Pins and Needles

A Quadrant II case study

January 1990

A 39-year old woman client presented in therapy with excessive feelings of guilt. The client did not know the aetiology of this invasive feeling that had gradually seeped into all areas of her life. At times she was able to rationally accept that she had no reason to feel guilty, but the feeling still persisted. Previous therapies included cognitive approaches and hypnosis. Both proved useful for short periods of time.

As the intervention begins, the metaphor of how she knows and feels guilt is developed. Shortly after this, the client gives a personal pronoun and a child within is developed in T-1 (see Problem Resolution through Metaphor Therapy – Quadrant II, for an explanation of T-1).

Because the event T, has not occurred when the child’s body is developed , dissociation takes place. It is important for the therapist working with a client whose child within is developed in T-1 to be alert for any opportunity the child may take to disassociate. Disassociation prevents the child from going through T in their body. The child within in this case also has fragments. Notice the elegant manner in which the fragment returns to the child within and becomes part of her again.

This intervention switches quite rapidly from metaphor, memory and childwithin and illustrates how to map the changing locus of attention. It also demonstrates how to make sure all the information that was developed is woven back into the narrative, crossed over and transformed in T+1. A nested child within is also discovered. Be aware of how this aspect of the intervention is recognized and treated.

A Nested Childwithin – Definition

A nested childwithin occurs when more than one childwithin emerges during an intervention. Each nested childwithin developed is younger than the last; an eight-year old childwithin may be developed, followed by a three-year old and then a two-year old.

The original childwithin is the first one developed, and therefore the oldest. A nested childwithin represents an earlier trauma which is not accessible until after the oldest childwithin is developed. The nested childwithin communicates by occupying some part of the older childwith’s body and preventing that child from progressing in the intervention until the younger child is taken care of and freed from their T-1.

A nested childwithin exists when multiple incidents of trauma, which may or may not be similar in nature, have occurred. The nested childwithin is found in the symptoms of the original childwithin.

For example, if an eight-year old child has been developed and experiences symptoms in her eyes, the nested childwithin will be found in the eyes of the eight-year old. The symptom in he eyes of the eight-year old is developed into a metaphor and from out of this metaphor the nested childwithin is found. The nested childwithin actually has custody over the eight-year old’s eyes.

From David J Grove, Reweaving A Companionable Past (Module 2 manual, 1992).

