ego state work

Perhaps someone could comment on how such introjects are dealt with in the course of therapy? By client and clinician? It is my understanding that such introjects, or "bad" or "angry" parts often derail or destroy treatment. Sometimes they direct their anger only at other parts, but I think they often get angry at therapists, as well.

This thread is a case in point. Although I was seeing other therapists to gain perspective and get some space, and was very angry at and hurt by my old therapist, she and I had continued to communicate via email and, as before when I "took breaks" I expected to return to see her at some point. However, when my "ex" therapist unexpectedly read here, she terminated me, via email. I tend to think my "introject" was successful in ending my treatment... always it's goal.

Therein lies a problem... my therapist encouraged me to think in terms of parts. How do I then conceptualize this recent turn of events? After being treated as an almost "separate" entity for over a year, my "introject" now sufficiently angered, offended or hurt my therapist to cause her to fire (all of) me.

I didn't receive a note from my therapist saying "May I speak to the part that really likes me and has found treatment helpful?" which would have basically been her reaction, if, say, I ranted "I hate my children and I am quitting being a mother!". She would have stressed that there was some part of self that was a good caretaker and well attached to my offspring. But in this instance, my therapist treated me as a single "me"... no mention of "parts of self" that might like or be well attached to HER.

This is not, of course, really an "emdr" question, but ego state work is often paired with emdr and with dissociative clients. How does one (client or helper) balance the paradigm of ego states with the reality of working with (or being) a "single" person? This is really confusing to me and, of course, recent events are very distressing to me.

Replies:

Re:ego state work, by Opinionated, 08/08/03 Re:ego state work, by wondering, 08/09/03 Re:ego state work, by Sandra Paulsen Inobe PhD, 08/10/03 termination, by wondering, 08/10/03 afterthought, by wondering, 08/10/03 Re:afterthought, by Sandra Paulsen Inobe PhD, 08/11/03 Re:afterthought, by wondering, 08/11/03

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