En síntesis

There are several ways by which the out-of-conscious system(s) can be ascertained in the clinical setting: . , , , , - . • • . 1. Literal cues • 2. Presenting problem or symptom : .i . •• '-<r. . J 3- Omission of information J •••;. , 4. Eye movements .'.- ;. u .- '.-.cr: , i: 5. Drawings • , . •- ,' . r .-n'r>. = — LITERAL CUES

Previously we spoke about language predicates as indicating the conscious communication system. When a negative is added to the

128 THERAPEUTIC METAPHORS FOR CHILDREN descriptive word or phrase, it can often amount to the child's own literal description of his out-of-conscious sensory system: A teenage boy: "I just can't see myself asking a girl out." (Out-of-

Conscious Visual)

A nine-year-old girl: "I never bear the things the teacher asks me to d o . " (Out-of-Conscious Auditory)

A teenage girl: "I can't feel anything since my boyfriend left m e . " (Out-of-Conscious Kinesthetic)

This kind of information gives the therapist a direct target area to aim for in opening up the child's blocked sensory system(s). PRESENTING PROBLEM OR SYMPTOM

The child's presenting problem or symptom can also serve as a literal communication about which sensory system is out-of-conscious. A. Out-of-Conscious-Visual:

1. Sometimes a child's presenting problem appears co be a lack of coordination so that he is frequently banging into things. The complaint is that he "doesn't pay attention," or "never watches where he's going." Rather than being a problem in muscular functioning or proptioceptive cuing, it is actually an out-of-conscious visual system that interferes with his external vision.

2. Frequent physiological or psychosomatic complaints such as ex- aggerated blinking, eye tics, eye infections or sties, etc. B. Out-of-Conscious-Auditory:

1. An example of this situation is the child who daydreams in school and cannot answer the teacher's questions because she simply did not hear what was said. Or a common complaint of parents is that their teenager has a vacant look on his face and doesn't hear anything that is said: "It's like talking to the wall."

2. Frequent physiological or psychosomatic problems such as tin- nitus, laryngitis, and infections of the ears, nose and mouth. C. Out-of-Conscious-Kinestbetic

LEARNING THE LANGUAGE OF THE CHILD 129 sensations in his own bladder. Similarly, in the case of obesity, the child has no awareness of feeling full, or is able to deny it to an extreme degree.

Frequent physiological or psychosomatic complaints such as head- aches, stomachaches, body rashes or extreme sensitivity to heat ot cold.

OMISSION OF INFORMATION

Another way to ascertain an out-of-conscious system is to notice which sensory system the child least uses in his life. For example, when working with a teenage boy who tells me he loves listening to music, that he taps out the beat, that he sings around the house and

loves to dance, I would note the omission of visual processes. This

information would help guide me in formulating a treatment approach that would include opening up the visual sensory system he is not using in a positive way. (See "Living Metaphors" in Chapter 6.)

EYE MOVEMENTS

In the previous section we discussed eye movements as a means of identifying an unconscious communication system. Observing eye move- ments in combination with questioning fot subjective experience can also be used as a means of pinpointing the out'of-conscious system. For example, in the case of Annie whose eye movements suggested a visual process, our questioning confirmed that she was accessing visual memories. This told us that her unconscious communication system was visual and available upon request. If she had not been able to bring her visual memories from unconscious ro conscious awareness, then her visual system would have been identified as her out-of- conscious system based on the fact that she could not retrieve the pictures,

It is especially helpful to observe the child's eye movements while he is talking about his problem, or while the parent discusses it. A consistent eye movement pattern in response to a discussion of the problem can pinpoint the child's out-of-conscious sensory system. While the child is talking, his eyes typically will dart to various directions representing the different sensory channels as described in the NLP graph. When the child's eyes move to a particular position, the therapist

130 THERAPEUTIC METAPHORS FOR CHILDREN will ask a direct question to learn if the child is aware of an auditoty, visual, or kinesthetic experience. If the child does indeed see an inner picture in the visual eye movement channel, or hear an inner voice or sound in the auditory eye movement channel, or is aware of feelings or sensations in the kinesthetic eye movement channel, then this is the child's unconscious sensory system. If, on the other hand, the child cannot respond to the questioning and reports experiencing nothing, then that specific sensory system is blocked and out-of-conscious. It is the sensory system that is contributing to the child's problem and needs to be activated and brought into positive use.

DRAWINGS

The use of drawings provides valuable information about a child's sensory functioning. At times a literal picture of the out-of-conscious sensory system may even result from the drawing process. Techniques and case examples involving a variety of drawing strategies are discussed in Chaptet 7.

The following case illustrates an extreme example of sensory dys- function in which identification of the child's out-of-conscious systems presented a kaleidoscopic rather than fixed pattern of functioning.

