A Path Of Healing

Working with a 10-year-old boy, he began to tell me of a frightening experience he'd had with a dog when he was only 8-years-old.

"We were hiking on the beach exploring, Mom and Dad were out on a log at the lake and my brother was exploring, but not by me. I saw a dog was by its owner, and when she looked away, the dog ran to me. I wanted to get away, but I was surrounded by rocks and the dog almost bit my good leg off! Its mouth was over my right knee! The owner told it to come to her and said, "Bad dog!"

Bringing out Feelings and Needs cards that have pictures aswell as words on them, I handed him the Feelings cards and asked, "I'm wondering what you are feeling in your body, just now, as you tell me your experience?"

Taking the cards in his hands, he begins to slowly sort them one by one. Laying down two cards he said, "This is it, I was surprised, shocked," as he modeled the facial expressions, "and scared, not really worried, but afraid my leg was going to get bitten off!"

"So a part of you feels so surprised, remembering the dog came running toward you, and then shocked when his mouth got close to your knee? And another part of you feels not so much worried as you were scared, afraid of losing your leg, is that is?"

"Yeah."

"Where do you feel that in your body?" I asked.

"The surprise is in my heart. It feels tight. The shock is in my breath. It's hard to breathe. And the scared and afraid part is in my knee."

Handing him the Needs cards, I asked, "What needs are coming up for these little parts of you?"

Again sorting them slowly, he laid down two cards reading: "Safety, Trust." "Help, Support."

Meeting his eyes with tenderness, I asked, "As you receive the gift of these needs, is there anything you'd like me to hear?"

"Yes, there is," he began. "I really needed safety from that dog. And, I needed help and support to get out of there!"

"It was really scary for the little guy inside you to be all alone in that moment, hemmed in by all the rocks and a big dog running up to him. He's been holding all this inside for a long time now, hasn't he?"

He nodded with wide eyes filled with tears.

"He's been waiting for Compassionate Cameron to be present to hear just how scary it was for him and to understand what he's been needing all this time?"

Drawing in a deep breath, he looked once more at the cards in his hands and added the card: "To Be Heard, To Be Understood." Letting out a deep sigh, he laid the last card down, "Community, Friends, Belonging." Looking into my eyes he smiled and said, "Now these needs are met too!"

Smiling back I said, "Wow, I celebrate with you, Cameron! Look at all these beautiful gifts the little guy inside of you has brought to you!" Handing him the Feelings cards again, I asked, "How are you feeling now as you take this all in?"

Sitting up straighter and with a smile, he laid out three cards: "Thankful, Grateful." "Peaceful, Content, Calm, Relaxed." "Friendly, Loving, Tender, Warm."

"Where do you feel these feelings in your body?" I asked.

"In my heart it's warm, and then it spreads all over my whole body!" His eyes brightened as he smiled wide and spread his arms wide open to demonstrate how it spread.