Violet's diagnosis: "Sensitive"

Journal of Heart Centered Therapies, Autumn, 2008 by Wendy Taggart

Abstract: This case study focuses on individuals who experience what we might call "bleed through" from the unconscious into their conscious lives, or a non-ordinary state of consciousness, or transliminality, or holotropic consciousness. Whatever term we may call this phenomena, I would like to think that in the near future we would have a diagnosis of perhaps, "Sensitive." And this diagnosis would refer to someone like the girl in this case study and others who experience a different sort of perception while functioning well and effectively within our limited view of reality.

**********

About a year ago, I received a call from a previous client asking if I was accepting new patients. I had seen this woman several years earlier and together we worked to identify how she could leave her husband without undue upheaval for their four children. It was pretty standard fare, meaning I did not yet offer Heart-Centered Hypnotherapy or Ro-Hun (Hayes, 1980), relying primarily on cognitive-behavioral processes.

We set an appointment. I prepared to do an intake assessment for this woman, we will call Daisy. However, soon into the session, Daisy made it clear she came to talk with me not about herself, but about Violet, her ten-year old daughter. Daisy was tentative; it was clear she was concerned that what she had to say would be incriminating and was worried about my reaction. I waited patiently for her to feel comfortable with disclosure.

I reassured her that whatever she had to say was confidential unless some kind of abuse or threat to self or others was reported. She understood these guidelines and told me she did not want any sessions billed through her insurance. Being a member of the health care profession, she was aware of the diagnosis I must provide when billing insurance.

She then began to describe her daughter's "symptoms." Her daughter had told her two weeks prior that she sees animals by everyone and that she had seen animals for years but had not told anyone. She had been afraid of the animals and that is why she often didn't want to attend school or enter places where numerous people were, as there were lots of animals whenever there were lots of people, and some frightened her. But over the years, she had come to understand that the animals weren't there to cause harm to any person and with this realization her fear level subsided.

Violet told her mother that everyone has an animal. Violet had told her mother that her animal was bat-like, purplish in color, and usually sat on Daisy's shoulder most of the time. Daisy then shared what all the family member's animals looked like according to Violet.

There is mental illness in the family. The father is diagnosed with bipolar disorder and had been heavily medicated, including antipsychotic medications, when I saw them for marital counseling.

My professional experience includes 11 years as a clinical supervisor for a team of clinicians serving individuals with severe and chronic mental illness, as well as director of two psychosocial rehabilitation programs for the same population. So, while I listened to this level-headed mother, who was obviously worried that her daughter could possibly be given a scary diagnosis, I realized that I would have to carefully evaluate what could be early symptoms of schizophrenia. I also realized that over the past four years, my exposure to what our sub/unconscious minds show us in the trance state is similar to what this woman was sharing with me about her young daughter. My mind was open.

Four days later, Daisy and Violet met with me. I found Violet, a pretty, petite girl with a fairy-like face, to be articulate, poised and mature beyond her years on many levels. She enjoys the camaraderie of numerous friends, is involved in a number of activities and sports, does well in school, is well-liked by her teachers, dresses in a stylish, clean fashion, and has positive normal relationships with her siblings. She denies any anger or sadness related to her parents' divorce and sees her father regularly.

Her mother explained to Violet that she had told me about the animals that she sees. Daisy had asked Violet not to talk about these animals with anyone but that it was okay to talk with me about them.

I asked Violet if I had an animal. She described "my animal" to me. "It looks like some sort of preying mantis, blue and green in color, about this high," she said as she raised her hand about 3 feet off the ground. "Where is it?" I asked her. It was a few feet away from me, "Just looking--neutral expression," she stated matter-of-factly.

She described her mother's animal, again the purplish bat-like thing sitting on her mother's shoulder. She also said that her own animal was a "big, beige cat, like a mountain lion, but with a rat tail and long ears; it, too, was a few feet away from her just watching what was happening. She said, "They like to have room but they don't go too far away from you."

"Everyone has an animal. I call them spiritual companions. I used to be afraid of them, but now I know they really don't do anything to anyone. They just sort of hang out." However, she said "when children are fighting at school these animals kind of wrestle."