6 Steps to Emotional Freedom

This transformative method, developed by ACIM student, Diederik Wolsak, involves identifying an upset—big or small—and examining it to uncover the core belief driving the emotional response.
By recognizing the falseness of this belief, you then forgive yourself for holding onto it and reconnect with your true self.
The goal is to dismantle the ego’s constructed identity, which is nothing more than a cluster of mistaken beliefs, and embrace your Higher Self, stepping forward into life experiences where you feel peaceful and at ease with who you are.

Emotions as Guides

Feelings like regret, guilt, anger, or fear are not signs of failure but opportunities to grow. They reveal the areas where you are holding yourself apart from your Source, and apart from your peace. These feelings provide clarity on where transformation is needed. These moments are valuable teachers, always present to guide us toward greater awareness and healing.

Through the 6 step process, you recognize that beliefs like “I’m unimportant” or “I’m guilty” are illusions created by the ego. Forgiveness restores your awareness of your eternal, unchangeable innocence, freeing you from pain and guiding you toward peace and relief from patterns of self-hatred and despair.

The meaning we assign to any situation is entirely our choice. In truth, we are never upset by the facts themselves but rather by our interpretation of those facts.

Choosing Happiness Over Being “Right”

In moments of upset, a pivotal question arises: Do I want to be right, or do I want to be at peace? The ego often clings to stories of victimhood or unfairness, which we defend ourselves against, but true healing begins when you recognize that holding onto such stories doesn’t serve you. Admitting, “I must have decided wrongly because I am not at peace,” shifts your perspective, allowing you relief from cycles of suffering.

Uncovering Core Beliefs

Many of us operate on subconscious beliefs formed early in life. These core beliefs—such as “I’m not good enough,” “I’m unlovable,” or “I don’t matter”—become the lens through which we view the world. They drive our behaviours, emotions, and relationships, often keeping us stuck in cycles of pain. By bringing these beliefs to light and seeing them for what they are—false narratives—we free ourselves to live more authentically.

Breaking this cycle begins with awareness. When we investigate the memories and emotions tied to these beliefs, we can expose them as illusions and dissolve their hold on us.

Understanding Guilt, Core Beliefs, and the Truth of Oneness

At the root of many of our struggles lies a universal sense of guilt—a feeling that we’ve somehow turned our backs on the divine Oneness of existence, which is pure love and wholeness. This guilt manifests as sadness, grief, or upset, creating a subtle, chronic sense of unease that most people carry without even realizing it. It stems from the belief that we are separate from this Oneness and no longer part of its infinite truth.

The Source of Guilt

We feel guilt because the “self” we’ve constructed—the ego—contradicts the truth of our Higher Self, which is always connected to the divine. This sense of separation drives behaviours and thoughts rooted in self-judgment and unworthiness. We create core beliefs about ourselves in childhood, such as feeling flawed or unlovable, and these beliefs shape our experiences, demanding evidence to confirm their validity.

By using the 6 step process, I help clients to withdraw from “the story” of their pain as quickly as possible and work on healing the underlying belief.

The Power of Forgiveness

Forgiveness is not about excusing actions but about letting go of false beliefs surrounding the experience. It involves releasing ideas that you could be harmed, alone, or guilty. Spiritual traditions teach us that these beliefs are false and have no bearing on your true self, which is eternally connected to all of existence. Through forgiveness, you remember your oneness with creation and embrace your unchanging essence.

As A Course in Miracles reminds us:
“I am not forgiving the harm done to me; I am forgiving the belief that I could be harmed.”

Happiness isn’t found in external changes but in a shift within. Nothing outside of you needs to change for you to find peace and fulfillment.

Steps include:

Stay present to the emotional disturbance
Recognise that your upset is about your perceptions, not about reality
Identify exactly what you are feeling
Trace the feeling back to the original memory
identify your self judgment
Apply self-forgiveness & embrace the truth of who you are

“Nothing real can be threatened.
Nothing unreal exists.” Here lies your Peace

“Nothing real can be threatened.
Nothing unreal exists. Herein lies the peace of God.”