“In a healing journey, pain and emotions are like transient whispers of the heart; once mended, they often fade into the silent archives of our being.” Clint Matheny
Since beginning my “Fear of Flying” practice in 1985, and mainly using the Reconsolidation of Traumatic Memories (RTM) procedure, I’ve made it a point to follow up with clients.
It became apparent to me that without my prompting most of my clients had completely forgotten their previous phobias or the traumatic memories we addressed. This often resulted in a lack of referrals despite their successful treatment.
Take, for instance, a client I had seen about six months prior had claustrophobia and was unable to enter an elevator or fly on an airplane. She told me that if she could overcome this fear, her income would double because she could work downtown as an executive secretary for an oil company, rather than in the suburbs for a small business.
Six months later, I phoned her on a weekend morning. I had to remind her that we had met in my office. I then asked if she was still working in Humble (a suburb of Houston) or if she had found a job in Houston. She stated that she was working in the Williams Tower, which was at that time the tallest building in Houston. I then asked what floor she worked on. She stated the 29th floor and asked why I wanted to know. I asked her if she had to walk up all those stairs. She said, “No, of course not. I take the elevator. OMG, I forgot I used to have claustrophobia!” A few weeks later, she referred a coworker to see me.
It’s not uncommon for individuals to move on from past traumas without continuously reflecting on them once they’ve been resolved. In this one minute audio below, you will hear a two-year follow-up interview with a woman who had experienced ‘Night Terrors’ for over sixty-five years:
This was the recorded session on healing her “Night Terrors” two years prior:
https://clintmatheny.com/back-to-the-future-3-year-old-part-2-night-terrors/
Over three decades of practicing ‘Imperative Self’ therapy have led me to an insightful observation: typically, after only a handful of ‘Imperative Self Analysis’ sessions, my clients tend to forget their 5-7 most frequent unwanted emotions. To help them recognize this significant emotional evolution, I recommend completing a subsequent emotional checklist. This allows for a direct comparison with their initial list, highlighting the profound changes and the effectiveness of our sessions together.This is an example of before and after:
12/31/2021 Emotions:
- Anger
- Overwhelmed
- Anxious
- Judgmental
- Frustrated
04/04/2024 Emotions after a total of 4 hours of therapy:
- Gratitude
- Awe
- Happiness
- Delight
- Curiosity
- Patience
See the Comment Section of: https://clintmatheny.com/what-is-the-imperative-self/
How does this forgetting happen. I believe this is similar to having a toothache and seeing a dentist. A year later, most of us do not immediately remember what tooth was paining us (unless we had a traumatic experience at the dental office). We just tend to forget a feeling that has been healed; therefore, we do not think about it.
I am the therapist whose work is so effortlessly transformative that the pain dissipates quietly, leaving only a faint memory of my role in your journey—unless I point it out. It may not be financially rewarding to me, but it’s definitely emotional rewarding to me. And that’s perfectly fine.
Clint77090(at) gmail.com