Repressor

Artwork Interpretation

The image shows a kneeling figure using their shield not for protection, but as a tool to dig—a symbolic act of burying their own emotions. A pit lies beneath them, suggesting active suppression. Another figure reaches forward, perhaps unaware of what’s being hidden. This scene captures the essence of repression: not simply avoidance, but a quiet, unconscious labor to keep vulnerable material beneath the surface.

Defense Pattern

Clients who repress often present as composed or even emotionally disengaged. They may avoid discussing painful events not out of denial, but because those memories or feelings have been unconsciously buried. Repression can show up through emotional flatness, memory gaps, or somatic symptoms with no obvious source. The defense is subtle, persistent, and often invisible even to the client themselves.

Protective Belief

“If I bury it deep enough, it can’t touch me.”

Antidotes

• Dreamwork and Symbol Exploration (Psychodynamic)
• Somatic Tracking (to reveal unconscious holding)
• IFS: Gently approaching Exiles through non-shaming parts work
• Journal Prompts: “What isn’t being said?” or “What do I avoid feeling?”

Cultural Considerations

In some communities, burying emotions is seen as resilience, duty, or strength—especially in families shaped by intergenerational trauma or cultural expectations of stoicism. Therapists must respect the adaptive purpose of repression, inviting exploration without forcing exposure. Healing may mean learning to honor the buried without rushing to exhume it.