Shadow Therapy 
By Mike Lips, Ph.D.

When we were created, the potential for evil was already in place. This evil, or darkness, is a real, assertive, force that lies just below the surface of awareness, waiting for the opportune time to strike its deadly blow. 

This darkness is like a Shadow in the heart of each of us. In the light of day, when everything seems to be normal, whatever normal is, it reminds us just how close we all are to the forgotten chaos out of which creation evolved. It never lets us forget our past experiences. What we are, today, has its foundation in the many episodes of the past. Out of that dark past comes a threatening shadow that is projected on to the future that lies before us. 

How much control do we have over our lives? Can we break away from the chains that bind us to our past. At any given moment in time, the Shadow - that dark force of our past, lies waiting just beneath conscious awareness, like lava in the mouth of a volcano ready to blow. When it erupts, the lava of chaotic emotions comes forth abruptly destroying everything in its path (Israel,1989). 

"Oh, God!! How can this be? How can this be happening to me? Oh, God!!! It hurts!!! Please, Please take this pain away!!! "

[The individual whose case history is presented here molested two young girls, ages 13 and 14 respectively. The two were his daughters. Some of you, reading this article, may have some difficulty with this subject matter. But as clergy and hypnotherapists, I feel very strongly that we have an obligation to treat the perpetrator, as well as the victims.] 

C.D. and his wife, Gloria (not their real names), first came to me in the fall of 1994. During our preliminary talk, C.D. revealed why they had come for counseling. He confessed that he was under a court order to seek counseling for child molestation. Although I had sessions with Gloria, C.D. was the target client. (This was the first time I had encountered a child molester as a client. Up to this point, I had treated only the victims. I had no idea how I would react in such a situation. But there I was standing face-to-face with a darkness. When told, I didn't bat an eye. I'm not sure why, maybe it had to do with the fact that therapists are to accept clients with unconditional positive regard and empathic understanding. According to C.D., had I reacted negatively towards him he would have turned away from my help. He did not want to be treated as he had been treated by some of his previous therapists. Because I accepted him where he was mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, he felt understood. And as a result, C.D. and I developed a good therapeutic relationship. 

Before I began treating C.D., I had to contact the Florida Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services. They, in turn, contacted the Circuit Court Judge to see if he would approve me and the use of hypnosis as a therapeutic modality. The Judge said, in a letter to the Rehab Counselor, "If you are satisfied that Mr. D's counseling with a Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist is reasonable under the circumstances, I would certainly not be in a position to disagree." The only requirement was for me to send a monthly report showing that C.D. was continuing therapy and what progress he was making, if any. And it was up to me, in consultation with the Rehab Counselor, to decide when I felt C.D. was no longer a threat to society and could be released from his obligation to the court. 

Over the first few months, C.D. underwent Hypnotic-Regression Therapy with good results. So well, in fact, I requested that he be dismissed from the court order. The family and I were well pleased when the court concurred with my recommendation. 

A few months later, however, C.D.'s youngest daughter, Mary (not her real name), got into serious trouble with the law. As a result, she was required to appear before the Youth Court Judge who sentenced her to stay at a group home for delinquent teens. She was to remain there until she graduated from High School, which was in about 18 months. Needless to say, this episode threw C.D. into an emotional tailspin. He became overwhelmed with feelings of guilt, sending him into a deep depression. He felt that his molesting Mary had caused her to rebel against her family and society.

Instead of using the Hypnotic-Regression Technique that I had used previously, I decided that Hypnotic Parts Therapy would be more beneficial for C.D., at this point in his therapeutic journey. [It was my tempting to do Parts Therapy with C.D. that led me to develop Shadow Therapy.] To get the full effect of C.D.'s experience, I'm going to use Rossi's Accessing Creative Resources Technique (Rossi, 1993), which consists of a Time-Controlled-Bind Induction, Accessing and Transducing The Shadow, methods of Ratification, and the Awakening. 

Session notes are as they were recorded with some editing for clarification: 

TIME-CONTROLLED-BIND (Rossi, 1993) 

Dr.L: When a deep part of your inner mind, the unconscious level of your mind, knows it can resolve that problem all by itself, (pause), will you feel yourself getting more and more comfortable, more and more relaxed, as your eye close? After a few seconds, C.D. entered hypnosis. Additional suggestions were given for deepening. 

