Extreme stress in a child's life can result in potentially permanent, disabling alterations in the structure and functioning of the mind. A child's consciousness can become divided, with one aspect of consciousness - the child's ego, in the Eastern sense of this word - attempting to force 'unacceptable,' emotionally wounded, child aspects of consciousness out of awareness, out of the present moment, and into the 'unconsciousness.' When this repression fails, which it frequently does, the person suffers, as he regresses back to the psychological and emotional state of the wounded child.
This problem, which causes many people to seek therapy, can be successfully addressed by helping a person to learn to relate to, heal, and integrate split off and repressed aspects, resulting in a new psychological wholeness which fundamentally changes their experience of life. Clients develop the capacity to relate to themselves and to others with awareness, love, wisdom, compassion, commitment, honesty, forgiveness, courage, and emotional openness. Higher states of consciousness emerge as greater wholeness is established.
