I've done this method of journaling. When I was in a support group for women with cancer, we used this technique. Ask a question with your dominant hand, answer with your other hand. It's best to prep with quiet time, getting yourself comfortable with music, candles, etc. This is a great way to get in touch with yourself. Gims, you might try this technique, prior to or when in therapy. And take back my life? Thank you for the thought. There are others with way worse experiences. Hmm, that's one reason why I did not seek help, because I did not want to take time away from others (who I did not even know, just "others") who needed more than I. I suspect your psyche wants to heal, thus you are inquiring. Your soul, spirit, wants to be whole. Gims, if you want to PM me, maybe I can help you find a therapist. If you want to try it yourself, I would google "therapist" "counselors" "psychoanalysts" in your area. You will get web sites which will explain the "philosophy" of the therapist, and what methods they use. Methods might be what they are specifically trained in, such as cognitive/behavioral therapy, Jungian therapy, Freudian. You can even call these therapists and interview them, to get a feel for a possiblity of rapport with them. As for psychoanalyst, it is just another training. Some of these terms are interchangable. You might even find if the therapist is certified and licensed as a hypnotherapist. However, you should know that no therapist who is truly ethical will perform hypnotherapy on a first or second session. Would you believe that I was refused hypnotherapy? A Great therapist who did not think it was the best way to get in touch. She did recommend some methods, which I was not ready for at the time, but a couple of years later, with another therapist, what the 1st therapist had said came about. Also, my brother, who can't remember his childhood at all, asked for hypnotherapy, and he was refused, too. I have found therapists for others by a google search and a thorough investigation, others who have contacted me through my site after reading my book. Not that the book drives them to need therapy! Just the opposite, it shows people the benefits of therapy. Here's how I found my last therapist, 10 years ago, when I started fully remembering the traumatic events (while sketching!) I had been attending a Unity church. I called the minister if there was a list of therapists affiliated with the church who incorporated spirituality into the counseling process. And I specified female. And I found one who could not have been any better for me at that time. She did not preach, she just helped me to see my situations from all perspectives. How's that for the opposite of "the work of the devil?" Go forth and heal, my dear friend. You will find your own true self, and it will be good. L, PL