A phrase created by Laurie McDermott and first used in 2015. Her phrase refers to a life’s journey of climbing a mountain and storing emotional pain and negative experiences in a metaphorical invisible “suitcase.” This suitcase gets dragged with you up the mountain of life as more pain files are continually added. When triggered, past emotional files resurface and intensify current conflict. Recognizing The Suitcase Trap, means you have reached the summit, and are ready to open the suitcase and let go! Dumping all past hurts and blame into the ravine and move forward, down the mountain, trusting that you are enough without that heavy suitcase.