Healing of Abandonment Wounds

Guided Visualization for Temporary Reconnection

Therapy to heal abandonment often uses guided imagery techniques to access the subconscious.

The process is structured as a symbolic descent-similar to the katabasis of Greek myths, the descent into the underworld to retrieve something lost-by visualizing a staircase or pathway that leads to a space of deep safety and relaxation.

In this state of light trance or deep meditation, the individual is invited to summon past versions of themselves, the various ages in which they experienced loneliness or abandonment.

The purpose of this exercise is to create an inter-temporal encounter where the current "I", equipped with resources and wisdom, can rescue its former versions.

These parts (the child, the adolescent) are visualized and a circle of containment is established, allowing the psyche to recognize and validate the existence of these internal fractures that had been exiled to the shadow of the unconscious.

Emotional Reintegration and Validation Techniques

Once contact with the injured parties has been established, the "repair of the bond" proceeds.

This involves an active dialogue where the adult offers what the original caregivers were unable to give: unconditional presence and validation.

Powerful affirmations are used to release the child's guilt ("It wasn't your fault," "I'm here now and I won't leave you").

From an energetic or somatic perspective, the extraction of the "dense trauma" from the body of these child versions is visualized, transmuting it into light or neutral energy.

Subsequently, a symbolic integration is performed, where the individual visualizes how he or she absorbs these healed parts into his or her heart or solar plexus, merging the fragmentation into a coherent unit.

This restores psychological integrity and reduces vulnerability to future threats of external abandonment.

Transforming the Perception of Loneliness

The final stage of this deep work is the re-signification of loneliness. Following narcissistic abuse, loneliness is perceived as an existential threat, an echo of childhood abandonment.

However, through the work with the inner child and the construction of authenticity, one transitions from "distressing loneliness" to "fruitful loneliness" (solitude). Being physically alone is no longer synonymous with being emotionally abandoned.

By developing a full presence ("being here and now") and a radical authenticity, the individual becomes his or her own source of companionship and security.

The desperate need for an other to regulate the emotional state diminishes, thus breaking the cycle of dependency that makes the person susceptible to emotional predators.

The individual learns to inhabit himself, eliminating the emptiness that the narcissist used to exploit.

Summary

The therapy uses guided imagery to descend into the subconscious and contact past versions of the "I" in a safe space. This inter-temporal encounter allows the current adult to recognize, validate and rescue the child parts that were exiled and forgotten due to pain.

A restorative dialogue is established where the adult offers the unconditional presence and validation that was missing in the original childhood. Through visualizations, the dense trauma is extracted and these healed parts are reintegrated into the body, restoring psychological integrity and safety.

The process culminates in transforming the perception of distressing loneliness into a fruitful, self-presence-filled loneliness. By learning to inhabit the self, the individual ceases to desperately need another to regulate him or herself, breaking the cycle of dependency that attracts abusers.