I like a teacher who can make hard subjects seem easy.
We moved to community for many reasons, but one is to gain some inner healing.
Everyone has issues and we are no accept ion. Anger or fear, or just being really easy to hurt are all flags that I have baggage. I know that much of it comes from our time in ministry. Ministry encourages vulnerability - putting yourself "out there". Often that vulnerability is done before enough trust is established. I've been vulnerable to model vulnerability and build trust... and it's come back to bite me sometimes.

So there is a new seminar being offered here through our fellowship on healing. The first session last night was great, and I hope we can attend with regularity.
Here is the simplified simple version that they gave as the overview (if I seem redundant here, it's because I want to be cautious): Step 1, remember a time when you feel really close to the Lord, when he is near and you sense his presence and care. Appreciate that moment. Appreciation opens a pathway in our brain to being open to God's voice in the now. (Typically, remembering a past moment will help you to sense His presence in this moment)
Step 2, bring up the presenting issue of pain, or trouble, or whatever thing you have not finished processing - anything that is not yet redeemed for good. Look that thing in the face until you can't deal with it and when it starts to hurt again, go back to the good intimate memory of Jesus. When you feel safe with Jesus again, ask him what that pain is about. As you are given insight and peace, go back into the painful situation until you get stuck again - then back to Jesus.

Sounds pretty simple.
I guess this has a lot to do with how well you can do Part 1 - if you can't access Jesus' presence through a specific memory, then you should not try Part 2. If you are able to remember to return to Jesus when you are feeling pain, or when you're getting stuck, then you might be able to work through stuff on your own... but it is usually necessary to have a coach type person to keep bringing you from Part 2 back to Part 1 and over and over.
Just because it's simple does not mean it's quick, or easy, or for everyone.
If you don't know that Jesus is really living and here now (immediately present) then you can't practice this.
I think we are going to start working on our own issues in the seminar sessions, starting with low level problems... not the huge stuff. Crawl before you walk.

In the south, it seemed like people would just think that knowing Jesus would heal all your baggage. And if you still had problems, then you didn't really know Jesus. I like the way this process carefully deals with problems one by one.
What do you think?
I'll update as we continue to learn.
Oh - I have not learned how to stop hurting people yet.