A Transformational Model of Human Behavior & Motivation
The Core Balance Model©
The Core Balance Model© was developed and pioneered by Raphael Natale, whose seminars have been taught nationwide to thousands of individuals, both personally and professionally. Using his breakthrough, easy-to-understand model, Raphael makes clear the complexities of the human psyche as well as the mind’s ability to misperceive information and to miscommunicate.
The Core Balance Model©
Who are you when you say “I?” “Me, of course,” you say. But is that the “me” that soars to great heights, lives up to its full potential, and is quick and creative under pressure—or the “me” that flashes angry at the drop of a hat, is often sullen and depressed, is defensive over small matters, blames and complains about “my lot in life,” and feels helpless and victimized by circumstances beyond your control? “They’re both me,” you say, “two sides of the same coin. Who can say why?” Perhaps I can. The Core Balance Model© defines two individual selves in each of us. Both selves have access to language, beliefs, interpretive cognitive functions (albeit different ones), the power to drive us to take specific action, and the sense of self-awareness expressed by the word “I.” And this, with few exceptions, is where the similarity ends. These two selves have been variously labeled Id/Ego, small self/big self, autopilot/the real me, inner child/critical parent, and so on.
I offer a simpler distinction: the Core Automatic Self and the Core Authentic Self. The Core Automatic Self’s sole purpose is to protect our Core Authentic Self from harm and/or too much pain. The Core Authentic Self is the real us, which remains intact despite life’s dramas and traumas. It continues to learn, grow, and mature whether controlled by the Core Automatic Self or allowed free self-expression.
The Core Automatic Self
We react automatically when we perceive something as being similar to the fearful, dangerous, or painful situations that previously injured or frightened us. Automatic reactions are caused by the human fight/flight mechanism, a “protector function” that develops naturally in childhood. Unfortunately, this primitive system often causes enormous pain and confusion later in life. It gets overwhelmed, lost, defeated, by the self-critical mind chatter that tells us we’re helpless, damaged, hopeless, crazy. It’s why our past and present crises play out endlessly in “damned if you do, damned if you don’t” situations (double binds) and painfully recurring patterns. The Core Automatic Self imprisons the Core Authentic Self and takes control of our lives. Only when we turn it off can we experience the real world and our real selves.
The Core Authentic Self
The Core Authentic Self is us. It’s not an “inner child,” it’s an inner person, whole, healthy, capable, and complete. We can have direct access to life, love, and experience only by turning off the ongoing victimizing, self-critical dialogue in our heads. When we free the Core Authentic Self our abilities and creativity increase exponentially—including our powers of observation, assessment, and problem solving. A common notion in psychology is that a person’s self-esteem, once damaged, must be repaired and the injured person must be therapeutically reconstructed. I now have powerful evidence that only the Core Automatic Self requires this kind of intervention.
The Core Balance Profile
I developed the Core Balance Profile to give myself and my clients (1) the means to define our unique Core Balance Components©; (2) a self-guided method to clearly identify and describe our personal Automatic Core Dynamics©; and (3) very specific tools designed to release our own Core Authentic Self.
My own quest for healing led me to try just about every available self-help program. Each one taught me new skills and insights, mostly about handling or overcoming my problems through manipulation, setting boundaries, and sticking up for myself. But after a while they all quit working, and I never knew why. I eventually realized that the new learning evaporated once the same old original (Core) pain was triggered.
The Core Balance Profile not only allows us to modify our coping behaviors and free ourselves from our Core Automatic Self, but more importantly it gives us individualized tools to use when we are triggered to recognize how, what, when, and why we are off track again, and supports us in regaining our balance, sense of Self, and peace of mind.
The Core Balance Profile Workshop
The workshop comprises six sessions of approximately three hours each, held one week apart; phone coaching; and homework assignments. Participants learn to develop a personalized, self-guided method to clearly identify and describe their Automatic Core Dynamics© and learn specific, individualized tools to release their Core Authentic Self when it’s reactivated.
Core Balance Results
Knowing that who I am is not my Automated Behavior is making a powerful difference in my life. I am enormously encouraged by my clients, who experience similar results—increases in self-esteem, humor, lightness, the ability to be loving and intimate—and report the most dramatic improvements in their primary relationships. Depression, fear, pain, and suffering are experienced and resolved in a meaningful way. Codependency, self-destructive patterns and habits, anger, defensiveness, and deep-seated resentments all have been released by participants in the Core Balance Profile program, or through the support of Core Balance Therapy©.