Ten Principles for the Session Guide
The session guide creates a safe space for his session partner so as to enable him to explore his inner world without any disturbance. To do so, the session guide will have to observe the following principles:
- The session guide always keeps his appointments with his session partner.
- Before and during the session the session guide makes sure that his session partner is physically fit for the session.
The session partner must be well fed and rested and not be under the influence of drugs, alcohol, "uppers" or "downers".
- The session guide does not comment, criticise or moralise.
He doesn't explain to his session partner what he should think about himself and his situation. He doesn't suggest solutions. He doesn't voice any "private opinions".
- The session guide never asks "why?" but "how did it happen?"
Asking "why?" is asking for a cause, and that's asking for too much. Asking "how did this happen" is asking for a process, for the genesis of the situation, and that's what the session is all about. The session guide restricts himself to time, place, circumstance and motive: "When and where did it happen?", "How"? "What was the motive behind the action?" (This is sufficient to trigger all manner of somatics and emotions.)
Also the session guide does not ask any leading questions. He asks "open" questions. Open questions can be answered with either "yes", "no" or "don't know".
The session guide aks only such questions as will intensify his session partner's contact with his inner world, will support his orientation therein, and enable him to find his own truth.
- The session guide deals with his session partner in all openness.
The session guide informs his session partner about the nature and purpose of the procedures he is using and for what reason they are being used in a given situation. He keeps in touch with his session partner during the session and considers his thoughts and feelings. He never suggests anything the session partner should believe in. He works solely towards his session partner's attainement of authentical insights.
- The session guide takes each subject or item to a good end result.
A good End Result is marked by the session partners certainty regarding his insights, and his certainty that an unwanted condition has disappeared, an ability been regained or a disability been lost.
- The session guide never works against his session partner.
The session guide makes sure that each step he is taking brings his session partner closer to the desired end result. He neither fulfills rituals nor works by trial and error. In guiding the session he observes his session partner acutely and takes the comments and feelings voiced by the session partner seriously so as to adjust the session to the needs of the session partner. Everything done has a definite function in the context given, and the session guide is in full control of this.
- No erotic feelings or actions. No sex.
The intimacy of the session might bring up erotic desires on the side of session partner or guide. The session guide must remain absolutely impervious to this. If he went with it he'd immeditately lose his position of superiority, and the trust invested into him would go up in smoke. Furthermore uncontrollable dramatisations on both sides would be engendered.
- No talk outside the session about the session.
The session guide is of course sworn to secrecy. He wouldn't talk to anyone about the session except to his supervisor, and even then he would make the identity of his session partner unrecognizable. The session partner on his part shouldn't talk about his session as he might run into disbelief or ridicule from others, or as he involuntarily might trigger dramatisations in others.
- The session guide keeps working on his own mind.
He gets sessions from colleagues or does solo sessions. Not just once, but all the way along. Not only to be stable but also to have experienced all the mental phenomena himself which he will sooner or later encounter in his sessions with others.
A transgression against these principles can lead to an irrepairable break of trust between session partner and session guide!
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