Numbness
A state in which you feel almost nothing — neither bad nor good.
How it shows up
People often describe it as »nothing’s wrong with me«. It isn’t peace; it is disconnection. It arises when there has been too much feeling and the system turned the volume down — but it can’t turn it down selectively, so the pleasant disappears too.
What we do with it in therapy
We don’t force our way through numbness. We start with the body and with small sensations, because feeling returns gradually. The first feeling to come back is usually anger — and that is a good sign, not a bad one.
See also
Co-regulation
Settling through another person — the nervous system regulates in contact, not alone.
Phases of therapy
The sequence the process usually follows: establishing safety, working through, integrating and ending.
The therapeutic relationship
The relationship between you and your therapist, which isn't the frame for the work but the working tool itself.