ACCESSING and TRANSDUCING the SHADOW 

Dr.L: Now your inner mind can continue working, all by itself, to solve that problem in a manner that fully meets all your needs (pause). [Attempting Parts Therapy] Using your imagination, picture and imagine a chair placed directly in front of you. When you have that image clearly in your mind, nod your head. 

C.D.: Nods head. 

Dr.L: Now... Picture and imaging that part of you that is the molester, sitting in the chair, looking back at you. When you have that image clearly in your mind, nod your head. 

C.D: (Pause) Nods head. 

Dr.L: Describe what you see. 

C.D: (Pause) Black. Rough... Lumpy. Pile of garbage. 

Dr.L: If the molester, sitting in the chair, could talk, what would he say to you? 

C.D: Bad... Evil... No good... Unworthy. 

Dr.L: How does that make you feel? 

C.D: Uncomfortable. Worthless. 

Dr.L: Now... C.D., I want you to become the molester... disassociating that part of you from the Self, allowing that part of you to merge with your image of the molester, sitting in the chair, looking back at you. When you have done that, nod your head. 

C.D: (Long pause) Don't want to... Don't like it... Wrong. Don't want to go back to that. 
[This presented a slight problem. Since C.D. didn't want to experience being the molester, I needed to come up with something that would do the same thing, without calling him a molester. Suddenly, I thought about what the Bible says about the darkness that dwells within us, and remembering C.G. Jung's Shadow Archetype, I decided to try and see if I could access the SHADOW, the Evil side, or dark side of C.D's personality. From here on, I will be using the term Shadow, when speaking of the child molester.]

Dr.L: That's O.K. Now... picture and imagine the Dark Side (Shadow Side) of your personality, sitting in the chair, looking back at you. When you have done that, nod your head. 

C.D: (Pause) Nods head. 

Dr.L: Describe what you see. 

C.D: (Pause) Black. Rough... Lumpy pile of garbage, or gook... gummy. 
[Notice this description with that of the child molester. They are the same.] 

Dr.L: Now... become the Shadow, disassociating that part of you from the Self, allowing that part of you to merge with your image of the Shadow, sitting in the chair, looking back at you. 
[This wording allows C.D. to experience being the molester through the Shadow, or darkness. This helps him to deal with what he has done without calling him a child molester, otherwise he would resist therapy. This technique allows C.D. to split off part of the Self, totally separating the Shadow from the whole. This way, it allows him to experience this from the third person point of view, referring to C.D. as he, him, etc.] 

C.D: (Pause) Nods head. 

Dr.L: Shadow, why are you so dominant in C.D.'s life?

Shadow: He (Notice the third person usage) wants to be good, not bad. 

Dr.L: Why can't he? 

Shadow: I want him to be bad. 

Dr.L: Why? Shadow: That's my job. 

Dr.L: Job? What do you mean? Do you work for someone?

Shadow: Could be. 

Dr.L: What controls you? 

Shadow: Evil One. 

Dr.L: Are you the molester? 

Shadow: Yeah. 

Dr.L: Why did you chose for C.D. to be a child molester?

Shadow: Weak point 
(This statement is covered in more depth in the next session.) 

Dr.L: Why? 

Shadow: Don't know. It's just there. 
[Shadow is avoiding my question.] 

Dr.L: What is C.D. going to have to do to overcome this problem? 

Shadow: Get rid of me. 

Dr.L: How does he do that? 

Shadow: (Pause) Believe in God. 

Dr.L: Does he believe in God? 

Shadow: Yes. 

Dr.L: What's holding him back? 

Shadow: (Pause) Doubt. 

END OF SESSION #1
[At the end of each Accessing and Transducing Phase, I use ideomotor finger response for reframing faulty learning patterns associated with his problem. Also, this format allows C.D. to access and transduce any memories, life experiences, or abilities that his Inner Mind can use in many way he has not thought of before. (Rossi, 1993). This allows C.D. to search for, on an unconscious level, the resources he needs deal with his inner chaos.

SESSION #2: 

Dr.L: Shadow, are you there? 

Shadow: Yes. 