Sean's R a i n b o w P u p p y

Seven-year-old Sean was a boy with normal to above average intelligence, yet his classroom behavior was so uncontrollable that he had been asked to leave two schools. He would call out answers inappropriately during class and get up out of his seat and walk around at will. His records showed an absence of learning problems in the areas of reading, writing, spelling, and math. However when behavioral aspects of Sean's profile were explored, it was discovered that he was described as being a "space cadet." In one report it was stated that Sean's affect was "flattened, as if the lights are on, but no one is at home." Yet he would also have aggressive outbursts in which he hit and knocked into the other children. He was observed to be extremely uncoordinated both at work and at play. His parents and teachers described how he continually bumped into things such as desks, doors, chairs and odier large objects, and how he would fall down unexpectedly in a "Raggedy Ann" manner. At first they thought he was only

LEARNING THE LANGUAGE OF THE CHILD 131 "clowning around" but then realized there was something more sig- nificant taking place within him. No one, however, had a due as to the source of the problem.

A neurological examination was recommended and the results were normal. Because Sean's profile indicated many characteristics of a minimally brain-damaged child, Ritalin was suggested by Sean's phy- sician as a possible Treatment approach. In discussing this recommen- dation with the physician and parents, it was agreed that "metaphorical therapy" be attempted first as an experimental alternative to medication When Sean first walked into my office, his shoulders were slumped and his movements were limp and inert. He plopped down on the couch and waited listlessly; he did not look around the room to check out his surroundings as most children did. I introduced myself and

talked casually to him for a few minutes. He did not make any eye

contact with me, but instead began an eye movement pattern I had never seen before (or since). Periodically his eyes rolled around in a rapid and defocused way, creating quite a strange impression.

Therapist: Sean, do you know why you're here today? Sean: {Shrugging his shoulders and mumbling] I dunno. Therapist: I was wondering if your mom or teacher had told you

anything?

Sean: Uh-uh. [Shaking his head no].

In a straightforward manner I told him, "I am aware that you need some help because you are having problems at school. Is that true?" Sean did not respond; he sat inertly on the chair with a blank expression on his face. Our inreractions continued in this uninformative manner. Sean's monosyllabic, grunt-like responses yielded no language cues, and his eye movements were too atypical and erratic to be of any help in

the ways in which I had learned to ascertain sensory system functioning.

Still, I received the blatant communication that Sean was literally unaware of himself as a physical body. He would sit on a chair and uncontrollably slide off it, as if his body were unable to produce the proprioceprive clues necessary for locating the paramerers of the seat. He seemed to have no perception of his body in relation to his environment, and no sense of connection to his own responses and emotions. Both physically and emotionally, Sean was a child without

132 THERAPEUTIC METAPHORS FOR CHILDREN personal boundaries. Yet he was very bright: He was able to do his math and his reading; he could comprehend and carry out both verbal and written instructions; he could complete his assignments, memorize well, and recite well in class.

In short, my overall impression from this first meeting was one of Sean as a living, three-dimensional paradox—there, and yet not there. When I questioned Sean about the things he enjoyed, he seemed to perk up slightly.

"Animals," he replied flatly. "I have a turtle, a cat, and a new puppy."

"Really," I said. "I love animals, too. W h a t do you like about them?"

"I dunno—I just like 'em."

I noted Sean's comment about liking animals and his new puppy. This information would later be utilized in formulating a storytelling metaphor.

I made a school visit to observe Sean on the playground. I wanted to verify the little he had told me and, hopefully, piece together a more comprehensive picrure for myself. W h a t I saw simply confirmed my original impression.

When it came to interacting with the other children, Sean was clumsy and somewhat bizarre. His movements were erratic and some- times he would hit or knock into someone accidentally. The other children assumed it was intentional and would disregard Sean's repeated apology, "But I didn't mean it—I didn't mean it."

As I worked with Sean over a period of time, I noted that his case illustrated a very complex shifting of sensory-system dynamics. Some- times one system was blocked, sometimes two, and once in a while, all three. This reminded me of the importance of staying present in

the moment for each child: I could not fixate or label Sean's out-of-

conscious system once and for all; instead, I had to remain open to clues that mirrored the flux of inner change in Sean's life.

When Sean's functioning was at its most problematic, all three of his sensory sysrems were seriously blocked at the same rime. Overall:

Visually: He did not see where he was going and bumped into things

such as desks, doors, and objects, as well as other children on the playground.

LEARNING THE LANGUAGE OF THE CHILD 133

Kinestketicalty: At times he appeared listless, "spacey," and inert,

inexplicably failing down and sliding off chairs. At other times he would burst into spurts of inappropriate or aggressive behavior, par- ticularly at school. His range of emotional responsivity was polarized between no visible affect whatsoever and uncontrollable outbreaks.

Auditorially: At times he spoke in monotones and monosyllables. His

repeated use of the word " H u h ? " indicated he did not hear the therapists's questions. Moreover, his erratic and bizarre eye movements led us to speculate that he may have been engaged in a painful and "hyper" internal auditory dialogue.

