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Becoming a Brief

Therapist:

Special Edition

The Complete Works

By

Daniel Jones

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Contact the author:

www.discoverdanjones.co.uk

First Edition 2008

Published and Printed By Lulu.com

Copyright © Daniel Jones 2008

Daniel Jones asserts the moral right to be identified as the

author of this work

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,

stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any

means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or

otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publishers or

author.

ISBN 978-1-4092-3031-1

1 First Edition 1

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Acknowledgements

A huge thanks to Abbie Piper for supporting me and

putting up with me while I worked on this book day and night.

Graham LeVell for his input and for letting me try things out on

him, both with and without his knowledge. Mark Tyrrell, Roger

Elliot and Jill Wooton for imparting their invaluable knowledge. I

would also like to thank Paul Murphy and Tony Higgins and Terry

Stewart for their interest and support. And finally I would like to

thank anyone reading this that I should have thanked but didn’t

mention here. You are not all forgotten I know who you are, I just

saved you from having to see you name in print!

Thank you to Stephen Brooks the founder of British

Hypnosis Research; for his encouragement and training in Indirect

Hypnosis, Ericksonian Psychotherapy and the use of Neuro-

Linguistic Programming with deep trance.

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Contents

Introduction to Part One Foundations 11

Pattern matching, problem structure and effective therapy 15

Pattern Matching 35

Problems & how they are structured 41

Utilisation 59

Re-framing 63

Hypnotic language patterns 107

Psychotherapy 143

Effective Psychotherapy & the structure of therapy sessions 149

Introduction to Part Two Therapy, Techniques & Treatments 177

Psychotherapy 179

Identifying limiting beliefs and challenging them therapeutically 205

Psychotherapy in the workplace 209

Needs and innate ‘coping’ skills 215

Therapeutic tools & techniques for change work 223

Psychological conditions: symptoms, understanding & treatment 265

Basic Emotional Needs 271

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Essential Skills 273

What to look for in a therapist 277

Depression 281

Anxiety 285

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) & Phobias 289

Addictions 293

Sleep Disorders 299

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder 305

Anger & Stress related disorders 309

Low self-esteem, lack of confidence 311

Pain management 323

Self Hypnosis 329

Introduction to Part Three Collected Works 339

The Importance of Keeping the Problem in Mind 341

Gestures and Internal Reality 345

Erickson’s Early Learning Set 349

Hypnosis & Trance 351

Emotional Trance States 357

Psychoneuroimmunology & the work of Dr Ernest Rossi 361

Understanding Energy Therapies 369

Energy Therapies and Guided Imagery 371

Working with Ideo-Dynamics 375

Subliminal Auditory Stimulation 379

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The Unconscious Mind 383

Therapeutic Dowsing 385

Learning to Notice Minimal Cues 389

Hypnotic Language Patterns, Skills and Ideas for Working with People 393

Mental Processes 443

Managing Relapses 445

Thinking Styles 447

Altering Problem Patterns 449

Reframing and Accessing Resources 451

Expectation and Duration of Therapy 455

Motivation 463

Creating Change or Changing Perceptions 465

Creating Your Image & Whether You Should Specialise 469

Beliefs and Values 473

Be Creative – Absorb the Principles and Create Your Own Therapy Style and Techniques 475

Investigations into Past-Life Regression 479

Introduction to Part Four Further Collected Works 483

Motivation and Paradoxical Interventions 485

Memories and Sensory Thinking 493

Learning the Process and Structure Behind Techniques to Create Your Own 495

Relaxation; Trance and Trance Signs 497

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Polarity Responders 501

The Classic Staircase Induction 503

Why Do People Have a Built-in Process For Getting Phobias and How Can You Help Them? 505

How Do You Get To The Root Of What A Client Really Wants From Therapy? 513

Creating Dissociation, Metaphors and Age Regression 515

Hypnosis, Trance Induction & Utilisation 525

Observation Skills 559

Six-Step Reframing 563

Cause, Symptoms, Problem Perception & Solutions 565

Time Distortion 571

Analogue Marking 577

Rapport 581

Working with Problems 583

Looking for Patterns 601

Bibliography 603

Index 611

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Introduction to Part One Foundations

For many years psychologists have wondered about the

mind. They have wondered about how problems are caused and

maintained, wondered about how different people can respond

to the same situation in different ways.

Over the last few decades psychologists have been able to

take a closer look than ever before into how the mind works. With

the latest brain scanning technology scientists have been able to

watch thought processes in action.

As well as having new and improved technology there was

some people that began to look at problems and treatment in a

different way. In the 1970’s John Grinder and Richard Bandler (the

co-creators of Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP)) set out to

discover what many top therapists had in common. What they had

noticed was that regardless of the therapy certain therapists

achieved very high levels of results. In the same way that thousands

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of people can play golf but certain people can play golf

exceptionally well.

Not only did Bandler and Grinder see what made some

therapists highly effective, they also decided to find out what it was

that people who used to have problems did to overcome those

problems. At the time most researchers would focus on those that

couldn’t get over their problems. For example at the time most

researchers would gather together groups of people with phobias to

try to work out what is going on and how to treat them.

What Bandler and Grinder did was to create techniques and

structures for treating people based on how those that used to have

problems but overcame them managed to get better. This way of

looking at problems was a new approach. For years it had been

used in sports, for example where you would learn how a top golfer

plays, you would learn how they stand, how they hold the club,

where they look as they swing the club, etc. But it had not really

been used in therapy to see what made some therapists more

effective than others, or what people did to get over problems they

once had.

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Since the 1970’s many psychologists have studied how

problems are formed, maintained and why different people

respond differently to the same situation.

This book is designed to be useful as a practitioners guide

to effective therapy.

Often having an understanding of a problem, knowing

what is wrong and how it should be treated can give piece of mind.

With so many types of treatments available for psychological

problems it can be difficult to know what treatment is effective and

what treatment could be harmful. Currently there are over 400

different types of psychotherapy and counselling.

This book is aimed at increasing the knowledge of

practitioners. The next chapter will cover pattern matching,

problem structure and effective therapy. This chapter is an

overview giving a foundation on which the rest of the series of

book is built on. The series is structured to increase your

knowledge in stages.

Each chapter and book builds on what you have learnt

previously.

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Throughout this book and Part Two: ‘Therapy; Techniques

and Treatments’ there are exercises to help you to integrate and

practice what you have learnt.

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Pattern matching, problem structure and effective therapy

How the latest findings in psychology unite Dreaming,

Trance States and Problem Formation, helping

psychotherapist and counsellors treat clients more effectively

The latest research findings on psychology and human

nature help to explain why we dream, what we are likely to

dream about, what hypnosis and trance states are, and the

structure of problems and solutions.

These findings allow psychological problems to be resolved

quicker than previously thought. Dramatic changes can be made in

a single session for problems like depression, anxiety, phobias or

post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and many others.

These findings explain how NLP (Neuro-Linguistic

Programming) techniques work, why we dream and what hypnosis

is. They also give a structure on how to do effective therapy by

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explaining how problems are caused and how to set up lasting

solutions.

In the 1990’s Irish Psychologist Joseph Griffin

researched dreaming and why we evolved to dream. He carried

out this research firstly on himself. He would wake himself

regularly throughout the night for many nights to record his

dreams. Over time he started to build up a picture of what he

dreamt about and what it could mean.

One morning a thought crossed his mind. He didn’t have

to be up yet so he decided he would go back to sleep. He expected

to dream about this thought when he fell asleep. When he didn’t he

wondered why not.

As Joe continued his research he continually found

situations that he felt he would dream about yet didn’t. What Joe

eventually found out led to his creating of a new theory of why we

dream. Joe found that we dream to close off patterns that have

been started during the day but not completed and to integrate new

parts of patterns. Joe found that if you have an argument and it

gets resolved then it won’t crop up at night, but if you start an

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argument and walk away without resolving it then that night it will

crop up in your dreams.

He discovered that dreams are ALWAYS metaphorical. So

if you see your wife in the dream she doesn’t represent your wife

(If the feeling you get is that it definitely WAS your wife then if it

was something WILL be different to what the real person is like. It

could be that they are fatter or slimmer, or different to normal in

some other way). She could represent an aspect of you or another

person etc. The dream will ALWAYS pattern match to an event

from the previous day. NOT TO LONG FORGOTTEN

EVENTS like many people previously thought (It used to be

thought that dreams were manifestations of deep-rooted hidden

desires). The event could be an unresolved thought or a real

incident.

Pattern-matching

The brain is essentially a pattern-matching machine. When

you learn something new it pattern matches to what you already

know and builds on this. When you think of something (like

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wanting to hit your boss) and don’t act on it, your brain keeps the

pattern open waiting for the expected outcome or a metaphor of it.

(Instead of kicking your boss when you dream it maybe of kicking

a soccer ball as a metaphor to close the pattern)

This research can be tested by anybody. It also explains

why babies spend so much time dreaming in the last three months

before birth, as this is a vital time for laying down new patterns

(like suckling). The patterns are all metaphorical in themselves

because they need to be for survival (for example a language

pattern that allows the capacity to learn language but is flexible

enough for that language to be any one of the languages we learn).

If they were too specific then we would have died out long ago.

For example the pattern for suckling can be met by the use of a

dummy or a thumb, not just a nipple. The patterns also need to be

adjustable so that any changes (to the environment) can be learnt

and added to that pattern.

Sometimes in therapy you can get clients that have

presenting problems that are metaphorical. For example;

someone could come in with a pain in the neck and talk about a

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difficult relationship they have that needs sorting out but they

don’t know how to approach the situation.

Dream Interpretation

The important part of the dream that leads to interpretation

is the feelings. When we dream all the feelings in the dream are

exaggerated. To interpret the dream think about the previous day

and when you felt those feelings but perhaps didn’t act on them.

What happens is that each time you don’t fulfil a pattern it

needs closing off so that you are ready for the next day. It is a bit

like opening lots of files on a computer. If you don’t close files

down the computer gets slower and slower until it crashes.

A new understanding of depression

This research led to a new outlook on why depressed

people dream more than non-depressed people do, and why they

always wake up tired. Which led to quicker treatment of people

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with depression. When someone is depressed they worry regularly

throughout the day. Each time they worry they set off a pattern

that often doesn’t get closed.

For example: worrying what people think or what if this

happens etc. All these open patterns need closing that night which

causes over dreaming due to the increased number of patterns that

have been opened. Because so much of the night is spent dreaming

which is as exhausting as being fully awake, and missing out on

deep recuperative sleep the brain wakes the depressed person early

to stop them dreaming. They feel exhausted due to the lack of deep

sleep.

Excessive dreaming also stops serotonin production, which

leads to feeling low and unmotivated. It also continually fires off

the reorientation response which adds to the low motivation as the

response stops working effectively at focusing attention and

motivating the depressed person. Once the depressed person

spends one day not worrying they sleep properly that night and feel

immediately much better and more able to cope the next day.

As I have shown the reason why we dream is to close

patterns that have been fired off throughout the day which allows

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the mind to be clear to work fully and effectively the next day.

What you will dream about therefore will be a metaphor of these

patterns.

What hypnosis really is

The idea of pattern matching solves what hypnosis is. The

pattern-matching model is called the APET model. This stands for

Activating agent, Pattern matching, Emotion, Thought. This is how

we experience the world. Something (Activating agent) sets off a

pattern (Pattern matching) which leads to an emotional reaction

(Emotion) which in turn causes a thought.

The reason for the emotion coming before the thought is

that it allows for you to respond to a stimulus if necessary without

conscious thought involved if it will help with survival.

For example a phobia – unconsciously you see movement

in the bushes. Previously a tiger jumped out of bushes and attacked

you so you panicked and ran before you knew why you were

running. If you had to think about what that rustling was before

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you decided to respond and it was another tiger you could be killed

while you decide what you were going to do.

Hypnosis and trances are just the dream-state being

accessed. People go into trances all the time. People sitting in

cinemas watching films go into trance states at exciting parts to

which they respond by showing phenomena like catalepsy. They

could be about to put popcorn into their mouth when they go into

the trance then sit there for the next five minutes without moving

their hand, at the end of the exciting bit of film they finish putting

the popcorn in their mouth without realising what they did.

To induce hypnosis all a hypnotist does is helps the client

access the dream-state by firing off the pattern for sleep or for the

reorientation response which is the same state of mind. The

reorientation response fires when something happens causing your

mind to search for how it should respond and to find out what is

happening. It then locks on to the first concrete idea.

For example you hear a loud bang, you get startled

(reorientation response); you then see a car and think it must have

backfired. Stage hypnotists often set off the reorientation response

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whereas therapeutic hypnotists often gently take the person into

the dream-state.

How to induce a trance

Hypnosis can be induced by focusing your attention (could

be on a spot on the wall, or on a thought, or on a rhythm, or on

almost anything else) which is what happens when the reorientation

response is fired.

Hypnosis or trance states can be induced in many different

ways:

• By confusion followed by a solid suggestion.

• Pattern interruption, (like handshake inductions)

these fire the reorientation response as the correct pattern isn’t

happening so they take their cue on what to do next from the

hypnotist.

• Shock inductions (like most stage hypnotists do,

these set off the reorientation response).

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• Relaxing the muscles (which are part of the process

for falling asleep).

• Deepening rhythmic breathing (part of the process

for sleep).

• Visualisation (part of falling asleep and dreaming).

Everyone uses hypnosis all of the time. People think about

winning the lottery and what they would do with the money, they

are visualising which induces a light trance. Smokers may go into a

trance when they focus on the cigarette they are having and they

take deep breaths as they allow their muscles to relax. When people

have cravings they enter a trance as they as so intensely focused on

what they crave. When people get angry they focus on what is

causing the anger. When people get depressed they focus on

worrying and negative thoughts.

Doctors, counsellors and other psychological therapists all

use hypnosis all of the time, often without realising it. It is when

they don’t realise that they can cause more harm than good.

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For example: when a doctor is seeing a patient, that patient

is in a mild trance state, usually a slight anxiety trance. Their whole

focus is on the doctor and on what the doctor has to say. If the

doctor gives any suggestions they will be acting like a

Hypnotherapist so it is important that they give good suggestions.

If they say ‘this is going to hurt’ it increases the chances of causing

pain. If they say ‘80% of people die from the cancer’ they are

suggesting the patient is unlikely to live.

Many counsellors and psychotherapists that don’t realise

they do hypnosis can give equally harmful suggestions that make

clients leave sessions feeling awful. Whenever a client leaves a

session they should feel empowered, they should feel like they have

achieved something in the session. They shouldn’t leave feeling

worse than they came in. It is the therapist that has the power to

make the client feel better or worse.

Each time a doctor, counsellor or other psychological

therapist asks a patient to think about something they are making

the patient visualise which is causing them to enter a light trance.

Depending on what they are being asked to think about each thing

they think of will have the effect of updating current patterns in the

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brain. This is why it is important to have patients think of things

that desirably adjust patterns rather than getting people to keep

thinking about their problems.

Hypnosis CAN be induced in anyone

It used to be thought that not everyone could be

hypnotised but this was because in the past hypnotists would use a

script that was the same for each person. This didn’t work on

everyone because people are all different. For example, some

people might feel uncomfortable with an induction that guides

them down in an elevator so they won’t respond by going into a

trance. Now well-trained Hypnotherapists will tailor the induction

to the specific client and let clients go into trance in their own way.

How we now know dreaming and trance states are the same

There are many similarities between dreaming and

hypnosis. In both there is catalepsy, amnesia to varying degrees

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depending on the depth of the state you are in and how soon after

coming out of the state you try to recall that period of time.

Anaesthesia/analgesia, hallucination, and suspended belief also

occur in both dreaming and hypnosis.

As you now know the dream-state is also the state of mind

that allows you to integrate new learnings onto old patterns, which

is what happens under hypnosis. As you do this integrating you are

in a trance or the dream-state which is one reason people regularly

drift into daydreams every 90 minutes or so throughout the whole

day and more so when they are learning. This is called the Ultradian

Rhythm.

Therapeutically inducing a trance state and its uses

To therapeutically induce hypnosis can be as simple as

saying:

“Imagine what it would be like when you discover now that

you feel calm and confident giving that presentation. What is that

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like? How do other people notice that you are calm and confident?

Who comments on how well you do first? What do you notice

about the audience that lets you know you are doing well? How do

you know that you are calm and confident?”

This causes the mind to build a new pattern that has a

stronger positive emotional feel than the old negative one. This

causes you go into a trance state and adjust the pattern so that the

activating agent (presentation) leads to this pattern match which

leads to a calm and confident emotion leading to positive thoughts.

The lower the emotion the more repetitions need to be

done to make the new pattern strong. For example for a phobia or

PTSD only one repetition needs to happen for the pattern to stick

(although the pattern can very easily be changed) whereas like

Pavlov’s dogs the repetition is higher for a lower emotional

‘anchor’. After many rings of a bell with food it only took the ring

of a bell to make the dogs salivate.

Using the APET model therapy is made easier. NLP

techniques are explained as they are changing a part of APET

whether it is giving a different emotional ‘tag’ to a pattern or a

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different interpretation (thought) to the emotion. Hypnosis gets

explained and can clearly be seen as the dream-state. And using this

new understanding of dreams everyone can interpret their own

dreams and the dreams of others, many psychological problems

can be resolved quicker than previously thought and there is no

longer any mystery as to why we dream. It also finally demystifies

hypnosis.

How these understandings have lead to a new breed of more

effective therapists

All effective psychotherapy changes part of the problem

pattern. This means that as the pattern only changes during trance

states or dreaming, a knowledge and full understanding of hypnosis

is useful for any therapist. Even getting a client to view a situation

differently causes a trance.

The mind can’t tell the difference between real and vividly

imagined so if something is imagined to go a certain way it builds

on the pattern for that outcome. This is why NLP techniques can

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be useful. Gone are the days when people had a naïve approach to

therapy that if you found out the root cause the problem will get

cured.

Now we know that the past has happened and can’t be

changed. Your perception and understanding of past events can be

changed if necessary. Change is now known to occur quickly and

just because it is quick doesn’t make it superficial or ‘only getting

rid of the symptoms but not dealing with the cause’.

A long drawn out therapy only gets results once the client

enters a trance and views the problem differently, learning

something new. When you know this all you have to do is find out

what the person wants and you will know the solution regardless of

the problem. This has led to a more effective breed of therapist.

For example;

Shyness could be caused by not being allowed to speak out

as a child or else you get hit or abused so you become too scared to

speak out. Or you could not know the reason for the shyness.

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Either way if when asked what they want and how they will know

when they are no longer shy the person says I want to feel

confident when talking to people at a party. You don’t have to find

out why they can’t do that. You just alter the pattern to lead to the

appropriate emotions and thoughts to quickly allow them to do

that. Some people may need past memories de-traumatising, which

would usually only take one session.

Therapists should be aware of dreams that clients say that

they have had, especially if the dreams are recurring dreams as this

is often a sign of an ongoing issue that is playing on the clients

mind. Dreams or metaphors that the client uses can be used to help

to treat them by altering them slightly to include a useful solution.

They can also let the therapist know about issues that the client

doesn’t readily talk about.

An example dream I recently interpreted

Dream

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‘I am in my flat with a friend. She comments on how my

fish in the fish tank look like they are dying. The water in the fish

tank looks horrible. One of my fish is still alive and jumps out on

to the floor. It flaps it’s self along the floor and out of my living

room. Outside the living room is not the corridor that should be

there but the outside of the house. It didn’t seem odd at the time,

in the dream. The fish continued to flap across the ground away

from the house. I was sad that it would die; I was still trying to

catch the fish to get it back in the fish tank. Just then a fat cat

suddenly pounced on the fish and ripped its head off. I got to the

fish and picked it up. It was dead, had turned orange and was

hollow inside. This upset me. I wanted to cry.’

Reality

The person above had found out at short notice that over

half the staff team where she works was going to be made

redundant. This did upset her as she got on with those that were

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leaving (friend leaving, fish dying, fish flapping out of the building).

She had concerns over whether the company would keep going

(the references to dying, the dirty fish tank). She felt that it was the

employer’s fault that the staff were being made redundant (fat cat

killing the fish and making it hollow). She had been worrying a lot

at this time about the situation. She felt that work was going to

seem empty. She didn’t really get on so well with the staff member

left working with her (hollow fish, fish turning all orange with no

head and dead – staff member left working with her had ginger hair

and she wished he was one of the staff going instead - dead fish).

Conclusion

The authoritarian hypnosis approach that many hypnotists

still use is out of date. The scales used to study hypnotisability are

inaccurate, as using an authoritarian, scripted approach doesn’t

hypnotise everyone, as people are all individual. Everyone can be

hypnotised and can show all the phenomena they just need to be

hypnotised in the way that suits them.

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NLP is highly effective if done to suit the client due to

individuality. And dreams are now understood so hopefully people

will interpret their own dreams rather than buy cheap dream books

that don’t give the individual their own personal interpretation. I

would love to hear that many readers decide to experiment with

interpreting their own dreams and the dreams of others.

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Pattern Matching

Previously we touched on pattern matching. Now I will

go into a little more detail. Pattern matching is how the brain

works. It is always happening from moment to moment with

everything that you do.

There have been many models of how the mind works.

Some of these have been more accurate than others.

With the latest understandings from psychology,

neurology and brain scanning we now know that emotions

happen before thoughts. Many schools of therapy used to think

that thoughts caused emotions and some thought that emotions

weren’t important at all.

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The new model of how the mind works is called the APET

model.

As we have covered earlier APET stands for:

• Activating agent

• Pattern matching

• Emotion

• Thought

It is important to understand that most psychological

problems arise from faulty pattern matching.

For example:

• Someone walking out onto a stage to give a talk,

then blushing and feeling embarrassed, and thinking “I’m

stupid, I can’t do this”

Or

• A smoker answering the telephone, then feeling the

need for a cigarette, and so thinking “I’ve got to have a

cigarette”

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Pattern matching is involved in everything that we do.

Whether it is the routine we go through when we get up in the

morning or instinctively knowing to stop the car when you see a

red traffic light. The important thing to remember is that patterns

can be changed. Patterns aren’t stuck in place. They are adaptable.

Your brain is always updating its patterns. In everyday life this

happens automatically with each new piece of learning.

Unfortunately this can lead to patterns being reinforced causing

problems to last. Like believing that smoking is the only way you

can relax, then each time you get stressed or bored and need to

relax you smoke. As this does temporarily relax you, you assume it

was because of the cigarettes so this reinforces the pattern. In

reality it is the way that a smoker breathes while they smoke that

relaxes them, not the cigarettes.

In therapy sessions or taking some time to help yourself it

is possible to alter these patterns by choice. For example the

smoker can practice breathing in to the count of 3 and out to the

count of 5. This longer out-breath triggers the relaxation response

and if done for a minute or so can give a light sense of euphoria

with a sense of relaxation. As this is practised it offers the smoker a

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new choice. They can use this breathing technique instead of

cigarettes as they have added this to their pattern for relaxing.

As a practitioner you should learn to notice processes or

patterns. This is where the problem formation lies. The content is

useful for rapport, or for finding resources or highlighting the

problem areas you need to extract the pattern from. But it is the

structure of the problem that is important to finding a fast way to

help the client not the content. Many therapists get bogged down

in content. They get drawn in by all of the talk of the problem.

Often therapists begin to feel emotional about the content,

especially if the content is sad or disturbing.

Obviously it is important to let the client talk and get the

problem off of their chest. But as a therapist you want to be able to

listen and notice patterns. For example it could be that when the

client is talking about mundane things they go in to detail saying

that that is what is important, yet when they come to talk about

what seems to be an underlying issue they skirt over it. Or a client

could do a specific gesture like rubbing the neck when talking

about a partner. If they repeatedly did this each time they talked

about that person you could notice the pattern and assume that

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maybe the partner is a pain in the neck, even if it hasn’t been

verbally stated.

STEP BACK AND SEE THE PATTERN OF THE

PROBLEM

Look out for how you can change patterns easiest. It could

be that you change the frequency of the pattern, or the duration, or

the times that the pattern takes place. It could be that you add an

extra stage to the pattern or change a stage in the pattern. Most of

what will be covered throughout this book aims to make alterations

to patterns. Teaching how best to do this with different problems.

As well as the more common changes to patterns it is useful to

learn how to notice patterns for yourself. Not everyone is the same,

so what works well for one person may not work so well for

somebody else. For example, to cure phobias there is a really useful

technique that involves visualising. What you may find is that not

everyone is able to follow the instructions well, or they believe they

can’t visualise well so you would have to do something different

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with them. Often the language that they use will give away what

they need. They may say ‘I need to be able to step back and see

what is happening’ or ‘I just wish that the problem would

disappear’.

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Problems & how they are structured

Over thousands of years humans have evolved as problem

solving creatures. They have needed to do so to find solutions to

help them survive harsh and threatening environments.

Often problems that people present with can be seen as

sloppy or attempted solutions. Perhaps once the solution was

useful but has now remained as a habit. This happens because

we once something we do works we often stick with what we

know rather than trying something different.

For example:

A person with a bad back due to an injury may walk with a

specific posture for the few weeks that their back is injured as this

new posture brings relief. This person may then get stuck always

walking with this new posture as it has been learnt as something

that once made the person feel better. Years later it may turn out

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that this posture has caused damage elsewhere in the back leading

to a problem.

This example shows how the problem was originally an

attempted solution.

The same can happen with psychological problems. It

could be a smoker that smokes to relax or to fit in with a social

group but then gets stuck with a habit. Or a person that once had a

high powered job and used to only sleep a few hours a night gets

stuck with not being able to stay asleep so find they are now

lethargic and tired all of the time. Or a mother that had to sleep

light and wake regularly to care for a child that years later after she

no longer needs to do this now finds she can’t stay asleep.

Problems can sometimes meet otherwise unmet needs. Like

smoking meeting a need to relax, getting a headache before a

presentation saving you from the embarrassment of having to stand

up and talk in front of a group of people etc. Sometimes all that is

needed is to help the person to have choice by helping them to find

a healthy alternative to meet the same needs. Other times the need

is now being met in a more beneficial way but a habit has formed

from when the problem started.

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Before clients come to therapy they have almost always

tried to solve their own problems and failed. They very rarely

choose therapy as the first option as this costs money and some

people feel embarrassed to ask for help or to attend therapy so they

don’t until they reach a point where they don’t know what else to

do. They will come in saying they have tried everything and yet still

are stuck with their problem.

Contrary to popular belief most people know why they

have a problem but still can’t get rid of it. It used to always be

suggested that people should find the root cause of their problem

which would have originated in childhood and by finding this root

cause they will gain an insight and understanding that helps them to

move on and be problem free. Searching for the root of the

problem may be interesting for the client but the question is do

they want to know why they have the problem or not have the

problem at all?

There is nothing wrong will people wanting to have an

insight into why they are the person that they are and where

problems have stemmed from. It is just not something that is

usually necessary for helping them to get better. If once they are

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problem free they would still like to analyse how events and

reactions to events throughout their lives had shaped them and

helped caused the problem then that is fine.

It is rare for someone to have a problem and not know

when it started. With some things they may not know the exact

first incident if they were too young to remember but often they

will know what it was yet still have the presenting problem.

For example if someone was stung by a bee as a three year

old that caused a phobia of bees they may not remember the exact

incident and they don’t need to remember it to be helped. Even if

they do remember it they will still have the phobia. They will know

that it is irrational but that won’t stop them having it. The reason is

because phobias are emotional responses to a stimulus. The person

responds emotionally before they consciously think about what is

scaring them. It is the unconscious process that maintains the

phobia that needs to be changed not an understanding of the initial

incident.

Often problems are maintained by the client’s reaction to

it.

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For example:

• Trying to fall asleep makes it harder to do so.

• Trying not to blush makes you blush more.

‘Telling someone to laugh and them trying to laugh is not

the same as saying something that makes them laugh. This is how

indirect therapy works’ Stephen Brooks

When problems seem too difficult to deal with then solving

them can seem impossible. This is often what happens to clients by

the time they come to therapy. Sometime they can come in

believing that as it is impossible not even you will be able to help

them. You will then need to demonstrate success to them. Just

telling them you can help them won’t work, they may

unconsciously sabotage the therapy to prove that they you can’t.

Sometimes just helping them to learn to relax can be enough for

them to gain confidence in you and then accept treatment.

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If a problem seems too large then the client can become

overwhelmed, depressed or more anxious. So it is useful to help

them to relax first. When someone is relaxed they see their problem

more clearly. This will help them to discuss how and when the

problem occurs which will give you the structure to work with to

help them.

When you work with the client you need to frame the

problem so that the client feels they are overcoming the problem

using their own resources and that you are just a guide helping

them along. If they leave therapy believing they can help

themselves then they will be more able to cope in the future as they

are less likely to become reliant on a therapist. This also makes the

therapy work faster and more effective.

Help clients to access their resources like times when they

expected to have the problem but didn’t or times when they felt

motivated. People often have abilities that can help to get through

their problems that they already use or have used in the past in

different contexts. Sometimes it may be necessary to break the

problem down in to smaller chunks. For example if someone wants

to lose weight but feels it is an insurmountable task then you could

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create stages to this outcome. As each stage gets met the client

would know they are getting closer to achieving what they want. If

you didn’t break it down they may decide they are no closer to

what they want because they have no markers along the way.

Always remember; start where you can make a difference

quickest. This way you gain their confidence in your abilities to

help them. It could be that you immediately help them to relax or

get rid of a phobia or de-traumatise memories in the first session.

Therapy becomes so much easier and quicker once the client feels

confident in your abilities. By noticing the structures of their

problems you to see where you can make the fastest difference.

All psychological difficulties are trance states.

A trance state involves a narrowing focus of attention.

When a client comes to you with a problem they don’t see multiple

perspectives. All problem structures involve some level of trance.

In a trance you get a bias of perception. A depressed

person looks at reality negatively and past oriented etc…

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Most of the techniques and skills are designed to break

trances and create multiple perspectives.

Sometimes it can be best to encourage the problem rather

than fight it. This can help to maintain and build rapport and can

also misdirect the client from recognising that what you are

suggesting is actually going to be what creates the solution.

For example you can say “you can continue smoking for

now but…” the ‘but’ part is the therapeutic part. The great

psychiatrist Milton H. Erickson once told a client they could

continue to suck their thumb but they had to also suck each other

finger individually each time they sucked their thumb. Making the

problem too much of a chore which led to the person becoming

sick of sucking their thumb and each finger and so wanting to stop

the behaviour completely.

The main reasons for problems are:

• Emotional needs not being met

• Damaging or unrealistic expectations

• Traumatised or faulty pattern matching

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• Feeling overwhelmed or worrying

• Developing a problem behaviour pattern

• Being unable to break out of a trance state

Most problems involve people getting themselves into

double binds (damned if you do, damned if you don’t), or lacking

certain abilities or skills (to relax or to build rapport etc)

Problems involve splitting and linking

Splitting is where you have the part of you that doesn’t

want to carry out the problem behaviour and the part of you that

carries it out anyway.

For example:

• Blushing - don’t want to blush but blush anyway

• Addiction - don’t want to smoke but I smoke

anyway

Linking is where you attach a stimulus and a response.

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For example:

• Doing a presentation and feeling terrified

• Feeling stressed and wanting a cigarette

Look for solutions

When you are paying attention to a client’s problem

structure; look for solutions that the client overlooks. Things

like, when a client went for a period of time problem free, or

something that once worked for them that they perhaps thought

was a one off. For example many people smoke but make long

plane journeys without having a cigarette.

Notice black and white thinking that may be maintaining a

problem. Break it. Make it grey. Notice people using the word

‘should’ and challenge this in a skilful way to see if it really is a

‘should’. Do the same with terms like ‘have to’, ‘I’ve got to’, ‘I

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must’, ‘I need to’. All of these terms can restrict someone’s views

and help to maintain bad patterns.

Notice when people have an illusion of control, either too

much or too little. Because again these crop up in many problem

structures helping to keep the problem in place. Challenge the

illusion; ask questions like ‘what would happen if you let someone

else do that instead?’ or ‘what would happen if you said no?’

Use double binds, splitting, linking and evoking abilities and

skills in your solutions when you help the client to create a new

pattern or adjust the old pattern. Not only can double binds,

splitting and linking be involved in the problem formation, later on

you can see how to use these therapeutically.

Some interventions can be:

• Making conscious unconscious responses,

interrupting the pattern, and getting them to think in detail

about the steps of their problem.

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• Doing less of what’s not working

• Advertise the problem rather than concealing it.

Or you can create tasks to alter the problem behaviour

and disrupt the pattern:

Alter the pattern of the complaint

- Change the frequency

- Change the timing of performance

- Change the location of the performance

- Change the duration of the performance

- Change the sequence of elements/events in

the complaint

- Break the complaint into smaller chunks

- Link the complaint to the performance of a

boring or difficult task

- Add a new element to the pattern

Alter the context surrounding the pattern

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Or if working with couples or families set tasks for them to

do that will gather information and teach them something new.

‘Do a few things that will surprise your parents/child.

Don’t tell them what those things are or when you are doing them.

The other person’s job is to see if you can tell what it is that the

other person was doing. Don’t compare notes; we will do that next

session’

If parent wants something suggest ‘Keep track of what you

are doing this week that gives you/makes you/etc…(pleasure,

happy, etc)’

As problems often arise to meet unmet emotional needs it

is useful to have awareness of what these needs are and to keep

them in your mind when you are working with clients to notice if

any seem not to be getting met appropriately. It could be that the

presenting problem doesn’t seem to be meeting any needs but on

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listening to the client you find that a need isn’t being met in

everyday life. This could mean that the problem in some way is

meeting that need.

Different parts of the brain function in different ways.

Being aware of which functions are associated with which brain

hemispheres can help to understand what is going on in the clients

mind. You can also then understand how emotions affect the brain

helping to maintain or break problems.

Generally the left hemisphere is for processing information

in sequential, logical, rational ways and with small, detailed

movements and the right hemisphere is for ‘contextualising’

patterns, pattern matching and emotions and with large

movements. In some people (often left-handed) this can be

reversed.

One of the most primitive parts of the brain is the

emotional mind (limbic system). This part of the brain is

responsible for maintaining your survival.

During times of high emotion the limbic system takes

control. This causes an IQ drop as the higher parts of the brain get

shut down and the mind goes into ‘safety’ mode. At this time all

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that is important is survival. The person will be in a highly focused

state of mind where they will want to run, fight or freeze. The run

and freeze responses are the feelings of anxiety and fear, the fight

response is a feeling of anger.

By knowing about how the emotional mind can take over

in times of high emotional arousal it is possible to disrupt this

process by asking the person to challenge their own thoughts or to

grade the intensity of their emotion as the emotion begins to take

effect. Both these interventions require a person to use their logical,

rational part of the brain, which reduces the intensity of the

emotion.

Another approach can be to chew gum as this causes the

digestive system to be activated. One of the systems that gets shut

down in times of high emotional arousal is the digestive systems, so

if you start chewing you prevent the digestive system from closing

down and the emotional system from being able to take over so

easily. This works because if you are chewing and thinking about

food then the presented threat that caused the emotional arousal

can’t be that severe or you would be more concerned with your

own instant survival.

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When the emotional part of the brain takes control it shuts

down all systems not essential for short term survival from

digestion to sex drive. These are important for long term survival

but not so important when you need to fight or run away to

maintain your immediate safety. Many problems can arise due to

prolonged emotional arousal to do with these systems being made

to not work correctly like irritable bowel syndrome, impotence, and

ulcers.

The role of trance in human behaviour and problematic

states.