Dr.L: In our last session, you said that doubt is holding C.D. back from overcoming the problem of getting rid of you. Is that correct?

Shadow: Yes. 

Dr.L: This doubt, is it a by-product of you (Shadow)?

Shadow: Yes. 

Dr.L: Shadow, you stay where you are, while I talk to C.D. C.D., tell me about the doubt that the Shadow is referring to. 

C.D: It's big. It destroys. It's like a bulldozer. (Pause) It destroys faith... hope... happiness. 

Dr.L: Shadow, why don't you remove the doubt by leaving?

Shadow: Fear. 

Dr.L: What do you mean, fear? 

Shadow: Doubt can keep you safe from... fear? (The word fear, with a question mark, seemed to confuse C.D.) 

Dr.L: What are you experiencing? 
(C.D.'s body language indicated that he was struggling with what the Shadow had said about doubt and fear.) 

C.D: Trying to give the bulldozer a color. I know they're yellow. Should I guess I approach doubt with caution. Or, is doubt caution? Don't want to be hurt. Fear of not being liked 
(C.D. is trying to make some kind of sense of his delimma.) 

Dr.L: What will take the doubt away? 
(The question is addressed to C.D.) 

C.D: Too many doubts. Work one at a time. (Pause) Wanting others to like me is part of it. Fear of failure is another part of it.

Dr.L: Where does doubt come from? 
(Remember, I posed this question to the Shadow, earlier.) 

C.D: God is the source of all good. Doubt is the source of Evil. (Pause) Devil sells doubt by telling you he's giving it to you for your protection. Doubt is a lie. This lie is perpetuated by the devil (Evil). God is right handed. The devil is left handed. (Pause) God is what is right for you. The devil is what is left. 

Dr.L: It's time for us to conclude today's session.

SESSION #3 

Over the years, the concept of Evil has been controversial. Some will argue that there is a Devil (Satan) and his host of demons. These evil beings lay in wait for the right moment to pounce upon the unsuspecting host. Once this Evil has control of its host, it tries to destroy him by causing physical disease, emotional problems, as well as spiritual problems. In other words, they try to destroy harmony between Mind-Body-Spirit. 

Then, there are those who don't believe in the concept of the Evil One and his forces of darkness. They simply believe that man is basically good. He does, however, have an evil side, which is innate (inborn). C.G. Jung called this the Shadow side of one's personality. He believed that the Shadow is a moral problem that challenges the whole ego-personality, for no one can become conscious of the Shadow without considerable moral effort. This Shadow is a product of the personal unconscious (Campbell, 1971). It's almost like the Shadow has a mind of its own, searching out the weakest point in its host, then raising its ugly head, causing inner chaos.

In the case of the child molester, we can begin to see how the Shadow takes advantage of his weakness. The following dialogue is from C.D.'s last session. There were many sessions, but I decided to use only three to illustrate Shadow Therapy. This last session begins after I have placed C.D. in hypnosis. Once in hypnosis, I had C.D. to access and transduce the Shadow side of himself, sitting in a chair directly in front of him. The dialogue begins below. 

Dr.L: Shadow. "Weak Point." What did you mean by that? 

Shadow: (Long pause) Not easy. 

Dr.L: Does this have anything to do with the child part of C.D.? 

Shadow: Don't think so? (Long pause) This is a sexual thing. A child is not a sexual being. Don't know... Debate going on. 

Dr.L: Debate? 

Shadow: Yeah. Doubt. Weakness. 

Dr.L: Weak point? Are you referring to C.D having a weak point? 

Shadow: Yeah. 

Dr.L: What is C.D.'s weak point? Do you even know it?

Shadow: (Pause) Yeah. 

Dr.L: What is it? 

Shadow: Sex!!! 

Dr.L: Focus in on that, sex and weakness. 

Shadow: Sex is bad. 

Dr.L: Why is sex bad? 

Shadow: Any dog can do that. 

Dr.L: What do you mean? 

Shadow: He was told that any dog can have sex. 

Dr.L: Let me see if I understand you, C.D. was told that any dog can do that? 

Shadow: Yeah. 

Dr.L: Who told him that.? 

Shadow: His dad. 

Dr.L: How is that connected to molestation? 

