the jewel of choice

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The Jewel of ChoiceAn annotated transcript of two sessions using Symbolic Modelling

and the client's views of the changes that occurred.

Penny Tompkins and James Lawley

In the first session Penny and James co-facilitate the client - using her metaphors and symbols

- to self-model her desired outcome and the effects of achieving that outcome.

In the second session they co-facilitate the client to self-model the way her Metaphor

Landscape - the embodied system of metaphors and symbols - was organised and the process by

which it could evolve.

In part 3, the client gives her impressions of what happened during the Symbolic Modelling

process, and what happened in the following six months.

Session 1

The following is a transcript of a 30 minute session with a participant on a Symbolic Modelling

training in 2001. We wanted to demonstrate how to use Clean Language and autogenic (client-

generated) metaphor to facilitate a client to self-model their desired outcome. Our purpose was

threefold:

First and foremost, for the client to have an extended opportunity to explore what theysay they want, and to modify their desired outcome (if necessary) in the light of their

self-modelling.

Secondly, once some clients have a clear sense of their desired outcome they don't needanything else, they are ready to start implementing it. Even if originally they experienced

their situation as a problem, self-modelling their desired outcome can simply supersede

the problem.

Thirdly, if that's not the case, then facilitating the client to have an embodied sense oftheir desired outcome almost inevitably encourages the emergence of aspects of the

system which are not ready for the outcome to happen (as happened in this case at C27

below). This makes it clear to the client (and hopefully the facilitator) what they need to

attend to for the system to start to change.

To facilitate the client to self-model their desired outcome required our questions, as long as was

appropriate, to maintain an orientation towards their stated outcome -- even when present or

past circumstances emerged (see T3, T7, T28, T30 and T32). In other words, to repeatedly invite

the client to attend to their developing desired outcome. We have annotated the transcript to

give you an idea of the thinking and intention behind our questions.

(NOTE: All therapist-generated words are embolden to distinguish them from the client's words

and to make it easier to see the syntax of each question.)

T0 Where would you like to be?

[Clients sits on the floor]

Standard opening questions, inviting

client to establish the spatialconfiguration between themself and the

therapists, and then to attend to theirdesired outcome.


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And where would you like us to be?

Penny there [points to the floor in front

and to her left] and James there [points

to the floor in front and to her right].

And what would you like to have

happe

C1 I did a meditation retreat. I got in touch

with an ideal being. I'd like to work with

her. I'd like to bring her into the world.

It's hard to bring her out. But she wants

out and I want her out.

T1 And you want your ideal being out. Slightly unclean as client had said

"an ideal being".

C2 Oh, I might as well put her out. [Gets

drawing and puts it in front of her.]

T2 And what kind ofideal being isthatideal being?

Inviting client to develop the form of(or'describe the qualities of' or 'specify the

nature of' or 'identify the class of' or

'embody' etc.) the symbol named "ideal

being".

C3 She's a very strong presence. I'm a little

bit scared of her. I can feel my heart skip

a beat at the thought of her coming out

into the world.

T3 And she's a very strong

presenceand you're a little bit scared of

herand your heart skips a beat is there

anything else about that ideal being?

We acknowledge the client's feelings

before inviting her to continue to attend

to the symbol involved in the outcome.

C4 She has a lot of attributes. With her

strength she's very gentle. She's

nurturing. She has qualities related to

strength.

T4 And with her strength she is very

gentle, and she's nurturing, and

when she wants to come out into the

world, what kind ofworld is that world?

Invites client to develop the form of

the contextof the desired outcome

named "the world" (see C1).

C5 A challenging world.

T5 And a challenging world. And is there

anything else about thatchallenging

world?

C6 A world where you have to be prepared

for anything to happen. I have to be on

my guard as well.

T6 And a world where you have to be

prepared for anything and you have to

be on your guard as well. Andis there

anything else about thatworld?

Continues to invite "the world" to be

more fully formed. If "ideal being" is

going to come out into the world, she

might as well know what kind of world it

is.


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C7 It could be so much better.

T7 And that world could be so much

better. Andwhen she wants to come out

into that world where willshe come out

into that world to?

The world "could be so much better" but

there is no eveidence that it needs to be

for the client's outcome to be achieved,

so we direct her attention to

the location where her outcome will be

achieved.

C8 Right here [gestures with both hands in

front].

T8 And when she comes out, right

here, then what happens?

Invites attention to move to a

timeafterthe event "comes out" and

thereby consider the effectof achieving

her outcome.

C9 She'll teach me at first. She'll protect me

and I'll learn from her.

T9 And when she teaches you, and she

protects you, and you learn from

her, what happens to a world?

The relationship (teach, protect, learn)

between "ideal being" and "me/I" has

been defined, and what will be the effect

on "a world"?

C10 It becomes safer.

T10 And as a world becomes safer, andshe

protects and you learn from her,what

happens to you?

Returning to the effects on the client.

C11 I become stronger. 4th repetition of the "strength/strong"

metaphor (see C3 & C4) and first time it

is associated with "I" rather than "she".

T11 And as you become stronger, what kind

ofstronger is that stronger?

We can take a hint!

C12 Stronger. More present.

T12 And as you become stronger andmore

present, you become strongerand more

present like what?

Inviting client to identify a metaphoror

symbol that embodies these qualities.

C13 I got a picture of a really strong oak tree.

T13 And is there anything else about

that really strong oak tree?