David Grove	Client	Commentary
And what would you like to have happen?	I would, mmm, like to stop feeling guilty	Clues to a child within exist between the lines — the ‘mmm’
And when you feel guilty where do you feel guilty?	In my chest	Exploring guilty and T-1
And when it’s in your chest, whereabouts in your chest?	In my heart
And when it’s in your heart, whereabouts in your heart?	All over
And when it’s all over, it’s all over like what?	Like pinpricks	Beginning to develop the first metaphor
And what kind of pinpricks?	Like sharp needles digging in
And is there anything else about sharp needles digging?	No, they just keep digging
And what would sharp needles digging like to do, and what would sharp needles digging like to have happen?	Get bigger and just keep digging
And what happens next as sharp needles get bigger and just keep digging away?	They make me sad	First clue to a childwithin is first personal pronoun ‘me’.
And how old could you be when sharp needles make you sad?	Seven
And what could seven be wearing?	A check dress with puff sleeves	A child can define herself and her environment by what they are wearing
And is seven wearing anything else when she is wearing a check dress with puff sleeves?	She has a bow in her hair and black patent leather shoes and white socks
And what would seven like to do when she has a bow in her hair and black patent leather shoes and white socks?	She wants to run away but her feet are stuck	Develop and mature each information form
And she wants to run away but her feet are stuck. And what happens next when feet are stuck?	The sharp needles are going to get her
And as sharp needles are going to get her, what happens next?	I go up	Metaphor of dissociation
And you go up like what?	A cloud
And what kind of cloud?	A white fluffy one
And what would white fluffy could like to do, and what would a white fluffy cloud like to have happen?	Just float
And can a white fluffy cloud just float?	Yes
And how long would a white fluffy cloud like to float for?	Just a bit longer…
And a white fluffy cloud can take all the time a white fluffy cloud needs to float just a bit longer	I’m scared	Possible clue to a nested child within
And when you’re scared how old could you be when you’re scared?	Just little
And just little and what could just little be wearing when just little is scared?	A sundress with boots on
And is there anything else about just little when she is wearing a sun dress with boots on?	She has pigtails and sandals
And what would just little with a sun dress, pigtails and sandals like to do and what would she like to have happen?	He won’t let her get up
And when he won’t let her get up, how longwon’t he let her get up for and how long won’t he let her get up and what happens after he won’t let her get up?	A very long time..
And how long is a very long time and what happens after a very long time?	She hides in the closet
And whereabouts in the closet does she hide?	Right in the corner
And she can take all the time she needs tohide in the corner of the closet and does she need anything else when she hides in the corner?	No, she’s all alone
And how long is she all alone for and how long does she hide for and what happens after she hides in the closet and after she’s all alone?	She can’t see if he has gone
And she can’t see if he has gone when she hides in the corner. And would needles that are sharp be interested in going to help her when she can’t see if he has gone?	Needles have eyes!
And needles have eyes and when needles have eyes, what happens next?	They can see he’s gone
And they can see he’s gone. And what happens next when they can see he has gone?	She can get up and walk out of the closet
And can she get up and walk out of the closet?	Yes, she wants to get right out of that house
And can she get up and walk right out of the closet and get right out of that house?	She wants to
And when she wants to, what could be the first thing that could happen so she could get up and walk out of the closet and get right out of that house?	She has to look under the bed
And can she look under the bed?	She’s frightened to
And when she’s frightened to look, couldneedles that have eyes look under a bed?	Yes, the needles could look
And what happens next as they look under a bed?	There’s a little tiny speck
And what kind of little tiny speck?	Just a little tiny one
And is there anything else about a little tiny speck?	It’s lonely	Fragmentation: this occurs when inanimate objects are personified with human feelings
And a little tiny speck is lonely, and what would a little tiny speak like to do when it’s lonely?	Go outside
And can it go outside?	It’s too small
And what happens next when it’s too small?	It needs help
And would needles be interested in helpinga little tiny space?	No! They’re too sharp. They would hurt speck
And would boats on a sun dress be interested in helping speck?	They could but they need water
And how could boats have water?	I don’t know
And when you don’t know, would heart thathad pinpricks be interested in helping boats have water?	Heart could cry and cry through the pinpricks and fill the room
And can heart cry and cry and cry and fill the room?	Yes, heart has a lot of tears
And as tears fill a room, what happens next?	Boats can float and speck can sail right out of that room
And as boats float and speck can sail right out of that room, what happens next?	Boats can go back to the sundress	Re-integration
And what happens next?	She walks and walks and goes to Aunt Sarah’s house
And as she walks to Aunt Sarah’s house and she walks and walks and she walks to Aunt Sarah’s house, what happens next?	She can stay there she’s safe
And she is safe, and when she is safe there, what would sharp needles with eyes like to do	They’re not so sharp now.
And they’re not so sharp now. And they’re not so sharp now like what?	Like knitting needles
And what kind of knitting needles?	Busy knitting needles
And what might busy knitting needles knit?	Knit a blanket
And what kind of blanket?	Soft and fluffy
And would a white fluffy cloud be interested in a soft fluffy blanket?	Yes, it would like to wrap around a white fluffy cloud
And what happens next when a soft fluffy blanket wraps around a white fluffy cloud?	She likes that	Re-association
And does seven like that?	Yes. She’s safe, too
And she’s safe too. And what would Just Little and Seven like to do now they’re safe?	Play
And can they play?	Yes
And what would they like to play first?	Seven likes to jump rope
And it’s been a very long time since she could move feet that were stuck and now she can jump rope. And does Just Little like to jump rope?	Yes. She’s not so good but seven can teach her
And what happens next?	They can have cookies and milk
And do they like to have cookies and milk?	Yes!
And does a heart that had pinpricks need anything else?	No! It can fill up with warm blood
And it can fill up with warm blood now they are safe and they have a soft, fluffy blanket. And does speck need anything else?	No. Speck is just fine
And speck is just fine in a sailing boat. And do Seven or Just Little need anything else?	No. They’re fine. They don’t ever have to go back
And would they be O.K. if you came back here now they’re safe at Aunt Sarah’s and they don’t have to go back?	Yes, they have each other now
And they have each other.

Pins and Needles Outline

Presenting symptoms: pervasive feelings of non-rational guilt
Want: to stop feeling guilty
Map epistemological metaphor: 2 component metaphor: a) needles in b) heart
Mapping reveals Child within
Define Child age/wearing (7 who is sad)
Elicit want reveals double bind # 1, “ She wants to run away, but feet are stuck”
Evolve double bind which involves (T-1) c/w dissociates to prevent c/w going through T-1
Define metaphor of dissociation: “fluffy white cloud”
Mapping reveals a nested child within
Define nested child – just little, sundress with boats on
Elicit want reveals double bind # 2 (he won’t let her get up)
Evolve double bind, she hides and is faced with a problem
Solution: suggest needles (3) as a resource to help problem – evolve attributes of initial negative symptoms to reveal positive function and serve as a positive resource): needles have eyes!
Evolve scene: he has gone. She now wants to leave (original want 11), frightened
Ecology check reveals a need to look under the bed. Problem
Solution: suggest needles as seeing resource (reinforcing positive evolution of function)
Discovery and maturation of fragment: a little tiny lonely speaker faced with problem (double bind #3) needs help – maturation
Solution1: suggest needles go: rejected
Solution 2: suggest boats on dress go to speak (10)
Problem boats can help but need water
Solution go to 2nd part of negative metaphor: heart
Result: a heart can cry and cry tears through pinpricks. Boats can then float out, speck sails out
Evolve: Boats then reintegrate to dress. Purpose fulfilled (positive alignment)
This allows for resolution of nested child within. She walks to Aunt Sarah and is safe
Work with original, negative and as yet un-transformed metaphor needles become knitting needles – create soft fluffy blank (2nd positive adaptation of previously negative resource)
Product of transformed initial metaphor – goes to dissociated white cloud
This re-associates original child within
She goes to play with ‘just little’ – creating integration and re-familiarization of parts
Ecology/end of session

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