The 5 Core Wounds Test: What It Measures and How to Read Your Score

This in-depth test draws on Lise Bourbeau's work on the five wounds of the soul. It explores the wounds of rejection, abandonment, humiliation, betrayal and injustice, which form during childhood and keep shaping our adult behaviour. Each wound is paired with a protective mask that we develop unconsciously. Understanding these mechanisms is the first step towards healing and emotional freedom.

To identify which one dominates in you, the 5 wounds test offers a starting point.

What the test measures

• Tendency to feel rejected, to avoid social situations and to develop the mask of the withdrawer.
• Fear of being abandoned, emotional dependency and development of the mask of the dependent.
• Feelings of shame, tendency to forget yourself for others and development of the masochist's mask.
• Need for control, difficulty trusting and development of the controller's mask.
• Perfectionism, emotional rigidity and development of the rigid mask.

How to read your score

The result reads as an intensity, not as a diagnosis:

• Barely active wounds: Your childhood wounds are largely inactive. You have built solid resilience and your protective masks do not dominate your daily functioning.
• Moderately active wounds: Some childhood wounds still influence your behaviour and your relationships. Protective masks show up in certain specific situations.
• Significantly active wounds: Several childhood wounds are active and significantly affect your daily life, your relationships and your well-being. Protective masks often dominate your reactions.
• Highly active wounds: Your childhood wounds are very active and are a major obstacle to your fulfilment. Protective masks are omnipresent and severely limit your authenticity and your inner freedom.

What your full report contains

The detailed PDF report (from EUR 4.99) includes:

• Introduction: This report offers a detailed analysis of your 5 core wounds according to Lise Bourbeau's approach. Each wound is paired with a protective mask that we develop unconsciously during childhood. Understanding these mechanisms will help you know yourself better and begin a path towards healing.
• Global score: Your global score of {{globalScore}}% reveals the overall activation level of your childhood wounds. This score is the weighted average of your five core wounds.
• Wound-by-wound analysis: Each wound is analysed individually. The highest wound corresponds to your dominant wound, the one that most influences your daily life and your relationships.
• Recommendations: Four routes to healing core wounds: (1) Precise identification of your dominant wound — wounds show up in recurring patterns (your triggers, your automatic reactions, the partners you choose). (2) Jeffrey Young's schema therapy — a third-wave CBT approach specifically designed for early wounds, using the corrective therapeutic relationship, imagery rescripting and work on modes (wounded child, critical parent, healthy adult). (3) Inner child work — guided visualisations, kind inner dialogue (Lucia Capacchione, Margaret Paul's Inner Bonding), therapeutic writing (an unsent letter to the wounded child). (4) Rebuilding corrective experiences — secure relationships (a reliable partner, stable friends, mentors), support groups, peer communities. Healing is not the erasure of the wound but the reduction of its reactivity. Therapeutic work with a psychologist trained in CBT or schema therapy is strongly recommended. If you have dark thoughts: 3114 (France, free, anonymous; elsewhere findahelpline.com).
• Resources: The 5 core emotional wounds were popularised by Lise Bourbeau ("The 5 Wounds That Prevent You From Being Yourself", 2000): rejection, abandonment, humiliation, betrayal, injustice. Bourbeau draws on the work of John Pierrakos (Core Energetics) and Alexander Lowen (bioenergetic analysis). For a more rigorous academic framework, see: Jeffrey Young (early maladaptive schemas — 18 YSQ schemas), John Bowlby (attachment theory), Susan Forward ("Toxic Parents"), Pete Walker ("Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving"). Each wound creates a paradoxical protective "mask" that reproduces the very situation feared. Assessment tools: Young Schema Questionnaire (YSQ-S3), Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ-28). Wounds form in childhood and are reactivated in adulthood within intimate relationships.

The first 5 questions are free; the full personalised report (your precise score, your profile by dimension, your recommendations) is paid.

When to take this test

• You recognise yourself in childhood wounds, Lise Bourbeau, protective masks, and you want to see things clearly.
• You want a structured reading rather than a vague impression.
• You are looking for an objective starting point before speaking to a professional if needed.

Take the test: The 5 Core Wounds → — 60 questions, anonymous, PDF report (EUR 4.99). 🔗 Analyse your conversations with ScanMyLove — an objective, structured look at the communication patterns in your relationship.

📖 Going further: to extend this core wounds test, the book Failles archaïques explores these wounds in depth.

FAQ

How long does the test take? 60 questions, about 35 min. The test has 60 questions. Does the test provide a diagnosis? No. It measures an intensity and provides landmarks; only a professional can make a diagnosis. Are my answers confidential? Yes: the test is 100% anonymous and the report is delivered directly to you.

---

👉 Start the 5 Core Wounds test → — 60 questions, immediate result, PDF report, 100% anonymous.