Simply keeping attention on this

(presumed) resource symbol.

C14 I just immediately thought how many

similar qualities there are as the bigstrong oak tree as with her -- there's a

whole naturalness.

T14 And when there's a whole

naturalness to a big strong oak

tree, what happens next?

Invites time to move forward again to

discover the effect of the effects.

C15 I got a picture of me, me climbing out of

the oak tree, but I can climb back in, and

go out from it.

Repetition of the "out" metaphor (see C1

& C2) only this time it relates to "I"

rather then "ideal being".

T15 And is there anything else

aboutgoing out from it when you canclimb back in?

Invites client to attend to "going out" at a

time when she can "climb back in" (whichmight be very different to an "out" with

no return to "in").


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C16 It's the best of both worlds. I can go into

the branches and not be seen, or come

out and play, but I have always got

somewhere to go back to.

Ah, so there are two worlds.

T16 And when it's the best of both

worlds, and you can go into the branches

and not be seen, or come out and play,

but you've always got somewhere to goback to, what happens next?

Invites time to move forward again.

C17 I can be more like her and I don't seem

so separate.

T17 And when you can be more like her and

don't seem so separate, then what

happens?

C18 I feel much more peaceful.

T18 And when you feel much more

peaceful, where do you feel much more

peaceful?

Inviting client to attend to the location of

the feeling.

C19 In here [right hand to forehead].

T19 And in here. And when in

here,whereabouts in here?

C20 Inside, just where the moon is in the

drawing [touches drawing with right

hand]. It takes up the same space as

where the moon is. It's a very peaceful

moon.

T20 And when you feel much more peaceful

in here [replicates gesture]is there

anything else about thatmoon that's

very peaceful?

Maintaining attention on the "moon"

symbol at thatlocation when she's feeling

"more peaceful".

C21 No one knows it's there so it can be

undisturbed.

T21 So you can feel much more peaceful in

here when you are closer to your ideal

being because the strength of the oak

tree is like the strength of the ideal

being and you have the best of both

worlds when she comes out, right here.

Accummulating descriptions so that the

client further embodies her symbolic

perception.

Note: This is not completely clean as (i)

the therapist had forgotten the client's

exact words "I don't seem so separate"(C17) and used "closer" instead; and (ii)

the cause-effect relationship implied by

"because" is an assumption by the

therapist.

C22 Yeah.

T22 And when there is a very peaceful

moon no one knows is there, then what

happens?

C23 There's something about the choice that

gives me. I can choose how to be and

don't have to be told how to be.

So the peacful gives her "the choice" to

"choose how to be". However, the

"something about" implies there may be

information about "the choice" which is


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not yet available to her.

T23 And you can choose how to be and don't

have to be told how to be.And when you

can choose, what kind ofchoice is

that choice?

We simply invite her to attend to the

attributes of "choice".

Note: It would probably have been more

elegant to have asked about the verb

"choose" rather than the noun "choice".

C24 No restrictions. It's clean.

T24 And it's a no restrictions and clean

choice. And where could

that choicecome from?

Inviting her attntion to shift to

thesource of "choice".

C25 My stomach's giving me a clue. I do get a

lot of gut instincts. It's a choice -- not

sure where it comes from. It's just there.

The "not sure" confirms she is close to

the limits of her current awareness.

T25 And it's just there. And when you feel

more peaceful in here [replicates

gesture], and you can choose how to

be, and that's a no restrictions, clean

choice, and thatchoice is just

there, where is thatchoice when it's

just there?

Taking lots of time

to concentrateattention on that

"choose/choice" before asking for its

location.

C26 I have an image of a really old treasure

chest with a jewel. I can shut or open it.

The choice is the jewel.

T26 And a really old treasure chest with a

jewel. And you can shut or open it. And

what kind ofjewel is thatjewel?

By asking about "jewel" we are still

concentrating on "choice".

C27 It's a gift. It's really pretty. It's a gift --

from my mother.

A new symbol "mother" appears.

T27 And it's a really pretty gift from your

mother. And is there anything else

about that jewel?

But before we attend to "mother", maybe

there's something else about that

"choice/jewel".

C28 I'm scared of losing it if I open it and

someone takes it and then I won't have it

anymore [tears].

"Scared" makes a reappearance (C3). It

seems there are two choices: first to

open the chest and second to choose how

to be (symbolised by the jewel). But she's

in a bind: if she takes the first choice she

may lose the second choice!

T28 And you're scared that if youopenthat old treasure chest and someone

takes that jewel that's a gift from your

mother, you won't have it anymore. And

when you're scared you wont have a gift

from your mother anymore, what kind

of a mother gives a gift like that?

We take plenty of time to acknowledge"scared" and the binding pattern, but we

are facilitating her to self-model

heroutcome, so rather than attend to the

bind at this stage, we return to the giver

of the jewel, "mother".

C29 [Points to drawing] My ideal being. Um-

m-m-m. [Pause] That's funny. It's

beautiful. It's really nice to feel this way.

Several indications that something just

happened.

T29 And it's really nice to feel this way,and is

there anything else aboutmother?

So we simply stay with the current

perception.

C30 What's so lovely is to know she's not It seems mother "needs to come out" as


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gone. She's more than a jewel in a

treasure chest. She needs to come out so

we can have each other. Not just

someone to miss.

well as "ideal being" (C1) and "I" in the

"big strong oak tree" (C16).