As I have mentioned previously people go in and out of

trance from moment to moment, gluing new learning in place. This

happens whether it is beneficial learning or a learning that causes a

problem. This is why using trance to help people is so important.

As a therapist you want to be able to help people to spot and

control their own trance states. You can teach a client to ‘step out’

of an emotional trance as it begins. This can be practised in therapy

helping the clients to make that psychological shift.

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‘Imagination keeps belief patterns and emotional

patterns in place’

‘Your body can’t tell the difference between reality and

imagined’

The observing self is the part of you that observes what is

happening at that moment in the mind or behaviourally. You can’t

observe the observing self it is a point that you observe from. It is

emotionless. Most forms of therapies use the observing self

whether it is to see how you are thinking, or to see how you react

with a different emotional reaction etc…

This is a place where you get to look at the problem from a

different viewpoint separating the problem from your core identity.

Many of the techniques and skills that you will learn to help people

with problems use the observing self. They have the person view

themselves calmly watching the problem behaviour or a new

improved behaviour or reaction.

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Telling stories helps prepare and use the observing self.

When you listen to a story you notice patterns, plots, characters

behaviours etc… Stories are laced with patterns. These patterns can

be observed for the first time from a different point of view.

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Utilisation

Remember utilisation! Use what the client gives you. If the client shows resistance, use it.

Use client’s interests and what they say to you

Any of the client’s opinions can be used. If the client starts

to tell you about the weather and how nice it is outside you can use

this to elicit pleasant feelings or to encourage them to think about a

holiday that can be used to relax them.

To utilise feelings that the client mentions it is important to

feedback what they say in a way that gets them more absorbed in

those feelings in the present.

For example if a client was talking about a time they felt

good about an achievement, as you talk to them you can begin to

re-evoke those feelings in the present and begin to associate them

with solving the problem.

To do this you need to feedback what they say into present

tense. Use it whether it is anger or resistance or lack of motivation

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or positive things like having a supportive family, being confident

at playing a musical instrument, running a marathon each year, or a

pleasant experience, whatever it happens to be.

For example:

Client: I went out for a walk in the country the other day.

It was so relaxing.

Therapist: What was it that you found so relaxing?

Client: All the different colours, the cool breeze, the feeling

of the warm sun on my face.

Therapist: Seeing all the different colours, feeling that

cool breeze and the warm sun on your face.

Client: Yes.

You can do anchoring to link a resource with solving their

problem, or you can get them to rehearse hypnotically utilising

resources. Rehearsing hypnotically doesn’t mean putting the client

into a formal hypnotic trance, it means creating an experience in

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the mind of the client that is focused on what you want them to

focus on.

With practice utilisation becomes easier, and resources

begin to stand out as if they are marked with neon markers.

Use resistance, everything the client says and does is

right for getting them cured. When I am doing therapy I

constantly use all the client does to get them to where they want

to go. I regularly tell them ‘that’s right’ or go ‘mmm’ or do

something that is acknowledging to them that they are doing the

right thing to go into a trance or to quit smoking or whatever it

happens to be.

For example if someone comes to me for therapy and

says ‘I’m too stressed to be able to relax and go into a trance.’

I’ll tell them ‘That’s excellent. All the best work is done with the

clients that have some tension there. What I need you to do is

just hold on to some of that tension for a while as we do this.’

If a client says ‘You won’t be able to hypnotise me

because I’m too strong willed.’ I’ll tell them ‘Your right I won’t

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be able to hypnotise you, all I can do is guide you into a state of

mind that gives you greater control over the inner workings of

your mind and body. A state of mind that allows you to control

your heart rate, your blood pressure, your breathing and many

other processes, but it takes a strong willed person to enter that

state fully and completely.’

Utilisation exercise

In pairs have one person (1) being the client while the other

person (2) is the therapist. Person one talks about a pleasurable

experience. Person two listens to what person one says and utilises

all that they can to help person one deepen their experience. Spend

five minutes each way and do this three times each, so that you

have experienced being a client three times and a therapist three

times. Enjoy yourself you do better when you are having fun.

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Re-framing

One of the key skills to effective therapy is the ability to do

skilful re-framing. Think about your client’s focus of attention. If

they are being argued with or perceive disagreement then they will

be focused on their point of view and will hold firmly to their views

and beliefs.

Re-framing is where you change the meaning of a situation.

Jokes re-frame situations, which is why they make us laugh, because

they give an unexpected outcome. Therapeutically I find re-framing

with humour useful by pointing out the ridiculous things that

people say to each other.

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For example:

You forget your anniversary so on the way home from

work you buy some flowers and give them to your wife and

apologise, and she responds with:

‘You’re only doing that to make me feel better’

Now obviously you did do it to make her feel better. You

wouldn’t do it to make her feel worse? Yet inevitably an argument

is about to occur.

Next will come the stage where you are told that it is too

late now, you forgot the anniversary. As if it is too late to be

allowed to now feel good, now is the time to feel bad and angry!

All this to me I find amusing and ridiculous so I point it out

to clients in a way that makes them see it from my point of view

that the husband was trying to do the right thing, he was showing

his love. The wife was understandably upset but should she decide

that now is the time to be angry or decide to feel good because her

husband loves her.

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Re-framing can happen instantly in situations just because a

new piece of information has appeared that changes the meaning.

For example:

If you were driving along a main road in rush hour traffic

and you have been getting really angry at the slow moving traffic

and people constantly cutting in front of you. You think to yourself

‘if one more person does that I’m going to be livid!’ Just then

another car cuts in front of you. You begin to get angry when you

see the driver turn and wave at you with a cheeky smile and you

notice it is your best friend. Now you smile also and think ‘the

cheeky sod, he’d do anything to get to work on time!’ Now the

situation has been re-framed and you don’t respond with anger,

and in fact you are likely to now remain a little calmer for the rest

of your journey and even call him to joke with him about it when

you get to work.

When I worked in childcare with teenagers with challenging

behaviour there was an incident where a young person became

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aggressive towards staff. The young person needed to be held for

their safety and the safety of others. They still continued to be

aggressive. The incident had been going on for about an hour with

all staff and the young person hot and sweaty and wishing the

situation would just calm down. Just then one of the members of

staff lent over to take over holding the young person when he did a

really loud unexpected fart! The young person immediately started

laughing and so did the staff. The incident remained calm after that

with no recurrence.

Re-framing is necessary to avoid arguing or causing

defensiveness when you are trying to change someone’s mind or

their point of view.

It’s easy to make someone defensive but not necessarily

very productive by saying things like

• Yeah but…

• No, you wrong…

• Well in my opinion…

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Or giving off disapproving body language like crossing your

arms aggressively when they say something you disagree with or

not paying them attention, appearing like you are not interested.

You need to get them interested in what YOU have to say.

Some ways of doing this are:

• So just to check I understand… (then feedback

what they said but in a more productive way)

• I’ve got an idea that may help, I’m just wondering

what you think?

• Ask a question

• Agree with them (then follow with what you want

them to hear)

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Disagreeing without seeming to do so (one of my favourite

examples):

Client: ‘but I enjoy smoking’

Therapist: ‘yes! (Agreeing) People can learn to enjoy

anything; people can enjoy the company of a charming but

manipulative psychopath whilst that psychopath works to

undermine them. At least you know what the cigarettes are taking

from you’

From Uncommon Knowledge Training Course

Pre-empting beliefs, if the client doesn’t hold the belief it

doesn’t matter because you are only talking about ‘people’.

For example:

‘I still get some people that come to see me that believed

that they couldn’t be hypnotised that they wouldn’t let someone

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control them. Once they have got an understanding of what

hypnosis really is and they see that it is nothing mysterious and that

they are the ones in full control of how deep they decide to go into

a trance change occurs rapidly’.

Use the resistance when re-framing. This is best done by

agreeing with the resistance then associating it to something else

and giving different meaning to what they are saying, then

following this with a positive new statement or meaning that is

productive.

For example:

If someone says that they won’t do as you say because they

don’t believe it will work so why bother trying. You can link this

opinion with the many things the person genuinely wouldn’t do if

they were asked and then you can start to say things like ‘don’t tell

me anything about the problem until you feel comfortable to do

so’. This implies that they will tell you. It also implies they will feel

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comfortable and if they want to not do as you say then they will

have to tell you now about the problem.

Re-framing exercises

Exercise one

In pairs, person 1 being a client, person 2 being the

therapist, practice re-framing.

Person 1 – You don’t want to relax. You won’t do as you

are told because you don’t want to feel that someone else has

control over you

Person 2 – you have to listen to what they say then re-

frame what they say to work towards relaxing person 1. Remember

it is best to agree first and then lead.

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After spending about five minutes each way doing this then

move onto the next exercise.

Exercise two

Now person 1 as the client, your problem is you can’t say

no and stand up for yourself. Person two as the therapist, you have

to re-frame this to get person 1 saying no and standing up for

themselves. Do this exercise so that both people have been client

and therapist.

Remember to have fun. You learn better when you enjoy yourself.

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Hypnosis

What is hypnosis?

Hypnosis is a trance state. Trance states involve a

narrowing focus of attention.

This could be:

• Outwards like in an emergency.

Or

• Inwards like when daydreaming or worrying.

A trance state is when you access the Rapid Eye Movement

(R.E.M) State. This state is accessed during dreaming and at times

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when the brain doesn’t know what is coming next, like in an

emergency or with a loud noise.

The R.E.M state is the state that you go into to create or

update patterns of behaviour. This is why human babies have the

highest time in an R.E.M state in the three months leading up to

the birth. In this last three months all of the instinctive patterns are

being laid in place for life on the outside. This allows for certain

behaviours to happen without being learnt, like breathing, suckling

and the ability to match facial expressions which allows the baby to

bond by building rapport.

There are a number of behaviours associated with trance

states many of which are useful to be used for rapid healing.

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Trance state behaviours include:

• An increase in suggestibility & responsiveness

• Increased tolerance to pain

• Hallucinations

• Immobility

• Blinking stops

• Ability to change body temperature

• Ability to build muscle using the imagination

• Ability to alter blood pressure

• Ability to change mood

• Ability to rehearse new behaviours until they

become instinctive

• Altering immune system activity

• Accelerated healing

• Amnesia

• Plus much more

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Before learning how to induce a trance in yourself and

others it is important to know what to look out for. If you don’t

know what to look for to tell when someone is in a trance you

wouldn’t know when they are hypnotised. The ability to help

people into an optimum learning state, which is the same state as a

hypnotic trance is one of the most important abilities that you can

learn.

When you know what to look out for you can begin to

utilise what you see as being an indicator that the person is entering

(or is in) a trance.

Trance indicators

• catalepsy

• different voice quality

• shorter sentences and words

• relaxed muscles

• less body movement

• economy of body movement

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• smoother features

• lack of startle reflex

• takes things literally

• slow or no swallowing reflex

• slow or no blinking

• slower pulse

• slower respiration

• pupils change

• head nodding side to side

• facial symmetry

• breathing from stomach

• less facial colour

• eyes roll back

• eyes flutter

• instant hypnotic phenomena

Not all of these indicators happen all of the time.

Sometimes some people may show some indicators but not others

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or there may be a delay before some responses. This delay can

often happen with hypnotic phenomena or tasks that clients are

asked to carry out. This happens because often internal time

distortion occurs sometimes on an unconscious level that can make

the time it takes for a client to carry out a behaviour seem quicker

to the client than it appears to the therapist.

How do you do hypnosis?

To do hypnotic induction’s you need to either recreate

stages leading to dreaming sleep or recreate the state of not

knowing what is happening next causing the reorientation

response.

Recreating stages of sleep could be a relaxation induction

getting the client to relax their body perhaps starting with their feet,

then relaxing their mind by getting them to think of something

pleasant. Or it could be getting them to imagine something

relaxing. Or getting more of their attention focused inwardly in

some other way.

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Recreating a state of not knowing what is happening next

could be done by interrupting a pattern of behaviour, or causing

confusion.

Some types of induction are:

• Conversational (overt & covert)

• Pattern interrupt

• Embedded-meaning/metaphorical

• Confusion

• Directive

Conversational induction’s are induction’s that initially start

with an ordinary conversation. They involve embedding

suggestions and utilising ongoing experiences or events to induce a

trance.

It could be embedding suggestions in a conversation or

feeding back what a client says to deepen their experience.

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An example of a conversational induction:

As you sit back and begin to feel comfortably

relaxed (Embedded command), I would like you to let

those eyes gently close…that’s right…recognising that with

those eyes closed you can go inside very pleasantly, accessing

memories, past experiences or other meaningful events, times gone

by when you felt good… Now, Graham, I’d like you to take two

deep, refreshing breaths and as you release that second

breath you can drift even more deeply into a satisfying a

pleasant state of relaxation…etc

An example of a pattern interrupt induction:

(Interrupting the pattern of a handshake)

Hi, I’m Dan (hand goes out; clients hand comes to meet it.

I take it with my opposite hand, raise it with palm facing clients

face then slowly start it moving to their face)…and as that hand

continues to move closer to your face all by itself you can begin to

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notice the change in your vision…and as the vision changes you

can notice how heavy those eyelids are getting…and you won’t go

all the way into a trance until that hand comfortably touches the

face…etc

An example of a metaphorical induction or embedded-

meaning induction would be to tell a story and use embedded

commands and metaphors for going in to trance…etc

An example used in a staff meeting to get the staff working

together again:

One-day snow white decided that she wanted to go on a

walk, she didn’t often go out far from her home as she was unsure

what she would find in the deep, dark forest. Snow white left on a

path right outside her front door. The path was covered by trees

arching high over head; either side of her was deep, dark forest.

Snow white stuck to the path walking through the shimmering

beams of light that flickered down through the trees above. As she

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continued to…follow this path…she was aware of the

rhythmic beat of her feet on the ground and the sounds of birds in

the trees and the rustling of leaves as the wind blew a breeze. She

continued to wander and at times found her mind wonder about

why she set out on this journey…after walking for a while she

found herself smile as she saw a house in the distance. The house

was in a clearing in the forest that was bright and cheerful. There

were plants of many varieties and many flowers surrounding the

house. As snow white reached the clearing she could feel the calm,

warmth from the sun on her skin. Snow white could hear voices

coming from the house and the closer she got the more she could

tell that the people inside the house were disagreeing with each

other. Snow white approached and asked one of the people what

was wrong. Grumpy explained that they used to all go to work

singing and dancing with enjoyment but now they seem to have

forgotten how to work as a team. Grumpy explained that they

used to push together…pull together…axe together…all

together…but now they found that they couldn’t. When one

pushed another pulled and no work got done. Snow white asked

what they do and was told that they are the team that digs and lays

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the foundations for new buildings. She asked them why they

decided to do that work. She was told that you see buildings

standing and feel proud because you know that they are standing

because you built the foundations well, it makes you proud of all

that hard work you did…snow white decided to tell the little

people a story about a centipede that kept falling over its legs. The

centipede asked a friend how he manages to walk without falling

over. He was told to just…relax…and let all the legs…work

together…not keep thinking about which leg should do what and

when. This made no sense to the dwarves so they decided to forget

what snow white said and just enjoy her company. Before snow

white left she asked who made such a lovely garden. The dwarves

said they all worked at it and that many of the plants have survived

some harsh winters. At the end of the day snow white said good

bye to the dwarves. She got right up and left. As she left she was

amazed by how much happier and healthier they were starting to

become. Something had happened that they were learning from

which looked like it made them healthier and made them work out

their differences, sneezy had stopped sneezing, grumpy was happy,

bashful had clear skin and no hint of red, and all of the others had

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noticed improvements too. This made snow white happy as she

skipped away from the house up the path leaving her adventure

behind like a dream that got more out of reach like a name on the

tip of your tongue as she approached her home pleased with her

mini adventure, then walked through her gate and, finding it was all

a dream she…opened her eyes…

A directive induction is an induction where you tell the

client what to do.

An example of a directive induction:

I’m going to shake your hand three times…the first time

your eyes will get tired…let them…the second time they’ll want to

close…let them…the third time they’ll lock and you wont be able

to open them…want that to happen, and watch it

happen…now…1…2…now close your eyes…now 3…and they’re

locked and you’ll find they just don’t work, no matter how hard

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you try…the harder you try the less they’ll work…test them and

you’ll find they won’t work at all…

An example of a confusion induction (used within a story):

One afternoon a woman set out looking for her friend’s

house. She was feeling rather tired and sleepy, but perked up

halfway there when she realised she’d forgotten the directions. She

decided to check for directions anyway, and holding the wheel with

her right hand she used her left hand to place a can of coke on the

floor right beside her then reaching right across her side with her

left hand to her right coat pocket for the directions she discovered

they weren’t there so she thought maybe they were left in her left

pocket so she checked right there only to discover they weren’t

there either. She then checked both pockets again with alternating

hands as she steadied the car steering wheel with her knees she

remembered that her friend had said that it is two rights and one

left. She took a right and was left with one right and a left. She took

a left and was still left with one left and two rights. She tried two

rights and was left with one left, and after trying just one left alone

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was left with two rights, and still she had not found her friend’s

house, which was starting to get a bit confusing. She decided to try

a bit harder which was hard as she fought off fatigue and the

traffic, and the first thing she did was reverse the right-left order,

which she definitely thought was the right thing to do just then.

Leaving from the corner she took a hard left, leaving two rights

left, and still she was not there. A right and a left, and continuing

with one more right left her not there yet either, and finally in utter

bewilderment and near exasperation, she pulled off the road

deciding the only decision she has left must be right, she sat back

behind the wheel, took one deep breath and said “I might as well

just sleep”

Naturalistic inductions

Probably the easiest way for a beginner to induce a trance

in someone else is to use a naturalistic approach. A naturalistic

approach involves talking about everyday trance states. As you talk

to a client about everyday trance states they will be familiar so will

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rapidly start to enter trance. If you do this utilising hypnotic

language the effects will be even greater.

It can be useful to write out direct scripts then change it to

indirect. Writing what it is that you hope to achieve and how you

will achieve this. Then you can go through the script changing

anything that is too direct and that might not match the client’s

reality to something that will. For example, you may say ‘..as you

approach that old wooden staircase…’ which is direct and may not

match the client’s view of a staircase and change it to ‘..as you

approach that staircase…’ which is more general and so it allows

the client the freedom to fit this into their model of reality.

To focus attention get the client talking about something

that they are interested in. in the old day’s hypnotists would tell the

client what to think and what to focus on. To induce a trance you

need to focus attention but it doesn’t matter what you focus that

attention on. That is one of the beauties of naturalistic induction’s.

Hypnotists used to use swinging watches, stroking, telling the client

to look at a spot or a candle. Modern day hypnotists get clients to

focus on issues, thoughts, comments, or even the process of their

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problem. One quick way to hypnotise a smoker is to ask them to

tell you the process they go through when they smoke.

Utilise naturalistic phenomena. Anything can be used to

achieve your goals. If you want to lead to a trance state you can use

naturalistic phenomena leading to trance, like sleep, day-dreaming,

a leisure activity. If you wanted to evoke a hypnotic phenomena

then you can use examples of times that thy have happened

naturally like numbness – sleeping on an arm or holding snow, or

amnesia – forgetting someone’s name or being interrupted mid-

sentence.

Creating responses this way will then come from client so

they will be more powerful. It is completely different telling

someone to laugh uncontrollably than reminding them of times

they found themselves laughing uncontrollably, like in school in a

classroom when you know you shouldn’t, and the more you try to

stop the laughter the more the laughter builds up, you know that

feeling?

You can get the client to talk about something they enjoy

doing that makes their mind wander and as they talk about it they

will begin to go back into that same state of mind again. When you

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hypnotise someone you want to separate the conscious and

unconscious mind. You can do this by confusing the conscious or

marking out different messages to the conscious and unconscious

mind.

Other useful ways for beginners to induce trance and do

effective therapy are:

• Make someone talk about their problem without

using words relating to the problem then use this to help do

treatment

This can allow you to work completely metaphorically. You

can use the metaphor they give for their problem and then just get

them to play out the metaphor to a positive conclusion in the

clients mind. This can be useful when you don’t have enough

information or time to work in depth with the client.

• Utilise everything don’t think of anything as failure

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If a client doesn’t give the response that you expect then

utilise what they do give you and acknowledge that what they are

doing is what they need to do to achieve the desired goal.

For example:

If a client says that they can’t relax enough to go into a

trance, then say ‘How did you know that you needed to have a little

tension there to be able to do good effective change work?’

• Time your rhythm to rhythm of clients breathing

This is probably one of the easiest ways to increase your

effectiveness at altering someone’s state. If you match their

breathing and talk with the clients out breath you can begin to slow

your breathing down and begin to slow down what you say and

they will begin to relax deeper.

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This is because breathing is such a fundamental part of life

that if you match it you quickly begin to build rapport with the

client on an unconscious level.

• Use fractionation

Fractionation is a technique developed where you take the

client in and out of trance repeatedly which deepens the trance

each time they go inside.

This can be done simply by asking the client to open their

eyes then close their eyes again and go deeper.

Fractionation was created because hypnotists noticed that

each time clients came into a session and were hypnotised they

went deeper than they had done on previous sessions. It was

realised that they didn’t need to have a big gap between sessions,

the same thing occurred if the client was repeatedly hypnotised

during one session.

• Feedback what the client says as suggestions

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For example:

Client: ‘My left hand feels heavier than my right’

Therapist: ‘Your left hand feels heavier than your right!’

By doing this you are telling the client true statements

which helps to deepen their state and you are utilising ongoing

behaviour and comments to lead to the desired outcome.

• Take the client to the future to when they no longer

have the problem and ask ‘what did I do that helped you?’

The psychiatrist Milton H Erickson MD would often take

clients to the future then ask what he did to help them. After he did

this and they told him how he cured them he would bring them

back to the present and do what they said he did to cure them.

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It is a strong belief of all the top therapists in the world that

people have the resources they need to heal themselves they just

need guidance and assistance in accessing that healing power.

Post hypnotic suggestions

Post hypnotic suggestions are probably what hypnosis is

most famous for and probably what causes the most controversy.

Despite popular beliefs it isn’t possible to make someone do

something against their will with hypnosis.

I don’t mean that you can’t make people do things they are

not prepared to do because you can. For example, it is possible to

indirectly make someone stop smoking but if it went against any of

the client’s values or belief then it wouldn’t work. The unconscious

mind is normally willing to do anything that will maintain self

preservation so even if consciously the client wasn’t willing to stop

smoking, unconsciously they can still accept the suggestions. If the

client is consciously not willing to accept the suggestions and the

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client recognises that suggestions are being given then they can

interfere and stop the suggestions from working.

To do post hypnotic suggestions effectively you want to

make sure that you prime them first. By priming the suggestions

with metaphors and explanations about what you are going to do

you prepare the mind for carrying out the behaviour.

After you have primed the suggestions you want to leave it

a little while before you give the actual suggestion. This time is

given to allow the mind to absorb the priming so that it is waiting

in anticipation for the suggestion. This will increase the

effectiveness when it is given.

As you wait before giving the suggestion it can be useful to

deepen the client’s trance and to take them into another level. For

example, you could guide them down a staircase then through a

door, or you could guide them along a country path then to a

clearing, or simply suggest that a part of them can go to a deeper

more responsive state of mind.

When you give the suggestions you want to make sure that

it is worded positively saying what you want not what you don’t

want. So often people know what they don’t want and then say

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that. The problem with this is that the unconscious mind doesn’t

understand negatives. It makes images of what is said, so if you say

‘You won’t have that pain when you sleep at night’. The

unconscious mind will create an image of you being in pain when

you are trying to sleep at night to know what it is not supposed to

think about. The same thing happens if I ask you ‘don’t think of a

pink elephant’. You have to think of a pink elephant to know what

not to think about.

When you give suggestions you want to make sure that they

are easy to follow. The more complicated the post-hypnotic

suggestion the more chance there is that it won’t be followed.

When a suggestion is followed the client will go back into

the same state that they were in when the suggestion was given.

That is why Hypnotherapists often give post-hypnotic suggestions

to re-enter trance with a given word or phrase by the therapist

because this is a quick way to re-hypnotise a client.

Say post-hypnotic suggestions three times at least, after you

have done some priming and using metaphors. This helps to make

sure that the suggestion is embedded in the mind. Use words like

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‘when’ and ‘as’ to set post hypnotic suggestions and to link them to

ongoing behaviour.

Presuppositions (that will be covered later) work like post-

hypnotic suggestions. As you are repeatedly presupposing specific

outcomes you are setting up future responses. If the responses that

are being set up are associated with a behaviour that will definitely

happen then this also increases the likelihood of the suggestion

being followed.

Remember to cancel any post-hypnotic suggestions that are

no longer required or to make them very specific so that they will

only happen at required times.

You don’t want a post-hypnotic suggestion to close the

eyes and go into a trance each time you hear the word NOW to be

active all of the time. You want it to be limited to the right context

and to a specific tonality and only be the therapist.

Remember to use:

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• Embedded commands (messages marked out

within sentences using a change in tonality or a gesture etc)

• Presuppositions (using terms like as, when, after,

before that all imply or presuppose that these things will

happen)

• Illusionary choices (offering choices that lead to the

same outcome, like saying: ‘do you want to sit in this chair or

that chair to go into a trance?’ It doesn’t matter which chair is

chosen the outcome is that you will go into trance)

• Non-verbal behaviour like voice tonality and being

congruent by exhibiting what you are trying to get. For example

saying relax in a relaxing way etc.

All of which will be covered in the next section on language.

Use of language

We all use language to define the world around us. It

conveys our own representation of the world. Each and every one

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of us has a different model or representation of the world. We have

all had different experiences in our lives. These create our own

unique sets of beliefs and values. Our world is viewed through

these beliefs and values.

Language shows externally what is going on internally.

Our models of the world are made up of deletions,

distortions and generalisations.

Generalisations

We generalise to make learning easier. We experience

something a few times, for example opening a door, then create a

general principle. Generalisation is about how we generate rules,

beliefs and principles about what is true, untrue, possible and

impossible.

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Once you have a number of similar experiences you

develop a belief. It is this generalisation that can cause a bad

opinion to spread. For example in everyday life if a customer has

a bad experience, hears about a few other people that have also

had a bad experience. Then whenever they tell anyone they don’t

make it specific they say ‘they always give poor service’. This is

also how many psychological problems get formed and

maintained.

For example:

A phobia can be caused by being exposed to a scary

situation once then due to the high level of emotion the brain

automatically generalises to make it so that you will have the same

response in any similar future situations. This can be useful to

help save your life but most of the time in our modern day world

this generalisation becomes a hindrance.

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Deletions

Your conscious mind can only process seven (+/_2) bits of

information. Because of this all other information that comes into

our senses doesn’t get consciously registered.

It still goes into the unconscious mind where it can be

accessed but consciously it has been deleted and so when you

consciously try to think about this deleted information recalling it is

almost impossible.

Distortions

We all distort reality. For example, if you buy a new house

you may walk into a room and imagine what it would look like with

furniture in it. Now at this point in time there is none of this

furniture in that room, so you have distorted reality to see it.

Examples of distortion are hallucinations and creativity. In

both of these external reality is changed to something else. This is

what distortion is.

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One way to see how we generalise, delete and distort

information is to listen to different people telling you about the

same event. They will all tell you slightly different stories about

what took place even though they were all present at the same

event.

Sensory Language

We also use all of our senses in language to describe the

world around us. When you are doing therapy with others it is

useful to talk the same language. As you talk to the client you

want to notice what sensory language they are using from

moment to moment and communicate back in the same sense.

Also notice how people access the information in their minds

with eye accessing cues.

Usually (as you look at them) up left for visually

constructing information, up right for visually remembering, left

for constructing sounds in their mind, right for remembering

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sounds in their mind, down left for recalling or experiencing

feelings and down right when talking to themselves in their mind.

As shown in the diagram below.

If a client says: ‘I hear what you are saying it just doesn’t

feel right’. And you continue by saying: ‘Look I’ll show you…’.

You are not speaking the same language. You need to be telling

Visually constructed

Auditory constructed

Kinaesthetic

Visually remembered

Auditory remembered

Internal dialog

View above is as if looking at a person. The usual layout of eye accessing cues.

Some people may be different so it is always useful to ask questions to check.

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them not showing them and need to be using auditory words

followed by kinaesthetic words.

Sensory language – Phrases

Visual phrases - I see what you mean

We see eye to eye

Show me

You’ll look back on this and laugh

Auditory phrases - We’re on the same wavelength

They were living in harmony

The place was buzzing

Turn a deaf ear

That rings a bell

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Feeling phrases - I will get in touch with you

I’m surfing the Internet

There was tension in the air

He’s a warm-hearted man

Normally smell and taste sensory words get included in

with feelings.

Questions for eliciting eye accessing cues

What colour is your front door? (Visual recall)

What is it like to bite into a juicy orange? (Gustatory recall)

Can you hear your favourite piece of music in your mind?

(Auditory recall)

What does it feel like to be happy? (Kinaesthetic recall)

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What is it like to feel wool next to the skin? (Kinaesthetic

recall)

Imagine a purple triangle inside a red square? (Visual

constructed)

What would a chainsaw sound like in a corrugated iron

shed? (Auditory constructed)

What would your bedroom look like with pink spotted

walls? (Visual constructed)

When you talk to yourself where does the sound come

from? (Auditory dialog/digital)

Imagine the smell of freshly cut grass? (Smell recall)

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Which of your friends has the longest hair? (Visual recall)

How do you spell your name backwards? (Visual)

What does it feel like to put on wet socks? (Kinaesthetic)

What do onions smell like? (Smell recall)

What do you say to yourself when things go wrong?

(Auditory)

What is it like to settle down in a nice hot bath?

(Kinaesthetic recall)

What is it like to taste a spoonful of something very sour?

(Taste)

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Hypnotic language patterns

One of the most important and powerful tools for you to

use to increase your ability to hypnotise others and to help others

to respond positively to psychological treatment is the language

that you use. Throughout the book there have been examples of

hypnotic language.

Now is time to break the various language patterns down to

learn them in a structured way. By giving examples in context

previously you will already have a level of familiarity with some of

these patterns.

Some of these patterns are more likely to be used than

others. I have included some of the more complex patterns to

allow those dedicated learners out there to have something to play

with and expand on.

Hypnotic language is a way of communicating that leads to

a response in the listener, initially at an unconscious level. Using

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hypnotic language is like using a special language to talk and build

rapport directly with the unconscious mind. That is why they are so

powerful to use for aiding change work.

Many clients of mine would have had to be in therapy for

many more sessions if I tried to help them without the use of

hypnosis and hypnotic language. Even if I know what they need to

do to get better some people just don’t respond or want to make

any effort on their part. They want the therapist to do all of the

work while they sit their unresponsive. It gives these people an

escape route. They can say to others that they ‘tried’ therapy and it

didn’t work.

Using hypnotic language allows you to have a set of skills

that will help you to talk to people’s unconscious minds which

means that you can create change that will seep into the conscious

mind when it has happened. These skills also allow you to know

minimal information about situations and problems yet speak in a

meaningful way that sounds like you know more than you do.

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Yes set

The first language pattern that I will cover is the most basic

– the yes set

With the yes set you want to ask questions you already

know the answer to.

Make sure the answers are always in agreement – yes

Example:

- your sitting in that chair

- you’ve come here today to see me

These statements can only lead to a yes answer if they are

true which means that you are increasing rapport, because rapport

increases with agreement and understanding. It also builds up a

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response potential. It gets harder to disagree when you have been

repeatedly in agreement.

Don’t make all the answers ‘yes’ answers some of them

should be implied yes answers

For example:

‘You look like somebody who wants to get better?’

It is increasingly hard to answer no when you have

answered yes to many questions. One easy way of getting yes’s is to

feedback what the client says. It sounds like you are clarifying but

you are getting yes responses.

For example:

‘So your name is…’

‘..and you live at…’

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Client: ‘I don’t know what’s wrong with me’

Therapist: ‘You don’t know what’s wrong with you…’

Reverse yes set

The reverse yes set is the same as above but always getting

‘no’ answers. By using a mixture of this and the yes set you can

break up the questions. If you ask too many yes-set questions or

reverse yes set questions the client can get suspicious at always

giving the same answer.

The answers are still all agreement

- you’re not standing up

- you didn’t drive here this morning

- you wouldn’t expect to go into trance before you

were ready

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Both said assuming I know they are true statements

(truisms)

Tag questions

With tag questions you say the negative before they do so it

encourages a yes answer.

People normally agree even if they disagree because

the ‘No’ has already been said. It takes away their need to say no

and encourages a yes response because people like things to be

even so if a yes is said people don’t mind saying no, but if a no is

said people are more likely to say yes.

Don’t use it too often or it sounds manipulative.

Use it when you want a definite yes answer.

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- Will, will you not?

- Do, do you not?

- Does, does it not?

- Is, is it not?

- Can, can it not?….etc

Compound suggestion

Compound suggestions are suggestions where you are

pacing and then leading suggestions onto each other, building on

the previous sentence. (Pacing is where you match the client’s

model of reality and state what you know to be true for the client;

leading is where you add on something extra for the client to

follow even if it doesn’t really connect with what is paced.)

This is usually done by starting with pacing observable

truisms then leading towards the response you want. The idea is to

give a statement followed by a suggestion as if they are really linked

together. By giving sentences linked to previous sentences you are

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compounding one suggestion onto the next and so deepening the

effects.

One part compounds onto the next.

Link these suggestions with ‘and’ or a ‘pause’

For example:

‘Look at that spot and I will talk to you’

(Pace and then lead)

For example:

‘While you look at that spot (pacing), I will talk to you

(leading)’

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Use truisms or statements then lead with a

suggestion or further truisms or statements

For example:

‘You can hear my voice (pacing and linked to previous

sentence in the last example), and you can listen to something else

(leading)’

‘Some sounds give us special memories (pacing, linked to

the previous sentence and a truism), you can be interested to

discover what images are associated with those memories (leading)’

Use a number of suggestions together one after the other

linking them all to guide a client from where they are to where you

want them to be.

For example:

- You can look at that spot (p) while I talk to you (l)

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- you can listen (p) and you can begin to get a sense

of how you will know when things start to improve in the

future (l)

- I don’t know which improvements will happen first

(p) you can relax a little deeper as those improvements come to

mind (l)

Contingent suggestion

Makes one part of the suggestion contingent on the other.

One part happens because of the other part of the

suggestion. In reality the two parts don’t have to really link it only

has to sound like it may link. Contingent suggestions often get used

to make up compound suggestions.

You can link unrelated sentences and make them seem

related. You usually link one part to the other with a time related

term like ‘as, during, while, before, after’

For example:

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‘Take a look at this book, as you can think about what you

want’

You can work from conscious to unconscious

Or from observable to non-observable

Or from reality to trance…etc

Or you can simply work from a truism then link with a

statement

An example for problem solving might be:

‘As you see that pack of cigarettes on the dining room

table, you can think about how disgusting and horrible they taste’

As with the compound suggestions you want to pace and

then lead

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‘As you’re sitting there with your legs crossed, I wonder

what you’re thinking’

‘Don’t allow the eyes to close until your unconscious mind

lets you try to lift your hand’

Interspercial technique

Intersperse suggestions.

Mark out suggestions to the client.

Dissociate conscious and unconscious.

Mark out suggestions to one or the other.

You can dissociate or separate what you want.

For example:

- creative mind

- logical mind

- emotional mind

- problems-solutions

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Embedded commands

These are a part of the Interspercial technique. Marking

commands or suggestions as separate from the sentence with either

a tonal shift or maybe by pausing before and after the command or

with a gesture or movement etc… This causes a pattern that the

unconscious mind picks up on and responds to.

