HANDLES
According to my mentor, a handle is some aspect of our triggered reaction
that we can grab onto and use to open the door to the past.
Once we find a handle, we can plug it into a neutralizing technique,
and the technique will lead us to the anchor (past trauma)
and to neutralizing the emotional charge attached to it.
Often, a technique will tell us what to use as the handle.
But if it doesn't, below are some ways to find a handle:
Belief - In this triggering situation or because of it, what do I believe
about myself, others, and/or the world?
Story - What is the story that I am telling myself about this triggering situation?
Thought - What is my overriding thought?
Problem - In this triggering situation, what is the problem?
To go a little deeper, ask, what is the fear beneath this problem?
Emotion - What am I feeling? (Might help to look at a list of feelings)
What is my strongest feeling about this situation?
Self-Centered Survival Fear - What is my self-centered survival fear in this situation?
Sensation - What am I feeling in my body? Where is the sensation?
Simple Statement - Simply state what happened without evaluation