T30 You know she's not gone. And she's

more than a jewel in a treasure

chest. And she needs to come out so you

can have each other. And is thereanything else when she needs to come

out?

It's far from clear what's happening so we

maintain her attention on the outcome

"she needs to come out".

C31 I can almost hear her say, "I am so glad."

She's been waiting patiently.

T31 And when she's been waiting

patiently what kind ofpatiently?

Developing the potential resource by

asking for attributes.

C32 A lot of sadness with it because she hurts

when I hurt. That sort of patience.

[Pause] But she can't do it for me. I have

to find the treasure for myself. Itwouldn't be a gift if she found it.

T32 And mother has been waiting patiently

for you to find the treasure for

yourself. And she can't choose for

you. And she needs to come out.And

then what happens when she needs to

come out?

(Note: Technically, "she can't choosefor

you" is an assumption by the therapist,

the client actually said "she can't do itfor

me.")

C33 The world's a better place. [Pause] When

I look at that drawing it has all the

qualities she had.

T33 So take some time to look at that

drawing and to notice it has all the

qualities she had, and to add whatever

you've discovered to thedrawing. And

then take some timeto consider what

needs to happen for ideal being to

come out when you're scared of loosing

the jewelthat's a gift from a mother

who's been waiting patiently for you to

find the treasure for yourself -- the choice

to choose how to be -- whenan idealbeing wants to come out into the world.

It seems the client has gone a good way

to self-modelling both her outcome -- "

I'd like to bring (ideal being) into the

world" -- and the effects of that outcome

happening. Every indication is that she

still wants this to happen and that the

appearance of the symbolic mother has

probably strengthened her desire. So we

offer the client an assignment which

invites her to continue specifying her

desired outcome and to beginconsideringwhat needs to

happengiven her current situation -- that

she's scared of loosing the jewel -- for

her to realise her ouctome.

Analysis of Questions

Once the initial arranging of seating was complete we made 34 interventions:

Basic Developing Questions

9 'Is there anything else?'7 'What kind of?'


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4 'Where?' or 'Whereabouts?'1 'Like what?'

Basic Moving Time Questions

6 'Then what happens?' or 'What happens next?'1 'Come from?'

Specialised Questions

1 'What would you like to have happen?'2 'When ... what happens to ...?'

Other

2 Recapping statements1 Recapping and assignment instruction

62% of our interventions were 'Basic Developing Questions' and a further 20% were 'BasicMoving Time Questions'. In all, 4 out of every 5 interventions were drawn from the9 Basic Clean

Language Questions. And if we factor in the two statements that simply recapped information,

the proportion rises to almost 90%.

Below click 2 for the concluding session with this client, and 3 for a commentary by the client six

months later.

The following is a transcript of the second and concluding session with a participant on a

Symbolic Modelling training in 2001. The first session facilitated the participant to self-model

their desired outcome and the effects of achieving that outcome. The second session took place

on the following day and lasted 50 minutes. During the session we facilitate the participant toself-model the way their 'system' is currently organised (their current reality,as Robert Fritz calls

it), and the process by which it evolves.

Six months after the sessions the client describes her impressions of what happened during the

Symbolic Modelling process and what has happened since [click 'Next' at the top or bottom of the

this page].

NOTES

Much of the information in the annotated comments was not consciously available to us during

the session. Many of the connections only became apparent when we studied the transcript.However, we were dynamically modelling thepatterns of the client's Metaphor Landscape. These

patterns and their inherent logic not only 'contain' the foreground information of which we were

aware, but also 'hold' a vast matrix of background information. It is our belief that although this

background information may have been outside our awareness, it is available to the 'whole

system' (i.e. the intelligence and wisdom of the combined conscious and unconscious mind-body-

spirit that comprises us, the client, their metaphors, the environment and who knows what else).

In other words, "The system knows."

All therapist-generated words are emboldened to distinguish them from the client's words and

to make it easier to see the syntax of each question.

T Where would you like to be [gestures
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around the room]?

C34 Same as last time.

[All sit on the floor as before.]

T34And what would you like to have

happen now?

Inviting client to attend to her outcome

for the session.

C35 I feel quite excited. I would like to justtry it out a bit. She feels so prepared and

I'm still holding on to her a bit. So to try

it and see what it's like.

T35 And when you would like to just try it

out a bit, what is 'it'?

Checking we are all still working to the

same outcome.

C36 I would like to see what it's like to have a

mother in the world. For it not to be

separate. I would like to mother myself.

Apparently her outcome has evolved and

incorporated her insights from session 1.

T36 And you would like to see what it's like

to have a mother in the world. To not be

separate and to mother yourself. And

what needs to happen for you to

mother yourself?

A specialisedclean question that invites

the client to specify thenecessary

conditions for her outcome to be

achieved.

C37 To not be so hard on myself. To actually

have fun. Not to be self-conscious. To be

a friend to myself.

Four conditions identified.

T37 And when you would like not to be so

hard on yourself, and actually have fun,

and be a friend, is there anything else

you need to mother yourself?

Are there more than four conditions? She

might as well know them all up front.

C38 It's all wrapped up. Like being wrapped

up and protected, so things that happen

in the world don't hurt so much.

This is consitent with session 1: when

ideal being comes out in to the world

"She'll protect me" (C9).

T38 And when being wrapped up and

protected so things don't hurt so

much, that's wrapped up and

protected like what?