For example:

‘Some people find they…relax deeply…in the shower

other people find they…drift into a dreamy state…when they are

in the bath’

‘I don’t know whether...you will discover...that...you relax

deeply...as you listen to my voice...or whether ...you will

discover...that...you become more fully absorbed in your

internal experience with each out breath...’

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Illusory Choices

Binds

A bind is where you offer more than one choice with the

same outcome. For a bind you allow the choice to be chosen. You

give people illusory conscious choice. They can pick which

response they want to follow. They also have the option of

rejecting all choices.

For example:

‘Would you like to sit in the left chair or the right chair to

go into a trance’

(Implication is whichever chair you chose to sit in you agree

to go into a trance)

All the forms of binds are of great use to therapists because

as they appear to offer choice they make the client feel that they are

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in control because they are choosing while the whole time they only

have one outcome.

Double binds

A double bind has a set outcome, you only ask for the

opinion of the client. They may be right or wrong about their

opinion but it doesn’t effect the result. You offer more than one

choice with the same outcome. A double bind can’t be answered

consciously.

‘Do you think that left hand will get warm first or will it be

the right hand’

(Implication is that one hand will get warm then the other.

They can say which hand they ‘think’ will be the first to get warm.

They could be right or wrong. All they are asked is for their

opinion on what response they will give first.)

‘Will you go deeper into trance with the sound of my voice,

or will it be with each out breath that you take’

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(Implication that they will go deeper into a trance; and that

they are already in a trance. They have to wait to discover if it will

be my voice or their breathing that takes them deeper.)

Outcome is to get an unconscious response

Conscious, unconscious double binds

This type of bind dissociates conscious and unconscious.

By dissociating the conscious and unconscious you begin to create

unconscious responses independent of conscious effort. This helps

with creating responses that ‘seem’ to just appear in the mind of

the client which leads to them thinking that they came up with it

themselves.

‘Look at that hand (conscious response to look), do you

think (conscious activity) the right hand will lift or the left hand will

lift (implication one hand will lift, double bind) as you go into a

trance (unconscious response)’

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Double dissociation double binds

A double bind where there is no question asked. The

choices given sound like they maybe different but there is no need

to verbalise an answer, just wait for the unconscious response. It is

a double bind designed to cause dissociation.

All of the options give the desired response. Double

dissociation double binds sound confusing and are difficult to

analyse consciously which is also trance inducing.

For example:

‘You can forget to remember the things you forgot or

remember to forget the things that you remember’ (Amnesia)

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‘You can explore a rigidity without knowing that is there, or

know that it is rigid without knowing how you discovered it’

(Catalepsy)

‘You can see things that are not really here or believe that

they are here without being able to see them’ (Hallucinations)

‘In hypnotic time a whole hour can seem like a minute as in

waking time a whole minute can stretch into an hour’ (Time

distortion)

‘You can slowly return to a pleasant memory and forget the

future as it passes or discover yourself already in the memory

curious about the future’ (Regression)

‘You can be aware of your hand and not know it’s your

hand or you can know you have a hand and not be aware of it’

(Anaesthesia)

From ‘The Art of Indirect Suggestion’, By Stephen Brooks

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Reverse set double bind

Like a double bind there is only one outcome but it sounds

like you have offered choice. These are said as statements and are

useful with ‘resistant’ people. They Sound like you are telling the

client they don’t have to do something yet really presupposing that

they will tell you what you want to hear (or do what you want

done). These sound very permissive while actually only giving a

single outcome.

‘I’m sure you’ve got a lot of things you need to tell me but

I’d like you to hold something back for now’

‘You have secrets that you don’t want to share, so why not

hold some of that back for now and only share what you feel is

appropriate’

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Open ended suggestion

Series of choices all with the same result, any response gets

the desired outcome.

For example:

‘As you go into a trance I don’t know whether your hand

will go up or down or left or right or not move at all’

‘Will your hand go up putting you in a light trance, down

putting you in a deep trance or stay where it is as you go into a

medium trance’

Not doing suggestions

You say what you want by saying they don’t have to…

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This can either give permission to do what is left (below

example is staying still) or guide their attention indirectly to what

you are telling them they don’t have to think about.

‘You don’t have to move your arms, your body or your legs

as you go into a trance’

Metaphors

Telling stories, anecdotes etc, either mirroring the clients

situation or laying down a useful pattern, or seeding something for

future work (like arm levitation being seeded by telling a story

about a child in school compulsively answering questions in class

and raising their hand spontaneously.

You can set up a specific emotion with a metaphor or

perhaps use client’s comments or metaphors for rapport or use

metaphors to lay down patterns unconsciously in the client.

A story about circling a fort held by an evil invader, not

letting food or water get in to the fort and not letting the invaders

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escape. After a short while all the invaders die could be used to

fight warts, verrucas or even cancer.

Multiple tasking

Give people more than one task to do at once

‘As that hand becomes numb your eyelids become heavier,

as your eyelids become heavier you hadn’t thought about those

sensations in that left foot until now, as your attention is directed

to that left foot just notice how that anaesthesia is progressing in

that hand, but don’t let your eyes close until you are aware of how

your breathing is changing so rapidly, I don’t know whether that

breathing will slow down in a trance like way before your eyes close

or after your eyes close and you can be aware of your eyes closing

without knowing that they’re closed or notice that anaesthesia has

developed in a profound way without you realising it’

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‘Whatever you do don’t lose that attention you have now

focused on that clock on the wall and as you look at that what does

it feel like to stand under a warm shower and hear and repeat in

your head as I count backwards 200, 199, 198…and you don’t have

to be aware of that rigidity of the hand I’m holding up’

Multiple task-serial suggestions

One suggestion leads on to the next

Open ended sentences

Leaving the end off of sentences

The client finishes the sentence in their mind

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Implied directive

Do this or this unconsciously, and then wait for the

response

‘Put your hands above your head, if your unconscious mind

wants you to go into a deep trance straight away they will come

together, if your unconscious mind wants you to go into a medium

trance they will move apart’

Mispronounce words

The client will correct them in their mind causing then to

sink in deeper and like embedded commands

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Presuppositions

Presuppositions are where you presuppose an outcome

using terms like when, after, while, during, as, before, etc. They are

useful for making someone think along certain lines and can also be

useful for setting up ideas for the client to think about which builds

up a future of having that outcome. Sometimes immediately

directly presupposing can seem too intrusive or pushy. Sometimes

it can be better to start a sentence in a way that sounds harmless.

Like starting a sentence with the word would or starting it applying

to a third party.

For example:

‘Have you ever been in a trance before?’

‘While your unconscious mind works at creating the

changes that you desire you can begin to relax’

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Nominalisations

Using words that are none specific. They cause the client to

go on an internal search for the meaning. This makes them sound

meaningful to all people as they all find their own meaning. Use

them regularly. They are words that the person has their own fixed

meaning to.

Nominalisations are words with no fixed meaning like:

Curious, wonder, development, relaxing, explore, resources,

pleasure, excitement, enjoyment, discover, fun, relax, meets your

needs, satisfaction, etc…

Using the language of time

Using time in your language is important to place what you

don’t want the client to have in the past and what you do want

them to have in the future.

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Verb tenses

- I dance

- I danced

- I will dance

All on the time line but static

An example of putting a problem in the past:

Client: I don’t like the way I get talked to

Therapist: You don’t like the way you’ve been spoken to?

This re-frames and puts idea in past.

If you add –‘ing’- this make ideas active like a movie

Static = normally problems

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Moving = normally not stuck

When a client is talking about a problem or a reason why

they can’t do something then change what they say when you

feedback to them. Make all negatives specific and in the past.

Client: ‘That’s too difficult’

You: ‘It really did seem it, didn’t it?’ (Uses tag questions and

moves into the past)

You: ‘But if you think about it now, you can begin to see

that in relationship to what you will gain, it’s something you can

start exploring in your mind’

• They say have, you say had

• They say has you say was

Make problems static in the past and solutions or resources

moving to the future.

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Pace and lead problems to the past, and resources to the

present and future.

‘What would it be like’ – not on a timeline

‘When’ – now in the future on a timeline and associated

‘Have had’ – now looking back down timeline

‘Now’ – in the present

‘What would it be like, when you have made those

changes, as you look back and see what it was like to have had that

problem, as you think about it now’

Saying ‘Stop’ is a pattern interrupt. Use it when you want to

stop a client’s train of thought and change it.

For example:

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‘Stop for a moment and think now about what it is that you

would like to have?’

Illustrations of the use of hypnotic language patterns

Arm levitation

You can take some time to relax (embedded

command)… you can let time stand still… like a clock stopping

giving you all the time in the world… a clock can be stuck at

quarter to three (hands at 9 & 3 representing real hands)…

showing on the face with the motor behind being in control of

those hands (metaphor for the mind controlling the

arms)…whether they should be left stuck (embedded

command) or raise right up (embedded command) to the

twelve (clock metaphor for arm to raise all the way up)… your

unconscious (embedded command)…mind gets the right idea

leaving that left behind (vague language, the unconscious mind

will understand what it means)… rising right up honestly and

effortlessly in front of you as that motor moves that right arm

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(embedded command and metaphor to raise the right arm

up)… as the other arm is left stuck right there at the 9

(embedded command & metaphor that the unconscious

mind will understand)… as you can notice yourself walking right

arm up (changing words (on – arm) & embedded command)

to the clock you can become the clock with your unconscious mind

becoming the motor… the right hand can continue moving up to

the 12 even faster… as the wrong hand is left where it is…….

(Notice the various other language patterns like

compound suggestions and presuppositions)

Selection of examples of different types of binds

I don’t know whether you will decide not to stop smoking

until the end of the session or decide to stop smoking before

that…

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It’s easy to forget how easy it was to remember that you

smoked… while finding it hard to forget how easy it is to

remember many happy memories…

I don’t know whether your unconscious mind will keep

your mouth closed if you try to smoke…or if you try to put a

cigarette in to your mouth and discover that it won’t open…

I don’t know whether you will enjoy life more because you

no longer smoke or whether it will be because you have cleaner

lungs…

Will the memory that comes to mind be a motivated one or

will it be a memory of high motivation…

Will you maintain a cleaner and healthier lifestyle to prove

to others how capable you are or will it be to prove it to yourself…

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You may get a temporary craving over the next few days…

wonder whether it will be your extra energy that fills that craving or

will it be that smile that is showing your pleasure you have because

of your success…

Will you decide honestly and unconsciously to show people

that you are proud of who you are or show them that you are

proud of whom you have become…

I wonder whether you think that you will be aware of

making that unconscious choice to permanently stop smoking now

or whether it will just happen without your awareness…

There are times you can remember when you forgot what

you tried to remember.. There are also times you can remember

when you forgot what was in your mind only seconds ago..

Remembering that you forgot to try to remember what it was that

you forgot.. Like now finding that you remember you will forget if

you try to remember but knowing that you have forgotten what

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you didn’t try to remember.. Forgetting why you’re even trying

when you know you will just forget everything that I have said but

knowing it is not forgotten unconsciously…

Confusion induction with arm levitation using complex

language patterns

I don’t know whether your eyes being shut will make your

left hand go numb first or whether it will be the right hand.. It’s

your right to decide which hand will be left right until the last

minute as the hand that is not left can go right into a relaxed state

of numbness leaving what’s left for a little while as the one that’s

numbing goes right on spreading with the other one still left behind

spreading that numbness right down through your body relaxing

you as the one that’s left catches right arm up as it becomes lighter

leaving the other one right where it is with the one that’s left

getting light like a helium balloon left in a room with me right

down with the other one left lifting reaching for the sky wanting to

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fly left just floating there up in the air with the other one still right

where it lays with the one that’s left with a mind of its own left

filling with helium giving it that floating, drifting, flying, relaxing

feeling which is down right uplefting with one right down and the

other left lifting up. As that lightness may spread right down into

the whole body or being left for the body to rapidly catch right on

up as you now drop deeply into a pleasant deep state of honest

unconscious awareness…

And finally a fun use of language patterns being used as

an answer phone message. I think that it is important to practice

these patterns and be creative. Use them in everyday life to turn

them into something that you naturally do instinctively.

Hi thank you for calling…when you leave a message don’t

forget to remember what that message was or…remember to

forget it…just stop a minute and think about how easy it is to get

lost in thought when you hear people rambling on finding that

when you come to talk you forget what was on your mind just a

moment ago…listening and trying to understand what I am saying

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and why I am saying it and how much effort it is to follow, and

questions you ask yourself about when I’m going to shut up and let

you get back to what you were doing before you called…but I

think it would be rude for you to do that before you hear the

beep…so don’t hang up until then just relax and be calm, lost in

thought like losing track of an old dream or a name on the tip of

your tongue that’s easier to…forget it…and relax as you get off the

phone you can always call back and try in vain to leave that

message later if you want to feel better…so for now don’t go until

you hear the beep……

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Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy should be the first choice of cure for

problems like depression, anxiety problems, phobias, PTSD (post-

traumatic stress disorder), or anger problems etc. As most

problems are trance states and happen without conscious control,

an understanding of trance states and how to access and utilise

them is required by the therapist.

Not all Psychotherapy is the same and in the UK most

Psychotherapists and Counsellors are still trained with information

that has continued to be taught for decades despite scientific

advances in brain scanning and our understanding of Neurology,

evolution & human behaviour. The psychotherapy that I was

taught was based on all the latest scientific research and findings.

A study was done to discover the most effective forms of

therapy. What was found was that change, regardless of the therapy

only occurred when the client entered a trance state. Research has

since shown that when you enter a trance you enter the dream-

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state, which you enter each night to integrate all new things that

have been learnt during the day. (That is why babies spend longer

dreaming in the last three months before birth than any other time

in their lives as they are laying down the ‘instinctive patterns’

required for survival like suckling and breathing etc…)

The main schools of Psychotherapy are:

Psychodynamic therapy is an approach started by Sigmund

Freud who believed that most of our behaviour is unconscious and

affected by repressed childhood conflicts. Psychodynamic

therapists believe that you need insight into the reason for the

problem before change can happen. Therapy can take years when

done this way. Furthermore most people know why they have a

problem but it hasn’t made the problem go away. Psychodynamic

therapy often makes people worse as they continually have to think

about all of their problems throughout their life. It also often

makes people reliant on the therapist. To keep people believing

that they should keep attending therapy the therapist would usually

say ‘it’ll get worse before it gets better’.

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Person-centred therapy is an approach started by Carl

Rogers. This therapy mainly involves active listening. Where the

therapist listens to the client and only feeds back the thoughts of

the client without imposing any views or interventions. The belief

was that the client would miraculously find their own answers.

Active listening is a useful tool but clients often get frustrated with

the excessive passiveness of the therapist. This form of therapy

makes conditions like depression worse as it promotes rumination,

which is the process that a depressed person already uses.

Behaviour therapy is an approach started by B.F. Skinner.

The idea is that everything is caused by your behaviour and that

internal processes don’t matter. Behaviour therapy works better

when used with cognitive or interpersonal therapies to work with

internal processes and relationships.

Cognitive therapy is an approach developed by Aaron

Beck. The idea is that all emotion comes from thoughts so if you

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change the thoughts you change the emotion and so get rid of the

problem. Unfortunately the idea is flawed in that emotion is known

to always come before thought. It is still useful as part of therapy

for people to alter their thoughts. Cognitive therapy works better

when used with other therapies like behavioural and interpersonal.

Interpersonal therapy is an approach about the

interactions between people and the importance of this. The idea

is that you can teach someone the skills to interact effectively with

others. By changing interactions you change the problem. This also

works better when used with other therapies.

Human Givens therapy brings behaviour, cognitive &

interpersonal therapies in line with the latest scientific research.

It’s aim is to help people to get their basic emotional needs met

healthily using the essential skills that you are born with to promote

effective change. It also uses Solution-focused therapy to get the

client focusing on goals and solutions to problems rather than

going over the problem repeatedly. The idea is to say “ok, so this is

your problem what needs to happen to be free from that

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problem?” This approach makes therapy time-limited and more

brief and cost effective. And it uses Guided Imagery to allow the

client to mentally rehearse situations whilst in a calm and relaxed

state, which has been found to be an important part of any

therapeutic change work.

Most Psychological problems are Symptomatic Trances

Symptomatic trances happen automatically and

unconsciously so the most effective way to change them is to use

hypnotic therapy or guided imagery with useful effective

psychotherapy. Symptomatic trances are times when you carry out

behaviour without conscious thought.

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Effective Psychotherapy & the structure of therapy sessions

The RIGAAR model is a model created for use in therapy.

It is actually a very useful model to use in many different areas. I

have used the RIGAAR model in areas from structuring meetings,

to dissolving conflicts. Later on I will cover each stage individually.

For now I will give an overview of RIGAAR.

The idea of the RIGAAR model is that it gives a

structure to work from. It is a structure that includes all of the

areas that you will need to cover when you are working with a

client, but not all of the parts have to be done in order. The idea

is that you aim to DO all of the parts to gain the best results.

RIGAAR starts with Rapport building, this is essential

and does have to be done right from the beginning and maintained

until the end. Next comes Information gathering, this again really

will be done throughout because the client’s will always be giving

you information, whether it is about what they like or dislike or

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about an interest or any number of useful bits of information.

Clients will be giving you plenty of information about the structure

or important information about their problem.

As you get used to noticing information and it’s uses it will

become an unconscious process, as will rapport building, both of

which you will do automatically.

The next stage in RIGAAR is Goal setting; this will be

done fairly early on depending on your questioning but will become

clearer and more specific as you gather further information. Then

comes Agreeing a strategy, this may be done with or without the

client’s knowledge. Really it is a stage for clarifying what they want

and how they are going to get it. The next stage is Accessing

resources; again this will take place throughout as the client offers

the different resources to you, and as you discover or notice

resources. Lastly is Rehearsal, this stage is where you help the

client to imagine the future positively with what their desired goals.

This may be done to some extent throughout the whole process.

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R-apport: Build rapport quickly, start getting a ‘yes set’

etc…

I-nformation Gathering: Quickly begin to gather

information (Basic needs, interests, resources, etc…)

G-oal setting: Feedback what the client says they want,

establish what the desired goal is (For example: ‘so you want to be

able to have more energy and be healthier by stopping smoking)

A-gree Strategy: ‘What we are going to do is….’

Get stages (For example: Firstly I’ll teach you a new way to

relax so you don’t have to smoke, then I’ll disrupt the old smoking

pattern…)

A-ccess Resources: Get usable states like a ‘relaxation’ state,

or a ‘motivation’ state, etc…then anchor them

R-ehearse: Future pace, vividly build an experience in their

mind of a great, pleasurable future having achieved their goal and

what they did to get there

Now I will cover the stages of RIGAAR in more depth.

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Rapport

Rapport is like a dance. People in rapport act similar.

Rapport is the quality of a relationship that comes from

mutual trust and responsiveness. You gain rapport by

understanding and respecting the way another person sees the

world. Rapport is essential for good communication. If you have

rapport others will feel acknowledged and immediately be more

responsive.

For effective rapport you need to take a second position

role. When you take second position you show that you are willing

to try to understand the other person from their point of view. This

doesn’t mean that you have to agree with the other person just

show your understanding.

Build rapport first, and then keep that rapport

throughout, testing regularly for being able to lead.

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When you have rapport and are able to lead the client start

nodding before you ask questions that you want positive responses

to. This will give you an idea of how much you are able to lead the

client in their decisions and views. As a therapist you want to know

that you can influence the client gently to follow what you say that

will be important to help them.

Without rapport it is unlikely that you would have much

success at having any ideas and suggestions of yours taken on

board by the client. This is often one of the problems with forms

of counselling and psychotherapy that recommend therapists avoid

being in rapport with their client’s.

If the client shakes their head when you want

agreement start shaking your head also to create

behavioural rapport then merge it into a nod.

Pacing and leading

To build rapport and good relationships you have to begin

by pacing another person. Pacing is when you enter the other

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person’s model of the world on their terms. It is exactly like

walking beside them at their speed. Too fast and they will have to

hurry to keep up with you, too slow and they have to hold

themselves back. Either way they have to make a special effort.

You are the one that should be making the special effort for the

benefit of making the client relaxed and comfortable with you.

Talk at the same rate as the client, because people

process information consciously at the rate that they

speak which means that if you speak too fast or slow

for them then they won’t feel comfortable or

understood (or likely to understand you).

Once you have paced another person, and gained rapport

and shown that you understand where they’re coming from, then

you can lead them. To pace the client you can either do matching,

cross-matching or mirroring depending on the situation and which

feels right for the circumstances. Trust your feelings, they will

usually be right.

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Matching

You use matching for pacing and gaining rapport. Matching

is when you match the other person almost like ‘copying them

respectfully’. One problem people new to rapport skills have is that

they look false when they copy the other person. They don’t do it

looking natural. You want to match their ‘style’ not mimic them in

an obvious way. For example, if they make a specific gesture

associated with a certain type of comment then you can use that

gesture if you make a similar comment. If they change position,

you don’t immediately change position, you wait until you find a

‘natural’ point in the interaction to change positions, like a gesture

with the hand can them go back into this new position rather than

the old one. This can be done at every neurological level.

- Environment

-

You could match:

Work place. Clothing. Personal appearance. Interests

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- Behaviour

Matching:

Breathing, posture, gestures and eye contact, speed of

speech, speech volume, speech rhythm, voice tone, key words and

phrases the other person uses and same sensory language.

- Capabilities

Rapport from sharing skills and interests

- Beliefs and values

Respecting and understanding the beliefs and values of the

other person without asking them to justify those beliefs to you.

- Identity

Accepting the person for who they are as an individual.

Being prepared to share some of your beliefs and values with them.

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Mirroring

Mirroring is a technique for becoming like a mirror image

of the person you are communicating with. In matching if they

move their right arm you move your right arm. In mirroring if they

move their right arm you move your left arm.

Cross-matching

Cross-matching is where you do something different to the

other person but with a similar aspect to it. For example they cross

their arms, you cross your legs. This is good for being more subtle

and making what you are doing less likely to be noticed.

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The ‘yes set’ can help with verbal pacing and leading. If you

get the client to say ‘yes’ a number of times they become more

likely to continue to say ‘yes’ and because the conversation is all

agreeable they feel more understood which paces them and makes

them easier to lead.

The best way to guarantee a ‘yes’ and improved rapport is

to ask what you know to be true as you continue to gain rapport

then lead with an attached statement.

Make the client feel understood.

If a client is angry or complaining ensure that you show

that you recognise the emotional impact from their point of view to

create and maintain rapport.

A therapy example might be:

“It must be really horrible flying when you’re so terrified”

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Not

“Now you do realise only a tiny minority of aeroplanes

actually crash”

Come alongside the client, don’t fight them or argue. When

you join the client’s reality you can then begin to lead them

elsewhere.

Rapport doesn’t mean you have to like the client, it means

to some extent you have to act like the client, matching them and

showing you understand them.

Remember to use all of your verbal and non-verbal

communication to its best effect. About 97% of the

communication that you use and that the client picks up on are

non-verbal or the non-word components to speech like tonality,

and tempo. Now that you have learnt about rapport you have the

ability to use your body language and your speech allowing you to

communicate using some of that 97%. When people naturally go

into a state of rapport they match unconsciously verbally and non-

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verbally. Rather than waiting to find out if you will have rapport

you have the ability to cause it which will make the client feel good

and feel liked and understood.

These skills are skills we use all of the time. Practice

regularly. For example, I sometimes sit in meetings and pick

someone to practice on. I then match their breathing and watch

their pulse in their neck and tap my finger to the beat of their pulse,

and match their posture etc and then test for leading.

Rapport exercise

Split into pairs. Decide who will be person 1 and person 2.

Sit opposite each other. Person one then start talking about

something that you are interested in. person two, you listen and

build rapport with person one. This will involve you building

behavioural rapport, showing an interest by feeding back what they

say and nodding etc. you will also notice commonly used words

and phrases which you also can use to strengthen rapport. Use

sensory language that person one uses. For example if they are

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talking about how good it feels to be sailing, that you can notice

the waves hitting the side of the boat and feel the wind and sea

spray on your face. Then you predominately reply with feeling

phrases.

Spend five minutes doing this then change roles and spend

five minutes again. Then do the same again but this time

purposefully break rapport as you are talking by doing things like

not matching language, looking away, not matching body language

etc. Do this for five minutes each way and notice the difference

between both of these exercises. Notice what it feels like when you

have rapport and when you don’t have rapport. You could also

discuss this as a group afterwards.

Information Gathering

To gather information effectively you need to ask questions

that get the information that you require while at the same time you

want to avoid asking questions that make the client think about

information that you don’t want them to think about.

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The idea of asking the right questions is to guide the client

from where they are to where they want to be. You want to guide

their route through their map of reality. The best way to do this is

to learn to ask questions that you already know the answer to.

You should always expect the best. If you think that you are

unlikely to be able to help the client or that the client is going to be

annoying or difficult you will probably create a self-fulfilling

prophecy by behaving in a way that causes the outcome that you

expect.

Ask questions, which presuppose change. Covering the

areas below:

• How will their life be different?

• What do they think has stopped them getting what

they want so far?

• Who will be the first to notice?

• How will we know when the goal has been reached

and therapy can come to an end?

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• Use the miracle question? Which is a question

designed along the lines of: If I could click my fingers and

make the problem disappear, how would you know it has gone?

The information gathering that you do should be

solution-focused. It should be focused on a specific goal and on

finding the resources that are needed to achieve that goal.

Areas solution-focused questions fall into when gathering

information (also covered in the solution-focused section):

• Exceptions (to break down problems)

• Normalising (to break down problems, making

what they say-normal)

• Scaling (comparing one with another and increasing

how much they like something by asking what would need to

happen to make it better, using 1-10 etc)

• Discovering resources

• Miracle questions

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• Changing the words…minimising any

problem…using time

• Future pace to a time when they have achieved their

goal

When you are gathering information you want to be finding

resources that you can anchor to use later if necessary.

Ask questions covering:

• What

• When

• Where

• How

All of these areas should give you a clear picture of exactly

what you need to do to help the client.

Information gathering takes place all the time to some

extent because you are always being provided with information the

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whole time you are interacting, but you can make a special effort to

specifically gather certain information that you require at a specific

stage that feels right for you.

Information gathering exercise

It is important that you get used to gathering information.

You can practice this in your everyday life. Below is an exercise that

you can pair up with someone to practice.

Get into pairs. One of you will spend five minutes being a

client while the other person is a therapist.

What I want you to do is have the client (think of a minor

problem to work with) then I want the therapist to gather

information using the areas above. Think about what resources or

emotional states would be required that you can ask questions to

evoke (you don’t need to do anchoring here necessarily), think

about using all the different types of questioning and using –what,

when, where, how questions to find out specifically what they want

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and how their lives will be different when they no longer have the

problem.

You can write down what information you have gathered to

see the amount of information it is possible to get. You can also get

used to gathering information from their non-verbal behaviour and

reactions if you want to practice being more advanced. When you

have gathered information you can feedback this information to

build a yes set and to deepen their experience of being problem

free.

Goal Setting

Without setting goals you would have no idea of knowing

when you have reached the time to end therapy. Without setting

goals you also don’t know exactly what the client needs or what to

say to them about what they hope to gain from the therapy.

Goal setting is a vital part of the process of effective

therapy. You need to ask questions that establish what the client

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wants to achieve and how they expect it to impact on their life in

the future.

You need to use the information gathering to build up a

picture of the goals that are required. These goals can then be used

to focus your mind on what you need to do to help the client get

what it is that they want.

You may choose to make some points known to the client

like stating ‘what you want is…’ and telling them what they have

said in a way that confirms the goal. Once you know the client’s

goal you can then work on achieving it. You should begin to

presuppose the goals as definitely going to occur. If the client’s

goals are unrealistic then you should use re-framing to find a

compromise, creating a goal that is more realistic or acceptable.

Goal setting exercise

In pairs, one person take on the role of a client, one

person take on the role of a therapist. The client is one of

these options:

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• Wants to stop smoking

• Wants to stop being depressed

• Wants to get rid of their wasp phobia

The therapist then has to respond to the client and establish

the goals and feed them back to the client.

Do this for five minutes each way.

Accessing Resources

Everybody has natural resources that can be utilised. These

might be events from their lives that have emotions attached, or

talk about friends or family. These resources can be accessed

through good information gathering. Anchoring can then be used

to gain future access to these resources.

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The idea behind accessing resources is that it gives you

something to work with that you can use to get the client to

achieve their goal.

Practice noticing resources in people all of the time and

seeing how you could use those resources to help them get what

they want. By allowing yourself to be more aware of noticing

people’s resources you can begin to notice them automatically.

Almost everything can be used as a resource, from

resistance to the client telling you that they have a loving partner.

Agreeing a strategy

It is important to know what the strategy is to help the

client from where they are to where they would like to be. You

need to create a strategy with each client; it is a set of

checkpoints that you need to get from the client that you can

follow to the desired goal. The strategy is like a number of small

goals that when completed will end with the main goal.

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The agreeing the strategy stage allows you to motivate the

client by saying ‘this is what we are going to do and these are the

stages we will take’

When you are talking to the client, form in your mind the

set of stages that will need to take to achieve the desired goal.

Agreeing a strategy exercise

In pairs with one person as a client the other person as a

therapist, the client wants gain more confidence. The therapist then

listens to the client saying what they want and then writes down a

strategy that leads to those goals. Do this for five minutes then

swap roles.

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Rehearsal

The rehearsal stage in RIGAAR is where you get the client

to mentally rehearse the future they want. It is important in this

stage to make it a positive experience.

Getting the client to rehearse future experiences can take

place throughout the interaction not just at the end. When you do

the rehearsal you want to get the client to imagine how good it is

going to be without their old problem. Get them to imagine the

changes that will occur in the client’s life, what positive things

others will say about them no longer having the old problem. The

more detailed the experience is that you create in the client and the

more absorbed and excited with the idea of having that future you

can make them, the more they are going to crave and feel

compelled to achieve that outcome. The client can get so used to

the idea of having the desired future that if they don’t for whatever

reason there will be an uncomfortableness in the situations that the

outcome should have occurred in. It is like quitting smoking and

getting an urge when you are in a situation that you used to smoke

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in, or exercising regularly and then stopping and feeling like you

should be doing something at the times when you used to exercise.

I use this process often to set up a desired future that

includes the changes the client would like to make. If they choose

not to do what I have suggested they do in therapy then when the

times arrive when they should have carried out those changes they

feel uncomfortable doing what they are doing at those times

because they aren’t doing what their mind thinks they should be

doing.

Even people who are determined that they don’t want to

change, like smokers that are forced by partner to come and see

me, feel uncomfortable and self conscious if they smoke when I

have made them rehearse not smoking. This makes them decide to

cut down, quit on their own or come back and see me because they

want to, not because they are forced to.

With smokers especially I find that if they have been forced

to see me then they normally don’t listen in the session, they decide

they won’t change before they see me and then leave believing that

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they can tell their partners ‘it didn’t work.’ Which they then think

gets them off the hook as they can say they tried therapy and I

didn’t change them. What they don’t realise is that because they

were in the same room as me and could hear me talking I

influenced them more than they could have known.

This rehearsal process utilises a natural process that we all

use. It is often said that you normally get what you think about.

Well that is true. This process is the one that is used for worrying,

and the one used by high achievers to get what they want in life.

Worrying is mentally rehearsing future situations going

wrong. By doing this most of the time those situations happen as

expected because your unconscious mind can’t tell the difference

between real and vividly imagined so it expects that what you think

about is what is supposed to happen so it helps it to happen. The

same applies when you think about how well something is going to

go. Your unconscious mind does all it can to make that come true.

Everyone has had that feeling that they should be

somewhere, or that they should have done something but not

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known what, only to remember later what it was. This again is the

same thing. When you decided to do what it is you forgot you

thought about doing it. By the time you were supposed to have

done it you obviously forgot, but your unconscious mind hadn’t it

knew what you should be doing and made you feel something was

missing. If what is missing when a client feels this is positive

changes then it will fuel the desire to come back to therapy or carry

out the positive changes.

To get the client to mentally rehearse effectively you need

to use various language patterns that are covered in the hypnosis

section. These include presuppositions which presuppose what will

occur, like: ‘when you do this…’, or, ‘while you are …you will need

to…’, or ‘after you …’

You will need to use Nominalisations. These are words that

have no fixed meaning. The meaning is created in the mind of the

listener. Words like: imagine, wonder, needs, stylish, pleasure. All of

these words make the client have to go into a more focused state

internally to make their own sense of what has just been said.

When you notice the client ‘go inside’ adjust your voice to match

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their experience, if they go quieter and more relaxed match this

with your voice. If they start getting more excited then match this

with your voice.

The ideal ‘rehearsal’ state for the client is one where their

attention is focused internally. It could be that you get them

looking at something then start talking to them using ‘hypnotic’

language while they are focused. You could easily do this by saying

something like: ‘take a look at this a moment while you think about

what I’m saying.’ Then going into deepening that sense of focus.

To create a rich and fully absorbing rehearsal state you need

to use sensory rich language. The more senses you get involved the

better. The experience that you create in the mind of the client is

more than just an imagined image; you want it to have sound,

feeling and possibly even smell and taste. Learn to overlap the

senses. This is where you start with one sense then add another

sense and begin to build up the experience.

For example:

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‘Imagine what it would be like to be out in a park, hearing

your favourite tune playing, enjoying the fresh air, feeling relaxed as

you look at all the different colours around you and feel the ground

beneath your feet having a sense of achievement knowing that you

are doing something in the past you could only have dreamt of.’

Rehearsal exercise

In pairs, take it in turns to be a client. Describe an event

you would like to have happen. Then in sensory language and using

some Nominalisations the person being the therapist get the client

to focus on something as you talk to them, then feedback in

sensory specific language the event they said they would like to

have happen. Do this for ten minutes then change roles.

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Introduction to Part Two Therapy, Techniques & Treatments

Previously I gave an overview of the main schools of

therapy. I have also covered how to do hypnosis or guided imagery

and how to structure therapy sessions, and background

information underpinning work as a brief therapist. In this book I

will cover effective psychotherapy, techniques and treatments.

This book will explore effective psychotherapy practices

covering what works most effective with the treatment of a range

of conditions from Depression and Anxiety to Post Traumatic

Stress Disorder and Addictions.

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Psychotherapy

To do effective psychotherapy you will need to be

confident at helping client’s do guided imagery and be able to

follow RIGAAR. It is also useful to teach them how to do self-

hypnosis so that they can use this when they feel the need to do so

to relax and imagine problem free times.

Human givens approach

In ‘Foundations’ we touched on areas of The Human

Givens approach, we’ll just recap and delve a little deeper. The

Human Givens approach focuses on knowing about what we, as

humans have been given to manage life. This includes having an

understanding of how the brain works, what the basic human needs

are, what the essential skills (see essential skills chapter) are that

most humans are born with and how pattern matching works and

the importance of trance.

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The basic human needs are:

• The need to give and receive attention

• The mind body connection

• The need for purpose and goals

• Connection to something bigger than yourself

• The need for stimulation and creativity

• The need to feel understood and connected

• The need to feel a sense of control

Be aware of the different functions of brain hemispheres

and aware of how emotions affect the brain. Left hemisphere is

generally for processing information in sequential, logical, rational

ways and with small, detailed movements. While the right

hemisphere is generally for ‘contextualising’ patterns, pattern

matching and unpleasant emotions such as fear and depression and

is often associated with controlling larger movements.

