. I have
written more on journalling with inner children later in this hand
out.
I wanted to keep a record of my transformation, self discovery
and progress through the challenges I have set up for myself in
life. I find it is sometimes hard to see the growth I have done
or accomplished without a record of where I have been.
I have found my journal is a way of communication between me and
my therapist. This has been very helpful as in one hour I cannot
go over what happened in one week. The journal allows her to read
it at her leisure and then address my and her concerns in our next
session. Many times I will pose a question my inner children or
I need answered. She can help me find the answer or answer it for
me in the next session. I do a lot of work at home on my challenge
in life. When she reads my personal work, she can see what I am
doing and how I am approaching it, what I am missing in my work
and how best to help me. I also can identify what we need to work
on in our sessions.
The journal has become one way of for me to release emotions,
internal and external pain. This has been the greatest help in my
transformation. Writing the journal has at times been very emotional
with lots of tears, anger, fear, happiness, joy... . There are times
when it is very uplifting as I am recording a major change in my
life.
WHEN DO I JOURNAL
I journal after my self hypnosis or meditations. I sit down at
my computer and write my experiences under hypnosis, such as who
I talked to, what happened to me, what the process was, my thoughts
or opinions about it, how we worked it out, etc. I tried a tape
recorder recording my self hypnosis, but it took too long to go
through the tapes and transcribe when I got the same information
just typing it in. Usually before writing everything down, I will
write a few quick notes outlining what happened. I use these notes
to refresh my memory as I go along. I trust what I remember as being
a true account of what I learned or saw.
I also journal for/with streams of thought, messages from Higher
Self and other sources, and answers to personal questions. For these
I will just sit down in front of my computer and ask for the message
or answer to my questions. I type as it comes to me. I will shut
my eyes and let myself type into the computer. If an answer won't
come I might start to type a letter or into my journal about something
else. When I take my mind off of the pressure of getting an answer,
sometimes the answer will come.
I journal with conscious memories as they come up. I don't remember
much of my childhood, so I spend the time to write down what I am
starting to remember.
HOW DO I JOURNAL?
I write in my journal on my computer since: I can rewrite easily,
insert new sentences and don't have to worry about readability or
spelling mistakes; I type faster than I can write; typing is physically
more comfortable for me to do than writing with a pen; and it is
easy to print out a second copy.
If you find a computer is too impersonal or you don't have one,
then use a notebook to write in. If it is just a spiral bound notebook
from the drug store or office supply store, then write on one side
of the paper only. Also put a thin piece of cardboard under the
page you are writing so the next pages don't get the indentations
of the writing from the previous pages. Most bookstores carry lined
and unlined bound books for journals that have a good grade of paper
to write on. (Crown Books has a good selection of blank journals.)
Find a good pen which you will like to use in your writings. The
ink needs to dry quickly and flow easily out of the pen without
smudging.
I have read in some books that you should write with your non
writing hand to allow your inner children, messages, etc to come
out without your conscious mind filtering it. For myself, I would
get frustrated as it would take me so much time to write everything
down. It does not seem to matter to me since I do it on a computer.
But when my inner children asked to draw pictures about their
experiences, they asked me to use my non writing hand. They said
the other hand (right hand) would try to make the pictures too perfect.
TIPS FOR WRITING A JOURNAL
As you write more often in your journal, you will find it easier
and easier to do so. Don't say "I am not a writer.". And
don't compare yourself to anyone else. You do not have to be a writer
to write a journal. A journal is only a description of your experiences.
You have a right to describe it or write it any way you want. Try
different ways of writing.
Find out how you want to write - computer, pen and paper... Try
different ways until you find your way.
Your journal is not for publication. It is for your own use and
eyes only unless you give it to someone to read. If you plan to
give it to someone to read, make a pact with yourself that you will
not erase things from your journal because you don't want the other
person to read those parts. The things you may want to erase may
be things which really show the inner you or your inner problems.
My inner children won't let me erase anything. If I take it out
then they say "If what I say is not important, then I won't
say anything!" or "Put that back in!! I want to say what
I want to say!" then I will put it back in.
Remember every word you write down is important and appropriate
or you would not have written it down.
If you are afraid you will forget things as you write, then write
an outline consisting of short words or phrases to remind you. I
do this all of the time when I am going to be recording a lot of
information.
Try to do the writing in the journal on a daily basis. When I
first started to write in my journal I wrote in it about every third
or fourth day. As more ‘stuff' started to come up I started
to write more often. Now I write at a minimum of two times a day
for a half an hour each time as I find it is such a great release.
Keep a small notebook with you to write down any stray thoughts
and ideas as they come to you when you don't have your journal near
you. For example, I might have a memory or idea come up. I will
make a short outline of the memory or idea, then go on with my day.
At night I will take the notes and write it out completely.
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Oh that my words were now written,
Oh that they were printed in a book.
Job 19:23 (The Bible) |
The next thing most like living
on's life
over again seems to be a recollection
of that life, and to make that recollection
as durable as possible by putting it down in writing.
Benjamin Franklin |
JOURNALLING FOR MY INNER CHILDREN
Most of my journal is written by and for my inner children. It
is a story of their experiences when they were at their specific
ages. They have many experiences to tell me as they grew up. In
working with them, I do personal therapy work with them modeling
it after work that Pamela does with me. But many times I ask the
inner child "How do you want to solve this problem?" If
they don't know or can't come up with one, I can give them options
of what to do. I record our experiences, thoughts, ideas, work,
etc which we worked on the self hypnosis session.
When memories from my childhood and teen years come up in my conscious
mind, I write them down. These memories either were triggered by
something I have been working on or are the next area I am to be
working on with my inner children. When I write the memory down
in my journal, it helps to fix it in my mind. I also know by writing
it my journal I can always refer to it.
When I write in my journal about the child's experience, I use
the inner child's wording and phrasing when I write their experiences.
Listen to them as you write their words down. As you get used to
doing it, they can work through you. Even after coming out of the
hypnosis I still have a connection with that inner child and we
still can communicate as I an typing the information in the journal.
I find that my inner children know I am really listening to them
and their ideas by the process of writing down their experiences
and by taking the time to do the writing. They seem more willing
to come out and talk to me. I know part of the reason for them being
willing to talk to me is that I have worked through the "I
can't tell anyone stage" for most of them.
The most important thing is - to TRUST what your inner children
tell you. Don't say "I don't remember it that way." The
experience is very clear in their minds, while your memory is based
upon what you wanted to remember about it. Don't shut them down
with doubt
Sometimes they have very strong emotions about what they are telling
you. And when they feel the emotions you do too. Even the process
of writing in the journal can (does for me) bring up the emotions.
Work with these emotions. Write down in your journal what you are
feeling such as "I am so angry." "I just want to
sit here and cry." "I feel so much happiness inside."
Then ask who is feeling that way and why. Then start to write the
phrases and words that come to you.
Once I started to listen to my inner children which are part of
my subconscious, it was just as easy to listen to other parts of
my subconscious, such as body cells, Higher Self, etc.
So get out there and start writing!! You will find writing in
a journal to be good way for you to spend your time. Periodically
take the time to reread what you have written and see the growth
you have made.
Writing in my journal has helped me so much. Give it a try!!
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