Inviting the metaphor into form.

C39 It's having my bubble -- my space. It's

pink. I can choose who comes into that

space and who doesn't.

T39 And having your bubble, your

space,and pink, and when you can

choose who comes into that space and

who doesn't, where is that choose?

We chose to ask her to attend to "choice"

because it was central to session 1, "The

jewel is the choice" (C26).

C40 It's my gut instinct. I rely on it or get

hurt.

Almost the same reply as C25 of session

1.

T40 And when it's your gut instinct you rely

on or get hurt, whereabouts is that gut

instinct?

Continuing to locate "choice" -- now also

know as "gut instict".

C41 It's in here [touches abdomen]. I do rely

on it a lot.

T41 And when choose is your gut It is 'clean' to ask this question here


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instinct, does it have a size or a

shape?

because usually an "it" refers to a

(metaphorical) thing, and things have a

size or a shape.

C42 I've met this little character before. How

to describe him? A bit like Yoda in a way.

When I discovered him before, lizard-like,

yellow teeth and trying to get me. I'd

locked him away. Now I do listen more tomy gut instinct because he saved my life

-- literally. It was so horrible that I threw

it all into the cave [gestures off to the left

]. I didn't mean to throw him in too, but I

did. I want to get in touch with that part

because it's, it's very strong.

She ends with a new (sub)outcome: "I

want to get in touch with that part". Note

this part has the attribute "strong" which

featured strongly in session 1 (C3-C4 and

C11-C14).

T42 And when you didn't mean to throw

Yoda in the cave too, where

is Yodanow?

Is Yoda in the cave or her gut?

C43 Right now he's here [gestures next to

her, on the right] because he's very

inquisitive and knows he's being talked

about.

Neither, and now we know he moves

about!

T43 And when he's here, and very

inquisitive, is there anything else

about Yoda and gut instinct?

C44 He's a bit of a cave dweller. His instincts I

trust completely. It's the only thing I

completely trust in the world.

Confirms the significance of Yoda's

"instincts" as a resource and introduces

another, "trust", especially as it applies in

the context of her outcome, "in the

world."

T44 And when you trust Yoda's instincts

completely, what would Yoda like to

have happen?

Inviting her to attend to hisintention.

C45 For us to be proper friends again. Really,

not just sometimes reliable, but all the

time. To be a part of my life.

Remember one of the four conditions

(C37) was "To be a friend to myself."

T45 And Yoda would like for you to be

proper friends again. And can you be

proper friends, and can Yoda be part of

your life?

Maybe it can just happen.

C46 Yeah, but he was very very pissed off

when I threw him away. I think he

understands now why that had to

happen. It wasn't meant personally.

Yes, but ...

T46 And he was very very pissed off, butit

wasn't meant personally. AndYoda would

like to be friends.

C47 Yeah. He's checking, but yeah, definitely.

He's making me suffer a bit for it!

T47 And how long do you needto sufferbefore Yoda and you can be

friends?

A specialised clean question that utilisesthe inherent logicof the metaphor: if

Yoda wants them to be "proper friends"


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we can expect there will be a time when

he stops "making me suffer."

C48 It's like it's his decision and not mine.

That's part of the game, part of making

me suffer. But soon I think. It's been long

enough.

T48 And it's been long enough, andYoda

wants to be proper friends

again, and you trust Yoda's instincts

completely, and you listen more to your

gut instinct. And what are you listening

to when you are notlistening to your

gut instinct?

This backtracks her attention to a

previous statement (C42) and then

constructs a clean question that utilises

the inherent logic of the metaphor: If she

"listens more" to her gut instinct there

must be occassions when she does not,

and is presumably listening to something

else.

C49 My fear. He is quite mischievous. He can

get me into trouble. I'm afraid if I give

him a full clean rein I could get into

trouble.

She trusts his instincts completely (C44)

and yet "He can get me into trouble" --

potentially a binding pattern.

T49 And when you aren't listening toyour

gut instinct you're listening toyour

fear, and what kind offear is

that fear?

C50 Unless I have in place the protection --

the bubble -- which I am starting to feel

from my mother, then I won't be safe.

A reiteration of the necessary condition

specified at C38

T50 And what's the first thing that needs

to happen for that bubble to be in

place?

Inviting client to attend to the conditions

under which the "protection/bubble" will

occur.

(Note: Better to have asked about the

"nextthing" rather than the "first thing"

as she has just said she is "starting to

feel" the protection/bubble.)

C51 I need to retreat and sit quietly with my

mother and listen and learn to pick up the

bits that hadn't been tied up.

Again four conditions.(Note her previous references to "bits" in

C35, C42, C44 and C47.)

T51 And when you need to retreat, and sit

quietly with mother and listen and learn

to pick up the bits, you need to retreat to

where?

Lots of new metaphors, so revert to the

basics of identifying a symbol's location --

its address in the Metaphor Landscape.

C52 To the moon. First mentioned in session 1, C20-C21.

T52 And you need to retreat to the

moon. And then what happens?

C53 I'm far enough from everyone. Then it's

just her and me.

T53 And when you listen and learn, and

can pick up the bits, what kind

ofbits are those bits you can pick up?

Returning to pick up unexplored bits from

C51.(Note: Unnecessary use of the word "can"

-- twice!)

C54 There were so many unfinished bits when An additional (or restated) outcome.


