The Onion: Beneath a Fine Life, a Quiet Disconnect

An art therapy path for finding rhythm in the midst of numbness and stuckness

Not everyone who comes to art therapy is deeply wounded.
Some simply feel “stuck,” “flat,” or “just… off.”

We’re not here to dig into your wounds.
We’re here to gently explore —

how your inner onion might be quietly leaking energy, layer by layer.

Layer One: The Outer Response Pattern

Inner Problem Manifestation — Existence

This layer often looks neat, functional, even cheerful.
It’s the version of you that smiles, chats, reacts quickly —
the version that says, “I’m fine.”

This layer often looks bright and well put-together.
You know how to respond, how to stay composed, how to keep things appropriate.
You can be rational, calm, flexible —
but sometimes, that very “knowing” becomes quietly exhausting.

You’re not actually fine — you just know how to look like you’re fine.
The smiles, the conversations, the care you offer, the way you hold things together —
they were once your strengths,
but slowly, they’ve become a wall between you and how you truly feel.

We’re not here to label which one is “you.”
We’re here to ask, gently:
How long have you been living like this?
How did this way of being start?
What was it protecting you from?
What has this pattern been protecting?
And is it still needed now?

Layer Two: Scabs and Disconnected Threads of Past Experiences

Problem Localization — Life Stabilization

Go a bit deeper, and you’ll find the parts you had to shut down —
the soft bits that were never allowed, the unmet needs, the quiet chaos.

Maybe you’ll say, “I didn’t really have trauma.”
And that might be true.

But together, we’ll notice —
Some people aren’t held back by wounds, but by the emotional energy they keep trying to carry in broken containers.

We don’t rush to open this layer.
We take our time to feel:
What parts of you have quietly slipped through the cracks?

Layer Three: The Echo of Core Beliefs and Hollow Narratives

Meaning Transformation — Ecological Awareness

This layer doesn’t shout. It whispers through how you speak to yourself.
Not in statements, but in tone.

“I’m not enough.”
“I shouldn’t burden anyone.”
“I have to prove I matter.”

Or more subtly:
“I don’t really have any problems, but something’s missing.”
“Everything’s fine on paper, but my heart feels hollow.”

We don’t rush to rewrite these lines.
Instead, through creation and reflection,
we gently reorganise the inner architecture of meaning.
Like sorting through old boxes — some things to discard, some to return, some to keep.

Layer Four: Action Habits and Creative Freeze

Action Planning — Living Aliveness

You might have once dreamed boldly. Now, you feel tired.
Not clueless — just too worn out to care.

We won’t tell you to reinvent your life.
We’ll invite you to try small shifts in creation:

• Use unfamiliar colours
• Leave space blank
• Draw something without knowing what it’s meant to be

These tiny acts awaken something long asleep:
A quiet sense of “I can still choose.”
“I still have influence.”
“I’m still here.”

Layer Five: Reclaiming the Inner Seed of Energy

Integration & Closure — Vital Emergence

The centre of an onion isn’t empty.
It holds the seed — your original, untouched life energy:
sensitivity, creativity, connection, stillness.

This isn’t where we give you answers.
It’s where you begin to remember how to hold your energy, instead of leaking it.

You don’t need to become a better version of yourself.
You just need to come back to yourself.

In Closing: You’re Not Broken — You’re Just Disconnected

You’ve done the work. You’ve read the books.
You understand yourself — but you’re still stuck.

Maybe it’s not about trying harder.
Maybe it’s about finally turning inward, not as a fixer or observer,
but as someone ready to truly come home.

The Onion Method isn’t a quick fix —
it’s a creative, layered process that helps you reconnect without pressure,
feel without explanation,
and emerge without needing to perform wellness.