W i t h Sean's earlier comment about his new puppy in mind, I developed a metaphor about "Rainbow the Puppy." This therapeutic story was the first of many created for Sean over the next two years. Although there were times when all three sensory systems were seriously blocked in Sean, as noted above, his kinesthetic and proprioceptive abilities were the most consistently out-of-conscious. Therefore, there was a purposeful interweaving of the major sensory systems within the metaphor, with an emphasis on his kinesdietic system. It is our experience that in such cases involving comprehensive sensory blockage, focusing on and opening up any one system will have a kind of circular domino effect of opening up the others.

Rainbow was a little puppy with many colors on him, a very special little dog. He belonged to a family who loved him very much. They got him when he was a puppy, and, like most puppies, Rainbow was mischievous and needed to be taught many things. He chewed old shoes, got into the food in the pantry, and knocked things over with his tail.

Rainbow's family didn't quite know how to teach him, so first they had to learn all about Rainbow and his special qualities. They tried all kinds of things month after month, but Rainbow kept doing what he wanted to do. He kept chewing shoes, knocking things over, and sometimes he was even confused about where he was. For example, sometimes he would think he was in the bedroom when he was in the den, or in the kitchen when he was in the bedroom. It was so confusing at times. Lots of

THERAPEUTIC METAPHORS FOR CHILDREN things are confusing at times. [At this point there was a long

pause. Sean was directed to continue taking nice deep breaths and getting that sense of feeling so good inside, as he continued listening to the story with his eyes closed.]

Rainbow liked to do many things. He liked to play, to bury bones, and co look for other friends to play with. But it was hard for him to find friends. He used to look out the window and watch the other dogs playing, and he thought that he could just run out and play with them. But he had forgotten something very important; he had forgotten that it takes time to make friends. Well, at first he sat on his step on the top of the porch and watched the other little dogs playing together. He watched them as they ran around the grassy fields, around the grass in the yards, and over the pavement. He watched and waited, watched and waited, until one day one of the other dogs came bounding up to him playfully, nudging him to come join him and his friends. Rainbow was so happy! At last he had learned how to make friends!

Now the children who owned Rainbow loved him. They petted him at night and tried to get him to be still. But, as with most puppies, Rainbow had a difficult time being trained in the beginning. He was so active and busy all day that it was difficult for him to just lie down at the end of the day.

One day as he was running about, his owners called him in and said it was time to go to dog training school. The next thing he knew, Rainbow found himself in the park on a very long chain. Every time he broke into a run he felt a stop. He didn't know what that stop was, except that it was like a yank or a pull. A definite stop. Well, he tried to run again. He tried to run here and there, and wham-o, he was stopped.

Interested, he looked around to see where the STOP was coming from. Somehow he knew that something was stopping him from dashing about. Well, the class lasted about an hour, maybe two. It seemed like forever to Rainbow. It's hard when you're a puppy. After alt, he was seven months old. And at seven months old there is a lot of running around to do. Well, he watched the other dogs as they learned, and little by little they learned how to sit. That's right, little by little they learned how to lie down and roll over. And they learned how to walk

LEARNING THE LANGUAGE OF THE CHILD 135 closely to their owners. Then, of course, there was the time when the leashes were taken off and the dogs could play freely—freely and comfortably—Sopping their ears and tails in the park and barking with laughter.

Day aftet day this class took place with the instructions. And this little dog, chis Rainbow, would run about. And then suddenly, surprisingly, without anyone being aware of when or how, Rainbow surprised himself! And it's nice to be surprised. Rainbow expe- rienced something different. All he did was hear those words that got his attention easily—Heel, Stop—and he stopped right then and thete! When he did, he got a delicious reward of a dog biscuit. Like a special cookie, a favorite cookie. It's nice to hear the crunchy sound of a favorite cookie or a biscuit—something Rainbow enjoyed so deeply. And Rainbow, in his own special way, was able to do all kinds of wonderful things with that biscuit. He chewed it, he threw it around, he tossed it in the air. He did all kinds of things. But most of all he learned that you may get a reward for simply paying attention. And, it's nice to have rewards.

We can look at Rainbow and think of how enjoyable it is to see all his colors blend together, each one separately and together. That's right. You might be wondering about many, many things right now. A part of you knows that it is nice to imagine that little dog, Rainbow, and to hear about his adventures: about how he learned to do many things; how he learned to sit; how he learned to stay; how he learned to roll over and laugh at himself again; how he enjoyed playing totally.

Now this story may have many, many meanings for you, and you might enjoy one parr particularly. A favorite part. That's right. And as you look back, you can just begin to get a sense of how special it would be to be able to see that little dog, Rainbow, to remind you how easy it is to STOP, to take a look about, and to enjoy what you're doing. That's right.

Now in a moment you can allow yourself to have a special dream. And enjoy totally whatever part of that story you want to. And when you're finished, you can just take a nice big stretch, take a nice deep breath, feeling really good for the rest of die day. Knowing that there is lots for you to learn and enjoy and have fun with while you continue to play. That's righc. Giggles

THERAPEUTIC METAPHORS FOR CHILDREN of laughter and rainbows of color that make you aware of feeling good inside.