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The emotional mind (limbic system) functions have a large

effect on memories and on how problems are maintained. During

times of high emotion the limbic system, which is a far more

primitive part of the brain ‘takes over’ causing the IQ to drop. As a

therapist if you know this you can help the client to disrupt this

‘emotional hijacking’ by asking them to challenge their own

thoughts or to grade the intensity of their experience as it is

happening. Both these interventions require a person to use their

‘thinking brain’, to water down the intensity of the negative

emotion. (Do not use these techniques on romantic or pleasant

memories etc because obviously you don’t want these memories or

experiences to get emotionally ‘wiped’!)

People go in and out of trance from moment to moment,

gluing new learning in place. This happens whether it is learning

something useful or learning and strengthening a problem. This is

why using trance to help people is so important. It is important to

help people to notice and control their own trance states. You can

teach a client to distance themselves from the emotional trance as it

begins. This can be practised in therapy helping the clients to make

that psychological shift.

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‘Imagination keeps belief patterns and emotional patterns in

place’

Your body can’t tell the difference between reality and

vividly imagined. This is why the use of guided imagery or hypnosis

is so useful. Many people use this all the time. Hypnosis has often

been given a bad image due to charlatans and bad stage hypnotists.

This has led to a lot of confusion an misunderstanding in this field.

Often I encounter people that I see doing hypnosis that would

deny that that is what they are doing. Some would even get angry

that I suggested it. ALL Counsellors, Psychiatrists, Doctors and

Psychotherapists use hypnosis whether they realise it or not.

For years sports people have improved their performance

with hypnosis. Most of them would call it mental rehearsal. Race

drivers often imagine repeatedly completing perfect laps so that

when they come to do the ‘real’ lap it is ‘as if’ they have already

completed the lap many times before. This is why knowledge of

hypnosis is important, because you can get the client to repeatedly

practice being better. For example, a smoker could rehearse not

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smoking when they answer the phone or when they are socialising

and drinking so that they automatically respond in a specific new

way in those situations.

Use the observing self. This is a place where you look at the

problem from a different viewpoint and separate the problem from

the core identity. We are all born with this ability. When

psychological problems occur often people get stuck in the

problem and once stuck there they struggle to move to the

observing self. You can use techniques like anchoring or the rewind

technique to help the client to be able to ‘step back’ from their

problem.

The observing self is the part of you that observes what is

happening at that moment in the mind or behaviourally. You can’t

observe the observing self. It is a point that you can only observe

from. The observing self position is emotionless. Most forms of

therapies use the observing self to some extent whether it is to see

how you are thinking cognitively, or to see how you react with a

different emotional reaction etc…

Telling stories helps prepare and use the observing self.

When you listen to a story you notice patterns, plots, characters

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behaviours etc… the story can be perceived but you are not in it. If

there are parallels then you can see these patterns for the first time

from a different point of view.

The most successful therapeutic techniques work because

they use the observing self. Anchoring, scrambling, rewind

technique etc work by allowing the person to view the situation

from the point of view of the observing self. Using the observing

self prevents ‘emotional hijacking’.

Humour can use the observing self by making you look at a

situation from a different viewpoint. As a therapist you need to use

the observing self to allow yourself to not get sucked in to the

clients problems and to notice patterns and to prevent giving off

signals that the client may pick up on about personal views you

may hold as a therapist about the client’s situation that could be

judgemental.

Individuals always search for meaning. The meaning they

find can be constructive or harmful. One of the worst things that

can happen is that someone’s life can lack meaning.

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Time-limited therapy

Time-limited therapy is usually therapy that is less than 25

sessions.

There is very good reason to do time-limited therapy. The

average length of time clients spend in therapy is eight. 80%

discontinue within 20 sessions. 40% only attend 1-4 sessions, 40%

attend 5-20 sessions. So if, like many old schools of therapy you

plan on offering an open-ended number of sessions most people

won’t stay long anyway.

With this in mind it is best to treat each session like it’s the

last. Studies have shown that single-session therapy can be

beneficial. As a therapist the change-work rarely occurs within the

actual session, it occurs after the session and between sessions as

the neural pathways generate new and more useful patterns in the

brain based on the work done in the session.

When you work from a Human givens approach, using

solution-focused therapy and a blend of cognitive, behavioural and

interpersonal therapies and guided-imagery/hypnosis most client’s

will be treated within one to five sessions.

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The handbook of counselling psychology 2003 reported:

‘Follow up of clients from single sessions a year later had

the same benefits as clients that had brief therapy and long-term

therapy… Study investigating a total of 2400 patients, 29-38%

improved in 3 sessions, 48-58% improved in 4-7 sessions, 56-68%

improved in 8-16 sessions, 85% improved in 53-100 sessions…

One-year follow up cognitive-behavioural approach appeared more

efficacious than psychodynamic therapy… There is growing

evidence that only a proportion of cases require longer-term work,

and as research develops it would seem that this proportion is

getting smaller…’

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Principles of solution-focused therapy

To be effective therapy needs to stay on track. It is no good

having client’s in therapy with no established goal. If there is no

goal then therapy can carry on for years and may just end up going

round in circles each session.

With solution-focused therapy the aim is to know what the

main goal is and what stages are required to achieve that goal. You

want to know what is expected to be achieved between each

session. This allows you to see the rate of progress and areas that

perhaps need improvement or need to be refined.

Set goals and agree on how you will get there with the

client, how you will monitor the progress and how you will know

when you have achieved the goal and therapy can end.

The first telephone contact with the client is the first

therapeutic opportunity. Many therapists just treat the first phone

call as a client arranging to have therapy. Whoever answers the

phone should be trained to talk therapeutically to start the therapy

process before the client realises that it has begun.

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It could be as simple as saying to the client to notice

between now and the first session what occurs that they would like

to continue occurring. This focuses the client’s attention on

positive outcomes and stops them focusing on their problem. By

the time they come to their first session they are likely to already be

feeling a little better and more positive. Ask client’s to tell you what

improvements they have noticed since making the appointment.

In solution-focused therapy you want to get the client

thinking positively in terms of what they want. You don’t want

them telling you what they don’t want.

For example:

You don’t want the client telling you that they don’t want

to keep arguing with their partner.

You want them to tell you that they want to spend time

getting on with their partner like they used to, that they want to be

able to calmly discuss differences of opinion.

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The first option would involve the client visualising arguing

with their partner to know what they don’t want, whereas the

second option involves the client visualising good times, discussion

and being calm.

Normalise the client’s problem. Tell the client things like

‘many people often think that before they understand what is going

on’

Often people with problems believe that they have the

worst case of their problem that anyone has ever had and that

unlike other people that you have treated they will be untreatable. I

often make client’s problems seem fairly normal and mundane.

I don’t trivialise their problems I just use examples of

similar cases that have been treated successfully and make their

problem sound more common than they realise.

For example:

When I work with alcoholics I often explain to them about

the effects that alcohol has on the body and the panic attack feeling

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that can occur the next day due to the side effects of having not

drunk all night. Many alcoholics assume that they are the worst case

I have seen because of these severe unexplainable panic attacks

they have. When they realise that it is just the alcohol’s side effects

they relax and don’t panic so much if they have any future attacks

because they know that it is because of the drinking they did and

not because they are ‘losing their mind’.

When I work with client’s with phobias they often think

that their phobia is the most ridiculous and worst phobia I have

ever seen. I often start by explaining the survival aspects of the

phobia and then talk about other people that had phobias and use

examples that will sound more ridiculous than the phobia they

have. I make phobias sound common place.

Use time structure in your language. If you don’t use time

in your language therapy is likely to take longer because you

wouldn’t have specified what is past, what is present and what is

wanted in the future. As was covered in the hypnosis section you

want to move problems to the past. You want to start talking about

‘what was…’, ‘when that happened…’. When you talk about

resources and solutions you want to talk using language that links

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what you are saying to the present and the future in as much depth

as possible.

The more you can open up possibilities and close down and

be specific about problems in the past the faster and more effective

therapy will be.

In all of the therapy that you do you always want to expect

the best. You don’t want to be thinking ‘this person is never going

to improve’ sometimes people may not improve. Even the greatest

therapists in the world can’t cure everyone. For one thing not

everyone listens and does as they have been asked to do.

Ask questions, which presuppose change.

• How will your life be different?

• What do you think has stopped you changing so far?

• Who will be the first to notice?

• Do you want this change in all areas of your life?

• How will you know when therapy has successfully finished?

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• How will I, the therapist know?

• Use the miracle question? A question that is asked along the

lines of ‘if you woke up tomorrow and found your problem had

vanished what would be different? How would you know?

How would others know?’

Ask exception questions. These are questions where you are

asking for exceptions to what normally happens or was expected to

happen. Like asking about times when the client thought they

would have had their problem but didn’t.

Establish a clear outcome that both of you would be happy

with. Sometimes therapists think they know what the outcome

should be. It is important that as a therapist you don’t force your

views and beliefs upon a client. Likewise sometimes clients state a

desired outcome that is ridiculous or too non-specific. Like saying

‘I want to be happy’. Between the client and therapist you should

work with each other to establish an appropriate outcome that you

both agree on.

Separate the problem from the core identity. It is important

to remember that the client’s problem isn’t their identity. If you call

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someone a smoker or an alcoholic or label them with any other

problem you are linking the problem and the identity. Some people

that get labelled in this way go on to assume they are there problem

and that they are stuck with it. Like people that have a drink

problem believing that even if they haven’t drunk for years they are

still an alcoholic and always will be.

Having people thinking in this way can be harmful as they

never fully move on they always assume they could go back to their

problem at any moment. When you talk with the client’s you want

to talk about their problem as separate by saying things like ‘how

long have smoked?’ ‘What do you find you have been worrying

about?’ ‘What happens to make you feel you need to have a drink?’

It may sound paradoxical to a solution-focused approach

but it can be useful to ask the client ‘What could go wrong?’ This is

really not as odd as it first sounds because by asking what could go

wrong you are finding out situations that you could need to plan

for which allows you to create solutions for areas that you

previously might not have realised needed covering.

Sometimes you could even set some setbacks in place in the

future so that when they happen the client expects them as part of

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the recovery process. This can work well with client’s that want to

lose weight because then if they have a few incidents of bingeing

this will be expected and even required to achieve the final success

of meeting a desired weight. With some people that want to lose

weight what I have found is that when they have a setback they

immediately assume this means failure so they quit any diets and

continue bingeing. The same is often true with many people with

habits or addictions.

The best way to set some setbacks is to say something like

‘To achieve the best long lasting results you will have some

setbacks for your unconscious mind to learn from. Now I don’t

know if you will have one, two or four setback and I don’t know if

they will happen close to each other or spread out over a long

period of time. each time you get a setback you can accept it

knowing that it means you are closer to achieving what you want to

achieve and move past that setback with a renewed sense of

achievement and motivation knowing that unconsciously and

perhaps consciously you have learnt something useful about how it

was caused and how it can be prevented in the future and you can

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then continue as you were before that setback occurred with the

new learning that you have made.’

When you finish a session you can ask the client to notice

what occurs between sessions that they want more of. This will

give something positive for you to ask about at the next session

and give the client something positive to focus on between

sessions.

Areas solution-focused questions fall into:

• Exceptions (When does the problem not happen when you

expected it would?)

• Normalising (I have many people coming to me with similar

problems)

• Scaling (On a scale of one to ten, with ten being the worst, how

anxious do those old memories make you feel when you think

about them now?)

• Discovering resources (What do you do to relax?)

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• Miracle questions (If you woke up tomorrow and the problem

had gone how would you know?)

• Changing the words (minimising the problem) and using time

(Changing pain for discomfort, changing ‘I’m always in pain.’

To ‘when does the discomfort feel the worst?’)

• Future pace to a time when the problem doesn’t exist (Imagine

drifting to the future after you have overcome the problem and

notice what is different)

Remember you have to BE solution-focused not just use

solution-focused language. Be solution-focused in ALL areas of

your life. Think before you speak so that you talk solution-focused.

Always have a goal in mind when you communicate and talk

solution-focused to aim at that.

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An outline of using solution focused questioning and

structure (Example’s given using helping parents with

difficulties)

Over the phone set task: Between now & when I come to

see you look out for things that are happening that you would like

to continue to happen so that we can talk about them (Ask about

this at first session)

Reinforce ‘ANY’ positive

Start with problem free talk

Feedback resources as they come out from the problem free talk

Ask ‘What would you like?’

Ask ‘What is different about the times when…?’ (What they’d like

is happening)

How do you get that to happen?

How does it make your day go differently? (When that happens)

Who else noticed that…? (The above happened)

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How did you get…to stop/end…? (Eg, Johnny to calm down)

How did you figure out that…(to stop this)…you needed to …(do

this)

(If given a new response on how to handle the situation/or how it

is now just started being handled…praise and set up to maintain)

How is that different from the way you (the old you) might have

handled it (1 week ago, month ago, etc…)

What do you do for fun? What do you do to relax? How do you

give yourself ‘me time’?

What are your hobbies/interests?

Have you ever had this difficulty in the past? (Similar problem with

another child, etc…)

(Yes) How did you resolve it then? What do you need to do to get

that to happen again? (What is stopping you from doing the same

again?)

What will be the very first sign that things are moving in the right

direction? (Or sign that things are continuing in the right

direction?) Then what…?

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What is happening that you would like to continue to have happen?

(Can set a task… ‘Between now and next time look out for things

that are happening that you would like to continue to happen so

that we can talk about them next session’)

Miracle Question – Then expand and build on it ‘making it real’

Tasks

Alter the pattern of the complaint

- Change the frequency

- Change the timing of performance

- Change the location of the performance

- Change the duration of the performance

- Change the sequence of elements/events in the complaint

- Break the complaint into smaller chunks

- Link the complaint to the performance of a boring or

burdensome task

- Add a new element to the pattern

Alter the context surrounding the pattern

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‘Do at least one or two things that will surprise your parents/child.

Don’t tell them what it is. The other person’s job is to see if you

can tell what it is that the other person is doing. Don’t compare

notes; we will do that next session’

If client (parent) wants something suggest ‘Keep track of what you

are doing this week that gives you/makes you/etc…’

Session Two onwards

What has been happening that you want to continue to have

happen?

What did you notice you were doing that gave you more self-

confidence?

What good things have you been doing since our last appointment?

Etc…

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Then Amplify positives and changes

How did you get that to happen?

How did it make your day go differently?

Who else noticed that things went this way?

Etc…

Groups people fall into (Miracle, So-so, Same or worse)

Miracle Group

Talk about changes as long as possible; expand on them, positive

feedback and praise

What do you need to do to keep the changes going?

Is there anything that might happen that might present a challenge

to keeping these good things going?

What would that challenge be?

How will you handle it differently this time?

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Is there anything else that might pop up that might be challenging?

(Repeat above)

So-so group

Get the client talking about the good times and what went well first

Interrupt them if necessary saying ‘we’ll get on to those bits later’

(or similar)

After talking about and expanding on the good bits then move

onto the other stuff

So what were you concerned about?

How did you handle it differently this time?

Scaling

0-10 before support started

0-10 since sessions have started (or between sessions, etc)

0-10 ideal rating you would like to be at for support to end (what

this would look, feel, sound like)

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Scaling task

Notice and keep track of all the (…7 (ideal)…) things you are

doing so that we can discuss this next session

Same or worse Group

Get them to describe what, when, where, how, etc of the problem

as it has been now

Point out changes and positives etc

Could ask ‘is change really necessary or desirable?

Reframe situations to come across as strengths or positives

See how they respond/have responded to tasks

- Carried them out

- Not carried them out

- Done the opposite of what was set

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Identifying limiting beliefs and challenging them therapeutically

People often have limiting beliefs about what they are not

capable of like saying ‘I’m not able to relax’ or ‘I can’t do that’.

People often have unhelpful beliefs or labels for their problems.

They use ideas like:

• Hereditary interpretation: My mother had the same problem

• Biological interpretation: it’s hormonal; I can’t do anything

about it

• Hearsay interpretation: I was told by a friend that people with

my problem are stuck with it.

• Predictive interpretation: I know I’m going to feel depressed

again; whenever I think I’m better it comes back

• Mind reading interpretations: I know what you’re going to

think of me

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• Fatalistic interpretations: I’m stuck with this for life

• Media prompted interpretations: Your just like that woman on

Eastenders

• Mythic interpretations: I need to know why so that I can get

better

• Prescriptive interpretations: ADHD can only be cured with

drugs

Always respect the subjectivity of the client, don’t say

‘you’re wrong!’ Client’s problems often last because they believe

their opinions are fact.

You need to learn to do skilful re-framing. Think about

your client’s focus of attention. If they are being argued with or

perceive disagreement then they will be focused on their point of

view.

You want to get client’s interested in what YOU have to

say.

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Some ways of doing this are:

• Could I just clarify what you are saying? …

• I’ve got an idea that might help can I share it with you?

• Ask a question

• Agree with them

Pre-empting beliefs, if the client doesn’t have the belief that

you pre-empt it doesn’t matter because you were only talking about

‘people’.

‘I still get some people that come to see me that believe that

they couldn’t be hypnotised that they wouldn’t let someone control

them. Once they have got an understanding of what hypnosis really

is and they see that it is nothing mysterious and that they are the

ones in full control of how deep they decide to go into a trance

change occurs rapidly’.

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Psychotherapy in the workplace

With the rise of stress in the workplace I am including a

chapter on the importance of offering therapy to staff. Many

companies are now hiring therapists to help with the stress

management of the workforce.

Until now the needs of staff generally hasn’t been a high

enough priority in many companies. It has been more of an

unnecessary expense. Most companies don’t place much emphasis

on the staff team and their needs. Even when they do the question

is what form of therapy should they use. Most therapy models have

been focused on individual aspects of people rather than on all

aspects of people.

For example;

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• A cognitive approach will work with the thinking processes of

people

• A behavioural approach will work with the behaviour of people

• A psychodynamic approach will try to find the unconscious

processes behind problems and where in the childhood they

originated

Over the last decade a new approach has arisen using all the

latest scientific advances to bring all the scientifically accurate parts

of other approaches in line with what is known about human

evolution and how the human mind works. This approach is the

Human Givens approach. The approach is revolutionising

counselling and psychotherapy and is now being applied to areas

outside of therapy like education and business management.

The turnover of staff in many companies is far higher than

it should be. I used to train staff before they started their first

shifts. What I found was that I could teach eight new staff

members and on average out of these eight, four would be gone in

three months, another two within the first six months and another

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one within the first year. So from eight new staff 75% would be

gone in six months and at best one of them would last over a year.

This high level of staff turnover is all too familiar within

many companies and high stress sectors. If you add to this the

length of time it takes to actually advertise, select, interview,

employ, police check (where necessary), train the staff, then get

them on shift it becomes a costly and timely process. Many

companies seem to end up continually advertising for staff and

holding interviews at least every few months. Finding fewer people

applying with each new batch of applicants.

It seems to me that the cheapest and most time efficient

way to approach this issue is to:

• Refine the interviews and what questions are

being asked

• Provide the staff with appropriate training and

regular chances to talk with an independent

psychotherapist that works on solving current

issues that staff member has

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• Work at creating a culture that facilitates

meeting the needs of the staff.

What happens when staff needs aren’t being met?

When needs aren’t being met appropriately there can be

many undesirable effects on the staff team. The same applies when

anyone’s needs aren’t being met appropriately whether they are

individual members of the public, staff or management.

When needs aren’t met within the team there is a higher

level of:

• Staff turnover

• Sickness

• Addictive behaviour like more staff smoking or staff smoking

more or drug taking

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• Staff drinking more when off shift, possibly some drinking

excessively which can affect the work they do on shift, and

possibly even some drinking in work

• Depression and depression related illnesses

• Anger, staff having a lower tolerance level to getting angry

• Poor concentration, tiredness which can lead to mistakes being

made

• Black and white thinking which leads to an ‘I’m right your

wrong’ attitude with no compromise

• Low motivation and an increase in a ‘don’t care’ attitude,

complaining

• Arguments between staff on different shifts, with staff blaming

problems on other staff

All of these problems and more arise from staff not having

their needs met adequately. They have an impact on the company

financially and on the time of the Managers and Directors, they

also have an impact on the staff team as a whole and on the

customers that the company serves.

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Is it worth the cost?

Financially not meeting the needs of staff can be very

costly. It can be expensive to keep going through the process of

hiring new staff, and the effects of the continual disruption of the

staff turnover, with new staff coming in and other staff leaving all

leading to an unstable atmosphere.

Aside from the financial costs there are the costs to the

time of the Managers constantly dealing with the hiring process.

Then there is the added pressures on the Manager, having to deal

with an unhappy and stressed staff team that are struggling to cope

with being spread thinly because of low staff levels. Having to do

overtime, worrying about all of the disruption, complaining about

poor management and being taken for granted and never being

praised.

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Needs and innate ‘coping’ skills

The basic emotional needs are a set of needs that all human

beings are born with. We all need to have them met appropriately

and healthily. If they aren’t met it causes emotional distress and can

cause greed (where a ‘need’ becomes a ‘want’). This can often be

seen in neglected children. When they haven’t had the need met to

give and receive attention it can lead to attention seeking

behaviour.

Some of the main emotional needs are:

• To give and receive attention

• Keeping a good balance of the mind/body connection (e.g.,

stress can cause physical problems, lack of sleep lowers the

immune system)

• To have purpose and goals

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• To belong to a wider community (e.g., a group co-operating)

• To have a sense of control and independence

• To feel a sense of security

• To have a sense of status within a social group

• To have a sense of competence and achievement

• To feel understood and emotionally connected to others

To help meet these needs we all have innate coping skills

like the ability to relax the ability to tolerate uncertainty, and the

ability to gain mental distance from a problem. These skills and

many others help us to get our needs met and help us to deal with

problems that we face that may prevent those needs from being

met.

All individuals have varying degrees of ability with these

'coping' skills yet all individuals can be taught how to improve

them. It is vital that staff have the opportunity to improve their

coping skills and to take time to see which needs for them aren’t

being met. People are all different. It is the perception that they

have of a specific situation that is important. One person could feel

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a sense of control in a situation while the staff member next to

them may feel that the situation is out of their control.

The main needs that are often poorly met are:

The mind/body connection

Giving and receiving attention

Sense of control

Feeling understood

Sense of purpose

Staff often find themselves tired and not eating properly

due to working through breaks and over doing too much overtime.

They find that they have no one to talk to about problems and

don’t feel they can talk to senior staff. They feel that those making

decisions within the company don’t listen to the staff.

They feel they have no control over staffing decisions or

decisions that go on in their working environment and often face

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situations as part of the job that they feel out of control of due to

lack of experience and guidance.

They often feel that ‘Management’ don’t understand them

and what it is like doing their job. They feel they have no real

purpose or goals that they are just struggling to get through each

day.

Creating a staff friendly culture

Meeting the needs of the staff and improving their ‘coping’

skills are relatively easy; it doesn’t take big changes. For the ‘coping’

skills the most important aspect is to teach staff to relax and to be

able to remain calm in difficult situations. This helps enormously

with the ability of the staff to use their other 'coping' skills because

when people are relaxed they can view situations rationally and

objectively.

Staff need to learn how to deal with and notice the

difference between what is and what isn’t within their control. This

is necessary as worrying about things that are out of your control

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only causes more stress and those things that are in your control

should be problem solved. ALL worry should be turned into

finding a way to directly deal with the situation.

An appropriately trained counsellor or psychotherapist

should be hired to see staff at least every few months in individual

sessions privately and confidentially to discuss how they are getting

on and to help with their 'coping' skills and ensuring their needs are

being met.

The therapist will also be able to work with the staff team

as a group and can help staff deal with the work/life balance as

someone with problems at home that are causing them stress may

struggle with remaining calm at work and concentrating on the job

whilst in work, etc…

The management need to also work at creating a culture

that helps meet the needs of the staff. If the needs of the staff are

met then the customer care will be of the highest quality which will

have an impact on the company as a whole and on the atmosphere

within the workplace.

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Choosing a therapist can be a tricky task. It is so easy for

companies to just choose the cheapest therapist assuming all

therapists are the same. Unfortunately they are not. There are over

400 different forms of counselling and psychotherapy all with

different approaches. Some of these are more effective than others

and some cause more harm than good and the organisations that a

therapist belongs to has no bearing on their skills, abilities or

effectiveness.

An appropriate therapist will:

• Understand psychological conditions and processes from all the

latest scientific findings

• Be able to help immediately with trauma or anxiety problems

• Will give advice if asked without using jargon or ‘psychobabble’

• WON’T dwell unduly on the past

• Be supportive with difficult feelings, but WON’T encourage

people to remain in an emotionally aroused state. WON’T ask

you to ‘keep going through painful emotions’

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• Be able to help with developing social skills and improving

‘coping’ skills

• Help people find their own resources

• Be able to teach deep relaxation

• Help people think about problems in a new, more empowering

way

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Therapeutic tools & techniques for change work

Anchoring

The human mind works through making associations. The

stronger the emotions during these associations or anchors the less

repetitions are required. Anchoring is basically just a term given for

linking a stimulus and a response together.

Anchoring happens all of the time:

• You see a red traffic light – you stop

• If you smoke, maybe you answer the phone and automatically

light up a cigarette

• You hear a song playing that reminds you of your first love

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All of these are natural times when anchoring has occurred.

What has happened is that you have learnt to link one event with

another so closely that if one happens the other one also happens.

If the emotional state is low then it may take many repetitions to

set an anchor unconsciously in place. If the emotional state is high

it may only take one event to anchor the emotional state in place.

This is what happens when a phobia is caused.

For example:

If a spider jumped out of a hole in a wall onto your face

and really terrified you then you may get that same level of terror

every time that you think of spiders or see a spider because the

emotional level was that intense that it only took one event to make

it stick.

The same applies for fetishes. If you are having an intensely

pleasurable experience and you suddenly see a pair of wellington

boots you may link that pleasure with the sight of the boots and so

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re-experience that pleasure just by thinking about boots or seeing a

pair of boots.

Highly emotional experiences cause one off learning.

Advertising uses emotion usually at a low intensity. This

means that it usually needs many repetitions to anchor the advert in

place. Adverts work by creating an emotion then showing you the

product at the end to link the emotion with the product. They also

often use a slogan or catchy tune so that each time you hear that

sentence or tune you think of their product, like ‘just do it’ or ‘I’m

loving it’.

Anchoring can be done with or without the client’s

knowledge.

The process for anchoring is:

1. Relax the client, put them into a comfortable trance

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2. Evoke the resourceful state (watch for its arrival). Tell them to

put their thumb and forefinger together as an anchor when the

state begins to get strong and let it increase as the anchor is

triggered

3. Tell them to release the anchor and notice how they can drift

back into that relaxed comfortable trance state (this teaches

them some control over their resources)

4. Repeat the above stages three or four times suggesting going

further into the resource state each time

5. Say that their unconscious mind can select a time in the future

that the resource would come in useful and when they have

they can give you a signal

6. Get them to set off the anchor and notice the differences with

these resources

7. Give them some silence to integrate these learnings. Suggest

that in the future the anchor can choose to happen

automatically at times when it is appropriate, or they can set it

off consciously or discover that they don’t even need to. Then

count them out of the trance.

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It is not necessary to anchor in the way that is shown

above, although it is a useful process to use on yourself or others

when anchoring useful states.

You can anchor with any touch or movement etc… It

could be something specifically used by you like a gesture or a tone

of voice or a specific way that you sit. Whatever it happens to be,

you have to be able to replicate it exactly each time you want to use

it to set an anchor or to trigger an anchor. You may decide to stack

a number of emotional states onto one anchor or use a different

anchor for each different state.

There are advantages to both of these options. If you

decide to stack all the states on one anchor then by setting off that

one anchor you will trigger all of those emotions in the client at the

same time. It is also easier to remember than having to remember

many different triggers.

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The advantages of setting up a different anchor for each

emotional state are that you then have more control. You can set

off any one state on its own independently of the other states. You

can set them off in whatever order you like rather than only being

able to set them all off at once.

Anchoring is a highly effective tool, especially if you can

elicit a high level of emotion in the client as this increases the

chances of the emotion or resource sticking in place in the future.

Anchoring links a stimulus and a response together so it is

important that when you are using anchoring you use the same

anchor with the same emotion a number of times in the same way.

What is needed is for the unconscious mind of the client to register

that it has noticed the anchor. If the anchor is used subtly (like a

small hand gesture) then the person is unlikely to notice

consciously that an anchor is being used at all.

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If, for example, you were wanting to anchor ‘motivation’

which you later plan on using to create a motivation for exercise

then you may decide that you will use a gesture like turning your

left hand palm up with the fingers spread in a relaxed way as your

anchor. As you talk to the client each time you talk about

motivation you can do that gesture then after a while you will begin

to notice that the client starts behaving in a more motivated way

each time you do the gesture. You can then start talking about

exercising in the future and use the gesture to set off the

motivation feeling and do this a few times with different future

situations.

There are many ways that you can find to do covert

anchoring in real situations. It could be a touch on the arm or a

move of your head to anchor.

Anchoring is used when doing embedded commands that

are commands hidden within sentences. The anchoring that is done

with embedded commands is the same as normal low intensity

anchoring in that it takes many repetitions for the client’s

unconscious mind to recognise the pattern.

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It could be that (if like me you want to be as subtle as

possible) you talk to the client whilst looking into their left eye and

then each time you embed a command you look into the right eye

as you embed it (and perhaps change voice tone subtly) before

looking back to the left eye. This would take many repetitions of

embedding commands in this way and as soon as the unconscious

mind recognises that there is a pattern going on it acts on the

anchor for that pattern.

When the unconscious mind acts on the pattern the

response appears as if from nowhere in the mind of the client as if

they have just thought about it themselves without being pressured

or led in any direction.

When you do anchoring you want to aim to anchor near

the peak of the desired state. If you anchor too early you will not

get much of a response, if you anchor too late the state will be

declining so you will be anchoring the state going. Watch for the

onset of states. With practice you improve at this and it becomes

more natural.

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(See the anchoring chart below)

Duration

1------2-----------3------------4---------------5--------------6--------------7----------8

Emo

t

i

ona

l

I

n

t

en

s

i

t

y

Hi

gh

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

Low

Anchoring Chart

Anchor within the highlighted area, releasing the anchor before the emotional intensity reaches its peak.

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Anchoring exercise

Get into pairs. Firstly spend at least 10 minutes each way

with one person (1) helping the other person (2) through the

exercise.

Following the 7 stages of anchoring above person 1 relax

person 2 then use those stages to anchor humour. Get person 2 to

recall times when they have made people laugh, or been humorous,

ask them to see what they saw, hear what they heard, feel what they

felt. Get them to imagine really being back there. Tell them to nod

their head each time they complete what you ask them to do.

Then change round and have person 2 do the same to

person 1. This process will set up a resourceful anchor that can be

accessed by bringing the thumb and first finger together at a time

when it is useful.

The next exercise is for you to practice covert anchoring.

Person 1 has to anchor a state of uncontrollable laughter in person

2. It doesn’t matter too much at this point how successful you are

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because it is difficult when you start out to be used to thinking on

your feet in this way. Then after ten minutes change over having

person 2 anchoring person 1.

Talk slowly to give time to think, touch them on the arm to

do the anchoring, make sure that it is always in the same place and

with the same pressure. Start by asking them about times when

they have laughed uncontrollably, touching their arm, get them

telling you about one of those times, be congruent and laugh a little

yourself. Use what they say by feeding it back to them in the

present tense as commands and touch them each time you do so.

You can make this more effective by making up metaphors

– like saying: it’s like walking slowly into a swimming pool, then

thinking sod it, and diving straight in. Or: it’s like a shaken up

bottle of champagne when the pressure just builds and builds until

it finally just explodes.

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Remember to anchor embedded commands – like: ‘you

know what it is like when you laugh uncontrollably (anchor), you

know where it just build and build up inside of you, that sort of

state where the harder you try not to laugh the more it builds

up, like when you try to fall asleep and find that the harder you try

the harder it is to sleep. I’m sure you can remember one of those

times now…etc

Psychological Realignment Technique

This is a technique that I created based on research in to

Energy therapies and Psychological therapies. I looked at what

worked from these different systems and put together a technique

that can be used to treat a wide range of conditions, from pain, to

phobia & PTSD, to other psychological conditions like depression

and OCD.

This technique has been used with a wide variety of

conditions with successful results. It utilises many principles. It

causes dissociation, it builds new neural pathways of new future

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behaviour, it triggers the reorientation response which stimulates

mental adjustment and it aids relaxation.

The tapping points are shown below and taken from EFT

(Emotional Freedom Technique):

The stages of the Psychological realignment technique are:

1. Rate 1 -10 how you feel

2. 3-5 breathing x 6

Gamut PointKarate Chop Point Points

around the eye

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3. Tap on karate chop point whilst saying ‘even

though I have this problem I honestly & completely

accept myself’ x 6

4. Tap gamut point, keep tapping as you; close eyes,

open eyes, look down right, right, up right, up left,

left, down left, hum nursery rhyme (2 seconds),

count to five, hum nursery rhyme again (2 seconds)

5. Close your eyes, imagine a distant, small black &

white TV screen. Imagine a paused image of

yourself on that screen at a time just before the 1st

or earliest recalled incident that led to your

problem. Have this paused point being at calm time

before the event. The old movie on the screen will

go all the way through to after the event finished

and you were calm.

6. Now follow this sequence:

a. Tap on the inside edge of your eyebrow and

watch that old movie in fast forward all the

way to the calm point at the end taking no

more than 2 seconds.

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b. Tap on outside of eyebrow and watch that

old movie in rewind all the way to the calm

point at the beginning taking no more than

2 seconds.

c. Tap under eye and watch that old movie in

fast forward all the way to the calm end

taking no more than 2 seconds.

d. Tap the Karate chop point as you rewind

the old movie all the way back to the calm

point at the beginning taking no more than

2 seconds.

e. Tap the gamut point as you fast forward the

old movie all the way to the calm point at

the end taking no more than 2 seconds

f. Repeat the sequence only start by rewinding

the old movie. This will mean that you will

have rewound and fast forwarded at all

points.

7. Open your eyes and re rate your problem on a scale

of 1 – 10 again. If it isn’t down to a zero, if there is

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any anxiety etc then re-follow the above steps again

but with the most intense memory (or 2nd most

intense if the most intense memory was the 1st

memory) then re-rate again.

8. If there is still some negative feelings then use the

same sequence (repeated twice as above) but this

time imagine a line of events stretching out in front

of you with the 1st frame being the 1st incident that

led to the problem and each subsequent frames

being every single incident or experience of that

problem in the past. You don’t have to be aware of

what is on each frame. Fast forward and rewind

through these frames, fast forwarding to the present

then rewinding to before the 1st frame. As you go

through each frame imagine them independently

fast forwarding and rewinding as you pass through

them. Take no more than 2 seconds to fast forward

to the end of ALL the frames and 2 seconds to

rewind to before the beginning of ALL the frames.

Open your eyes. Re-rate again.

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9. Close your eyes, Imagine a giant HD widescreen

with surround sound. See yourself in the future

about to be in a situation where the problem

normally would have been. Turn up the volume to

the internal dialog so you can hear what they are

saying to themselves when they respond in a new

way. Watch them going through this that future

situation responding in this new way. Pay attention

to how other people respond to that you behaving

in this new way. Pay attention to what you notice

that lets you know that that you is responding in a

new, favourable way, what internal dialog do they

use that is different, how does that internal dialog

sound that is different. Then watch the screen

change to a new future situation, really challenge

that you on the screen. Notice the same things as

before, watch 5, 6, or more (if necessary) future

situations and see how that you responds in a new

way.

