Robert Betz's book, **Step Out of Your Old Shoes!** (*Raus aus den alten Schuhen!*) is an extremely powerful guide to emotional liberation. Buy the book to get started!
As a holistic therapist and as an individual, you will gain a perspective based on **full responsibility** and **consciously experiencing emotions**.
1. The Basic Thesis: Abandoning the "Victim Role"
According to Betz, most people walk in "old shoes": thought patterns, beliefs, and behaviors that they brought from childhood and that have now become narrow and uncomfortable.
* **The lesson:** We are not victims of our past, our parents, or our circumstances. As long as we blame others for our unhappiness, we are giving up control.
* **Holistic approach:** Healing begins when you realize that you are the "creator" (Schöpfer) of your life, not its sufferer.
2. Suppressed Emotions and the "Inner Child"
The central element of the book is **"learned emotional repression."** As children, we learned that certain feelings (anger, fear, sadness) are not acceptable, so we "locked" them up in our bodies and subconscious minds.
* **The essence:** These repressed energies create blocks that manifest as physical illness or constant inner tension.
* **The method:** Betz recommends **"lovingly turning away."** It is not necessary to get rid of negative feelings, but to "wait for them to come home" and feel them so that they can finally be transformed.
3. The "Thought Diet"
We create our world with our thoughts. If you keep saying, "I can never do this," your reality will conform to it.
* **Personal Development:** Pay attention to your inner monologues! Betz encourages you to consciously replace self-defeating, limiting belief systems with self-loving thoughts.
* **Therapist Tip:** I will help you tune out the "inner critic" who is forcing the old shoes on you.
4. Self-Love as a Healing Force
One of Betz's most important messages is that **all our relationships are a reflection of our relationship with ourselves.** If you don't love and respect yourself, you will look to the outside world for validation (dependence) or you will constantly be in conflict with others.
* **Holistic Lesson:** The goal of therapy is not to "fix" you, but to help you become able to love yourself unconditionally again – with your flaws.
How do I use this as a therapist? (The Holistic Approach)
| **Physical Symptoms** | I ask, "What old emotion have you stored in this area?" |
| **Relationships** | I illuminate that your partner is just a mirror showing you where you don't love yourself yet. |
| **Decisions** | I teach you to "decide with your heart" instead of the fears of your mind (ego). |
A personal journey for you
Leaving the "old shoes" is not a one-time event, but a process. For the treatment to be authentic, you also need to examine your own footwear:
1. **Where am I still in the role of a victim?**
2. **What emotions do I not allow myself?**
3. **Am I really living the life my heart beats for?**
*"Every day is a new opportunity to decide: do you want to be a repeat of your past, or do you want to be the creator of your future."*
All of this is a deep and courageous question, because the answer will not come from outside, but from your own inner observation. Looking at it holistically, we do not allow ourselves those emotions that our environment labeled **"dangerous", "ugly" or "useless"** in our childhood.
According to Robert Betz's teachings, it's worth going through the list below and noting which ones you feel internal resistance or physical tension with (a lump in your throat, a tightness in your chest):
1. "Holy" Anger
Many people in helping professions (like therapists) believe that anger is spiritually "low-level."
* **The symptom:** You can't say no, or if you're hurt, you swallow it and remain "understanding."
* **The consequence:** Anger doesn't go away, it just turns inward and manifests itself in the body as depression, fatigue, or inflammatory processes.
2. Deep Sadness and Helplessness
Those who want to appear "strong" often don't allow themselves to truly cry or experience helplessness.
* **The symptom:** You're always the one supporting others, but you rarely ask for help.
* **According to Betz:** Crying is the "shower" of the emotional body. If you turn off the tap, the energy stagnates.
3. "Envy" and Desires
Many people suppress envy for spiritual or moral reasons, but envy is just a **signal**: it shows what you really want, which you have not yet allowed yourself.
* **The question:** Is there someone whose success or freedom irritates you? There is your suppressed desire.
4. Bursting Joy and Selfish Enjoyment
From a holistic perspective, joy is one of the highest vibrations, yet it is often accompanied by a "guilt" when we feel too good while others suffer.
* **The symptom:** You only feel entitled to rest or pleasure if you have already "worked for it."
Exercise for recognition
Based on the method of Robert Betz, try this short internal attention:
1. **Get comfortable** and breathe deeply into your belly.
2. **Imagine the emotion** (e.g. anger) as a small child standing at your door and knocking.
3. **Notice your reaction:** Do you open the door? Or do you immediately say, "Be quiet, I can't do it now"? Or are you afraid that if you let him in, he will destroy the house?
4. **The holistic key:** Say out loud: *"You are here, I see you. I allow you to exist within me. I welcome you with love."*
Sadness
**Sadness** is an emotion that most people struggle with because we often confuse it with **weakness**.
According to Robert Betz, sadness is not a "problem" that needs to be solved, but an **energy** that needs to flow through you. If you don't allow yourself to do this, the soles of your "old shoes" will become increasingly heavy.
Here's why it can be hard to allow yourself to be deeply sad:
Why are we afraid of it?
* **Loss of control:** We fear that once we start crying, we'll never stop.
* **The mask of "Everything is OK":** You and your environment have become accustomed to you being the stable point. You feel like you have no room to be sad.
* **Spiritual misunderstanding:** Many people believe that if they want to live in a "high vibration," that means they can't handle sadness. In fact, your vibration is being suppressed by what you suppress.
How to let yourself go? (Betz Method)
Robert Betz recommends the **"Conscious Feeling"** technique.
1. **Look in your body:** When you feel sadness approaching, don't distract yourself (don't reach for your phone, food). Notice: Where do you feel it? In your throat? In your chest?
2. **Welcome like a guest:** Say: *"Welcome, sadness. Thank you for being here."* This immediately removes the "bad" label from the emotion.
3. **Breathe in:** Imagine that you are giving it space with your inhale. Don't want it to go away – just let it be there.
4. **The physical release:** When the tears come, let them go. According to Betz, crying is a detoxification of the soul. In such cases, the squeezing of the "old shoe" is a release.
I wish you much success and joyful realizations on your inner journey and yes, as soon as you realize that you would like to work with me and let me help you as a therapist, then buy this treatment from me, add it to your cart and the process will begin.
I hope you found the above illustration interesting and that you set out on your journey with real goals. I wanted to convey a process to give you an insight into holistic work.
All of this will be of real help to those who are currently looking for a way out of their own "old shoes". My credibility as a holistic therapist and the practical wisdom of Robert Betz are a great match.
I recommend that you buy the book as soon as possible!
My trademark: Juli Földi
