Regression
A temporary return to an earlier developmental stage during a period of distress or change.
How it shows up
A child who was dry starts wetting the bed again when a sibling is born. An adult who becomes childishly dependent when ill. Regression isn’t going backwards; it is the system, under pressure, reaching for an old safety.
What we do with it in therapy
We don’t push. When safety returns, the level usually returns by itself. What matters is that the regression doesn’t become a source of shame.
See also
Resentment
Anger that was never spoken and so settled — quiet, long-lasting and sour.
Supervision
A therapist's regular professional consultation with a more experienced colleague — without any details by which a client could be identified.
Gaslighting
A pattern in which someone systematically undermines your confidence in your own judgement, memory and experience.