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she died. I want to be complete

somehow.

T54 And there were so many unfinished bits

when she died. And where

areunfinished bits now, that you need to

pick up when you want to be complete

somehow?

Locatng where the "bits" are now.

C55 It's like my pink bubble is a balloon that

burst. There are ragged pieces. I don't

know how to make it a balloon again. I

can't go with my gut instincts without it.

T55 And you don't know how to make it a

balloon again. And is there anyone else

who knows how to make it a balloon

again?

Again constructing a question that makes

use of the logic in the metaphor: even

though "I" doesn't know, another symbol

might know (especially as ideal being,

mother and Yoda are available).

C56 It's the Yoda with his hand in the air

jumping up and down. It's chicken andegg. I have to listen to my gut instinct in

order to give it free rein, but I can't give

it free rein knowing the trouble its caused

me. If I rely on mother as an external

part, I will always be relying on her. She

has to teach me.

The client has self-modelled the bind that

first appeared at C49 and identified anextra dimension: The solution to "rely on

mother" only means she will be

constrained to "always be relying on her."

This seems like a confirmation of the

conclusion she came to at the end of

session 1: mother "can't do it for me"

(C32).

Although mother may well be able to

teach her to rely on herself, that doesn't

necessarily resolve the bind.

T56 And when it's chicken and egg, then

what happens?

"Chicken and egg" is her name for the

bind and refers to all the components and

relationships encompassed by the

pattern. This question invites the client to

notice how she responds to being in her

binding pattern.

C57 There must be a way. My perception is

that it's ragged, but I have a sense I do

have a space that's around me. People

can see it. I don't know why I don't trust

it's there.

Note the reappearance of "trust" (C44)

and the presupposition that if she did

trust she wouldn't be in the bind.

T57 And you have a space around

you,and people can see it. And you don't

know why you don't trust it's there.And

what kind oftrust could thattrust be?

C58 Um-m-m. A trust that was taken away

from me when I threw Yoda in the cave.

She doesn't trust because it was taken

away from her. Presumably she needs it

back.

T58 And where is that trust now? Location

C59 In the cave.

T59 And whereabouts in the cave? Location

C60 Very deep in the cave.


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T60 And trust is very deep in the cave.And is

there anything else aboutvery deep

in that cave where thattrust is?

Location

C61 It's, m-m-m [sigh]. There's this figure

there I have always been really really

scared of that's holding it.

Reappearance of "scared" (session 1, C3

and C28), except this time she has

"always been really really" scared.

T61 And what kind offigure is thatfigure

that's holding it?

C62 I know who he is. I'm really pissed off

he's still there. I'm less scared. I'm angry

with him. I've done so much work on this

and now I just want it over.

T62 And when you're pissed

offandangry andjust want it over, what

wouldhelike to have happen?

Identifying his intention.

C63 [Pause] I don't know if I can give it to

him. He wants forgiveness.

T63 And he wants forgiveness. And you don't

know if you can give it to him.And what

kind offorgiveness is that forgiveness?

Developing the potential new resource

"forgiveness" while acknowledging that

she doesn't know if she can give it to

him.

C64 I was going to say a long time coming.

Actually it seems a small price to pay to

get my trust back after all these years.

I'm like Yoda. I don't want him to know

when I am going to give it. To make him

suffer.

The client is self-modelling the repeating

pattern of relationships in the Landscape.

T64 And where does your wanting to makehim suffer come from, when it means

he doesn't give you your trust back?

Attending to the source of her "want ... tomake him suffer" when doing so results

in her not getting her trust back!

C65 From when he annihilated my world. He

burst the bubble. He made me suffer,

suffer since I was 9 years old.

First use of "my" world.

T65 And he's been holding on to your trust

for a long time deep in that cave. And

now he wants your forgiveness to

give your trust back.And you want to

make him suffer.And he wants

forgiveness. And he has your trust. And

when that's how it is, what would

you like to have happen?

Given current reality, what's her desired

outcome?

C66 For him to come out of the cave so I can

see what he looks like. He's probably not

that scary. But I'm not going in there!

A new outcome: She would likehim"to

come out". (Note Session 1 was all about

Ideal Being, Mother and Yoda coming

out.) And she recognises he's "probably"

not that scary.

T66 And you want him to come out of the

cave. And what does he want?

C67 Probably to come out too. It's not a nice

place in there.


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T67 And what needs to happen for him to

come out ofthat cave?

Asking for the necessary conditions to

achieve their (probable) joint outcome.

C68 68He only knows the cave. But Yoda

knows the cave. I'd trust him in there. He

doesn't want to, but he is willing to go. I

would go with Yoda to a half-way point.

T68 And you would go with Yoda to a half-

way point. And what kind ofpoint is a

half-way point?

Attending to theboundarythat now marks

how far she is prepared to go.

C69 It evens things up a bit. It's not just for

me to forgive.

T69 And when you would go with Yoda

to that half-way point, what happens

to the man in the cave?

She's prepared to go to a half-way point,

and what difference does that make to

him?

(Note: "...what happens to him in the

cave?" would have been cleaner.)

C70 He's a bit scared what I will do to him

now.

T70 And he's a bit scared. And what kind

ofscared is that scared?

Developing the attributes of the new

symbol, his "scared".

C71 It's paralysing.

T71 And when his scared is

paralysing,where is that scared?

Locating the symbol.

C72 In his feet.

