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
High sensitivity
A characteristic in which a person processes stimuli from their surroundings more strongly and more deeply.
Supervision
A therapist's regular professional consultation with a more experienced colleague — without any details by which a client could be identified.
Manipulation
Influence in which the other person doesn't know what they are agreeing to.
