Why does The Work, work?
As a therapist and as one who does The Work regularly, I have thought about this a lot. Here is my take:
The Work goes right to the stressful thought, the root of the issue. The facilitator helps the client to identify these thoughts that underlie the issue and then question them.
The Work is an experience. When doing The Work, the client goes directly to the emotions, reactions and attitudes resulting from their stressful thought. It actually does require work. What I love is that there is something that works.
The Work gives the client a window into what life would be like without their stressful thought. This is an experience of mindfulness. This also begins to show the client the connection between their stressful thought and the stress itself. The mind is shown cause and effect. Eventually the mind starts to get it that it’s not situations that cause stress, it is stressful thoughts that create stress.
The turnarounds (or opposites of the original stressful thought) give the client an opportunity to see the other side of the story. The turnarounds are the way through the “problem”.
The Work comes directly out of the client as do the turnarounds, so The Work opens and empowers.
The Work goes as deeply as the client wants to go.
For me, The Work has given me a way to go question any problem, trigger or situation. Lifetime triggers begin to loose their charge. What a blessing!!