Shadow: (Long pause. C.D. is showing signs of an inner struggle.) 
Ask another question. 
(The Shadow is avoiding answering the question.) 

Dr.L: How does being told "Sex is bad" make C.D. weak? 

Shadow: It puts doubt into the feeling for sex. You have a natural feeling for sex. It puts doubt in your mind. If you think about sex, you feel guilty. Sex is bad. You're supposed to deal with it. You're not supposed to think about it. So, you want to know why it is bad. You're curious. Then, you try to experience it, to find out for yourself. 

Dr.L: Why did this experience, of "trying to find out," occur as an adult? 

Shadow: (Long pause. The Shadow didn't answer, so another question was asked.) 

Dr.L: How does this relate to the molestation of Mary and Tammy 
(Tammy is C.D.'s other daughter)? 

Shadow: (Long pause. C.D.'s body language indicates that he is having difficulty with allowing the Shadow to answer the question. C.D.'s eyes opened with tears flowing down his cheeks. There is still no comment. He's becoming more emotional, gripping the arms of the chair.)

Dr.L: Tell me what you are experiencing. 

C.D: (He shifted the Shadow back into himself as he answered.)
The hurt... that it has cost Mary and Tammy. 

Dr.L: Tell me about the hurt. 

C.D: The hurt that it cost them (Mary and Tammy). It hurt them bad. 
[His abreaction was so strong that I decided to end the session. After C.D. quieted down, I began the ratification process.] 

Dr.L: O.K., I'm going to count backwards from Five down to One. And, as I do, one of the fingers on one of your hands will automatically lift up towards the ceiling. And, as it does, your Inner Mind, the unconscious level of your mind, will be reviewing all of the attached memories, or life experiences, that are connected to that problem you've come for today. When your Inner Mind knows you have found the inner resources you need for overcoming that problem, your finger will lower back down to the arm of the chair. 

C.D: (C.D.'s right index finger lifted up, and remained up for about five minutes and then lowered back down to the arm of the chair. To make this type therapy more effective, it's important to ratify the client's problem before he reintegrates the Shadow. This seems to strengthen the resolution of the client's problem.) 

Dr.L:In a moment, I will be bringing you out of hypnosis. But before I do, make sure you have reintegrated the Shadow into the rest of you, so that there are no feeling of being disconnected (This is a must, when using Shadow Therapy.) When you've done that, nod your head. 

C.D: Nods head. 

RATIFICATION/REFRAMING PROCESS 

Dr.L: When your inner mind knows that it can continue to deal effectively with that problem, and when your conscious mind knows that it can cooperate with the unconscious level of your mind, in dealing effectively with that problem, will one of the fingers on the right hand lift up off the arm of the chair, or will one of the fingers on the left hand lift up, only your inner mind knows which one (After about 2-3 minutes, the right index finger lifted, indicating ratification/reframing had occurred.) Now that that process has been completed, will you find yourself wanting to move a bit. (pause) Will you open your eyes and come fully alert? (Rossi, 1993) C.D. finally came to terms with the pain and turmoil that resulted from his actions. Throughout therapy, C.D. had to battle darkness (The Shadow). But each time we exposed the darkness to the light of truth, the darkness could not overcome it (John1:5). Today, C.D. and his family are doing well. His two girls have graduated from High School and are happier than they have ever been. 

REFERENCES: 

(1) Israel, Martin, The Dark Face of Reality, Morehouse-Barlow, Wilton, Connecticut (1989) 
(2) Campbell, Joseph, The Portable Jung, Penguin Books, NY, NY (1971) 
(3) Rossi, Ernest L., The Psychobiology of Mind-Body Healing, W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., NY, NY (1993) 

MY CREDENTIALS 
I am a United Methodist Minister with the Mississippi Conference of The United Methodist Church. I hold a Master of Ministry (M.Min.) in Pastoral Ministries from Bethany Theological Seminary, Dolthan, Ala., a Master of Science (M.S.) In Counseling Psychology from The University Of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, Ms., and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) In Clinical Hypnotherapy from St. John's University, Springfield, La. I am a FELLOW and Certified Member of The National Association of Clergy Hypnotherapists, which is the Clergy division of The National Guild of Hypnotists, where I also hold Certification. And I am Registered with the National Federation of Hypnotists OPEIU Local 104.