SPIRAL MODEL
of change and growth
©Julie Raworth 2023
My Spiral Model has emerged from repeated experiences of watching my clients go through such a process and evidenced in creative work.
Therapy may be experienced at times as chaotic, fragmented, complex and not following a straight path but the underlying process in which therapy occurs remains the same.
I have created The SPIRAL MODEL to illustrate in more detail as to how therapy can help us connect with our internal resources that enable us to grow resilience in facing our difficulties and opening up a world of colourful emotions, thus meeting our potential.
The use of a spiral comes because, whilst there is an overall process of growth and development that enable sus to feel freer and more open, it is also a constant to and fro within self as new changes occur. At times we need to retreat back into ourselves in order to reconnect with our resources.
1 SELF
The internal self is the only place where we will find our true self in which we can heal and grow from.
1i Search for self
We need to continually connect with Self in order to follow our own pathway of growth.
1ii Void or pain
When looking inwardly we may find pain, conflict or merely a void of self.
1iii Resources
By facing our internal selves and the void beyond the pain, we gain access to our resources.
(Curiosity to be added)
2 AWARENESS
For anything to change we have to find ways to become aware of what is truly going on within us
3 VULNERABLE SPOT
The internal self is the only place where we will find our true self in which we can heal and grow from.
3ii Internal conflicts
3ii Maladaptive thoughts
Internal conflicts occur when we are trying to follow a pat, potentially from external influences, that does not match our true self.
It is common to create thoughts in which we know are irrational or unhelpful but can’t help ourselves thinking this way.
3iii Loss
3iv Trauma
Trauma is not just a traumatic event but how an individual has learnt to cope or not with any life experience.
4 RESILIENCE
Resilience is the ability to cope with being a true and vulnerable self. This is different to being strong. This comes from looking within and facing our 'selves' and our vulnerable spot. To trust that we are resilient enough to cope with all difficulties opens up everything else involved in growth and change.
5 EMPOWERMENT
Once we become more resilient we become less fearful of the emotions involved in creating change and feel empowered from within to do what is needed.
6 EMERGING COLOURS
Through the process of facing and working through
internal conflicts and wounds an emergence of other emotions brings colour to our lives.
6i Peace
Peace can come after a period of internal conflict and pain has been faced.
6iv Growth
Growth means we learn we can become more than we ever thought we could be as a person.
6ii Hope
Once we come to realise we can survive facing our internal self we start to feel a sense of hope that things could be different.
6v Confidence
Greater awareness and emotional maturity brings confidence in being ourselves and not affected or concerned by external views around us.
6iii Potential
As we start to connect more and more with our true selves we are able to gain a sense of our own potential and feeling it may be possible to meet it.
6vi Joy
With increased confidence in being an authentic ‘self’ creates less worry time and more time to enjoy life and being ourselves.
7 REFLEXIVITY
By increasing the positive experiences of becoming ore aware of self we develop more want and skills to reflect.
7i Strenght to return inwards
With greater reflexivity means the greater capacity to keep searching back inwards to dig deeper into ourselves.
8 PARADOXICAL REACTIONS
With every emotion there comes an opposite which may create further internal conflict.
8i Grief or loss of self
In becoming a more authentic person we may experience a loss for the old (constructed/false) self that we are more familiar with.
8ii Fear, guilt and regret
Through a journey of developing authenticity we may reflect on past behaviours and have feelings about this, such as guilt or regret.
8iii Changes in relationships
We may see changes in our relationships, good and bad. We may start to see the unhealthy relationships we are currently in and want to shed them, or resolve issues with and build stronger relationships with loved.