First I failed to separate them from each other clearly. Often they are very separate and sometimes they are very similar. Direct touch to trigger early re-living usually works very well. You will recall the man with the ulcer in the early part of this book. Cases such as this are quite common.
Direct touch can provoke regression or it can be used for physical reassurance and containment.
For example, when someone is approaching deep negative feelings, a hand placed firmly in the centre of that person's back will often give them the support necessary to allow these powerful feelings to come forward. Holding also, as we have seen, can facilitate or contain overwhelming feelings. In the early years of exploring these techniques, I made a serious error on a number of occasions by using holding to facilitate a return to the childhood state before the patient felt the need of it. In short, I ceased to be client-centred. The result of this was that several patients became upset with me and felt intruded upon rather than facilitated.