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10. Now go back to the 1st future situation, step into

that you, and as you do touch the knuckle of your

forefinger, keep touching that spot and experience

that 1st future situation, as the feelings of the new

response reaches a peak, then release touching the

point. Move onto the 2nd future experience, touch

that point again and do the same again. Do this

with each of the new positive experiences (seeing

what you would see, hearing what you would hear,

feeling what you would feel)

11. In future situations IF you feel any of that old

feeling coming back start breathing (3-5), then tap

the karate chop point saying ‘despite the remaining

bit of problem, I completely and honestly accept

myself’. Then do the sequence of tapping points

saying ‘remaining problem’ as you touch each point.

Then touch your knuckle and do 3 -5 breathing

again.

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Scrambling

Scrambling is a technique with which you disrupt old

patterns of behaviour and replace with new patterns. Scrambling is

useful to use with addictions to break down patterns, jumbling

them up and replacing them with new improved patterns.

1. Get the stages of the problem

2. (for example with smoking it maybe: a) answer the phone, b)

feel an urge to have a cigarette, c) take out cigarette from

packet, d) light cigarette, e) have puff on cigarette, f) breathe

long breath of smoke out, g) carry on the conversation)

3. Next get a list of desired stages to replace the problem

4. Go through the steps in order closing your eyes to access each

step and opening them between each step. This separates each

step into individual parts

5. Quickly scramble the steps with the client opening their eyes

between each step. (a,c,b,d,c,a,e,c…) Continue until the client

has difficulty accessing the old sequence. As they start having

difficulty accessing the old pattern start adding in stages of the

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new pattern. Then begin to add in more and more of the new

sequence

6. Finish with the desired sequence done completely with the eyes

closed. The eyes need to be closed so that the client gets a

complete run in order of the desired sequence. You don’t want

the desired sequence to be jumbled at the end.

7. After you end with the desired sequence you can carry on with

some future pacing getting the client to experience future

situations using this new improved response.

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Rewind Technique

The rewind technique is one of the most important

techniques in psychotherapy. Any therapist that treats clients for

phobias or post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic memories

should know how to use this technique. It can be used to treat

phobias, PTSD, traumatic memories, OCD, anxiety. It can be used

to remove emotion from a variety of problems. I have used the

rewind technique for removing anger, cravings and many other

feelings.

Another advantage of using the rewind technique with

trauma removal is that the client doesn’t have to tell the therapist

what the traumatic experience was. That makes it very useful to use

with victims of rape and with traumatised troops. It also makes it

useful to use with children and young people as from my

experience in care many of the children that had severe behaviour

problems were unable to stop thinking about negative past events,

yet at the same time they didn’t feel they could talk to the staff.

Using the rewind technique they can be de-traumatised without

having to talk about their experiences.

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In a study by the European Therapy Studies Institute the

rewind technique was used to treat trauma. The results were

extremely exciting. This technique can usually gain results in a

single session. Forty percent of clients rated the rewind technique

as extremely successful, fifty-three percent rated it as successful and

seven percent rated it as acceptable. There were no ratings of poor

failure. The clients were followed up over time and questioned

about their improvement since the treatment. They had given a

rating of well-being before the treatment to monitor how well the

technique worked. Three to six months later when they were

followed up the results showed an improvement of 167.4% on the

original ratings.

After people receive the rewind technique the main changes

reported are:

• Increased confidence

• No more flashbacks

• More positive mood

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• Ability to speak about the trauma without triggering

alarm or difficulty

• No more fear

As an addition to the rewind technique there is a ‘spinning’

technique that can be done that has been recently created by Dr

Richard Bandler that helps to make the rewind technique even

more effective.

The stages of the rewind technique including the ‘spinning’:

1. Firstly establish on a scale of 1 – 10 with 10 being most

anxiety inducing ask the client what level they would

rate the anxiety at when they just think about that

traumatic experience now.

2. After you have established an initial anxiety rating ask

the client to think of a pleasant place, a safe and special

place. Anchor a feeling of calm and relaxation to a

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touch on the client’s arm so that if they get anxious you

can set this anchor off to relax and calm the client.

3. Ask the client where that feeling of anxiety starts when

they think about the traumatic experience, and how it

moves around the body (often it will start in the

stomach and rise up to the chest then spin forward and

round to the stomach again). Ask them to give it a

colour and ask them for a colour they associate with

relaxation. Tell them to spin that feeling faster and

faster, then to pull it out of their body so that it is in

front of them in the colour they associate with that

anxiety. Tell them to keep it spinning faster and faster

then flip it over so that it is spinning in the opposite

direction and change the colour to the relaxation colour

and keep it spinning faster and faster then push it back

into their body and keep the spinning going in this new

direction and to then notice how those old feeling have

changed.

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4. Ask the client to create a blank screen like a TV screen

in their mind and to see themselves sitting in a chair in

front of the TV.

5. Then imagine drifting and floating off to a position at

the side where they can see themselves sitting in the

chair but they can’t see what is on the TV (get the client

to nod their head after they have completed each

section before you move on to the next stage)

6. Tell them that when you say ‘now’ you want them to

watch that them there in that chair press play and watch

that old memory (of the traumatic event, or the main or

worst phobic event, or worst event if there are multiple

events) through to the end, then pause that movie at an

end scene when they had calmed down and everything

was alright. Then say ‘now’ and watch them as they go

through the process. When they nod their head to

indicate that they have watch themselves watch the old

memory through to the end and paused it move on to

the next stage.

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7. Tell them to imagine floating, drifting in to themselves

in the end of that old paused movie. Drifting and

floating comfortably into the end of that old paused

movie. Wait for the head nod then tell them that when

you say ‘now’ you want them to rewind back to the

beginning, back to before the incident began, back to a

time when they felt calm and relaxed. Tell them to see

what they saw, hear what they heard only all in reverse.

People talk backwards sounding like Mickey Mouse as

they talk backwards fast. Everything moves backwards,

all the way back to the beginning to a time when they

were calm and relaxed. Tell them that when they reach

the beginning to pause the old, old movie and nod the

head. Then say ‘now’ talk them through the experience

fast with a squeaky voice until they nod their head.

8. Then tell them to drift and float through time and space

over to that them sitting in that chair then allow the

head to nod. Then when their head nods tell them that

when you say ‘now’ you want them to watch that old,

old movie in fast forward all the way to the end to that

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point after the incident when they were calm and

relaxed and it was all over. Tell them to do this taking

no more than a few seconds and to pause that old, old

movie when they have watched it to the end. Then tell

them to do that ‘now’

9. When they have done this and nodded their head to say

they have fast forwarded the movie, tell them to again

repeat stage 6 only this time faster than before, drifting,

floating through time and space into the end of that

old, old movie then rewinding again to the beginning.

10. Rewind associated, and fast forward dissociated three

more times getting faster each time until it is just like a

flash or at the speed of a click of the fingers.

11. Then end the process by asking them to be sat there in

front of the TV screen having control of the remote

and to watch that old, old movie comfortably through

at their own rate and speed then to nod their head once

they have done this. Then to clear the screen and to

imagine future situations (if necessary, with many things

like trauma from a road accident it may not be

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necessary to do this part of the process, the goal setting

you will have done will let you know if this is necessary)

with them remaining calm and responding

appropriately. Then carry on with the rest of the

therapy and ask them again to rate levels of anxiety and

if possible and appropriate then test the treatment. For

example if they were scared of spiders then go and find

a spider to hand to them.

Negative belief destroyer

This technique is useful for people that have created

negative beliefs or opinions preventing them from achieving those

things that they want to achieve. It is especially useful with people

that, over time have created beliefs that prevent motivation or

cause a lack of self-confidence, or events that have led to low self-

esteem.

The technique works by metaphorically shattering these

limiting beliefs or opinions. When you do this technique it isn’t

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necessary to know the specific events that formed those beliefs just

to create a fixed location for those events.

The stages of the belief destroyer are:

1. Ask the client to close their eyes and create a positive

image of what they want to be like after the beliefs are

destroyed that have prevented them from already

achieving those things (it could be an image of them

confidently talking in a social situation, etc)

2. Tell them to imagine this on their timeline (a mental

line created in the mind with all past events behind

them and all future events in front of them) just in

front of them at a future point.

3. Tell them to drift up above their timeline floating gently

up so that they can see their timeline and see the past.

4. Then see a number of brittle slides appearing along the

timeline representing every event where a limiting belief

was created that had prevented achieving the desired

goal.

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5. Ask them to nod their head to let you know they have

completed each section. Then ask them to float back to

just before the first brittle slide and to hover just above

it and slightly in behind it.

6. Tell them to begin to create a spinning feeling in their

body that is a powerful feeling of success and

motivation and to give this a strong colour. Tell them

to spin this faster and faster. To really charge up that

strength and to charge up power to generate rapid

speed like a car wheel-spinning before shooting off or

like a bullet about to be fired. Tell them that when you

say ‘now’ you want them to shoot down into the first

slide and then fire along the timeline exploding each

slide as they pass through them. Shattering each slide

into billions of little pieces that fly off in all directions.

And that as this happens you want their unconscious

mind to fill in each newly made space with a positive

beneficial belief and to fill the timeline with that strong

colour that can follow them down the timeline. Tell

them that when they reach the present time on their

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timeline they can stop and experience that colour power

past them and out into the future. Tell them that

perhaps they could hear it rush past like a strong

coloured wind.

7. Then get the client to go to the future to imagine the

improvements and situations in a desired way and to

view what they look like in those situations as if floating

over the situations, then to lower into the situations and

experience them, seeing what they would see and

hearing what they would hear. Get them to enjoy

experiencing many different future situations.

Relationship Enhancer

The relationship enhancer is a technique for re-igniting the

strong feelings that couples have for each other when the first met.

What often happens is that people get overwhelmed with the

events that happen in their lives. Over time they drift apart and

can’t see through all of the issues to see how they used to feel for

each other.

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This technique is to be used along with helping the couple

to resolve any current issues and problems. It just helps to speed

up the process by giving them an experience of what it was like

when they initially fell in love. By giving them this experience they

are more likely to be able to be willing to work together to sort out

any current problems. The technique works in a similar way to

anchoring and can be enhanced by effective use of hypnotic

language.

The stages of the technique are:

1. Sit both people down opposite each other.

2. Ask them both to gently hold each others sides

3. Have them both close their eyes and begin to

breathe slowly and deeply and in time with each

other. Have them breathe with the out breath being

slightly longer than the in breath to trigger off the

relaxation response in them both.

4. As they continue to breathe slowly and in time with

each other ask them to vividly recall what it felt like

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when they fell in love. Ask them to recall a number

of the best memories and to put these memories

together so that as one ends it naturally moves into

the next one, and when it reaches the last memory

have it continue on with the first memory again.

Tell them to continue this process in their minds as

it becomes automatic. Tell them to be associated in

the memories, seeing what they saw, hearing what

they heard, feeling what they felt. Tell them to

unconsciously let changes happen that increase the

intensity of the feeling of love.

5. Ask the couple to notice where the feeling of love

starts in their body and how it moves. Tell them

that when the feeling of love reaches it’s peak drag

it back to the start and attach it to the beginning so

that it forms a circle, then spin that feeling, tell

them to keep spinning that faster and faster,

doubling the intensity of the feeling with each spin.

6. Tell them when they feel the love stronger than

ever before to open their eyes and look straight at

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each other while they keep spinning that feeling. (It

should be possible to see if they are responding well

as they will show signs like perhaps having a flushed

face, or smiling etc)

7. Repeat the process a few times if necessary. As with

anchoring, depending on the strength of the feeling

it will link looking at the partner with the feeling of

love quicker the stronger the emotion is that gets

elicited. If the emotion isn’t as strong then a few

repetitions may be required.

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Behaviour Modifier

The behaviour modifier is a technique that allows you to

help a client to change or modify current behaviour. The technique

makes full use of dissociation, repetition, and the observing self. It

is a useful technique to use with people that have low self-esteem

or that lack confidence, or with people that want to quickly learn

and integrate a new skill or behaviour.

The stages of the technique are:

1. Ask the client to think of a few situations where

they have had the behaviour that they want to

improve on. It could be times they were confident,

or times they were motivated, or times they were ‘in

the zone’ when playing a sport, or exceptionally

creative, etc.

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2. Once they have thought of a few different

situations ask them to stand up, make sure they

have plenty of space around them.

3. Ask them to close their eyes and imagine seeing a

(confident, motivated, creative, ‘in the zone’, etc)

them standing in front of them doing something

that, that them is (confident, motivated, creative, ‘in

the zone’, etc) doing.

4. Ask them to just watch that them carrying out that

behaviour. Then tell them to have that them go

back to the beginning of that behaviour and notice

how they know that they are being (confident,

motivated, creative, ‘in the zone’, etc). How do they

stand, talk, etc…

5. Now ask the client to step into that them and feel

what it feels like to have their (confidence,

motivation, creativity, ‘in the zone’, etc). Hear their

voice in their mind, behave in their (confident,

motivated, creative, ‘in the zone’, etc) manner.

Spend sometime in their (confident, motivated,

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creative, ‘in the zone’, etc) situations standing in

their place and with their eyes closed imagining

going through experiences they find they are

(confident, motivated, creative, ‘in the zone’, etc) in.

6. Next ask the client to imagine seeing someone they

know does the behaviour they want to do. It could

be a colleague, friend, film or sports star, etc. Tell

them ‘whom ever it is just imagine they are standing

in front of you carrying out that behaviour

perfectly. Watch them and see what you can notice

that makes you think they are carrying out that

behaviour with excellence. Watch them in past

situations that you didn’t feel you carried out that

(confident, motivated, creative, ‘in the zone’, etc)

behaviour well enough in. See what they do

differently and how things go for them when they

go through those situations. Watch them in many

past situations that you didn’t feel (confident,

motivated, creative, ‘in the zone’, etc) in.’

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7. Then tell the client to step into that person in front

of them and experience what it is like to be them in

those situations that previously they weren’t

(confident, motivated, creative, ‘in the zone’, etc) in.

tell them to see through their eyes, hear what they

would hear and feel what they would feel. Go

through as many past situations as they can think

of, experiencing what it is like to be this person in

those situations. Tell them to notice how things are

different, notice what reaction this person gets in

those situations, notice what changes in those

situations. Tell them to be as observant as they can

and to take their time to do this in depth.

8. Once they have done that go back through the

situations and ask them to imagine as this person,

each situation and what the future consequences

are. What changes occur because this person acts

differently in those old situations. Again ask them

to take their time again to do this fully.

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9. Next tell them to stay where they are, and to see

that person in front of them, and to watch them in

future situations that they would have not been as

(confident, motivated, creative, ‘in the zone’, etc) as

they would have liked. Tell them to notice as much

as they can that lets them know that that person is

(confident, motivated, creative, ‘in the zone’, etc) in

those situations. Again tell them to take their time

when doing this. Tell them to see that person in as

many anticipated situations as they can think of.

10. Now ask them to step into that person in front of

them and become absorbed in being them. See

what they would see, hear what they would hear

and feel what they would feel. Ask them to go

through all of those anticipated situations as that

person, experience what it is like to be them, notice

how the situations are different to how they would

normally have been expected to go. Tell them to

take their time. Allowing themselves to become

absorbed in the experience. Once they have been

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through as many anticipated future situations as

they can think of, then imagine some of these again,

only this time imagine the future outcomes of

behaving in this new way in those situations. Notice

what benefits there are to being more (confident,

motivated, creative, ‘in the zone’, etc). Tell them to

continue to take their time.

11. Next ask them to imagine seeing themselves in

front of them. Seeing that them as (confident,

motivated, creative, ‘in the zone’, etc). Ask them to

watch that them responding in a new (confident,

motivated, creative, ‘in the zone’, etc) way in many

anticipated situations. Ask them to notice what it

feels like to see themselves being so (confident,

motivated, creative, ‘in the zone’, etc). Tell them to

notice how people are responding to this new them.

12. Once they have watched themselves experience

many anticipated situations that they previously

would have not been (confident, motivated,

creative, ‘in the zone’, etc) to step forward into that

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new improved them, that (confident, motivated,

creative, ‘in the zone’, etc) them. Tell them to

experience those anticipated situations as this

(confident, motivated, creative, ‘in the zone’, etc)

person, seeing what they would see, hearing what

they would hear, and feeling what they would feel.

Taking their time to enjoy this experience. Once

they have done this tell them to hold onto this

feeling by clenching their fist gently. Then whilst

holding onto this feeling step back a few paces to

where they were in the present when they first

closed their eyes. Once they are back to the present

position ask them to release the fist and open their

eyes. Then to close their eyes again and close their

fist gently allowing the feeling of (confidence,

motivation, creativity, being ‘in the zone’, etc) to

come back to them. Tell them to spend a few

moments thinking about an up coming situation

where they want this (confident, motivated,

creative, ‘in the zone’, etc) feeling and experience

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having this as they go through that situation, seeing

what they will see, hearing what they will hear and

feeling what they will feel.

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Psychological conditions: symptoms, understanding & treatment

This section is designed to be accessible by practitioners

and those with no previous experience. It can be used as a

reference manual to help yourself or others.

The previous section was predominantly aimed at

practitioners. It was aimed at giving practitioners added knowledge

and skills as therapists. With those skills those practitioners can

read this section to see learn about different psychological

conditions and how best to treat them. To those that have read the

previous section this will be a natural continuation to the learning

process. In this section they will learn how to treat various

conditions. Then they can use their therapeutic skills to best

facilitate the required change work.

For non-practitioners this section can be used as a

reference manual and can be dipped into when necessary. If you

feel that someone is displaying specific behaviour for example, like

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always having a low mood or always talking negatively and

worrying then if you think it sounds a bit like they may be

depressed or showing some signs of depression you can check the

chapter on depression. You can read the symptoms and see how

you can help them. Even if they are not depressed you can get

some ideas about how you can help with the symptoms they do

have.

This section can be used like a self-help manual. For

example, if you have an addiction you can see what you can do to

help yourself. All of the advice and information contained in this

section is some of the most up to date, useful information you are

likely to find anywhere.

Before moving on to the sections on different

psychological conditions there are chapters on the basic needs,

essential skills and what to look for in a therapist. It is important to

ensure that all basic needs are met and all essential skills are used

appropriately. Whenever anyone has a psychological problem they

will find that their basic needs aren’t all being met appropriately or

that certain essential skills are being misused. It is useful to look at

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these lists and think about each basic need and essential skill to see

how they are all being met and used (or not).

The chapter on what to look for in a therapist is a list of

what an appropriate therapist will be like. This list is for you to use

if you are going to be seeing a therapist whether it is a Counsellor,

Psychotherapist, Psychiatrist, Psycho-analyst, Hypnotherapist or

any other form of psychological therapist. When you go to see the

therapist you can check the list with them. If they don’t agree with

what is on the list they are likely to cause more harm than good

when they try to treat you. ALL appropriate therapists will agree

with the list regardless of their profession or training.

Unfortunately many therapists still practice with out-of-date

training and information like holding a belief that you will feel

worse before you get better. This is one of the biggest myths in

therapy, along with the belief that short-term therapy only covers

over the cracks and doesn’t deal with the real problem. Long-term

therapies and psychodynamic or psychoanalytic therapies have

been seen to be counter-productive in the treatment of many

psychological conditions like depression.

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If a therapist says that the form of therapy they do is

psychoanalytic or psychodynamic then there is an increased chance

of the therapy making the problem worse. If you are referred to a

therapist make sure you request to be sent to a therapist that meets

all the criteria on the appropriate therapist list or request for the

Doctor to help you to find a therapist trained with a human givens

approach to counselling and psychotherapy.

‘Follow up of clients from single sessions a year later had

the same benefits as clients that had brief therapy and long-term

therapy…One-year follow up cognitive-behavioural approach

appeared more efficacious than psychodynamic therapy…There is

growing evidence that only a proportion of cases require longer-

term work, and as research develops it would seem that this

proportion is getting smaller…’

The Handbook of Counselling Psychology 2003

If you or anyone you know appears to be suffering from a

psychological problem I recommend that you see a Doctor. You

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can use this book as a guide to the kind of treatment that is likely to

be required and you can put into practice some of the advice and

techniques to help yourself. Some conditions like PTSD (post-

traumatic stress disorder) and phobias are best treated with the help

of an effective therapist.

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Basic Emotional Needs

• To give and receive attention (e.g., socialising)

• The mind body connection (e.g., not sleeping can lower the

immune system)

• To have purpose and goals (e.g., having an aim in life)

• Belonging to a wider community (e.g., joining a group or a

religion)

• The need for stimulation and creativity (e.g., working at

achieving your goals)

• The need to feel understood and emotionally connected to

others (e.g., having a close group of friends, having a loving

partner)

• The need to feel a sense of control & independence (e.g.,

knowing what is in your control & making decisions)

• To feel a sense of security (e.g., financially, within a

relationship)

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• Having a sense of status within a social group (e.g., holding

a specific position in a company)

• Having a sense of competence & achievement (e.g., being

good at your job, meeting your targets/goals)

These are some of the main emotional needs that need to

be met to ensure a healthy balanced life. You can look down the list

and see if these needs are being met adequately in your life. When

any need or essential skill (see essential skills) isn’t being met

adequately that is when problems occur.

For example getting a migraine to gain attention. Or getting

an addiction that tricks you into believing it gives you a sense of

control. Or joining a gang and getting into the gang’s culture to feel

understood and connected.

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Essential Skills

• Tolerating uncertainty

• Using critical thinking to challenge emotional states

• Relaxing

• Using resources

• Managing attention

• Truly envisaging not having the problem

• Gaining distance from the problem (taking a step back in your

mind)

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• Thinking creatively (imagination) and holding multiple

viewpoints

• Learning and remembering

• The ability to communicate effectively

As with the ‘Basic needs’ (see basic needs) there are

essential skills that are useful for having a healthy balanced life. As

a therapist sometimes I need to teach people certain essential skills

just like I sometimes have to help people to get their needs met

appropriately. Everyone is born with these essential skills, but

through our different upbringings some people are naturally more

able to use these skills than others.

Many psychological problems arise out of not using all

these essential skills effectively.

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For example smoking to relax, or getting angry because you

can’t manage your attention effectively or feeling no-one listens to

you (needing to work on communication), or getting more

depressed because you can’t ever believe you will get better, or

worrying (misusing the imagination).

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What to look for in a therapist

An effective therapist will:

• Understand depression and how to lift it

• Understand the processes involved in addiction and how to

overcome them

• Help immediately with anxiety problems including trauma

(PTSD) or other fear related symptoms (should be trained to

remove or dramatically reduce trauma in a single session)

• Be prepared to give advice if needed or asked for

• Not use jargon or ‘psychobabble’

• Not dwell unduly on the past

• Be supportive when difficult feelings emerge, but not

encourage people to remain in an emotionally aroused state

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• Assist individuals in developing social skills, so that their needs

for affection, friendship, pleasure, intimacy, connection etc…

can be better fulfilled

• Help people to draw on their own resources

• Be considerate on the effects of therapy on those close to the

individual concerned

• Induce and teach deep relaxation

• Help people think about their problems in a new and more

empowering way

• Use a wide range of techniques

• Set tasks to be done between sessions

• Take as few sessions as possible

• Increase self-confidence and independence and make sure the

clients feel better after every consultation

Adapted from the list created by the European Therapy Studies Institute

Any effective therapist regardless of their background or

the type of therapy they use will agree with this list. You should

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avoid any therapist that doesn’t agree with this list as they may

cause more harm than good. You should avoid any therapist that

has the opinion ‘you will feel worse before you get better’. Therapy

should make you feel better not worse; it should also be brief

usually a maximum of 20 sessions, very often less than 5. Avoid

anyone that says it will definitely take more than this, as they may

well prolong the problem or make you worse. If you don’t notice

results within a few sessions then you are probably seeing the

wrong therapist and should be re-evaluating the therapy.

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Depression

Research has shown that in almost all cases depression is

not a biological or genetic illness. The biological changes that

occur are the result of the depression not the cause. In some cases

the biological effects are caused by diet. Studies carried out showed

that to quickly lift depression what was needed was a mixture of

cognitive, behavioural and interpersonal therapies. This has now

been improved upon by also utilising a solution-focused approach

and a human givens approach.

When the therapist works with the client to help them

ensure their basic needs are being met and gets their focus of

attention off of worrying and ruminating and onto problem

solving and relaxing the mind, DEPRESSION LIFTS

QUICKLY.

To significantly lift depression now often takes less than

three sessions.

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Depression is caused by worrying.

It could be worrying about a past problem or event, present

problem or event or a future problem or event. This worrying

causes over dreaming at night. When you dream too much it

inhibits the release of serotonin and is almost as active as being

awake. It also reduces the abilities of the immune system. All of

this leads to waking up early as your brain wants to stop you from

dreaming excessively, then often managing to get back to sleep yet

still waking tired and unmotivated. This then starts off the next

days’ cycle of worrying.

When depressed your thinking style changes as you are in a

highly emotional state of mind. It can be like walking around in a

trance. You start thinking that everything has always been bad and

always will be and that if anything good ever happens it wont last.

Because you are in a highly emotional state you can't think

effectively about your problems so they can seem easily

overwhelming.

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To lift depression you can learn to relax. This can be in

many ways. One of the best is to do 7-11 breathing which is where

you breathe in deeply to the count of 7 then out to the count of 11.

By doing this with the out breath longer than the in breath you

trigger the relaxation response. Just 3 or 4 deep 7-11 breaths will

help to relax you and focus your mind.

Next challenge your thinking by thinking about what it is

that you are worrying about and problem solving it. Also spend

time each morning closing your eyes and truly imagining some

good things about the upcoming day. At night or in the evening

also spend a few moments to imagine what it will be like to feel

much better, who will be the first to notice? How will they know?

What will your behaviour be like? Really imagine it and feel it.

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AS SOON AS YOU STOP WORRYING YOUR SLEEP WILL IMPROVE AND THE

DEPRESSION WILL RAPIDLY START TO LIFT.

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Anxiety

Anxiety is the natural survival response to run or fight

being triggered at the wrong time. This response is designed to help

you but in modern times this is often triggered by events from job

interviews to social situations etc…

Anxiety and panic attacks are caused by a misuse of the

imagination. For example worrying about an upcoming

presentation you will be giving. Each time you imagine how bad it

will go you create a template that your mind follows that tells it

how it should feel about that event. Because you have the ability to

use your imagination well enough to effect you, this means if you

imagine it going well and look forward to it then that is the

template that you lay down. This works by really building up the

experience vividly in your mind getting pleasant, desirable feelings

linked to the event.

When you have panic attacks or get anxious it shuts down

the digestive system and all non-essential systems. It prepares your

body to fight, run or freeze (playing dead). These responses could

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save your life in the appropriate situations. Even if it feels like you

are going to die, you won’t. The feelings are because of the

digestive system shutting down and because of the adrenaline

released into the body. Most people say it feels like butterflies in

their stomach, or a churning sensation.

Some people believe they will collapse or faint. Even if you

do pass out your breathing will go back to normal and you will

come round again. If you have a panic attack, rate the anxiety on a

scale out of 10 and you can keep track of how quickly it is going.

The chemicals released into the body that cause the feelings of

anxiety leave the body after only a short while.

Whenever you are feeling stressed or anxious or just

want to relax try 7 – 11 breathing. Breathe in to the count of 7

then out to the count of 11.

If you get anxious or have a panic attack remember

AWARE:

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A = Accept the anxiety, don’t fight it

W= Watch your anxiety, rate it from 1-10 and watch as

that rating changes

A = Act with the anxiety, behave normally & do what you

intended to do, breathe normally or do 7-11 breathing

R = Repeat all of the above steps until it goes down to an

comfortable level

E = Expect the best, what you fear most normally never

happens, mentally rehearse experiences where you thought you

might have felt anxious in the past but surprise yourself when you

don’t.

Close your eyes, relax, vividly imagine watching yourself

remaining calm whilst doing something in the future you would

usually have found caused anxiety. Then imagine being in that

scene and notice how pleasant it feels to have this different

response. Rehearse this regularly.

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During a panic attack control your breathing, if you feel it

coming you could chew some gum or eat a small amount of food

as you can’t be anxious at the same time as having your digestive

system working.

If you know how to do anchoring (see the techniques

section) you can sit down and relax and anchor a relaxation

response. This response can then be fired off when you are in a

situation that makes you feel anxious. You can practice this

anchoring and firing the relaxation response, imagining being in

situations that would normally cause anxiety and using the anchor

to relax yourself. The more you practice this the stronger the

response will be.

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Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) & Phobias

The same process causes all fears, phobias and PTSD.

Phobias and PTSD used to be thought of as different. The

treatment offered for these was also different. The process that

creates these problems is the same.

The process that creates these is designed to protect you

from harm. It can be a form of one time learning. You can

experience an event once (like having a spider, jump on you as a

child) and if the emotion of fear is strong enough that is all it takes

to create a phobia. The same as PTSD – you only have to be

involved in one scary car crash to be traumatised by it for life

(getting flashbacks etc…)

This process works by being very general, linking a highly

emotional event with the environmental stimuli present at the time.

This then allows those stimuli to trigger the same high emotion in

the future. For example if you got bad news whilst at a party you

may have seen balloons at the time so you may get a phobia of

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balloons. Or if a mugger wore a black shirt when they mugged you,

you may get a phobia for black shirts or even for black. The same

process causes fetishes. For example, having sex on the floor by

some wellington boots and the high emotion gets linked to the

sight of the boots then after that you get aroused by the sight of

wellington boots.

To treat this is now very simple and can usually be done

within one session. There is a technique called the rewind

technique that a well-trained therapist can do with you. It involves

viewing the traumatic memory as if on a TV screen from before the

‘scary’ part began and through to after the ‘scary’ part ends. You

start by relaxing, creating a ‘special calm place’ in your mind. Then

watching you sitting in a chair watching the screen as that you

watches the memory through to the end. Then drifting into the

‘you’ in the screen and rewinding through the experience really fast

back to the beginning before the event began, seeing everything

going backwards, hearing everything going backwards. Then

drifting out of the screen to the ‘you’ on the seat, relaxing deeply

into this position and watching the old memory in very fast

forward to the end. Then again drifting and relaxing into the ‘you’

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in the screen at the end of that old memory and experiencing it in

rewind again even faster this time. Then drifting and relaxing back

into the ‘you’ in the chair and watching the memory in even faster

fast forward. This process is repeated until the memory can be

experienced comfortably.

If there is more than one memory that needs this process

then it can be done on all the relevant memories. For example: in

cases of abuse or bullying. Usually it only needs to be done on one

to three memories. After this if necessary you can imagine vividly,

future times when you may be in similar situations and notice how

relaxed you can remain. If it makes it easier you can put this

memory on a scale of 1-10 and then if it starts as a 10 you can track

how quickly it goes down to a 2 or 3. Sometimes it is good not to

completely remove the fear; for example a slight wariness to some

spiders is natural and sensible.

A fear or phobia will not come back or be replaced. Once it

is removed it will stay that way. Some therapists used to believe

that phobias had hidden root causes and that if you didn’t deal with

these then the cure is superficial. This has been proved to be

incorrect.

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Addictions

We are all born with the ability to create habits and with the

process to get addicted. Without these abilities mankind wouldn’t

have lasted as long as we have. There are many things that naturally

turn into habits so that we don’t have to pay all our attention to

them just to do them. Like driving a car, brushing teeth etc…

Sometimes this process gets high-jacked by a negative habit,

like finding yourself smoking before you realise what you are doing.

The process for addiction also serves a useful purpose. The process

gives you a ‘high’ when you do something and causes irritation or

uncomfortableness when you don’t.

This process is required for survival and evolution.

For example when a stone-age man used a stick to break

open a coconut the ‘high’ of that achievement wears off over time

so the stone-age man then turns that stick into an axe with a piece

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of flint. He then gets another ‘high’ from that achievement which

also wears off over time. This process keeps the stone-age man

reaching a point where he needs to do something to get that same

high. Addictions high-jack this process giving a ‘high’ when

carrying out the addictive behaviour and causing

uncomfortableness when fighting to not carry out the behaviour.

Over time you need to do more of the addictive behaviour to get

the same ‘high’.

A useful analogy of addiction and the associated cravings is

one of a company that wants to make positive changes. The ‘boss’

which is the part of you that is saying ‘I want to quit smoking (for

example)’ has good intentions. Beneath the boss is a ‘secretary’ that

monitors incoming messages from the body. The ‘security guard’

monitors levels of various chemicals in the body but doesn’t know

what should or shouldn’t be there, the guard just alerts the

secretary if any of the chemicals begin to go missing or reduce.

When the boss has stopped the intake of nicotine, after a

short while it starts reducing in the blood. The security guard

notices this and so he emails a message to the secretary. This

message is laced with dopamine which is a feel good chemical. The

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secretary checks on the computer and sees that the boss has said

‘no cigarettes’. So the secretary ignores the message. As the nicotine

goes down even further the security guard sends another message

laced with even more dopamine. This time the secretary does a

search on the computer for memories where nicotine has been

taken into the body, and searches for memories that are also laced

in dopamine. What the secretary discovers is that smoking has

made the boss feel good when stressed, when bored, when

socialising, etc… So the secretary sends a message to the boss laced

with even more dopamine for the boss to act on.

The negative addictive behaviour once served a purpose

People start addictive behaviour for many reasons. It could

be many things from peer pressure to experimentation. Often the

behaviour initially is only in one context, like smoking with specific

friends, or drinking with friends. One thing that all addictive

behaviours have in common is that they give you a ‘high’. It could

be a ‘high’ from doing a risky extreme sport, or a ‘high’ from taking

a specific substance.

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To start with this addictive behaviour is in your control.

The bigger the ‘highs’ the sooner the addictive behaviour takes on a

life of it’s own. Due to the way the brain works at some point when

you feel anxious or bored you will want to relieve this feeling. To

do this you turn to the most effective thing you know, which is

often the addictive behaviour. This how you begin to create a habit

for that behaviour. As long as you continue to do the addictive

behaviour your mind will get used to the levels of various

substances in your blood stream, whether these substances are

created by your mind, like endorphins, dopamine, adrenaline etc, or

whether these substances are added to your blood stream like

nicotine.

Once you stop the addictive behaviour it takes a period of

time for the chemicals in your blood to go back to normal. This

period of time can be as little as a few hours for chemicals created

internally, to a few days for chemicals like nicotine and longer for

some stronger drugs. Once the chemicals in the blood have

normalised all that is left is the habit, not the need for the

chemicals.

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The reason for turning to the addictive behaviour when you

feel anxious or bored is that it gives you pleasure, or an instant

feeling of gratification when you carry out the behaviour.

Unfortunately most addictive behaviour quickly follows with a

greater feeling of anxiety or depression as the effects of the

behaviour wear off. This means that you have to do more of the

addictive behaviour to get the same results.

Beating the addiction

To beat the addiction you need to link the addictive

behaviour with the most negative outcomes you can vividly

imagine, and not carrying out the addictive behaviour with the

most positive outcomes that you can vividly imagine. People with

addictions will always have one or more of the basic needs or

essential skills not being met, so check the lists and find

constructive ways to meet these.

Plan for times when you are most likely to give in to the

addiction, finding ways to prevent the old behaviour pattern.

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Don’t be put off by a relapse. Many people have a few

relapses before they finally completely get rid of that addictive

behaviour. When the addiction strikes it is actually only mildly

uncomfortable to ignore the urge for the addictive behaviour but it

tricks you into thinking it is worse. It also only lasts a few minutes.

Try comparing it to other things like would you prefer a nagging

toothache or this brief uncomfortableness for the addictive

behaviour? Relax, this lets you think more objectively and clearly.

To relax you could breathe in to the count of 7 and out to the

count of 11. The longer out breath triggers the relaxation response.

