healthymind IMAGO THERAPY


& BIOENERGETIC ANALYSIS Diana L. Guest Teaches Tools for Healthy Relationships by Linda Sechrist


A


lthough an ancient proverb declares that variety is the spice of life, few individuals really know how to


honor, celebrate or navigate their differences, especially within a relationship. Trained in Bioenergetic Analysis and Imago relation- ship therapy, Psychotherapist Diana L. Guest helps individuals to create a sense of safety, intimacy and freedom, within which they can explore their differences. “In relationships, we tend to attract partners who have similar childhood wounds,” says Guest. “Therefore, we need to learn how to develop the ability to be self-reflective, respectful, curious and empathetic, in order to work through and heal these wounds, which trigger conflict.” According to Guest, when two people first meet, they initially focus on how much they have in common and how much they think alike. “When differ- ences show up later, people think that they are in the wrong relationship or that they married the wrong person,” advises Guest, who adds that because we are never taught how to manage our differences, most of us believe that there is something wrong because we are different than our partner. Curiosity about how a partner sees and experiences the


and some conflicts are never going to be resolved, so communication has to remain open and differences have to be managed in a loving and kind way, which is what Imago therapy is about,” notes Guest, who also uses Bioenergetic Analysis, a somatic form of psy- chotherapy, to deal with the body/mind from a wholeness perspective. In Bioenergetic therapy, individuals are


Diana L. Guest


encouraged to describe how they think and feel about issues. These explanations are used to explore how thoughts and feelings not only manifest in the body, but also in re- lationships. Guest offers an example: A child who is a member of a large family may have had a mother who didn’t have much time for him or her because she had six other children


world, as well as an understanding of how differences trigger childhood wounds, are the navigation tools that help Guest’s clients engage in more constructive dialogue. “The goal is to see how deeply interconnected we are and to have a health- ier, safer and more intimate and joyous relationship,” enthus- es Guest, who began using Harville Hendrix’s concepts from his bestselling book, Getting the Love You Want, which is the basis of Imago relationship therapy, even before she trained in this modality in 2005.


“I deeply resonated with Harville’s way of teaching couples a new language that could help them navigate conflict when it arose,” advises Guest. “Conflict is inevitable,


34 San Diego Edition


to care for. As an adult, back muscles might be chronically constricted, limiting the individual’s ability to reach, because it’s too painful to keep reaching out when there is a percep- tion that no one is there for them. “This could translate into an individual feeling as though they can’t rely on anyone else and must do everything alone, thereby taking on too much and as a result, feeling overwhelmed and resentful of others,” says Guest, who works with the client to resolve any underly- ing issue that is affecting them and their relationships. The author of The Clinician’s Guide to 12-Step Programs, Guest also helps clinicians apply their knowledge and align it with the guiding principles outlining a course of action for recovery from addiction, compulsion or other behavioral problems, so that they can work more effectively with clients involved in the program. Her book, Where’s My Real Life? I know I Put It Somewhere, is about managing stress with tools such as a journaling, nutrition and exercise.


Contact Diana L. Guest, 1767 Grand Ave., #4, San Diego 92109. Call 858-336-3740 or visit DianaGuest.com.


www.na-sd.com


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