I traveled to Paris to meet Anne-Marguerite Vexiau in 1998 after reading an article on Facilitated Communication. I saw her working in speech therapy with young people and adults with severe disabilities or advanced autism. She allowed them to indicate what they wanted to do or eat using pictures placed on the table, and helped them, by guiding their index finger, to type words on a text transcriber keyboard. It was amazing to watch and impressive how the individuals concerned and their families seemed to feel so much better. They all expressed great joy.
I trained in this tool with Mrs. Vexiau, who had brought this method from Australia. During the training, Psychophany was born: the use of the method for able-bodied people to allow them to express deep emotions. Psychophany comes from Greek and means to reveal the deep self. Since this two-person writing process seems a bit mysterious, it was sometimes associated with approaches related to paranormal phenomena. I didn’t like that; I didn’t relate to it. So, I decided to look towards the unconscious, the soul, and the being: I became a psychotherapy practitioner.
An unexplored tool
The people who reached out to me were relatives of individuals who had lost their speech after a stroke, after radiotherapy, after an accident, suffering from generalized paralysis, autism, and even in a coma. Accompanying these individuals and their families as closely as possible, I could see that what was being said truly reflected their inner experience and allowed them to reconnect with their loved ones. It was always very moving – even more for the people than for me. I then decided to trust the feedback I received from these people without being able to precisely explain this tool. After all, the human psyche, the relationship that heals, and words as symbols remain areas that human beings will continuously explore.
“I recognize myself so much in what is said”
This is what able-bodied people often say when they come to better understand themselves, to shed light on a blind spot in their being or in their relationship with others. Some also seek to situate themselves in the face of an illness or serious events occurring in their lives. What do they have in common? The desire to be the actor in their life, to understand in order to find a way to act, to suffer less. I support this desire through the writing tool, Psychophany, while framing what is said with my knowledge and research in the field of psychotherapy. The value of the tool relies on the reality of the experience. That is what counts if you wish to evolve for yourself and transform your suffering.
What can I expect from a Psychophany session?
It’s simple: gaining clarity, feeling like yourself, recovering your discernment, as well as your healthy core and the vitality that goes with it. And yet, it’s not magic! What is expressed through writing is what will allow you to hear, as if you were speaking to yourself, as if what you knew deep down finally found words. It is not so mysterious! Deep inside, we know what is good for us and we know what is happening to us. Psychophany helps reveal it. This two-way interaction allows things to become clear. The right words can emerge, somewhat as if the therapist is the developer, a dictionary to put words on the information deep within you. It then becomes possible to communicate with yourself, with those you know and used to know, with those who are part of your history, with what surrounds you, living beings and objects. It’s curious, you might say. Yes, and yet it is possible. If you want to experience it, if you have burning questions, you can book an appointment for Psychophany here.