Regularly vividly imagine the negative outcomes had you continued

with the addictive behaviour and vividly imagine the positive

outcomes of not carrying out that behaviour, what will it be like,

what are the benefits, who else benefits, etc…

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Sleep Disorders

Sleep is fundamental to survival. Proper sleep boosts the

immune system, refreshes and revitalises you for the following day.

When you go into dream sleep the brain closes off all unfinished

emotionally aroused patterns from throughout that day. Some

people may think that they never dream or that they never sleep

but all those people do sleep and dream. Sleeping and dreaming is

so fundamental to life that without it people would die. On average

people nowadays sleep for about 20% less time each night than

people did a hundred years ago. This reduction in sleep has a

dramatic effect on health. Sleep deprivation causes many accidents

and increases the risk of psychiatric problems. Without sleep

people find it increasingly difficult to function correctly, they have

poorer memory and co-ordination skills etc…

Insomnia is probably the most common sleep disorder. It is

often caused by excessive worrying. This can make it difficult to

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relax and fall asleep. It also makes you dream too much which then

makes you wake up tired (see depression section). Stopping

worrying during the day will help to lift the insomnia. It will also

help to stop nightmares (it also will help if you reduce anxiety-see

anxiety section). Many sleep problems from night terrors (which

occur in non-dream sleep and the sufferer awakens with no

memory of the incident) to nightmares (bad dreams).

To help improve your sleep it is advisable to make sure that

you don’t have a clock near the bed that you can see as seeing how

long you are awake for can lead to worrying about it which then

makes it harder to sleep. To help you to relax and sleep at night you

can purchase a relaxation CD to focus on as you go to sleep or you

can learn to relax yourself. To relax yourself you can learn to tense

and relax your muscle groups from your head to your feet in time

with your breathing. Tensing up as you breathe in to the count of 7

then letting the muscles relax as you breathe out to the count of 11.

Then pausing briefly to get a sense of that relaxation and beginning

to get an idea of a pleasant ‘special place’ forming in your mind that

can become like a brief waiting room before you pass into sleep.

After pausing you can then move onto the next muscle group (the

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neck for example) again breathing in to the count of 7 as you tense

then out to the count of 11 as you relax, then pausing again. Doing

this each night will retrain your brain to relax when it is time to go

to sleep at night. Currently your brain will have been expecting the

night to involve worrying or distracting thoughts etc… Some

people may find that within a night or two of doing this they are

sleeping properly others may take a week or a little longer before

they regularly sleep well throughout the night.

Some tips to have the best chance of rapidly sleeping well if

you find you’re in bed for a while and still not asleep then get up

and go to a dark, cool room and sit there for 30minutes. Always

wake up early (don’t lie in). If possible don’t do shift work. Don’t

watch TV or use a computer within an hour of going to bed. Don’t

eat or drink too much within 2 hours of going to bed. Avoid

alcohol, cigarettes and other substances within 3 hours of going to

bed. Avoid going to bed drunk. Have a hot bath 30 minutes before

going to bed. Don’t exercise within 2 hours of going to bed.

Another idea you can do is attempt to stay awake for an hour

longer than the time you would’ve normally ended up falling asleep.

Do this experiment to see what happens when you try to stay

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awake later. Many sleep problems are due to excessive worry or

excessive emotional arousal. Learning to relax and be calm will help

improve the quality and quantity of sleep you get.

Drinking alcohol or taking sleeping pills to help you to

sleep is not advisable because they disrupt sleep patterns. They may

help you to get to sleep quicker but they disrupt sleep that goes on

a few hours later. This disruption upsets the balance of rapid eye

movement sleep and deep slow wave sleep. Due to receiving less

rapid eye movement sleep you don’t close off all of the emotional

arousing patterns from the day before so you get a build up of

open patterns requiring more R.E.M sleep the next night and then

more the night after that etc… This makes you feel worse during

the day and be more prone to anxiety problems as your brain is

already overloaded with emotional arousal. You are likely to also

get very emotional very quickly at almost nothing and not know

why. Deep sleep is required for healing. So with reduced deep sleep

you don’t do the required amount of healing on your body that you

need to be doing. The deep sleep is involved in keeping your

immune system charged up and in growth so both of these areas

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will also be affected so you may fall ill more frequently due to

lowered resistance to illnesses.

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Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

OCD is often linked to ritualism and addiction. It is usually

to do with anxiety or insecurity (see anxiety section). The behaviour

is often very ritualistic and if it is not carried out or the obsessive

thought is fought against then it can cause feelings of anxiousness

or uncomfortableness. Normally people with OCD have one or

more of their basic needs (see basic needs section) not being met.

When these get met it will help the OCD lift.

The most common compulsions in adults are:

• Thoughts of contamination (which can lead to

obsessive washing or cleaning)

• Doubt (E.g. Whether you have locked doors or

turned off switches)

• Thoughts of having physical symptoms

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• Symmetry (straightening pictures, lining pens up on

a desk

• Aggressive thoughts

Compulsions are usually carried out to prevent or reduce

anxiety or distress. Often it is believed the compulsive behaviour

will prevent a nasty event occurring. OCD affects not just the

person carrying out the behaviour but also those around them.

When a compulsion is carried out the person enters a trance as the

compulsion takes control. This trance can be triggered by specific

situations, thoughts, feelings or times of the day or by a heightened

level of tiredness.

To help remove the compulsion, imagine watching a screen

with someone calmly NOT carrying out the compulsive behaviour.

Notice what they look like, how relaxed they appear, how you

know they are relaxed. Notice how well everything goes before

during and after they hadn’t carried out the compulsive behaviour.

Notice what else is better for them as they continue to behave

differently. Then take a few moments to relax deeply and gently

into that person in the screen. Seeing through their eyes, hearing

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what they would hear. ‘Try on’ their behaviour and beliefs.

‘Pretend’ what it is like to be them. Enjoy the feelings. Notice how

much calmer you feel. Notice the benefits of being this way. Go to

some old familiar situations where you had carried out the

compulsive behaviour and notice the difference in how you

respond to those situations as this person. Notice how calm you

feel, how unbullied you feel to be going through the situation being

the one in control, calm and relaxed. Then imagine being this

person in some future situations when you would expect to have

carried out that old compulsive behaviour. Notice how pleasurable

it is to respond in this more desirable way. Practice this regularly. If

occasionally you still get the old compulsive feeling which can

happen for a short while as you adjust to not doing that old

behaviour do this experiment – each time you feel the need to carry

out the compulsion treble it. E.g., if you have to check everything is

locked 3 times before you leave the house then check it 9 times.

Stick to this whenever you feel the need to carry out the

compulsive behaviour.

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Anger & Stress related disorders

Anger and stress related conditions are on the increase.

They are damaging to your health. They lower the immune system,

increase the risk of heart problems and the chances of developing

cancer, interrupt sleep patterns affecting the quality and the

quantity of the sleep. They affect relationships and increase the

susceptibility to getting addictions.

Anger is useful when used to defend yourself or loved

ones. It is designed to be used for a short period of time. When

you get the strong emotion of anger or become stressed (which

happens when a situation becomes more than you can deal with)

the emotional part of the brain takes control. This then shuts down

the logical part of the brain lowering your intelligence to that of a

young child whilst at the same time shutting down the digestive

system and releasing adrenaline into the body ready to fight or run

away. The anger comes from feeling threatened and feeling the

need to defend. Situations don’t cause stress; your response to the

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situation causes the stress. The ability to objectively view situations

and see multiple viewpoints is reduced by increased stress. This

black and white/all or nothing thinking increases the likelihood of

getting angry easily. This make you think even the slightest

disagreement or ‘wrong look’ is an attack, which needs defending.

To deal with stress learn to relax. Use relaxation techniques like

guided imagery. Create a pleasant place in your mind that you can

go to whenever you need to relax. To relax get used to breathing in

to the count of 7 & out to the count of 11. This releases chemicals

into your blood that causes relaxation. Take a few moments to

work out what is under your control. If it’s not under your control

there is no point worrying about it as there is nothing you can do.

Learn to problem solve rather than worry. Think ‘what can I do to

resolve this?’ Get used to what your triggers are that caused stress

or anger. Vividly imagine being in those situations and responding

calmly & rationally then practice in your mind responding to similar

and tougher situations in the future. By doing this you train your

mind to respond in this more productive way.

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Low self-esteem, lack of confidence

Low self esteem and self confidence is something that

many people claim to suffer with. Even though many people say

that they lack confidence, really this term is too vague. Everybody

lacks confidence in certain areas of their lives. To be confident you

need to know what you are doing. If you don’t know how to drive

you wouldn’t be confident in your ability to safely drive a car across

town.

When you think about whether you lack confidence, think

about how you know that. What you will find is that you will lack

confidence only in certain areas of your life. You are likely to be

confident that the sun will rise in the morning; you are likely to be

confident that the floor will be beneath you when you get out of

bed in the morning. To have confidence you need to have

competence at what you are doing.

Low self-esteem comes from not feeling good about

yourself. This could be about your image, or about your abilities. It

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is really a judgement made by you about yourself. When someone

has low self-esteem they will often get pushed around and bullied.

They will feel worthless and feel that things are always out of their

control.

To help increase confidence you need to look at what you

know and what you feel you need to learn to make you confident

of your abilities. When someone isn’t confident public speaking,

for example, it is often because they haven’t done it before, or have

only done it a few times in the past. There is a difference between

lacking confidence at public speaking and so feeling anxious and

having a phobia for public speaking. Lacking confidence and

getting too anxious can cause the speaker to develop a phobia but a

phobia and a lack of confidence are two different things.

Ask yourself how you know that you lack confidence, what

areas of your life do you lack confidence and are these areas related

in anyway. For example, it could be that you lack confidence public

speaking and lack confidence when you are at parties and so feel

you couldn’t approach people to talk to. Both of these may be

related by the fact that they both involve talking to strangers. You

could test this by imagining situations to see if this seems plausible.

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By doing this you can work out what you really lack confidence in

rather than thinking that you lack confidence in many areas of your

life.

After you have done this you can think of things you are

confident about. Once you have thought of a few different things,

stand up; make sure you have plenty of space around you. Close

your eyes and imagine seeing a confident you standing in front of

you doing something that, that you is confident doing. It could be

that they are confident they know how to make a cup of tea, or

they are confident they can shower correctly. Just watch them

confidently carrying out that behaviour. Then have them go back

to the beginning of that behaviour and notice how you know that

they are being confident. How do they stand, talk, etc… Now step

into them and feel what it feels like to have their confidence. Hear

their confident voice in your mind, behave in their confident

manner. Spend some time in their confident situations standing in

their place and with your eyes closed imagining going through

experiences they find they are confident in.

Next imagine seeing someone you know is confident in

situations you don’t feel confident in. It could be a colleague,

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friend, film star. Whomever it is just imagine they are standing in

front of you carrying out that behaviour confidently. Watch them

and see what you can notice that makes you think they are so

confident. Watch them in past situations that you didn’t feel

confident in. See what they do differently and how things go for

them when they go through those situations. Watch them in many

past situations that you didn’t feel confident in. Then step into that

person in front of you and experience what it is like to be them in

those situations that previously you weren’t confident in. see

through their eyes, hear what they would hear and feel what they

would feel. Go through as many past situations as you can think of

experiencing what it is like to be this person in those situations.

Notice how things are different, notice what reaction this person

gets in those situations, notice what changes in those situations. Be

as observant as you can. Take your time to do this in depth.

Once you have done that go back through the situations

and imagine as this person, each situation and what the future

consequences are. What changes occur because this person acts

differently in those old situations. Take your time again to do this

fully.

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Now staying as you are, see that person in front of you,

watch them in future situations that you would have lacked

confidence in. notice as much as you can that lets you know that

they are confident in those situations. Again take your time when

doing this. See them in as many anticipated situations as you can

think of.

Now step into that person in front of you and become

absorbed in being them. See what they would see, hear what they

would hear and feel what they would feel. Go through all of those

anticipated situations as that person, experience what it is like to be

them, notice how the situations are different to how they would

normally have been expected to go. Take your time. Allow yourself

to become absorbed in the experience. Once you have been

through as many anticipated future situations as you can think of,

then imagine some of these again, only this time imagine the future

outcomes of behaving in this new way in those situations. Notice

what benefits there are to being more confident. Continue to take

your time.

Now imagine seeing yourself in front of you. Seeing a

confident you. Watch that you responding in a new confident way

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in many anticipated situations. Notice what it feels like to see

yourself being so confident. Notice how people are responding to

this new you. Once you have watched yourself experience many

anticipated situations that you previously would have lacked

confidence step forward into that new improved you, that

confident you. Experience those anticipated situations as this

confident you, seeing what you would see, hearing what you would

hear, and feeling what you would feel. Take your time to enjoy this

experience. Once you have done this hold onto this feeling of

confidence by clenching your fist gently. Now whilst holding onto

this feeling of confidence step back a few paces to where you were

in the present when you first closed your eyes. Once you are back

to the present position release the fist and open your eyes. Now

close your eyes and close your fist gently and allow the feeling of

confidence to come back to you. Spend a few moments thinking

about an upcoming situation where you want this confidence and

experience having this confidence as you go through that situation,

seeing what you will see, hearing what you will hear and feeling

what you will feel.

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It can be useful to have someone with you to help you

through the above confidence building process.

Often people that lack confidence or have low self-esteem

have a voice inside their mind that tells them negative things. This

voice is often not a very pleasant sounding voice. It says things like,

‘you are so ugly’, ‘you’re going to mess everything up’, ‘everyone

hates you’. What you need to do with the voice is to write down the

main things that the voice says in your mind. Then go through each

sentence and hear that voice speaking in a Mickey Mouse voice,

then hear it speaking in a sloooow boooooooring droooone, then

hear it speaking to you in the sexiest, most seductive voice you can

imagine. What you want to do is to take control away from the

voice and know that you are in control. You can make it sound

how you want it to sound. Pick a voice that when you hear it you

can’t take it seriously, perhaps it makes you laugh or it seems

ridiculous. Imagine a volume control in your mind that you can

turn down. Enjoy playing around with the voice, imagine it saying

everything backwards. This will all help to stop that voice having

power in the future.

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To increase self-esteem you need to increase your opinion

about yourself. Ask yourself how you know you have low self-

esteem. Write these reasons down. Now ask yourself how you

would be if you didn’t have low self-esteem, how would you know.

Answer these positively write what would be different not what you

wouldn’t be doing. For example, rather than writing ‘I wouldn’t be

embarrassed in front of people’ write ‘I would stand tall, make eye

contact, smile, etc…’

Your mind achieves what it focuses on. So if you think

about what wouldn’t happen, that is what will happen. For

example, if I said don’t think of a pink elephant, you will think of a

pink elephant. If I said think of a red horse, you would think of a

red horse and so NOT be thinking of a pink elephant.

Now with each point on your list of how you would be

different if you didn’t have low self-esteem and how you would

know, go through the process above that was used for confidence

and use that process for each point on your list. It can help to get

someone to go through the above process with you.

As well as doing the process above write down as many

good points about yourself as possible that are undeniably true.

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Again write these down positively. So rather than writing, ‘I have

got no wrinkles’ write ‘my face has a smooth clear complexion’. Do

this regularly.

Finally for self-esteem, stand up in a room with space

around you. Think of someone that loves you. If you can’t think of

anyone think of someone you know likes or respects you.

Sometimes I get a few clients that will still tell me they can’t think

of anyone. If you still can’t think of anyone then think of someone

from your past that you know loved you. Now imagine standing in

front of that person facing each other. As you look at them, get a

sense of how you know they love you. Now step to the right and

turn to face both you in the position you have stepped from and

the person that loves you. Notice from this position how you know

that the loving person loves you. Now step into the loving person

and see through their eyes looking at you. Feel what they feel

towards you. Notice from this position how you know you love

that person in front of you. Now hold onto that feeling of love and

allow your fist to gently close, take a few relaxing breaths as you

feel the love grow. Then release the fist for a few seconds, then

close the fist again gently and notice the feeling increase, then

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release the fist again. Then step back into that you in the position

you started in. And imagine as you step back into yourself that as

you turn to face the direction you were facing to start with, that a

mirror is facing you so that you see yourself in front of you. Now

as you look at yourself allow the fist to close gently and feel the

love grow and notice how with the power of your breathing gently

and slowly you can release that fist whilst holding onto that feeling

of love for the person in the mirror.

Now open your eyes when you are done and go to a real

mirror and spend time practicing holding onto that love whilst

looking at yourself.

To keep a raised self-esteem it is important to check the

basic needs list to ensure that all the needs are being met healthily.

If any aren’t then work on finding ways to meet those needs. Some

people lack self-esteem or confidence because they have unrealistic

expectations and believe too much is in their control. Check this

out also. Think about what you expect and whether things really are

within your control. If something isn’t in your control then relax

and let the control rest in the appropriate places. One of the most

important essential skills is to accept that the only certainty in life is

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uncertainty. Remember you don’t have to know everything

perfectly before doing things. Not everything is black and white,

notice the greys. If you make mistakes you learn lessons. Every

entrepreneur says that mistakes are vital to success. If babies quit or

didn’t try things for fear of making mistakes then no baby would

ever learn to walk or talk. Babies fall down hundreds of times

before they can finally walk.

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Pain management

There are three different components to pain. There is

future anticipated pain, that is the pain you expect to experience in

the future, there is past remembered pain, when you look back you

remember the pain you have had, and there is the current pain in

the here and now. When you experience pain it gets made worse by

your knowledge of how much it hurt in the past, because you are

thinking about the pain, and worsened by your anticipation for

more pain to come. Some of this pain can be alleviated just by

having a knowledge that the pain will end. This unfortunately

doesn’t happen to those with chronic pain.

It is important that pain is checked out medically. Pain is a

signal. It is there for a reason. It is telling you to protect the part

that hurts. In different circumstances this signal can mean different

things. If you got mugged or attacked and the pain came from that

it will mean, and feel different to if the pain was the result of a life

saving operation.

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To begin to reduce the pain you need to know some

information about it. You need to know when it is worse, and

when it feels more comfortable. You need to know exactly where it

hurts. When people describe pain they often generalise the area that

hurts. It could just hurt on the elbow but they will say it hurts their

arm. This might seem like a trivial point but if the person says that

it hurts their arm then they are likely to experience more pain than

if they narrow down the area to just the elbow, or to the back of

the elbow. Often pain can also carry an emotional component. It

can affect your basic needs. It could be that it stops you from

sleeping through the night. Or it could stop you being able to do

physical activities. It is important to recognise needs that need to

be met because if you begin to feel low or depressed, whether

independently from the pain or because of the pain, serotonin will

be lower in your blood. Serotonin reduces the pain signal, so if you

are depressed pain will hurt far more.

Pain is a trance state. It focuses your full attention onto it

making you very aware of how much it hurts; you then begin to

describe the pain to yourself in words that have painful

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connotations, like sharp, stabbing, and burning. This also increases

the pain.

There are many ways to reduce pain. Everyone has had an

experience where they cut themselves but don’t notice it straight

away because they are busy, and it doesn’t start to hurt until you

notice it. Like when you are chopping vegetables or salad and only

notice you have cut yourself and feel the pain when you see the

blood.

To reduce pain you can start by renaming it perhaps as

discomfort. This helps because it is a softer word and contains the

word comfort which feels nice. All of these techniques and ideas

work well for children as well as adults. You can grade the pain out

of ten. This instantly gives the pain a boundary. You can then

check as that pain lowers. Begin to describe the pain as a separate

entity as if it isn’t a part of you. Saying ‘that pain’ instead of ‘the

pain’.

There are a number of useful techniques involving

dissociation to reduce and remove pain. One good way to

dissociate is to visualise the pain. Visualise where it is and what it

might look like, what colour it would be, what shape, what size.

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Imagine moving that image to another place, then imagine

changing the shape of it, changing its colour to a colour you find

calming, imagine shrinking it down and imagine moving it outside

of your body and watching it move further away and being trapped

somewhere, perhaps in a room or to the floor or falling down a

drain.

Another visualisation technique is to imagine a bright white

light that wraps around the pain and shrinks down to smaller than a

pea, then moves outside of your body, falls to the floor and rolls

away. A useful visualisation technique for migraines is to imagine

the size, shape, colour and texture of the pain. Then imagine

smoothing out that shape and imagine cutting a corner off of the

shape. Then tilt your head so that the liquid inside the shape can

fall out from the cut corner. Once all of the liquid has fallen out

you can imagine rolling the shape up to squeeze out the last of the

liquid like squeezing out the last of the toothpaste in a tube. Then

imagine what is left dissolving and relaxing your muscles in your

head and all the blood vessels.

If the pain is caused from eating ice cream or other cold

food then lick the roof of your mouth with your tongue. The

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reason for this is that when you eat cold food it makes the blood

vessels that run along the roof of your mouth and up to your brain

constrict. This causes a headache. If you lick the roof of your

mouth you warm up the vessels and quickly get pain relief.

Sometimes it is useful to keep a sensation in place of the

pain. It could be a tingling or another sensation. This can be useful

with pain associated with pregnancy when it is important to

maintain awareness for the life growing inside of you. You can use

similar techniques to those described above just replacing the pain

with another sensation. You can use self-hypnosis to practice.

Sometimes it can be useful to use self-hypnosis to practice this if

you want to reduce the actual pain of child birth. If you are doing

this make sure that you tell yourself that if there are any

complications during birth your body can give you a sign by

changing the feeling back to pain. You can also use the self-

hypnosis to mentally rehearse the child birth going comfortably.

My favourite form of pain control is to pretend to take

strong pain killers. This works because your brain operates by

pattern matching. If it has taken pain killers that work well in the

past it will remember how those pain killers work. If you can carry

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out enough of the pattern to trigger the unconscious process it will

give you the same relief as the real tablets. For example, imagine

putting the tablets into your hand. Imagine putting those tablets

into your mouth and swallowing them down with water. Then just

wait for them to start working. The advantages to this approach are

that if you need more relief you can take a few more imaginary

pills. I find this technique easy to do and highly effective. It works

similar to placebos (fake medication the recipient believes is real).

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Self Hypnosis

This section is written for individuals wanting a number of

techniques to be able to do or teach self-hypnosis on themselves or

with clients.

Self-hypnosis is useful for a number of reasons. Many other

books written about psychological problems ignore hypnosis

despite knowing that all psychological problems are faulty pattern

matching and that hypnosis is the only way to quickly and

successfully access the rapid eye movement (R.E.M) state which is

the state of mind that people enter to alter and update patterns in

the brain.

Regardless of the therapy, when a client eventually changes

and no longer has their problem they went into the R.E.M state

and updated their programming. This is the case whether the

person was in therapy for one session or twenty five years. That is

the advantage of hypnosis, because you can help the client to enter

that state in the first session in a controlled way rather than having

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them enter a trance state in an uncontrolled way. People enter

trance every ninety minutes or so continuously both day and night

to update patterns in the brain automatically.

Hypnosis has always been controversial and

misunderstood. Most people don’t realise that everyone is going in

and out of trance states continuously. Most therapists don’t realise

that they continually hypnotise people during therapy sessions

whether they mean to or not.

If a therapist asks a client to think back to a specific event,

the client has to go into a light trance to do that. Many therapists

do ‘bad’ hypnosis. Not on purpose, they just don’t realise the effect

they are having on people. Often these therapists would scoff at

the idea that they do hypnosis. When a therapist asks clients to

think about negative events repeatedly and to talk about these

events the client will be entering a light trance and will be

strengthening the patterns for the problem.

Many therapists and Doctors inadvertently make clients and

patients get worse by giving bad suggestions while the client is in a

light trance state. That is why it is useful to learn self-hypnosis. If

you know self-hypnosis you can have control of your own brain. If

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someone then tries to do ‘bad’ hypnosis on you, you can go into a

trance state and reprogram your own mind how you want it. You

will also be able to increase the speed with which you can be

healed.

With self hypnosis it is possible to train yourself to

accelerate healing, reduce pain, undo habits and addictions like

smoking and drinking, and many more things.

This chapter will include self-hypnosis techniques for you

to learn. It is useful to practice these techniques or those that you

feel most comfortable using often. By using self-hypnosis often you

will begin to be able to reduce stress and increase well-being.

Inductions

3 things

• Focus on spot somewhere in front of you perhaps on a wall

• Notice 3 things you can see, hear and feel and say these things

to yourself, like saying ‘I can see…, I can hear…, I can feel…’

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• Then close your eyes and do the same, saying to yourself 3

things you can see, hear and feel

• Then open your eyes and do the same again

• Continue this until it is too much effort to open your eyes

• When it is then let your eyes remain closed and go to a special

place in your mind

• From this special place you can imagine what changes you want

to occur or what you want to gain from the experience whether

it is just relaxation or imagining seeing through your own eyes,

hearing what you would hear and feeling what you would feel

to be in a position of achieving what you hope to achieve.

Remember to make this positive stating what you want not

what you don’t want.

• Make the experience time-limited by stating to yourself how

long you want to be in trance for and that you want your

unconscious to make all the necessary and appropriate changes

to support you in achieving what it is that you want.

3 things (different)

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• Focus on a spot in front of you

• Notice 3 things you can see, hear and feel

• Then notice 3 different things you can see, hear and feel

• Keep noticing different things for each sense until you feel the

eyes want to shut by themselves

• When they do continue this in your mind until you are in a

pleasant deep trance

• Let your mind wander to somewhere pleasant

• Make the experience time-limited by stating to yourself how

long you want to be in trance for and that you want your

unconscious to make all the necessary and appropriate changes

to support you in achieving what it is that you want.

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Tensing Body Parts

• Notice your body parts as you tense and relax them while your

eyes are closed as you let your mind wander to a special place

• Start by tensing your feet, then relaxing them, then tensing your

calf muscles and relaxing them

• Work up through each body part slowly to your head

• As you work through the body parts breathe slowly and deeply

• Make the experience time-limited by stating to yourself how

long you want to be in trance for and that you want your

unconscious to make all the necessary and appropriate changes

to support you in achieving what it is that you want

Stair case induction

• Imagine walking down a staircase from step 1 to 20

• Time each step with your out breaths

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• Breathe in slowly to the count of 7 then as you breathe out to

the count of 11 step down a step

• Pause briefly then breathe in again and follow the same process

• Going down the steps one breath at a time

• Imagine at the bottom of the steps is a door to a special place

where the change work or relaxation can occur

• Make the experience time-limited by stating to yourself how

long you want to be in trance for and that you want your

unconscious to make all the necessary and appropriate changes

to support you in achieving what it is that you want

Mirror Induction

• Look at yourself in a mirror and hypnotise that mirror you

• Say what you see. Start by saying ‘as you sit there looking at me

just allow your shoulders to relax’

• Then follow your instructions by relaxing your shoulders

• Then give yourself further suggestions until your eyes just want

to shut

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• Suggest that you can go deeper with each breath you take and

with the spaces between the words

• Then as the eyes begin to want to close suggest that you can go

to a special place in your mind where all the necessary changes

can occur at an unconscious level

• Make the experience time-limited by stating to yourself how

long you want to be in trance for and that you want your

unconscious to make all the necessary and appropriate changes

to support you in achieving what it is that you want

Open eyes/close eyes

• Count from 1 to 3 then close your eyes

• Then breathe in deeply

• Then count from 3 to 1 then open eyes

• Then take a long breath out

• Continue this counting from 1 to 3 then closing your eyes, then

breathing in deeply, then counting from 3 to 1 then opening

your eyes, then taking a long breath out, until eyes stay shut

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• Then allow your mind to wander and drift and dream to a

special place

• Make the experience time-limited by stating to yourself how

long you want to be in trance for and that you want your

unconscious to make all the necessary and appropriate changes

to support you in achieving what it is that you want

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Introduction to Part Three Collected Works

The collected works is a set of two books that make up

parts 3 and 4 of my ‘Becoming a Brief Therapist’ Series. The aim of

these books is to give more of an insight into my thinking and how

I personally do therapy. Part one taught an underpinning to doing

effective brief therapy, part two taught the actual ‘doing’ of therapy,

parts three and four go into answering questions that have been

posed to me over the years; questions relating to more fringe based

areas of therapy from the use of energy therapies like Emotional

Freedom Technique to past life regression and future progression,

to delving more into cellular healing and what research and

information is available out there.

Much of the ‘collected works’ is edited from posts over the

years in response to questions on forums and groups on the

internet. Throughout the collected works you will find my answers

to different situations that therapists find themselves in; like how to

treat specific problems and difficult clients.

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It is assumed throughout these collected works that you

have a working knowledge and understanding of terms I use and

techniques described. All of these are covered in the first two

books. The aim here is to expand in a more free-form manner the

information that you already know by giving examples and

situations and ideas for thought.

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The Importance of Keeping the Problem in Mind

I think giving a space where the problem is on the mind

(every time a memory gets recalled it gets altered based on the state

of mind etc that the person is in when they recall that memory) and

then kept in mind as it is altered is a key to effective therapy.

The VK Technique/Rewind Technique involves keeping

the memory in mind as it is being manipulated. I do many

techniques with representations of the memory/problem in mind

being manipulated. Many of the NLP techniques need the problem

to be in mind for them to work.

Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) involves the

memory being kept in mind as the tapping takes place. I think if

someone else is there it can externalise it (creating disassociation)

whilst that person can also influence it whether it is with something

to do with their presence (like a sense of being loved, or supported,

or being made to laugh etc) or to do with what they comment on

and what those comments are (like saying 'that’s right' every time

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the persons mind wanders from pain, or every time an internal

change in state occurs etc).

I think some of the less successful forms of therapy are

where the therapist has a belief (for example that the cause of the

problem isn't what it is) and so they take therapy away from the

actual problem and associations to that problem down a line of

questioning that may sound logical or plausible but really isn't

correct and so the areas on the mind aren't relating to the actual

problem so healing doesn't occur so effectively

To do good therapy you need to access the problem to

work on it. Problems are state-bound so you need to access it so

that it can be worked with. You also want to have a marker for the

end of therapy so you can scale the problem 1-10 at the beginning

when you have evoked the symptom, and then scale 1-10 when you

try to evoke the symptom at the end of the session and the client

finds it isn't there, or it is greatly reduced. If you didn't access it at

the start they wouldn't have a reference point and you wouldn't

have anything to work with.

Evoking a symptom can annoy people so can doing

paradoxical task setting like telling people to stay awake all night if

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they aren't asleep twenty minutes after going to bed. So you need to

give some explanation or exploratory context (with the sleep thing

it could be doing an experiment to learn more about the nature of

the problem etc)

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Gestures and Internal Reality

People describe a lot as if it is all in the world around them.

They will use gestures, they will look at things that aren't there, they

will point at things or mark things out etc...There was an interesting

book by Geoffrey Beattie on gestures based on the first UK Big

Brother show. Due to have 24hr footage for each day they could

check observations of gestures and what was being talked about in

a wider context and they could check back over footage and watch

the footage over the coming weeks (in relation to what was talked

about).

If you watch people’s hands and gestures and physiology

you will notice that they use all of these non-verbal cues acting out

in the real world what is going on internally. These messages can be

watched for congruence. They can be watched to see if they match

what the person is saying or not. If they don’t then this could be

worth investigating further. Many times they convey a metaphor of

what is being discussed, either matching the words or adding extra

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information to compliment the words. For example someone may

say they have to get things in order whilst making a gesture as if

marking out a row of slides one after the other. Or they may talk

about bringing what they have learnt together whilst making a

gesture as if gathering something up with their hands and putting it

all into a ball.

If someone rubs their neck while talking about a partner

that is 'a pain in the neck' the rubbing the neck is a metaphor non

verbally portrayed, as 'pain in the neck' metaphor.

Likewise if someone digs there heals into the ground as you

talk to them about changing people say 'they were digging there

heals in they didn't really want to change' so they non-verbal is

conveying this metaphor...

Working with parents I have watched them talk about their

child whilst doing wringing actions with their hands ('wring his

neck')

There are many such metaphors that can be observed

played out using nonverbal communication

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If you imagine that you are in the clients’ internal reality

then you can interact with it, another technique you can use is

spatial anchoring. I know Richard Bandler likes doing spatial

anchoring. This is where you mark out different anchors in the

space around you. For example if you do this with a group it could

be that every time you say or do something you know will make

people laugh you gesture with the right hand out in front of you at

shoulder height; then when you create a state in the audience of

curiosity you gesture with the right hand at waist height; then

perhaps you talk about learning effectively and you gesture up by

your head, etc...

As long as you know what gesture is for what response you

can then use these gestures to make the person re-enter that state.

So if you want them to access a state of curiosity later in the lecture

you set of the curiosity anchor. If you want them to access humour

you set of this anchor, if you want them to learn something easier

then set off this anchor.

Richard Bandler will also push people's pictures forwards

when talking about associating or getting a closer look, and gesture

moving pictures away when making things more distant or

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disassociating. He often mentions the importance of being in the

clients world and interacting with it congruently. By that I mean

that if you want a client to look at a hallucinated TV screen then

you look at it as well. If you want the client to see something closer

then gesture moving it closer.

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Erickson’s Early Learning Set

One of the main reasons that Milton Erickson used the

early learning set is because it triggers state dependant memory

learning and behaviour. In therapy he would want to have the client

in a state of mind where they can learn effectively to implement the

therapy.

Research has shown that if someone is asked to think about

old people they move slower, think about young people they move

faster, think about depression they feel move down, think about

happiness they feel more happy. If a therapist talks about family

relationships the client thinks about their own family relationships.

Erickson would often discuss learning, how you don't

remember how you learnt but you have the results so obviously

you did learn, he would go into detail (demonstrating how much

was actually learnt) and he would want to provoke this mental set

in the client. If this gets provoked then the client will be in a mental

set where mistakes are a part of learning (like falling over hundreds

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of times before finally walking correctly), where complex tasks can

be integrated into who they are and can become something that

goes on outside of awareness once learnt, the person will only really

be aware of the results.

I think often it is a metaphor but at the same time a part of

the mind would understand what is being said as what it would

have gone through to get to where it is and talk of an experience

could trigger an understanding of many other times learning in a

similar way occurred, so they would still access a learning set. If it is

for later learning’s like tying shoe laces then they may get age

regression as they are likely to have actual structured memories of

this (structured in the sense that they are likely to have formed a

sense of time, of past, present and future).

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Hypnosis & Trance

I am fascinated with 'designer trances' that all emotional

states are trance states and that as everything has a level of emotion

in it everything has a level of trance involved. I believe that you can

mix different trance states to create new states (like mixing jelly

belly beans to get different flavours, or mixing cocktails). I use

musical rhythms etc to create altered states and by starting one

trance then adding another I create designer trances. This is what I

do in many of my audio tracks with music (I'll even put in nursery

rhymes etc as these cause trance states). Because everything has a

trance element the problem is the easiest thing to use to hypnotise

someone. I remember being told on a course many years ago that if

you want to hypnotise a smoker ask them to describe smoking and

they will enter a 'smoking trance'.

My view on hypnosis is also that hypnosis is actually the art

of inducing different trance states not the induction of one state.

And that hypnosis is just the term given to the advanced

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communication skills used for doing this. My opinion is that the

classical 'hypnotic' trance state is actually where a person has been

guided into a 'peak learning state' where they are able to learn new

information (updating old patterns) or learn greater control over

themselves (like over unconscious processes etc). Hypnotic

techniques can also be used to induce relaxation, anger, confusion,

fear, pain, love, sadness, desire, etc...