T72 And in his feet. And is there anything

else about his feet whenparalysing

scared?C73 They're stuck in the muddy back of the

cave.

T73 And what kind ofmud is that mud in

the back of the cave?

Developing the context "mud" for his

stuck feet.

C74 All his dirt and filth.

T74 And where could that mud come

from?

C75 From what he did to me. He definitely

wants to come out too.

Now he definitelywants to come out, but

he's stuck by what he did to her. So how

is she going to get her trust back?

T75 And he definitely wants to come out

too. And when he wants to come out

too, then what happens?

C76 [Pause] I'm fighting it, but I feel a bit

sorry for him. I want my trust back more

than I want him to suffer.

T76 And is feeling sorry for him the same or

different as forgiving?

This specialised clean question invites the

client to compare the two symbols and

notice whether they are essentially the

same experience. And if not, to recognisethe difference.


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C77 They're very linked. One has to come

before the other.

T77 And what kind oflink is

that linkbetween feeling sorry for

him andforgiving?

An alternative and probably more logical

question would have been "And which

one has to come first?". Instead we

invited her to attend to the relationship,

"link".

C78 A time link.

T78 And a time link. And what kind

oftime is that time?

C79 A time link like a jig saw or a domino link.

I am holding the domino of sorry

[indicates she is holding the domino in

right hand]. Even with all the work I've

done on this I've held on to this domino. I

need to just put it there. [Pause then

'puts' domino in front of her.] It's not so

difficult to do now.

Note the parallels between her "holding"

the domino, and her "still holding on to"

mother (C35) and the figure in the cave

"holding" her trust (C61).

Until this moment she has been in the

domain of "would like to" and "needs to".

When she 'puts' the domino "there"she enacts a change and, as often

happens, discovers "it's not so difficult".

T79 And now you've put domino there,then

what happens?

Immediately a change occurs we invite

her to mature the change to the

Landscape by evolving time forward.

C80 It's almost like that's the package I leave

on the mid-way point and it's up to him.

It's like an exchange.

T80 And can you leave that package

atthat mid-way point?

We follow her shift from what 'needs to'

happen, to what "can" happen. (Note:

"can" is deliberate in this question, unlike

T53.)

C81 Yes, if I can get my trust back. It's

whether I can trust him [pause]. I think

he wants to [pause]. I'll leave the sorry.

He leaves the trust.

Yes, if ... She needs her trust back to

resolve the "chicken and egg" paradox

(C56). But to do this she has to trust that

the figure who annihilated her world at 9

will give her her trust back -- another

paradox.

T81 And it's whether you can trust him to

leave your trust. And when you'll leavethe sorry and he'll leave the trust, what

happens to forgiveness?

First, we acknowledge the paradox. Then

we invite her to attend to the other endof the "link" (C77)just afterthe choice to

trust.

C82 Forgiveness starts building the bubble.

It's pink.

T82 And is there anything else that needs

to happen for you to leavethat package

at the mid-way pointand to trust he will

give your trust back?

Checking if there are any more conditions

and thereby directing attention tojust

before the choice to trust.

Asking questions about 'just after 'and

'just before' keeps her attention near tothe choice point but not directly on it. We

want her to have plenty of time to


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consider a decision that may change the

way she has organised her perceptions

for the last 30 years.

C83 Yeah. It's time. It's time and I need to

move on. My gut instinct is saying to me

'yes he will do it'. And I'm not doing it on

my own. I'm going to the half-way point

with Yoda.

T83 And is there anything else that needs

to happen when your gut instinct is

saying 'yes, he will do it'?

Having waited all this time to "move on"

she can do one last check.

C84 No.

T84 And when your gut instinct is saying

'yes', take all the time you need to go

to the half-way point with Yoda,and to

leave the package, and to trust he'll give

you back your trust,and for him to

notice what happens to mud, and foryou to notice [pause] what happens

next.

Now that we have the go ahead,

weslowlyrecap each of the "what needs

to happen's" in the order specified, and

then (with metaphorical fingers crossed!)

just wait.

C85 [Long pause.] The cave isn't such a bad

place. I'm glad I didn't have to go all the

way there. Yoda's good company anyway.

I can get a sense. I don't really want to

look at him. Something is dissolving in

the back of the cave. I don't feel so

scared.

T85 And something's dissolving in the backof the cave and you don't feel so

scared. And then what happens?

Changes are occuring to boththeperceived, "back of the cave" and

theperceiver, "I don't feel so scared."

This is a signal to continuematuring the

changing Lanscape -- a process that had

been interupted at C81 by "Yes, if..."

C86 I'm curious to see what he looks like

after all this time.

Another change to the perceiver.

T86 And when you're curious, then what

happens?

C87 I'm glad I've got Yoda with me. I can see

a figure coming towards me. He's

wrapped a package quite nice really.

He's tied lovely bows on it. I haven't

really bothered with mine. He's just a

normal person. He's just normal. Nothing

special. He just looks like anyone.

T87 And as he comes towards you withthat

package tied with lovely bows,what

happens next?

He's "wrapped" a package. At C38 she

wanted to be "wrapped up and

protected" in her pink bubble. It might

have been a nice touch to ask: "And

what kind of lovely bows?" just in casethey were pink! But rather than interupt

the flow of events we simply keep time


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moving forward.

C88 He's giving it to Yoda. David Grove says that apoint of

contactbetween symbols signals the

'carring across' or 'transferring' or

'exchanging' of 'information' or

'resources' or 'essence'.

