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If you are a therapist and work in the field of supporting others to heal, you have most likely heard of working with the Shadow parts of your clients. Part of the program at our upcoming Replenish Retreat for Therapists, (being held from the 20-23 June 2024 at the Quest for Life Centre at Bundanoon), will include exploring the whole concept of how to work with your client’s using parts theory and exploring the Shadow.
So, what is Shadow work?
From a Gestalt perspective, we look at how many parts form a whole and that all parts of ourselves are relevant. Often certain parts are hidden away or suppressed throughout life. However, they can come up or emerge unexpectedly. It is not about making any part wrong! Shadow work is more around acknowledging, integrating, and owning all parts of the self.
The work of Carl Jung suggested that we all carry Shadow parts, which are the parts of ourselves that we refuse to acknowledge or own. Jung describes the Shadow as the unknown dark side of the personality. We may find ourselves feeling annoyed or irritated by aspects of someone’s behaviour. These may be parts of ourselves, shadow qualities we have not owned, parts that we are unaware of as they reside in our unconscious. This is known as projection, which may also happen when you see qualities that you admire in somebody else. They may be confident, competent and self-assured, someone you look up to. These could be qualities that you disown or don’t acknowledge in yourself. The tendency to supress or disown parts of self which we reject as unacceptable or wrong make up the Shadow self.
The suppressed or projected Shadow can become destructive, showing up in our emotions and behaviour, such as:
Aggression
Depression
Anxiety
Angry outbursts
Internalised anger
Doing Shadow work with your clients has the potential of:
Increased awareness – knowing the self well and becoming aware of and integrating the various parts.
More ability for self-regulation, hence being less reactive and more responsive.
Becoming more empathic and self-compassionate.
Gaining more acceptance of all parts, not making them wrong, but acknowledging, allowing, and accepting that all feelings are okay.
Being less judgemental of self and others.
Increased kindness and having more realistic expectations of self.
Improved relationships with friends and family
Providing the ability to tap into creativity and joy in life.
Having more peace in life.
Gaining the ability to let go and not sweat the small stuff.
Having more energy and zest for life.
Working as a therapist, you support your client to become aware of and uncover all parts of the personality. The gift and benefits of doing Shadow work with your client, are wide-ranging – supporting your client to attain holistic wellbeing and authenticity, to where they can accept all dimensions of themselves.
We still have some places available at our upcoming Replenish Retreat for Therapists from 20-23 June 2024 at the Quest for Life Centre. This teaching component of the retreat on Shadow and parts work will offer experiential exercises, empty chair work, the use of metaphor, symbolism, and art therapy processes.
See the link below to find out more information about the retreat, together with other teaching content of the retreat.