Why Compassionate Inquiry?

You choose CI because you want to explore in depth a problem you experience. It is mostly about situations where someone doesn’t feel comfortable in his/ her social context. There is a bit of friction and sometimes it is difficult to put your finger on what that is.

I will give a personal example of something I changed for myself with CI sessions. Often I would say “yes” or not respond, when I really wanted to say “no. Although I had every reason to say something, I remained inhibited.

Attending to physical sensations which came up brought memories to life. Some memories some were familiar, others came as a surprise. In CI, you are encouraged to acknowledge the experience, as we often avoid distressing feelings, causing us to lose touch with a part of ourselves.

Allowing these memories and feelings, helped me understand why I developed negative thoughts about myself that hold me back from speaking out. So personally, I can say that CI has made me much more balanced. It causes me to stop endlessly brooding. After all, that’s what you do when you are not assertive the moment something presents itself.

In my practice, many people report having few childhood memories. This seems to come back, precisely by paying attention to physical reactions.

Others say they have little contact with their own bodies and live in their heads. Also in such a situation, CI is great way of working. As a child, they had good reasons to disconnect from their feelings, both physically and emotionally. During a CI session, you can safely connect with your inner life, at your own pace, with someone present to support you.