The expression “analysis of a growth journey” refers to an in-depth exploration of a person’s interior development over a period of time. The reasons people embark on a journey of change are diverse. In our work as PRH Educators and helpers, we encounter many different situations and a variety of needs. In this chapter, we present five personal growth journeys of short to medium duration. We see how people use our training and how it provides them support and tools to deal with diverse situations.

People often seek our help in dealing with a painful situation: the death of a loved one; separation or divorce; failure at work; changing or losing a job; shifting a career path; burnout; adjusting to retirement; family problems; a serious illness affecting the person or a loved one; a re-evaluation of one’s life; various forms of anxiety that hinder personal and social life; depression or aggravation of latent depressive states; physical disorders for which the cause does not appear to be simply physiological; and so on.

Some people, in the midst of a difficult situation, begin by signing up for a PRH workshop. They hope to find a quick fix for their problem. Taking a workshop can be fruitful if the situation is not too overwhelming. However, individual helping relationship is usually necessary to respond to the person’s immediate need and initiate the process of more lasting change. If the problem is more acute, a workshop is not appropriate. The person’s emotional state does not leave them enough inner freedom to benefit from the guided analysis offered during a workshop. The overwhelming emotions need to be addressed first and this can only be done in an individual helping relationship. After the emotions are worked through sufficiently, a PRH workshop can be helpful.

As they progress, people often modify their goals for seeking help. Once they have attained their primary goal or feel more able to manage their daily lives, they may wish to pursue their personal growth for other reasons. For example, they may seek a fuller and deeper harmony in their lives and realize that they need to apply themselves more rigorously to the method. At this point, persons and their helpers can make a shared commitment to a longer journey.

Linda, Jean, John, Paul and Jenny found themselves in one of these situations described above. In preparing this book, we reviewed their journeys, focusing on the changes that occurred in them and in their daily lives. We sought to identify what brought about these changes.
“When Life Breaks Through” page 39-40