24/02/2026
Feeling stuck in the same challenging patterns over and over again — no matter how much inner work you’ve done?
For years, Jenny* struggled with severe anxiety. Her heart would race at the slightest trigger, and eventually it began to affect her ability to work. Through therapy, she realised much of it stemmed from childhood experiences.
But here’s what frustrated her most:
Even with awareness and guidance, she couldn’t connect to the part of her that was holding the trauma. She understood her story intellectually — yet emotionally, it felt out of reach.
Exhausted and discouraged, Jenny decided to explore a different approach — one that looked at what might be blocking her breakthrough.
When we began working together, something surprising and important surfaced. We found out that Jenny had an internalised mental model of her inner child. In her mind’s eye, she saw the inner child as being trapped. When guided to explore more, Jenny saw that the inner child child was trapped in a room that was inaccessible and that was suspended in time.
And here’s where it became significant.
What Jenny was describing wasn’t just a metaphor.
It reflected a freeze response.
When the nervous system perceives something as overwhelming and inescapable, it can shift into freeze — a state of shutdown, immobility, and disconnection. It’s a protective response. The body’s way of saying, “This is too much.”
Her inner child wasn’t avoiding connection.
She was frozen.
We all carry mental models — internal pictures that shape how we experience ourselves and the world. They are formed by past experiences and reinforced by unconscious beliefs.
If a part of you feels locked away in a sealed room, suspended in time, healing can feel impossible.
No wonder Jenny felt that she wasn't making much headway despite having the awareness that her issues were rooted in the past.
The work wasn’t about forcing the door open.
Rather it was about gently updating the internal model — helping her nervous system feel safe enough to thaw from freeze, and creating a new representation where connection was possible.
Only then could real breakthroughs begin.
Sometimes the pattern isn’t resistance.
Sometimes it’s protection.
And healing begins when we honour that — and slowly create safety for movement again.
Question: In what ways has your nervous system been protecting you and shielding you from?
xx Evelyn
P.S. If you need help with calming your nervous system into safety, DM me to ask about 1:1 sessions.
*Not her real name