T88 And as he's giving it to Yoda, then

what happens?

C89 I give him my package. Another point of contact.

T89 And then what happens?

C90 There's a sweet smell. The result of the two points of contact is

a new metaphor ...

T90 And what kind ofsmell is thatsweet

smell?

... which we pause to develop ...

C91 It's like springtime. ... into a new context ...

T91 And when sweet smell is like

springtime, and Yoda has thepackage with your trust and he [look

over to her left] has the package with

your sorry for him,then what happens?

... before continuing to evolve time.

C92 We go our separate ways and that's it.

T92 And when you go your separate

ways, in which direction does he go?

Attending to his "direction" either

develops the new relationship of

"separate" (so that it is as 'real and alive'

as the previous connectedness), or

provides an opportunity for another part

of the system to react against the

separating of the ways.

C93 I don't know and I don't care. OK -- we get the message!

T93 And as you go your separate

waysand Yoda has your trust, then

what happens?

C94 My mother's at the entrance of the cave

and she's so happy for me [tears].

T94 [Pause.] And mother's so happy for

you. And then what happens?

C95 She gives me a big hug. A third point of contact.

T95 And she gives you a big hug, and then

what happens?

C96 [Pause.] It's like we all -- Yoda, mother

and me -- are in my pink bubble. We can

go out in the springtime where there are

pink blossoms.

Another indicator of significant change is

the crossing of a boundary or

thresholdbetween "worlds" (C36, C38,

C44, C65), in this case, maked by the

entrance to the cave. She leaves the

current world to go into the cave, and by

the time she comes out, things have

changed -- it's "springtime".

Paradoxically, the client had to go "in"


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the cave to get her trust back, before

mother could be "in" her pink bubble and

"go out" in the springtime. This enacted

the client's outcome in session 1, "she

needs to come out so we can have each

other" (C30).

T96 And when he has given you your trust

back, and you go your separateways, and a mother's hug, and a sweet

smell of spring time with pink blossoms

[pause],what happens to a

jewel that gives you choice?

Consolidating the newly forming

Landscape by recapping the changesbefore asking her to notice if the effect of

the changes havespreadto an

unmentioned symbol -- the jewel (See

Session 1).

C97 I am the jewel [pause]. It's all part of

what fills the atmosphere of the balloon.

My heart's really fluttering. It's waking

up. It's gone really funny [laughs].

T97 [Long pause.] And when you are the

jewel, and heart is really

fluttering,where is your trust?

Both checking and developing.

C98 All around, inside. It's in the space. It's

my choice whether people come in or go

out.

T98 And when your trust is around,

inside, and it's your choice whether

people come in or go out, is there

anything else you need in relation to

that ideal being you wanted to come

out?

Has she achieved her original outcome

(C1)?

C99 She's out. I can still go in. I don't have

to be out all the time. It's really up to

me. I have the choice.

Yes!

T99 And take all the time you need, to

know what it is like to have the choice,

to be in or out [pause], nowthat heart is

waking up [pause],and you are that

jewel [pause],and you, mother and Yoda

are in your pink bubble

[pause], and trust is all around

[pause], and it's sweet smellingspringtime [pause].

More consolidaing by accummulating

descriptions of the changed Landscape.

C100 I've got my trust. It's a trust that is

tempered with Yoda who can vet things

and I can trust that.

T100 And I expect you'll enjoy getting to

know more about that trust thatyou

can trust.

Returning to everyday conversation by

reverting to a regular voice tone, making

a statement and bringing in the "I" of the

therapist.

C101Thank you both very much. And thank

you everybody.

Analysis of Questions


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Once the first change occurred -- the client "put" the domino "there" (C79) -- the remaining third

of the session involved Maturing Changes (Stage 5 of the '5 Stage Process'). Just over half of the

last 20 questions were 'moving time forward' questions which invites the client to attend

the effectof each change as it happens.

In the following, the client in the two 'Jewel of Choice' transcripts gives her impressions of what

happened during the Symbolic Modelling process facilitated by Penny Tompkins and James

Lawley, and what has happened in the six months since.

The first session facilitated the client - using her metaphors and symbols - to self-model her

desired outcome and the effects of achieving that outcome.

The second session facilitated the client to self-model the way her Metaphor Landscape - the

embodied system of metaphors and symbols - was organised and the process by which it could

evolve.

Reading through the transcript of my journey within this foreign yet strangely familiarmetaphorical landscape, I am struck by how much has changed since my two sessions with

Penny and James.

The wonderful thing is that these changes seem to have happened in spite of myself and did not

appear to be due to any conscious effort on my part. That may sound at first as if I am

abdicating all choice to my unconscious, but I see it more as a working partnership.

When Penny and James asked the group if anyone would like to volunteer for a live

demonstration, I casually looked about the room to see who it would be. What happened was not

expected, I felt the flick of my pen as my hand jerked away from my body. I hoped that nobody

saw, but as if in some auctioneer's hall, my bid was not to go unnoticed.

I hadn't the faintest idea what 'issue' was to be aired, but had to trust that something in me had

presented itself as ripe and ready to be resolved. I was fortunate as it turned out, that I did

already have a starting point, with the drawing I had made on a silent retreat I had been on a

couple of weeks before. This Ideal Being was certainly making her presence felt and with her

help, I was about to be introduced to my Symbolic World. (See drawing A.)