Because you can induce all of these different states having

the 'state vs. non state' argument to me seems nonexistent as it

seems like an argument over something that is in effect nothing but

a collection of advanced communication skills techniques on the

part of the therapist (or in the case of self hypnosis someone being

skilled enough to induce a desired state of mind without external

intervention). I think when it is induced indirectly it is hard to think

of the induced state and any hypnotic behaviours as being 'acted' if

the person didn't know they were being hypnotised or what is

being expected of them. Whereas when it is induced directly and

they are told what to do some people may fake it really well.

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The brain is essentially a pattern matching machine for

survival. These patterns can be added to and updated all of the

time.

This process happens all of the time, if you have a phobia

you see something which sets off a feeling of fear (often making

you run or freeze before you think what you are doing) then you

start to think.

ALL hypnotic language patterns (I'll call all things that can

be done or used to induce hypnosis in that definition verbal and

non-verbal) are recognised by the brain unconsciously and the

pattern is understood leading to a response (If the pattern isn't

understood there is no response) So in effect you are able to create

responses with the person essentially in any state, not confined to a

'hypnotic' state. But unlike most arguments for the non state idea

the person has no idea why the response happened, it wasn't

expected of them so they had no idea to play along consciously...it

just happened.

I believe that trance states exist. My definition of a trance

state is a fixed state of attention on a stimulus that defines your

behaviour in a way that will aim to maintain that state (I also

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believe that a complete lack of attention like in meditation is also a

trance state because (if it makes sense) they are focusing on having

no fixed attention)

You get many natural trances (including what could be

termed a hypnotic trance) Anger is a trance state, so is love or

relaxation etc... I believe that the stronger the emotion generated

the deeper (as it were) the trance is because it is harder to break

free from it and overcome it. Recent research (for more

information visit www.humangivens.com) shows that a 'hypnotic'

trance is an accessing of the REM state. This is the state of mind

we enter to update patterns of behaviour. This doesn't mean it is

necessary to put someone in that state to get phenomena though, it

is just the state we update patterns and learn in.

ALL 'inductions' use processes that cause this state of

mind. Shock or confusion trigger the re-orientation response which

is the REM state to lock on and learn how it should respond to this

unknown situation, Relaxation, guided imagery etc are all parts of

going into the REM state. As is getting the eyes to move side to

side.

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I see it as a selection of natural processes that are being

utilised. The hypnotic state is good for updating patterns of

behaviour so it is a state, but recognising patterns and responding

to them is non state specific.

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Emotional Trance States

From studying Cults:

One of the main influences I see is 'anchoring' of emotional

trance states that are 'deepened' over time. The activating agent

being the church (or whatever it happens to be), pattern matching

to a powerful emotion that all decisions are made from (the

thoughts). It happens with love (strong trance state, sometimes bad

or at least biased decisions), Anger (one sided biased often bad

decisions), Depression (again a specific thinking style leading to

specific decisions and views).

I believe that different emotional states/trance states have

different thought processes, different levels of

association/disassociation and different levels of

conscious/unconscious involvement. And obviously the

conscious/unconscious 'speak' different languages so the level of

involvement can be altered by talking in a way that is aimed more at

one than the other increasing its dominance. My description of

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hypnosis being advanced communication skills is that it is using

skills known to communicate purposefully with both parts of a

person not just haphazardly or only to the conscious mind. This

allows us to alter states easier than someone without hypnosis

skills. I remember Steve Brooks once saying 'Telling someone to

laugh and having them try to laugh isn't the same as making them

laugh...'

Emotional states are trance states and many problems have

trance components that fix attention and keep it locked in place. As

soon as you ask someone to describe their problem or have them

experience it at all they are in a trance. What you want is to be a

part of the experience to the extent that you want them to respond

to you not just be in their own world excluding all reality including

the therapist. If you alter your voice etc as they 'go inside' then you

can be more in the background but still there and allow them to go

into their experience. There are times you may not want them in

their experience, so you want to be involved to guide them

comfortably out of it if necessary.

As you get used to recognising what someone in a trance

looks like you will have to do less work to induce it because you

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will see when it spontaneously develops. I remember someone

telling me many years ago that if I want to put a smoker (for

example) in a trance just ask them to tell me about smoking and

they will go inside and recall the unconscious habit and go into the

same state as when they smoke (a bit like people go back into the

same state of trance when they carry out post hypnotic behaviour)

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Psychoneuroimmunology & the work of Dr Ernest Rossi

I really like Rossi's approach. Many hypnotherapists use

ideo-motor responses as signals to let them know what is going on.

Rossi has just gone one stage further and uses ideo-motor

responses and observation skills to track what the client is doing.

He trusts that the client has the relevant resources in most cases to

heal themselves. If after doing this process or a version of it if the

person needed to do some talking then he would have them talk

and would often suggest they can tell him what he needs to know

to help them further.

There is considerable research referenced in Rossi's work

about the autonomic nervous system and the endocrine system and

cellular healing, and about research into gene expression and

healing at the genetic level.

Ernest Rossi's work is all about information transduction

and State Dependant Memory Learning and Behaviour (SDMLB).

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His way of working based on his research into the subject is

to recall the problem and be very specific in this so that you will be

dealing with as pure a form of that memory as possible.

Memory is fluid so every time you recall memories you alter

them even if you don't me to.

Ernest Rossi would ask if the clients unconscious is willing

to work on the problem and would make this question contingent

on something observable happening (arms moving, eyes closing

etc) if it is willing. He would then let whatever comes up come up

and would just respond acknowledging minimal cues that he

observes; this could be the client working through difficult

memories that have led to their immune system working less

efficiently than normal etc. Then when the work is done another

signal is given, it could be that all signals stop or a feeling the client

gets or opening the eyes etc.

He will grade the problem at the start of a session and at

the end so that the client can notice the difference in score pre and

post therapy.

His work into information transduction builds on work of

others that have gone before him and others that are currently

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carrying out research in this area. The idea is that information

transforms as it passes from place to place, rather than energy

being passed from place to place. For example: Electrical impulses

in the brain (that carry certain meaning) pass this on to creating

chemical processes (knowing exactly which chemicals to create)

and this could pass on to create hormonal processes and on to alter

cells, creating cellular changes, then in the cells those changes can

lead to specific genetic changes etc.

Ernest is working considerably on finding out how the

placebo response or natural healing response can be triggered on

purpose and demonstrated scientifically without necessarily

requiring a set of beliefs or Doctors having to trick patients.

There are many cases of people believing so strongly in a

treatment that even if it is a useless treatment it has still worked.

In The Psychobiology of Mind Body Healing by Rossi

there is a story of a man that begged his Doctor to let him go on a

drug trial. He didn't meet the criteria because the criteria included

the person being expected to live at least three months. This person

was given days at most. The Doctor gave in and decided that as he

will be dead in days someone else can carry on from him when he

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dies and he won't have had too many of the drugs allocated for the

trial. This man was on a respirator, was bed bound and was

untreatable. The Doctor gave him the first pill on the Friday

afternoon and came back in on the Monday morning to find the

patient walking around all happy and cheerful; his cancer had

reduced by around 50%. Within a few weeks he was discharged

from hospital. A few months later it was in the news that the drug

didn't work.

The patient suddenly went very downhill and his cancer

came back more aggressively and quickly that it had gone. The

Doctor noticed what had happened and so decided to lie to the

patient and told him that a stronger strain of treatment is being

shipped in which has gone the problems ironed out, he said it was

due-in in a few days (building expectancy). When he gave the

patient this 'new' drug (just a placebo) the patient got better twice

as quickly as previously. Many months later it was in the news that

the drug trials had finished and the findings had been collated and

the drug has been found to not work at all. The patient fell ill again

and died within 48hrs of this news.

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Other research Ernest is looking into is that despite the

problem and the cause the underlying physiological response is the

same whether it is stress, depression, anxiety, cancer, aids etc. This

was called the General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS). It was first

noticed and researched in the 1940's and 1950's. Research still

continues and theories have been updated to include things like

how messenger molecules work and State Dependant Memory

Learning and Behaviour (SDMLB).

As well as Psychoneuroimmunology there is also the field

of Psychoneuroendocrinology

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychoneuroendocrinology) that

people could look at as the two fields are related and useful to

know about.

I have been fascinated by Ernest's work for some time; he

has done and continues to do considerable work in this area and in

looking at how people can access a self healing state themselves.

A really good starting article into his work can be found at:

http://www.ernestrossi.com/Yucel.htm

That should give good grounding and ideas in and around

this fascinating subject.

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If you are doing trance work or want a greater

understanding of spontaneous trance state, knowing about

ultradian rhythms is useful.

Releasing past stressful experiences to aid cellular healing.

Experiences are encoded in the brain through state

dependant memory learning and behaviour (SDMLB) when you

have stressful experiences that gets encoded in the mind and body.

Stress affects each cell in the body and brain. If it is intense stress

or prolonged stress is can have a lasting effect. As it is

programmed-in in a state dependant way to remove its effects you

need to access the actual state again and re-process it in a more

useful manner.

It could be high stress memories that need to be re-

accessed and dealt with or memories that gave poor hypnotic

suggestions (like a parent telling the child they are always sick etc).

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My opinion is that in the same way our upbringing clearly

influences who we are as a person psychologically, I believe it also

influences our mind-body in the same way.

For example; a person can be depressed and you can see

they are depressed. If the person was amnesic for the stresses that

could have led to being depressed and they seemed fine on the

surface the unconscious would still know about those things and

may well still have them sitting there needing dealing with (they

would be out of conscious awareness until the person is in the

same state the memories where laid down in).

I believe you are giving the unconscious a chance to take

each relevant memory, sort them out and place them back in a

more appropriate location.

As stress reduces the ability of the immune system then

dealing with stress will allow the immune system to get back to its

correct potential.

Here is a link to some information on state dependant

learning:

http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O87-statedependentmemory.html

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Follow the link then read down the page and check out the other

links also as they are useful to.

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Understanding Energy Therapies

EFT has a long history including acupuncture, acupressure

and TFT (Thought Field Therapy).

Recent research seems to point at it triggering the reorientation

response and the REM state where twitches occur naturally. Joe

Griffin (founder of The Human Givens Approach) found that the

same results could be achieved by twitching fingers or by tapping

on different points whilst thinking about the problem (which then

also causes dissociation, so all together causes the memory to now

be remembered in a new way).

The thinking was if something seems to work let’s find out

how. The same was done with the Fast Phobia Cure, which was

researched and adapted based on the findings to create what

became the Rewind Technique in the Human Givens Approach

(main difference is that you don't go up into a projection booth you

go off to beside the screen, this way you can't see the screen even

accidently as you are not in the right place to be able to do so. If

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you were in the projection booth you may accidently glance up and

notice the screen and then may re-associate with what is on the

screen)

Regarding EFT, a couple of years ago I read early research

by the European therapies studies institute that showed that EFT

and TFT tapping triggered the reorientation response (as does

hypnosis and it is also in dreaming etc), the techniques also

involved dissociation. It didn't matter what tapping was done or

where, and if the tapping was just imagined it was like a hypnotic

visualisation induction.

The techniques worked by triggering the learning state that

is also triggered by hypnosis and is entered in dreaming as a way of

updating patterns, then the dissociation at the same time recodes

the memory reducing the problem by taking out the emotional

content as the memory gets altered.

Memories aren't fixed, each time they are recalled they

change slightly depending on the recall, what part of the memory is

recalled and how; which is good to know when doing therapy as it

means things can change.

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Energy Therapies and Guided Imagery

I’ve had over fifteen years of experience with guided

imagery, ten years with acupressure, and around seven years

experience studying EFT. Over the years these ancient arts have

evolved and adapted to changes in culture and in the needs of the

users. Over the thousands of years that guided imagery and energy

therapies have been around they have gradually drifted apart.

Recently they have started to reunite.

Recent research has shown that the mind can control the

flow of energy around the body

There are many energy therapies around today all with

common ancestry and similar theoretical background. These

therapies all have many points in common; the main one being that

the idea is to re-balance the flow of energy around the body.

The most common of the ancient energy therapies is

Acupuncture, where needles are used to unblock energy paths to

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relieve psychological and physiological ailments. More recently

there was Acupressure then over the last 25 or so years Thought

Field Therapy (TFT) and Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT)

have come about.

All of these energy therapies involve touching the client,

with acupuncture involving putting needles into the skin at certain

points, then acupressure involving applying pressure to specific

acupuncture points, then TFT and EFT involving tapping a

number of times on acupuncture points in specific sequences for

different ailments.

All of these have shown a level of success when used and in

many cases they have shown rapid and long lasting results. The

interesting thing is that there is no need to tap or touch the body at

all. A number of therapists over the last few years have had clients

that for one reason or another couldn’t be touched. For example

because of previous abuse so they didn’t feel comfortable being

touched until they were cured, or in cases with clients that have

burns or other injuries in the location required for tapping.

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These therapists still wanted to help their clients so a

number of them decided to experiment with getting their clients to

imagine tapping on the relevant points. To the surprise of the

therapists the results were equally as good as with real tapping.

The mind and body and the energy systems of the body are

all intrinsically connected. For example; if you think of something

amusing you can find yourself begin to laugh, so your thoughts

caused a physical response. The same seems to apply with the

energy flow around your body, as you think about tapping on

specific relevant points on your body you create a physical change

as if you really were tapping on those points.

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Working with Ideo-Dynamics

You get a range of different classes of Ideo-dynamic

responses

• Ideo-sensory: A sensation that can be noticed by the client

• Ideo-cognitions: Thoughts or images coming to the clients

mind

• Ideo-affective: The client experiencing feelings

• Ideo-motor: The client experiencing an automatic

movement

If I want to notice a response in a client but also want to

give the client wider choice I'll ask for clear signals I can notice and

then pay attention. Or if I want to offer even greater freedom I will

ask the client to tell me when the unconscious give a signal for yes

and to tell me what it is, and the same with no.

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This way the client is a bit more involved and so it isn't

appropriate for all situations but some clients will happily say it’s a

feeling in their stomach, or a shiver, or a warmth in a hand or foot

(ideo-sensory) or a voice in their mind or a word or an image in

their mind etc (ideo-cognitions), or a feeling of comfort, anger,

sadness, happiness etc (ideo-affective), or a movement in the toe,

finger, twitch in the face, twitch in the leg etc (ideo-motor)

When using parts for therapeutic interventions often

feelings can be used, where you can ask for different parts to be

there and establish with the client what those parts are and how

they are expressing themselves (I'm a strong believer in allowing

self expression) and have people notice the sensations as the parts

integrate into the new learning/understanding/resolution etc...And

they can tell you when this is done.

Ideo-motor movement could be done in a similar way with

(for example) a hand representing the problem, and a hand

representing the clients resources and have them move (self

expression again) until resolution is found and the problem and

resources have integrated into something new.

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The above is using these responses in an open way rather

than yes/no.

When I have asked people to notice a signal that means yes

and a signal that means no and to let me know what they are it

works in the same way as finger signals except if it is something

you can't see you wait for the client to get the answer from their

unconscious then they give you the answer verbally.

Often when you are being observant they don't need to

give you the answer verbally as you will notice the ideo-motor

movement of the head nodding or shaking as the thought begins to

seep through just before they answer.

So in effect you will still be reading ideo-motor signals but

you have set up (in a way that suits the client) a yes/no signal set

that the signal will come from. If for example it was warmth in the

left hand for yes and right hand for no when the answer comes

through you will notice a hand getting slightly more red, then you

notice a fraction of a second later a slight movement of the head

yes or no, then movements associated with being about to speak,

then they tell you.

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Hopefully all of this will be congruent, but if it isn't the

chances are the bit that isn't would be the conscious verbal answer.

Over the years I've not really noticed any one type of

response to be better than any other except that sometimes people

do things too consciously and seem too consciously involved and if

you are time limited it is easier to have a yes signal without saying

what it is to be and watch for it and the same with the no, so that

they don't just lift the finger consciously because you were setting

up finger signals and they knew that and so thought that would be

what you would want.

I like minimal input in words, just getting agreement from

the unconscious and observing signals as the unconscious does the

work (videos of Ernest Rossi doing this are very good and

informative), then a signal to say the work is either finished or is

now at a point it can continue all by itself.

There are many techniques and schools of therapy that use

these other responses, like various 'parts' techniques and therapies

where the client may be ask to call up a part and wait for the

response and the say what that response is/where that part is - like

a feeling in the stomach, or tingling in an arm etc...

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Subliminal Auditory Stimulation

What is it?

Milton Erickson discovered that he could influence people

by matching then leading people's breathing patterns. He called this

Subliminal Auditory Stimulation. From his studies into this he

developed this as an important part of the way he worked...

It is interesting how using this once rapport has been built

you can create thoughts and words in others that they think they

came up with themselves.

I have often wondered how many apparent psychic

examples can be attributed to this process, either done with intent

or done without the operators knowledge.

It is a two-way process.

If you go with it you can let messages come through from

the other person, especially if you allow a trance to develop first. So

what you would be doing is effectively having the client breathe

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what is in their mind and you begin to breathe the same, rather

than you initiating it by breathing something for them to pick up

on.

Back in the 1960’s Erickson wrote a report on experiments

he carried out on influencing people just by breathing.

He termed this ‘Subliminal Auditory Stimulation’

Milton Erickson would sit next to, or in view of the person

he wanted to manipulate. He would then breathe the same as them

for a while before changing his breathing. This change in breathing

would then also happen in the subject. He tested this by triggering

stuttering, yawning and humming or singing songs.

Over the years Milton Erickson refined his ability to

influence people with his breathing technique. He would use it to

hypnotise people, to make people fall asleep and to influence what

thoughts people have.

Since the 1990’s when I found out about the work of

Milton Erickson I have used ‘Subliminal Auditory Stimulation’ to

influence others. I have used it in Business Meetings to get others

thinking what I want them to say, I have used it in meetings and on

public situations to make people fall asleep, I have used it in

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childcare to get children to sleep, in therapy to influence my clients

decisions and I have used it regularly to induce a hypnotic trance in

people.

So far, despite having success on many occasions at using

this technique I don’t know of anyone that has carried out a proper

study on the subject. Without carrying out a full scale study there is

no evidence to support the claim that you can influence people by

breathing in specific ways.

As well as demonstrating that it is possible to influence

people consciously in this way, it may also lead to explaining some

claims of psychic abilities. For example: when one partner is

thinking about wanting a cup of tea and the other partner gets up

and offers to make one, or when you get those moments where a

friend says something and you discover that you were thinking the

same. It may also explain why some people feel they are psychic,

because they naturally have an ability to unconsciously pick up on

the breathing patterns of clients.

What I hope to do is to have as many people as possible

carrying out the experiment in real situations. These people will

choose a target; sit next to, or in sight of the target. They will then

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spend a few minutes matching the targets breathing before

changing their own breathing to breathing a tune. This is a tune

that should be recognisable to most people. They will ‘breathe’ this

tune for a few minutes, before recording the results.

What they will be looking for is how long they spent

matching the targets breathing before they were able to lead the

breathing. Then how long they spent ‘breathing’ the tune. Then

how many people responded by humming or singing that tune.

Also people to use it in daily life like matching breathing

then asking in your mind for a cup of tea, or for someone to say a

specific sentence.

Anyone reading this that decides to give this a go I would

be curious to hear your feedback.

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The Unconscious Mind

A reason for using the term unconscious is because it refers

to all of the bits that are not in conscious awareness. So it isn't a

static description in a sense because there is always different

information that you are consciously aware of.

You may not be aware of glasses resting on your nose (so it

is unconscious) but once mentioned you become aware of it so it is

now conscious.

Erickson used to describe it as everything you are currently

not aware of, this includes all the processes, thoughts, memories,

information etc.

Other therapists like Carl Rogers used the term non-

conscious to meant not of the conscious mind. He would talk

about how sometimes ideas and questions to ask would suddenly

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appear in his consciousness that came from the non-conscious part

of him that was wiser and knew more than he did.

Steve Brooks also often prefers the term non-conscious.

One reason is due to associations people hold regarding various

terms. Subconscious implies lower than or less important than

conscious. Unconscious people associate with not being conscious

- like being knocked out etc...Any of these terms really are

nominalisations that different people give different meaning to. I

have always liked Erickson's meaning as it is empowering...

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Therapeutic Dowsing

One of the subjects I have studied in great detail over the

last fifteen years is dowsing. When I was younger I was fascinated

by the results that I obtained with the use of dowsing so I began to

use it more and more to test the limits of what it can be used for.

One discovery that I made was that you can use dowsing

therapeutically. Dowsing has the ability to answer questions for you

in a very visual manner. The downside is that you can only ask

questions with yes, no, or maybe answers. I teach people to use

dowsing as a form of self-help therapy. My aim is always to

empower the people I work with so that they can go away from

sessions with me with skills to help themselves in the future rather

than rely on a therapist/healer or anyone else.

Firstly you will need to find a pendulum, this works best if

it has some personal significance, for example; using a wedding ring

hanging on a chain as the pendulum. After you have a pendulum

hold the end of the chain between your thumb and forefinger (or

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whatever you are using) with the weight (ring etc) hanging down,

then close your eyes a moment. Take a few deep relaxing breaths,

make each out breath slightly longer than each in breath (this

stimulates a relaxed altered state of mind). Say to yourself “please

allow me to receive clear and accurate answers from within”.

Next open your eyes and look at the pendulum, hold it

steady, rest your elbow on a table if you want so that your arm

remains still. Now say to the pendulum “please show me the

movement for a yes answer”. Wait for the pendulum to move, if

the movement isn’t very noticeable then ask “please can you make

the signal clearer”. Remember to show respect and to always be

polite, so you always ask with a please, and say thank you when you

have received the answer. Then ask the pendulum (like above) to

show you the movement for a ‘no’ answer, then wait (then say

thank you), then ask for the movement for an ‘I don’t know’

answer, then wait (then say thank you).

After you have established the signals (often left to right for

one answer, back and forth for another answer, and round in a

circle for the third answer) you can then ask questions. The

answers come from a place of great intelligence, wisdom and

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knowledge. The answers are rarely wrong. Remember; everything

happens for a reason.

For the answers to be most accurate you need to focus fully

on what the question is that you want to ask, you want the question

to be clear and concise, you don’t want the question to be

ambiguous (for example a question that could have many answers

or many meanings). You are also unlikely to get a straight or honest

answer if by acting on the answer you are likely to effect someone

else’s wishes (for example if two people want to be the sole winners

of the lottery both of their wishes would conflict so neither would

happen.

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Learning to Notice Minimal Cues

Over the years I have studied many martial arts, one of my

favourite 'party tricks' used to be grabbing a coin from someone’s

hand before they close their hand. I would do this by watching for

the first minute movements to indicate that the arm will be moving

and the hand will be closing. The same with noticing punches etc...

The interesting thing about sticky hands is it is easier blindfolded as

all of your attention is on what you feel with fewer distractions.

The best way to practice is to make this part of your life.

Practice observing people when you are out anywhere other people

are. It could be watching people in restaurants, or it could be on a

bus or in a park. Even on TV and watching programmes like Big

Brother.

It is useful to limit what you are looking for rather than

attempting to see everything all at once. Or limiting to watching a

specific area - like the eyes, or the mouth etc...

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As you watch people look for patterns.

You can also practice with friends. Get with friends in pairs

and you can do some of these exercises:

1. Sit opposite each other, ask the other person to think of

something they really like, then change the subject a few moments,

then ask them to think of something they don't like.

Watch them and ask them to think of one then the other

slowly a few times, then to randomly think of one or the other and

you tell which they are thinking of. Do this a number of times and

notice what you are noticing that lets you know.

Then do the same again but this time sit back to back and

have them count 1-10 while they are thinking of one then the other

and then have them randomly think of one or the other and you

work out which from their voice.

Then do the same again with your eyes closed and the palm

of one of your hands touching the palm of one of their hands.

Have them go through thinking of one then the other then

randomly thinking of one or the other. You work out which they

are thinking about from the kinaesthetics.

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2. Have a friend sit opposite you and think of 2 truths and a

lie. Notice what is different about the lie

3. Have a selection of different coins, practice noticing

subtle differences by hearing (with eyes closed or back turned)

different coins being dropped one at a time and say which coin is

being dropped (on a table is best)

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Hypnotic Language Patterns, Skills and Ideas for Working with People

Open-ended Suggestions

As you look at your hands I wonder whether you will

notice the movement that will occur as you enter into hypnosis?

Will the movement be small twitches or larger movements... or will

it be a lifting or sliding... or pushing down... or will it seem to go

unnoticed... and seem to be incredibly still... and will that

movement be in the left hand... or the right hand... or both

hands...and I wonder whether it will start in a finger... or in the

palm of a hand... or perhaps in the back of a hand...or if the

movement will start from elsewhere in an arm to create that

movement...you can be curious to discover how your unconscious

expresses your own unique way of entering into a state of

hypnosis...etc...

Open ended suggestion allows many options (almost

anything can happen) yet there is only one outcome making them

similar to the various forms of binds...

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Nominalisations

Utilising Negative Nominalisations

Negative nominalisations can be used as a way of

describing the problem even if you don't know all the details, if you

use the term anxiety the client will know what you are talking about

even though you may not really know what it means to them.

If you then talk whilst leaning to look behind the client

whilst mentioning anxiety (for example) and put it in past tense you

can place the problem in the past, you can mention 'back there'

etc...

You can also alter the meaning of a nominalisation, so you

could start with 'anxiety' and their meaning and begin to reframe

and alter the meaning of the nominalisation so that when they

think of 'anxiety' it has a different meaning to them...

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A Collection of Positive Nominalisations

Express the true you

Discover the qualities that make up who you are

See yourself as if through the eyes of someone that loves

you dearly and discover what comes to mind

Voyage of self discovery

Discovering your sense of purpose and meaning in life

Following your heart

Self realisation

Self discovery

Authority

Manipulation (not really a positive nominalisation!)

You can use your leadership skills...

...Feels like to become top dog...

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...Display your management qualities...

...Get a sense of what it feels like to be the leader of the

pack...

...notice how things can go your own way, even turning

bumps in the road into opportunities for success and

achievement...

...Use your strengths to achieve success...

Charm & charisma

Discovering a feeling of respect from others

A feeling of love and friendship

Connection with people you meet

Feel that special feeling inside that lets you know those

around you care

Part of the community

Feeling of togetherness

Meaningful relationships with friends and family

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A binding sense of unity

Using Guided Imagery Journeys

Hypnotic journeys can be used with adults and children

alike. Most people enjoy a journey or adventure. With a guided

journey each change of scene create a new depth of trance so for

example; if someone walks along a beach then walks into a beach

house they will now be in a second level of trance, if they then

settle down in a comfy chair and relax and drift into a dream they

will now be in a third depth of trance.

To bring the person out again you need to reverse the route

they took. This sandwiches the deepest part and each subsequent

layer so that on coming out of trance the client will normally have

considerable amnesia for the deeper parts.

Some examples of journeys:

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Walking through fields towards some woods in the

distance...then walking through the woods following a stream up

towards some distant mountains, then climbing the mountains to

find a cave...and in the cave you start a small fire and look at the

cave paintings that appear to flicker and dance to the light of the

fire...getting a sense of becoming the spirit of an Eagle leaving the

cave and flying over the land below, over the route you have just

taken, getting a whole new perspective, noticing how everything

can seem so still from up here...etc...

Or one of my favourite journeys to use for inductions

(when I use more structured inductions) is to guide someone

through a woods to the edge of a vast ocean (as a land animal),

then under the water becoming a whale or similar, then swimming

down to a cave entrance deep under the sea that gets followed and

comes out in a secret land that is like it has been set inside a

mountain, with a forest and a house in the middle of that land, and

that house containing unknown knowledge...(spend sometime in

the house before reversing the journey)

Or I talk about a prince that looks out from his castle to

see people suffering, wondering why he should get what he wants

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and never suffer yet all these people seem to suffer so much, he

gets in disguise and goes out to see what it beyond the castle walls.

He walks through fields, meets peasants that teach him, he goes

throughout his land and eventually settles under a tree to meditate

on what he has learnt, he goes on that mental journey before

making his learning’s then heading back through his land to the

castle to share and use what he has discovered...

Embedded Commands

Stephen Brooks Insertive Eye Technique

I love using this technique and use it as a part of who I am

and how I communicate. This technique was developed by Stephen

Brooks (www.british-hypnosis-research.com) as a way of being

more subtle when embedding commands. Milton Erickson used to

use head movements to embed commands. He may have done

more subtle techniques like this one but to my knowledge no-one

has documented any cases of this.

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Many people question whether being left or right handed

has a relevance to which eye you look into when talking to the

unconscious or conscious mind.

I don't believe that being left or right handed has any

relevance on the effectiveness of the technique purely because I

believe that the unconscious is picking up on the pattern and

noticing the pattern is what lets it know it is being communicated

with rather than because a specific part of the mind is being looked

at. I think that creating a pattern separate from the overall

conversation is enough to make it realise it is being spoken to as

this is it's language. Whereas the conscious mind is understanding

what it believes it is hearing.

When I first started learning this technique I got hung up

on left/right brain stuff and then was doing the technique different

with left/right handed people and would have to figure this out

first, then there are people that have been forced to right wrong

which means I was left confused on many occasions...

I got into a habit of doing it one way with everyone (right

eye for unconscious, left eye for conscious). I have found this to be

effective and easy to remember. I also found that if anyone is

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watching me talk they also will understand this communication as it

is communicating the same as I do with them...so even though they

are watching me talk in a specific way to one person they are

noticing and picking up the pattern. This wouldn't be the case if

how I was talking to one person was incongruent with how I talk

with the person that is currently observing...

Embedded commands are used positively and negatively in

everyday situations

For example:

Doctors or dentists telling you 'this will hurt'

People telling children 'you're never going to amount to

anything' , 'you're rubbish at maths' , 'one of these days you're

going to get hurt doing that' etc...

Doctors telling you 'the problem will last for three to six

weeks'

To children 'you're going to be so successful when you

grow up'

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Using Ambiguous Language, Mispronounced Words

and Confusion

Don't let a trance state develop until I have counted all the

way down from five... and you can respond to any form of

counting... and notice how it develops in stages... with each count

from five... and before (four) you three (free) yourself... and

allow yourself to (two) go all the way in trance... you can discover

what it means being at one now... with your thoughts and feelings

and a deep sense of relaxation... as you notice that developing in its

own special way... wondering as you wander comfortably... drifting

and relaxing... whether you will go deeper with the words that I say

or the spaces between the words...(then at the end of the

induction)...and as you drift back to a sense of oneness you

can rise up to (two) an awakeful state with each count...feeling a

sense of threedom (freedom) and before (four) you come all the

way back you can let go of the experience on a conscious level and

end the counting on five...then opening your eyes...

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As you wander along wondering where the wandering will

take you, you can wonder what else you will discover as I talk to

...your unconscious (a command to be unconscious/in

trance)...mind, it is your right to decide whether your right (correct

or right) hand will lift up or your left hand will lift up, and you

know which hand is right (correct or right) and the right (correct or

right) hand can lift while the wrong hand will be left ...(left hand is

wrong/wrong hand will stay where it is) where it is, and you came

here today and noticed that it is a nice day for a change (good

outside, good day to change)...not like the other day where the

weather just makes you wonder whether ...it is worth the change

(command that it is worth changing and money change) ... you

spend on tents (tense) when it takes all that effort to put them up

and tents (tense) come down so easily and effortlessly, and you can

take the tents (tense) down in so many ways it's impossible not to

be able to take the tents (tense) down...and as you glisten (listen -

Commonly used by Bandler) up to each word I say and be calm

(become) aware of what it is like to wear something different and

try on something new and wonder where you'll wear that...in what

situations and what contexts...and in a minute you can take an

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(on) hour (our) ... discussion and the meaning and discoveries you

have made and discoveries you don't know that you have made

and wander (wonder) through what's new and realise that 70% of

discomfort is made up of comfort (discomfort = 10 letters,

comfort = 7 letters) and I wonder what that will mean to you the

next time someone is mean to you and you take their meaning and

pick up what they mean in a new way a way you didn't know you

knew...dismissing the dis (common youth term - dissing you -

meaning putting you down or being mean to you) and discovering

(diss covering - hiding it) the comfort in yourself...

I enjoy mispronouncing words that most people seem to

overlook or not notice

'You can take every trance (chance) you get to really relax'

'I don't know if that movement will be in the lift (left) hand

or the right hand'

'I don't know which hand will lift right arm (on) up into the

air'

No more/know more

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insecurity/in security

Nowhere/Know where

Tents/Tense

Wonder/Wander

Stairs/Stares

In trance/Entrance

Heal/Heel

Changing state, or going from state to state etc... (Driving

down USA for example - changing states of mind)

Breathing and Minimal Cues for Deep Rapport

Building

I match the breathing from the start of the session and

keep it matching. I won't match bad breathing patterns like

coughing or an asthma attack etc, but normal breathing I match.

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I will talk on the out breaths, unless I am going for an arm

levitation when I give suggestions on the in breath. If someone is

breathing too fast for me to be comfortable with I match every two

breaths so that I do one whole in and out breath to every two of

theirs.

I believe matching breathing is one of the most important

things to match as it is such a fundamental process and it builds a

really deep connection.

After matching breathing for some time I lead by

deepening my breathing and lowering it down to my stomach as

they now follow my lead.

I rarely stop matching the breathing (there are occasions I

do but not often), I'll talk in time with their breathing, breathe in

time with their talking, and breathe in time with their breathing.

It can be practiced in any situation where people are

present. Go to public places and you can practice matching

breathing of people there and also even more usefully you can

practice noticing peoples breathing. With people that breathe really

slowly it can be difficult to notice at first so practicing on hundreds

of people every day really helps. You can then put people in

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different states just from matching (pacing) then leading their

breathing...This can be fun to do with people in libraries, on

benches, on buses or train journeys etc...

I remember an experience many years ago when a

hypnotherapist said he couldn't enjoy being hypnotised by indirect

hypnosis as his knowledge was such that he would notice what was

going on and so his experience wasn't like the experience of trance

spontaneously appearing to develop out of nowhere like his clients

would have and like he used to have when he started out. He didn't

believe it would be possible to experience that again.

I took this as a challenge. We sat discussing what he was

saying and then carried on into 'ordinary conversation'.

As we were talking I kept asking questions I knew would

make him go inside his mind, but in context with what we were

discussing. I could see his pulse in the side of his neck so I matched

this with the movement of one of my feet. I matched his blinking

with one of my fingers whilst matching (on the surface) his general

body posture and hand positions etc...so to him I would have

appeared to be matching him and it was the subtle information I

was cross matching (of which he was unaware). Just like when you

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pat your head and rub your belly, to do this I aligned myself with

one thing at a time, moving on to add more once I was

comfortable with what I had got.

I matched his breathing normally just matching it with my

breathing, I matched his external/internal focus with my overall

body posture (sitting taller when he was looking at me and talking

to me, relaxing my muscles and slumping when he went inside his

mind)

It didn't take long for him to be at a point where he clearly

wanted to close his eyes and go into a trance but as we weren't in a

context where we were doing hypnosis he would have been closing

his eyes in the middle of what was appearing to be an ordinary

conversation. He clearly was waiting to have permission to close his

eyes. I gave him this permission, he went very deeply into a trance

and when he came out of the trance he said that it was the deepest

trance he thinks he has been into.

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How to Match and Mirror Successfully

I remember reading something Derren Brown said once, if

you want to match and mirror people properly before you meet

them get in the mindset that you like them as much as your best

friend. Then when you actually meet keep hold of that feeling that

you have known them for years like a long term best friend and you

will fall into rapport with them naturally which then won't look

faked.