A. Ideal Being - from a meditation, showing qualities of Truth (sword), Receptivity (open hand),

Mothering and Open Heartedness (baby at breast), Beauty (sitting on Lotus), Gentleness (deer),

Clear-sightedness (hawk), Detachment / Cutting away the extraneous (knife)

Session One

The session started with a choice, as in where would I like to sit and where would I like to place

Penny and James. This, together with what I felt was the very supportive energy of the group,


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gave me a feeling of safety and the necessary level of control over the direction the session

might take. As it happened my conscious self very quickly gave the driving wheel over to my

unconscious, which seemed to be much more familiar with the terrain.

Every question asked seemed to be like headlights on my vehicle, that illuminated different

aspects around me in such a way that there was no concern that my 'imagination' would not be

up to the journey. What was surprising to me was how quickly I became fully immersed in what

was being revealed. What I mean by that is how all of me was present, so that instead of simplyobserving, I was having real emotional and physical responses as we went along.

It was also very clear how events in my life had been translated into their symbolic counterparts

and now had a life of their own in this world. This was particularly apparent to me in what has

been highlighted as C28 in the transcript. The 'scared' of losing it (the jewel given to me by my

mother) was a very real fear as it took me back to when, soon after my mother's death, burglars

got into my bedroom and stole every piece of jewellery my mother had ever given me.

The session however gave me back a priceless gift. I really felt that in some way my mother was

returned to me and that the attributes assigned to her as my Ideal Being, were somehow now

being mirrored in me. (See drawing B.)

B.Sketch ofjewel in treasure chest, and me in yellow, protected by my mother figure inred. The moon shining on us for peace and safety.The Oak tree at the border of the two worlds,

the sun shining to show the 'outside' world (more exposed).

I can see now how ready I was to complete a whole picture from the many fragments I had

worked on in therapy for a number of years.

Thankfully this previous work had allowed me a certain sense of familiarity with some of the

figures in my landscape. I found this particularly useful when I met again the Yoda-like character

who represented my gut instincts, as the great level of trust needed to follow him into the cave

had to have been built up over time. I recognised him from a therapy session I had years ago,

where he was a spindly, wizened up little creature with yellow teeth and bad breath.

I had wandered into a cave full of skeletons and found that I couldn't get out the way I had come

in. I was aware then of something in my peripheral vision skipping around me.

C.The scene as it was, where I was stuck in the mud of the past, even though I was awarethat the present and the future are glorious. The nine year old me had to be released from a

state where she had simply given up.


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When my therapist asked if I could face it, I turned and saw this grotesque imp hissing at me.

When I finally found a passage out of the cave the imp tried to impair my route, until I yanked

his foot and found freedom.

It was in a session that followed a few weeks later that I found out who this character was. In a

Gestalt exercise, I enacted being in dialogue with this creature and we found ourselves sitting

with our backs to each other.

My imp was fuming and told me how angry he was that I had thrown him into the cave, leavinghim to starve and wither from the lack of light in this dark, dark place. This was his reward forsaving my life. I realised that it was my gut instinct that had blown in my ear when I was a nineyear old child paralysed with fear whilst a stranger on a ship molested me. Suddenly alerted, Ifound myself running for my life, pushing through all the grown-ups in the kitchen to safety. The

window of opportunity to tell my parents was too small and the moment was quickly lost. I wastrapped on this ship for another two weeks with this faceless abuser, but told no one of it until 21years later. My way of dealing with the whole experience was to throw it away into the cave thatwas the back of my mind; unfortunately I also threw away my impish, trusting and childlikebehaviour. (See drawing C.)

Session Two

I was asked if I wanted to carry on the next day and again something in me was very excited

about the prospect. What happened in the 50 minutes that followed was extraordinary;

Through the use of Symbolic Modelling, my session with Penny and James re-established my

relationship with my imp, which had grown older and wiser as he appeared now as Yoda. I also

saw that I held the choice of releasing the now far less powerful figure of the abuser with the

'feeling sorry for' domino.

D.Feet showing two states: Right foot with anchor and green grass to 'stay put' / Left footwanting to explore, full of curiousity - both aspects needed for balance.

Once the Trust/Sorry exchange had taken place (C89) I was amazed at the immediacy of thechange in me, heralded by the sweet smell of Springtime.I had my protective pink bubble again together with my gut instinct which would allow me to

choose who or what I can trust.

And now...


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The shift in me since the two sessions has been great. Now, if I do think back to the ship

incidence, instead of feeling angry and unclean, I have no emotional attachment to the event at

all. With my protection and trust back I feel more mature and more like an adult (well I am only

40 after all), able to stand up for myself and have my own say. I walk with my head up now,

where before I always cast my eyes to the pavement, to use invisibility as my protection from

the harsh world outside.

However the BIGGEST change of all is that exactly a month after the sessions I becamepregnant!

With so many issues resolved within my 2nd Chakra (stomach/gut area) and the psychological

plea to 'mother myself' voiced, it seems that the way was clear for me to receive the gift of

motherhood.

I found Symbolic Modelling of immense help to me, freeing up energy that had previously been

locked up in double-binds, disowned sadness and loss. That energy is available to me now

according to the inherent logic of the metaphorical system. Through this, I feel that I have a

better understanding of my world and the choices available to me - I am so glad that I

'volunteered'.

the jewel of choice

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