I tried this a few times and found that for planned meetings

it worked well (times when you can get into state first). I found that

from videoing dozens of interactions with people (me with others)

when matching and mirroring was natural overt movements had

more of a delay than subtle movements. Things like shifting in the

seat would take a second or two, gestures would only match if the

context was the same (so my gesture would hold the same

meaning), things like angle of the head, leaning etc matched pretty

quick, matching the types of words and sentence structures and

tonality etc seemed immediate (next thing that was said) unless it

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didn't fit with what was being said (like if telling story or putting

on a voice etc) Breathing seemed to match rapidly as well and so

did heart rate (either seen in the neck or if the legs are crossed, seen

in the movement of the foot that is off the ground, or in the wrist

by the thumb etc). My assumption was that to fake it I had to apply

this and match more minimal cues quicker than more overt cues

and that I had to make sure what I was doing also match meaning

(so if someone gestures throwing a problem over their shoulder I

can use the same gesture when describing getting rid of the

problem so that it shows a deeper understanding rather than just

copying a movement, likewise if someone demonstrates a churning

motion with their hands when they talk about their problem and

how it feels I don't just copy it I use it in context when talking

about that feeling).

Some ways I have practiced matching and mirroring is

using it whilst sitting on buses and trains, matching other

passengers and then leading them into a trance state.

I think matching breathing is one of the best ways to

deepen rapport. Many courses teach to match body posture,

gestures, clear movements etc, what often happens is that people

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look like they are copying the person and it can make the person

feel uncomfortable. Whereas breathing often goes unnoticed. My

view is that the more obvious something is the more careful you

have to be in matching or mirroring it. I think that the best way to

do it with more obvious movements is to make the movement or

change when it is appropriate to do so. So if someone is sat with

their legs apart then crosses their legs I wouldn't immediately copy

this, I would wait until it is appropriate to do so in context with

what I am doing and saying. I also wouldn't do any movement that

was unnatural or uncomfortable for me to do, in these cases I may

do cross matching, so if they cross their arms I'd cross my legs.

Using matching and mirroring is a good way to get people

to talk with you. For example if you see someone you like before

you talk with them (say in a bar) you can match them, they will pick

up on this and begin to feel a connection to you even if they aren't

directly paying attention to you, they will feel like they know you or

like you but won't know why or where from.

In therapy situations by becoming as similar to the client as

possible you can begin to get a sense of what they feel which can

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help your understanding of their problem on a deeper level, rather

than just what they are saying.

Problem Free Talk

Some of the best questions to ask surround problem free

talk, it is in the problem free areas you find most of the resources

to help the client. It also relaxes them and helps build rapport, and

it can give you ideas to use for treatment and for any induction

etc...

My Friend John Technique

The My Friend John technique is a way of hypnotising

somebody whilst appearing to be talking about hypnotising

someone else. There is an example of Erickson doing this to a

reporter:

The reporter asks (as you never should to a hypnotist)

'How do you hypnotise someone?'

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Erickson replies with (can't remember the exact wording

but I'm sure you'll get the point):

'Well firstly I look at them like this...and I say "I would like

to have you pay attention to the words that I am saying...and as you

pay attention to the words that I'm saying you can notice how your

breathing is slowing down comfortably...how your blink reflex is

slowing down, how that immobility is setting in all by its

self"...etc......

Watching the reporter nodding in agreement as he drops

deeper into a trance without even knowing what is happening is

great.

Giving a Clause for Continued Positive Improvement

I find on top of all that has been said giving a clause can

help: ...that change can continue and evolve in any way that is

appropriate and acceptable to yourself (client) and others and only

that which will enhance and enrich your life and the lives of those

around you...

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Hypnotising Deaf People

The issue of how to hypnotise a deaf person has come up a

few times over the years. People often wonder how you do the

therapy part of hypnotherapy when the person is going to be in a

trance with their eyes closed.

They know that an ambiguous touch induction could be

done but had this belief the person would shut their eyes to go

inside their mind.

I explained that there is no rule that says trance is

contingent on the eyes being closed and that the person could keep

her eyes open.

A deaf person I hypnotised could lip read, so I did hypnosis

inducing an eyes open trance. I felt they were probably even lip

reading better once in a trance as they were responding well...

I spoke like I do with other subjects, not for their benefit

because my voice obviously gets quieter etc...but to remain

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congruent, if I had just mimed the words or just spoke with one

tonality throughout then my physiology would reflect this. To be

congruent I had to alter my voice in the same way so that my body

would do the correct thing.

Crystal Gazing Induction

Walt Disney’s creativity strategy was similar to the Crystal

Balls technique. He would have all of the scenes floating in space

and feel drawn to them, would pull them down, look at them, put

them back, edit them, scrap some etc. He would do this through

three different filters - Dreamer, Realist and Critic.

He would be able to see them as a collection of slides

expressing the main scenes, or moving together like a finished

programme etc...

Read (or watch) Robert Dilts Strategies of Genius for

further and detailed information.

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Dilts discusses taking on this strategy for creativity using

three different spatial locations on the floor (one for each

perceptual position) and a forth for being outside the stages.

For the purposes of Future Improvement and Performance

Enhancement I created a technique based on the similarities of

being in a hypnotic trance and Quantum Physics that is a form of

the crystal gazing technique.

In hypnosis you can experience many paradoxical things,

you can be a part of and apart from simultaneously, likewise you

can be an observer and the observed, you can be old and young

etc... In quantum physics you get similar features (schrodinger's cat

etc). There is also the multiverse idea

I created a technique where resources were gathered up

from the past and then multiple 'nows' appear where the person

goes and practices what they want to learn (so that they are learning

parallel rather than linear). They can't do this consciously; they can

only observe this happening, noticing all of those parallel presents.

Each 'present' involves an instructor or guide, they learn in each

one, then at the end of the technique all the 'presents' integrate into

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one and then I move into spreading that into the future and make

sure they are associated fully with all those parts that just got the

practice...

I recently did this technique for someone for singing, it was

like them having lots of singing lessons at the same time rather

than one a week for many weeks. The downside was their throat

ached as if they had been singing for ages, but after a day or so they

were singing notes they had never been able to hit (higher and

lower), they were more flexible with their voice and could move

between notes easier, they could really notice the difference.

Putting Yourself in an Externally Focused Trance

In one of the Erickson/Rossi books; Erickson is asked

about the state he goes into when he is working with clients.

He explains that if he thinks he is likely to miss something

important he will begin to pay very close attention to minimal cues,

first starting with one cue (say movements around the eyes) then

adding another cue (say pulse rate in the temple or corner of the

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eyes) then after a short while add in another minimal cue (say

colouring of the cheeks and cheek muscle tonus) then would add in

another minimal cue (say lips - blood flow to and from them etc)

etc...

He said that as he does this his attention becomes

increasingly focused on the client and he enters an externally

focused trance state where his conscious is like an observer and his

unconscious is doing the work. His unconscious is noticing the

minimal cues and patterns and using them without conscious

interference.

I have found this an excellent way of inducing an externally

focused trance state to enhance therapeutic ability and from

noticing patterns whilst keeping track of what is being said you

begin to notice almost like a second dialogue that is running paralell

to the conscious dialogue that is based on ideas, concepts,

patterns and unconscious self-expression.

I used to do this when playing pool, I would become aware

of my breathing, my heart beating, the feeling of the weight of my

arms, of my hands, of the balls moving, the sound of contact, then

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when it was my turn I would continue this to include the feeling of

the steps around the table, the movement of the cue etc...and 'it'

would play, 'I' would observe...

Using Bineural Beats to Induce a Trance

Many of my tracks use bineural beats, sending different

beats to different ears so that the brain picks up on the difference.

For example if one ear heard 30 Hz and the other ear heard 37 Hz

then the brain picks up on 7 Hz. I did a lot of studying on trance

and trance induction and how it is induced in different cultures. I

was interested in how different trance states can be created.

On my Deep Trance track for example I use drum beats

that are different to both ears to create one state, I also have

recurring patterns of birds, thunder etc that are over a longer

period so they are not so consciously obvious, I also have the start

of common nursery rhymes etc, when a familiar pattern is started

the person finishes it in their own mind creating a mini trance.

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I have also created Light sound videos with flashing

coloured lights (R,G,B) at about 8 Hz and bineural audio beats and

the audio 'hypnosis/meditation' track. These tracks work the same

way as the light sound machines. Using light with the eyes closed

visualisation happens much quicker even in people that struggle to

visualise.

Creating Amnesia

Using a sneeze or saying ‘excuse me a minute would break

someone’s flow and induce amnesia (a pattern interrupt). If you

follow this up with either continuing to imply forgetting, or you

could talk about subjects that lay down the pattern for

forgetfulness. Like having a name on the tip of your tongue etc...

Another way is while they are in this state of having forgotten go

back to an earlier conversation, this sandwiches the now forgotten

bit.

So for example; if you were talking about the weather, then

talking about something you later want the person to forget, you

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can interrupt them then once interrupted go back to talking about

the weather so that it is as if none of the rest of the conversation

happened.

There is a brief example of inducing amnesia at the

beginning of this video

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=cOkqIEiYYtM

Recently an idea came to me to induce amnesia. It appeared

to be effective. I gave an example of how a child can be eating all

of their sweets, engrossed in that and then they reach the end of

the pack of sweets and they look up to the parent and hold out the

bag and say 'It's.....' (I never finished the sentence).

I expected the unconscious to know all likely endings to

that sentence in that situation. What I wanted was to narrow down

to just one likely meaning (It's all gone). I planned on doing this by

saying something else with the same messages so that the

unconscious can pick up on what is similar about both messages.

Next I said 'You know that the roman numeral for 4 is iv,

and you know how you can see something and read it in different

ways and with different meanings, and you know what it would

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look like to see the Roman Numeral for 4 in front of you with the

number 4 next to it, with the number 10 at the end and the word

'got' just before that...' (iv 4 got 10)

The unconscious did appear to pick up on these together

from the response I got...

Other ways are using distraction, or changing subject. In

childcare I used to do this a lot, a young person would be beating

someone up and I would say I thought I heard someone at the

door. They would immediately stop and go and check, by the time

they got there I would be already talking with them about

something else to keep them active and get their train of thought as

far from where it was as possible.

I used to practice doing distraction indirectly, like looking at

something, or at them (like their nose) until they want to know

what I am looking at. Especially with looking over somewhere

people often lose their train of thought and look, before they

realise why they are looking. Or you can sneeze or something that

will equally stop them, or just say 'excuse me a minute' any

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interruption often works brilliantly especially when you follow it up

with implication that they have forgotten.

In hypnosis I like to guide people into experiences (like

along a beach for example) then have them settle down and drift

off into a daydream (about walking in the woods for example) then

find somewhere else to rest (like sitting under a tree) and drift off

again (like looking up at clouds and wondering what it would be

like to be on another world looking up at clouds on that world)

then I do the work with them and sandwich it by reversing the

process so that what is in the middle becomes the most difficult to

remember.

I think one of the best ways to create amnesia is not to ask

about the experience (like not asking about a dream someone has

just had when they wake up). If they don't get asked and then go

home and maybe later on that day or the next day they get asked

they often don't seem to remember (or not much if they do),

almost like if you waited a day to ask someone about a dream they

had, they probably wouldn't recall much of it.

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Self Hypnosis

Many years ago I was having difficulty doing self-hypnosis

without a tape. It was annoying me because I wanted to have

experiences like the people I hypnotised. I thought if I can

hypnotise others why can't I hypnotise myself. I then thought how

can I hypnotise myself as if I am a client.

I came up with the idea of sitting in front of a full length

mirror and treating that 'me' as a client and do a utilisation

induction on them (it is the weirdest experience, it is brilliant).

So I sit looking at that me in the mirror and do what I

would do if they were a client sat in front of me. If they blink I say

that's right, if their breathing changes I comment on it, if their

shoulders slump I comment on this also...An advantage is I am

already in sync with their breathing, pulse rate and blinking, and

posture etc...we have rapport...The induction is often very quick

and you give relevant suggestions to doing whatever work when the

eyes close and to open them when the work is done (or make time

limited etc). About half way into the induction you get a strange

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feeling of not knowing which you is the real you - the one doing

the induction or the client (One aspect of trance logic is duality,

how you can be apart of and apart from at the same time, you can

be here and there at the same time).

Peripheral Vision

Peripheral vision is far more capable at detecting movement

so if it is used in observing people you notice micro movements

easier.

It is also the vision you use to do photo reading or rapid

observation when you want to detect movement and take in more

information rather than colour and fine detail. If you watch

someone with peripheral vision you can be looking at their face and

see movement of the hands or legs and breathing, and easier to

notice the pulse in the neck or ankle or wrist etc whilst noticing

colour changing and overt movements and responses as you are

close enough to notice these. You can also notice other people if

you have a group around you even though it appears you are not

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paying attention to others around you. And likewise if you are

talking to others you can keep an eye on the subject (or targeted

person if in a meeting or social situation, like dating when you want

to watch someone’s reaction and responses)

Not Doing to Create Change

I remember a session of Milton Erickson's where he

hypnotises a client and then leaves the room. Later he comes back

and brings the person round.

The person says: (not word for word but you'll get the idea)

'I don't remember you saying or doing anything?'

Erickson: 'You don't remember me saying or doing

anything'

Client: 'No, but you must have done something'

Erickson: 'I know, I must have done something'

Client: 'If you did I don't remember what you did'

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Erickson: 'You don't remember what I did'

Nothing was done but the person changed, they knew how

to and what was needed.

I have done this once on someone that if I verbalised

anything they had a 'but' for it, or a counter argument, even if I was

only saying what they had said. They were very extreme in this

behaviour. The idea came to me that I could gather information

opening relevant and useful patterns and associations in the clients

mind related to resolving and reframing the problem, their

unconscious would hopefully notice what I am doing. I then

explained that during hypnosis some people hear what is going on

others go so deeply into a trance that they don't hear anything. I

explained that all relevant ideas and suggestions that will lead to

healing will go unheard and that his unconscious will understand

and know all that is needed from this whole session...(obviously I

said more than just this and then did the induction) after a while

and also doing the suggestion 'I don't know if it will be the words

or the spaces between my words that will help you to go deeper

and deeper into a comfortable stable relaxed trance state'. I spoke

less and less and what I said was not full sentences to try to mimic

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(for the client) occasionally rising out of trance a little hearing a

random bit then lowering, then I shut up (didn't have the

confidence to risk leaving the room, my plan was if he opened his

eyes I would respond as if I had just counted him out). After about

20 minutes I started talking again (initially with fragmented

sentences) and brought him out of trance mentioning that his

unconscious can use all of the information gathered throughout the

session to help the client, and then I gave illusory time frames as a

double bind. Then I just utilised his responses playing on the

apparent amnesia he thought he had and he left the therapy centre

and I saw him in town a few months later much happier and more

engaging in life than he had been. Yet I had done almost nothing,

he did all the work and I don't even know what that work was.

The ‘Just Being There’ Trance Induction

The 'Just being there' trance induction is something that I

believe can be done, in my experience it isn't that you are doing

'nothing' , you will always be doing something or the client will

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have some expectation. I now walk into situations and people will

have said I can hypnotise people just by them being around me as

if I emanate a 'hypnotic force'. I can just walk up to someone and

they will 'expect' to go into trance and so do.

When you are intensely focused on someone and

matching/cross matching breathing, body posture, pulse rate,

blinking etc, and then you lead them into a trance it can look like

you were doing nothing yet you were...

Doing nothing can also apply to sports and other activities

if the 'doing nothing' is consciously doing nothing. If you try to

play a musical instrument you do better when you stop thinking

about it, if you try to play pool or snooker you do better when you

don't think about your stance, the movement of the back arm,

whether it is straight and relaxed etc..., same with most sports..even

walking, everyone has probably experienced suddenly thinking

about your walking and suddenly feeling uncomfortable when

trying to walk...My view on this is that all these things once learnt

(even me typing this now) are done much faster and more

efficiently when done unconsciously than when you are trying to

focus on doing everything at once consciously, so letting go

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improves your abilities. Just like letting go improves the ability to

visualise rather than trying to visualise or your ability to have more

productive thoughts, or your ability to relax etc...

Working with Smokers

A common technique for working with smokers is

scrambling. I have also done aversion in some cases, just focusing

on the positive in some cases, used the VK on the craving with

some people, scrambling.

I think also if someone says they don't want to quit just cut

down then you can simply do a technique where you never

mention quitting (like taking the feeling out of the craving and

scrambling the old pattern) and you haven't said you will stop them

but it might lead to them stopping. At the same time the reasons

behind them not wanting to stop presumably will also have been

addressed on some level, so if they stop it will be because they feel

they can.

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Time Line Processes

I sometimes get people up and moving around. I find it can

be very effective and different to what the client has done in other

sessions (good if they have seen lots of different therapists and

'failed', unless one of the failures is similar to this!)

One way I have used is to have them see the event in the

future a number of steps in front, see it going how they ideally

want it to go, then walk to that event and experience it going that

way, if this is how they like it then good, they can look back and be

aware of the stages they took starting with the immediate previous

step and working back to the present. It can help to work on sub

modalities at this point also to get the experience 'just right'. The

person can then step off of the experience and walk alongside the

line of steps back to the present and then step back on at the

present point and walk through the line of steps getting a sense of

each major step, what it feels like to do it and achieve it and to let

you (therapist) know when they are ready to move to the next step,

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etc...this sort of involvement seems to build up like a string of self

fulfilling prophecies as each stage at some level has been rehearsed.

Another way I have found (by accident when looking into

future progression many years ago before knowing much about

Erickson's work, etc...) works well is having the client go to the

future when they have achieved what they want and in present

tense talk to them about what is happening, what it feels like to

have achieved what they have achieved, what others think, how it

has effected others, how they got where they are (achieved their

goal), what it was like (all they went through to get where they are),

whether they had any setbacks or times when they had to struggle

to stay motivated and how they achieved this (may sound like

negative questioning but you are talking to them from a point of

view of them already having overcome these issues if they mention

any), etc...

How I approach it is as if I am an interviewer on a chat

show and I am really curious to hear their story about what they

went through to get where they are and that I am really nosey and

want to know all about it... I especially want to know about the

actual end goal in detail. An example of one of the 'future

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progression' experiments I did involved taking someone to a

random date in the future and asking them about what the date and

time was and what they were doing in detail. I then noted this

down and on that date and time contacted them...what they said

under hypnosis is EXACTLY what happened, even to the point

that had I not phoned to check if what they had said happened it

wouldn't have happened because me phoning and checking had

become an integral part of the future situation (which I didn't know

until I called, checked and found out I was the disturbance that

caused the person to drop the papers he was holding that he had

just printed off (because of me phoning him))

I worked with someone that was doing a drama degree and

had to do a piece of acting in front of a number of assessors. He

was really nervous and believed he couldn't do it.

I had him go into a trance, stand up and visualise the

entrance to the room he was going to perform in about 6 steps in

front of him with the present where he was standing. I told him

that he can access the state he wanted (a state where he was

confidently and congruently acting out the scene whilst being

disassociated so that he could calmly watch his performance take

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place) when he walks through that door to that room. I had him

walk to the door and through it, and experience getting that feeling,

doing his performance, then coming out of that state as he leaves

the door.

On the day he gave his presentation he walked through the

door and accessed the state. He said afterwards it was odd, he was

nervous as he walked up to the door and thought it hadn't worked

and that he was going to panic and forget his lines. As soon as he

entered his mind went clear, he started and was just an observer in

his body. He has since used this technique of giving a suggestion

associated with the walking into a situation with triggers to set off

the suggestion as a way of performing well (in all walks of life

where he may be nervous or overly stressed or anxious), triggers

include seeing a specific person, or entering a specific location,

etc...

We all have a wide variety of concepts of time depending

on what is being perceived. I also find I am rarely associated in any

of the representations of time.

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I found it interesting to experiment with 'trying on'

different perceptions of time for different situations. I often

perceive time in loops with the past below me and the future above

me with the near past and near future behind and in front of me as

it spirals around me.

I found that as I experimented with altering perception of

time I could change it quite quickly to try ideas out and hold a

perception that is useful for the situation. Many versions seem to

hold their own states as well.

If I want to be in the moment I associate into the time line,

if I want to see order I stretch it out so that I can see the whole

thing, if I want to scroll through stages of experiences then a spiral

timeline seems to help.

You can flip problem symptoms around to create

solutions. For example; If someone had a problem of a nervous

laugh when they felt uncomfortable and believed they had a lack of

a sense of humour, sticking with the process rather than getting

into the content which has too many variables and which makes

things more complex I would want to switch the nervous laugh and

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the lack of sense of humour around. Have the person not find

nervous situations 'funny' and find other (appropriate) situations

funny. Using either 'problem' as the opposites 'solution'.

This could be done using two timelines, one for the feeling

of laughing and one for the feeling of not finding something funny

and having a feeling of relaxed indifference (if this is an acceptable

description of lack of humour) and have these converge and cross

so that the laughing in the future is associated with appropriate

humour situations (they don't have to know what) and the other

feeling associates with future previously anxious situations.

I would have them experience taking their time to follow

each timeline separately off into the distant future integrating the

'feeling' into 'experiences' along the timeline, then to go deeper

before following the other timeline integrating the other 'feeling'

and 'experiences' then back to present for a third trip along the

timeline with both lines integrating and merging and have them

experience taking time to go along this timeline off into the future

as they go deeper, experiencing 'nervous' situations with the lack of

humour and the 'lack of humour' situations with the laughter.

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The same thing could be done with anchoring.

When I want to work with time lines I sometimes mention

something about memories being stored in the mind in a particular

way and give examples of like brushing your teeth today, yesterday,

a week ago, a month ago or a week from now, month from now

etc...

I would say this isn't necessary, you could just as

easily follow the feelings of the issue (For example in the case of

anxiety etc) back into the past and perhaps talk of a guiding

light you can follow back, or a thread, or anything else that can link

now with that point you want to work on.

It does seem that a few people created their own set

versions of time line therapy (or time lining) and specific

techniques and then (just like what happened in NLP) they get very

possessive saying that mental process for storing time belongs to

them and no-one can use it or the wording without permission...

I read many years ago that dyslexic people have

their perception of time around the wrong way (if there is such a

thing). That they have their future either behind them or off to

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the left. Apparently for skills like writing and reading this causes

problems (in societies that read and write left to right). I knew

someone that was dyslexic and watched him talking about things

with reference to time and all of his gestures were with his past off

to the right his future off to the left. I wanted to test this

idea before mentioning it so I decided to linguistically alter

his perception of time and anchor it with a touch on his

shoulder. During the conversation I worked us round to the

sentence I wanted to say so that it would sound in context with

what we were discussing. I hadn't pre-planned doing this just took

the opportunity having read what I had read, to give it a go...

The sentence I wanted to anchor was '...have your future

right out in front of you, and your past left behind you...' I said this

sentence and anchored it as I said it, I only did it once, the context

I had this in was achieving dreams and being a success.

I then (in the same context) had him read something in a

book I had with me on making goals real, and to write down his

goals and stages to achieving them. (As I fired the anchor)

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He commented (I hadn't told him what I was doing)

that 'It's weird reading that was different, it was easier and made

more sense' he said similar about writing. I then told him what i

had done and he was intrigued, after experimenting a bit he decided

he didn't want it as a permanent part of who he is, he likes many

traits that go with him being dyslexic, so he wanted to be able to

recall what it felt like to be able to read and write better so that he

could then recall this at times when it is necessary for him to do

these tasks (which he now gets more enjoyment out of)

I don't know how accurate the information was that I read

but it did apply to this person and altering it did seem to make a

dramatic improvement, and he wasn't aware consciously that I was

doing anything so he wasn't just playing along or believing he

should now find reading or writing easier.

Eye Accessing Cues

I decided to see if anyone has done any research I could

find on the subject of eye movements and brain processes. My

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personal opinion is that eye movements are linked to how signals

are sent around the brain. Also I feel that humans are so used to

sensory information being out in the real world that they recreate

their internal world using the space around them, so they will hear a

voice (or voices) talking to them (internal dialogue), it make sense

for this to be below ear level as that is where the mouth is, it makes

sense to have feelings below the ear level as feelings (emotional)

manifest themselves in your body (like feeling happy or sad, or

depressed, or scared etc), it makes sense for auditory information

to be at ear level, it makes sense for visual information to be at eye

level or higher. Vision is so important to our survival (from an

evolutionary point of view) and it is developed in a way that you

look at (focus on) what is going on from moment to moment

constantly assessing the world around us. It makes sense (to me at

least) that you would continue this process with internal sensory

information. We have a built in orientation response (pons-

geniculate occipital spike - after the areas of the brain the signal

travels through) this occurs to stimuli constantly changing and

updating your focus of attention, it also happens during dreaming

and hypnosis and it happens when thinking. My opinion is maybe it

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happens when thinking because we are thinking with our senses so

it treats it as a stimulus. And just like you look to what you are

focusing on (or even when you try not to look you feel a

compulsion to look) you look to what you are focusing on even if

you are unconsciously creating that stimulus.

I had a root around. I found some information that

discussed eye movement, not exactly as wanted but it explains:

'It seems that now scientific evidence can demonstrate that

there is a connection between how your eyes move and what you

are thinking. Those tiny muscles that control the eyes’ movements

are controlled in the brain by mechanisms associated with emotions

and memory. In particular the Lateral Geniculate Nucleus (LGN), a

structure connected to the emotional limbic system.'

Visit the site for more detail:

http://powerstates.com/?p=138

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Mental Processes

My opinion would be that we are born with the ability to

process information through all the senses and to express

information through all the senses. I think that as with much of our

behaviour as we grow up we take on similar thinking and speech

styles to those of our parents. We process information in similar

ways also as our parents.

Some of these ways of thinking and behaving can be

limiting or cause problems. This doesn't mean that a person can't

learn to do things differently.

If someone seems to communicate using the predicates of

one sense almost exclusively then I believe that they probably

process information predominantly through this sense or at least

use this sense as their main lead representational system. They will

still use the other senses but may not have such good conscious

access to them.

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This may cause problems when for example someone uses

many kinaesthetic words and seems to be processing information

through feelings but seems unable to use the visual system, they

may get stuck in the problem by always accessing the feelings each

time they talk about something yet struggle to access images

enough to 'look' at the problem from a disassociated perspective.

There are times (in the example above) when this way of

processing information may bring them pleasure like being very 'in

touch' with feelings when thinking about people they love, it may

make them very prone to emotional problems but also very

passionate...

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Managing Relapses

Sometimes prescribing relapses helps if you expect them to

perhaps have them, it also helps when you have someone that may

try and sabotage the work. If you suggest that you wonder whether

they will 1, 2, or 4 relapses before they completely stop smoking

(for example). If they try to sabotage the work and you have

suggested what they are likely to do to sabotage it as part of the

therapy then to not do as you suggested they would have to do

what you haven't suggested which is to not have the problem or to

relapse 3 times.

On the cycle of change relapse is just a part of the process,

it doesn't always happen but on occasion things happen and people

respond in an old way reverting back to their old patterns. For

example if someone smokes and they stop smoking, if they smoke

due to stress and generally now manage stress in a new way they

may have an event that is unexpected that they respond to using

their old coping pattern of smoking.

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Thinking Styles

Thinking Style of Depression

When someone is depressed their thinking style when thinking

about problems is:

• Internal - I, me

• Global - everything, generalising

• Stable - always, problem will never go away

When someone is depressed and thinking about positives:

• External - you, something else

• Specific - was a one-off

• Unstable - probably won't happen again

When someone is not depressed this is reversed, so they

will internalise, globalise and stabilise positives. When they think

about negative they will externalise, make specific and unstable...

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Often people aren't as fixed as shown above and may for

example think positives are 'usually' rather than always because they

will understand there is a level of realism in there that problems

occasionally do happen (and do this 'adding reality' to each thing)

Often the thinking style influences the language used so

you can look out for words that match one style of thinking or

another. It can also help to watch for when the thinking style

begins to shift.

It is similar to when you go to job interviews and listen out

for when the interviewers start talking about 'when' and 'before' etc

rather than 'if' etc... If you have a panel interview you can figure out

who is conveying that they would employ you and who wouldn't

and utilise this information...

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Altering Problem Patterns

By taking time to go through in detail the stages of a fear or

a habit it makes the problem very conscious. It can be done by

asking the client to go through each stage themselves by asking

'then what happens?' or 'what happens next?' etc...

It can even be gone through by the therapist after you have

established it from the client and so technically you are guiding

them through it a second time in fine detail (ideally putting it in

past tense - so you used to ... or so the stages of that problem when

it happened were...). You can even then guide them through the

experience of the problem making 'mistakes' that alter the pattern,

for example by getting pieces in the wrong places or adding or

changing small pieces.

Often doing this a little later in a session where you have

already had them go through it letting you know the whole process

(and them becoming more conscious of it) then you have gone

through it with them with you saying the whole process, then later

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you go through it with alterations it scrambles the process making

it difficult to recall in its original way, and what is left is very

conscious if it takes place in the real world and loses much of its

potency.

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Reframing and Accessing Resources

Everybody has natural resources that can be utilised. These

might be events from their lives that have emotions attached, or

talk about friends or family etc... These resources can be accessed

through good information gathering. Anchoring can then be used

to gain future access to these resources.

The idea behind accessing resources is that it gives you

something to work with that you can use to help the client to

achieve their goal.

Even negative beliefs and opinions can be utilised as

resources, whether by anchoring the ‘state’ or reframing the belief.

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Some negative beliefs that can be used could be:

• A client saying they are too tense to relax (reframed

as needing to be tense to have material to work with

to achieve a more profound hypnotic state...so keep

hold of some of that tension...)

• A client saying they can't be hypnotised because

they are too strong willed (reframed as needing to

be strong willed to be able to enter a deep hypnotic

state comfortably and completely)

• A client could say they aren't strong willed enough

to quit smoking (reframe as how strong willed they

must have been to fight the disgusting flavour,

coughing etc and the knowledge of what it does to

you...telling yourself I really want to start

smoking..reduce my life span and make myself look

old before my time etc...often leads to laughter...you

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can get three resources in one...strong willed

anchor, weak willed anchor and humour anchor)

• With parents I have often reframed their perceived

failure when they tell me nothing works, they have

tried everything and it all fails...I ask what happens

then? Many of them say I just walk off annoyed that

nothing has worked and I failed...Then what

happens? After about 15 minutes they appear to

have calmed down and I'm annoyed because it

means they have won again which is why they have

calmed down...(often they repeatedly describe this

pattern of successfully walking away to resolve

situations, which can be used in the future)

• A client believing they can't be hypnotised because

they always have to be in control (reframe into

explaining how to go into hypnosis they have to

control their own experience and make all of the

decisions etc...)

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Expectation and Duration of Therapy

I think there is also the issue of expectation, how long do

clients expect to be in therapy. If I advertised as a counsellor most

people expect therapy to take months. Advertising as a

Hypnotherapist people expect treatment to be in a single session.

Many people seem to place a mystical aura around hypnosis and

how effective it can be. Obviously many issues are dealt with in a

single session, but some need more.

I always want to establish in sensory specific terms the

outcome and stages. This lets us know when the last therapy stage

happens. I so far have only ever had one paying person that didn't

want to change so that she could continue the sessions. In the end

(after about 4 sessions) I did similar to Claire, I gave a double bind.

She seems to still be doing well, and not seeing me.

I like Bandler and Grinders idea of paying for the change. It

makes the therapist work to do as few sessions as possible. It could

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lead to some people staying in therapy not changing and knowing

they don't have to pay any more money. Also when you charge per

treatment if you work quickly and successfully some people don't

want to pay you as they think they have paid too much for your

time (yet they would pay you the same over 3 sessions!).

Likewise I knew someone that went to a therapist charging

£10 less per session for spider phobia treatment, they had 6

sessions and still had their phobia then went to CBT and had 12

sessions of this, (Free on NHS) then gave up and had a session

with me (about 8 months later by this time) and we went and found

some friendly little spiders towards the end of the session.

So in the area I live the perception of the cost is a strong

influence on how long a client will be prepared to stay in therapy.

Paying clients need weaning less than if I do free sessions or very

low costing sessions. These people seem more inclined to want to

come back again and again.

I think it depends on the case and the motivation of the

client. If they want to stay in therapy (perhaps they have a need for

attention and you're supplying it) then they may use what is said as

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a learning tool on how to remain in therapy and if they come across

as wanting to change you may not notice immediately.

I think it is useful knowing what has stopped them so far

and what might have stopped them in the future. It can be a useful

process preparing them for what might crop up for example some

people may want to lose weight and then eat a biscuit feel guilty

and go back to old habits because they assume they have blown it

now even though it was one biscuit, if they see it as something that

might happen and how to overcome it or 'get back on the bike'

then they may have a blip or they may avoid it or it may never

happen but they have a greater chance of success. Likewise many

smokers would say that everyone would continue to offer them

cigarettes (and alcoholics offered alcohol) and they would say 'go

on 1 won't hurt you' and they would give in. Planning or preparing

for this can be helpful to identify it and then look at how it can be

handled or avoided or if it happens how the person can make it a

one-off isolated incident not a sign to carry-on smoking or drinking

(just a blip)

Sometimes I have set the sabotage as part of the process of

getting over the problem if I think either there is a high chance of

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sabotage or if they have strongly suggested what I would see as

blips as failure (so I want them, if they occur to be experienced as

part of the process they are supposed to go through). That way

they can sabotage and so be on track for getting over the problem,

or not sabotage and so get over the problem. (like suggesting 'I

don't know whether you will go 1 week before you have your 1st

biscuit that you think you shouldn't have or if it will be 2 weeks,

but I'm sure it will be by week three and I don't know whether the

2nd time you have a biscuit that you think you shouldn't have it will

be a 2 weeks after the first time or 3 weeks after the first time but

I'm sure it will be within a month and will you only have two blips

or will it be 3 or 4 that you have before you finally settle into your

new lifestyle, and will you get all those blips out of the way in the

first year or will some of them hold on until future years when you

just want to have a one off treat?....etc'

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Client Expectation and How You Communicate

Verbally and Non-Verbally Utilising Their Expectations

I would say between matching the expectation and

matching the patient’s actual voice isn't a cut and dry black and

white issue. I think when feeding back or expressing what the client

is expressing it is best to match with their voice (like when

gathering information), whereas when being the 'therapist' it is

often better to give them what they expect (unless what they expect

is unhelpful - like them expecting another professional that will

portray in their voice disbelief in their issue etc)

I think that also modelling the desired voice is also useful,

like if they talk of wanting to be more assertive then you can model

this (by first creating an appropriate context or in a

story/metaphor, then using the assertive voice, so that they

indirectly learn it). Also the voice isn't in isolation; there is body

language that goes with how something is said. Sometimes there

can be a mismatch that can be noticed and explored further. From

a therapist point of view generally it is best to have the body

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language and voice conveying the same message. There is an

example of Erickson acting more laid back and calm to portray this

message rather than match the client or even their expectations.

Sometimes you can create confusion by not matching the client or

being what they expect to break them out of their mental set and

create a new pattern.

If someone comes in and says 'I need to be told to stop

smoking and I know I'll stop...you're a hypnotist if you tell me I

know I'll stop' then I should tell them firmly with confidence and

conviction to stop even if they are meek and mild (so I'm clearly

not matching them) and even if my normal approach may be to be

more gentle and indirect

One person came to see me to quit smoking, he had the

opinion that I was always doing hypnosis and that what I said

happened...He loved to go out drinking and smoking and 'on the

pull'...He had mentioned side effects of smoking so I reiterated

them and made emphasis on smoking and impotence and how he

can always keep in mind that smoking makes you impotent...he

took this as a direct hypnotic suggestion and refused to smoke for

fear of becoming impotent...he believed that if I said things firmly

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and hypnotically he would be powerless to them...I don't know if

he really would have been impotent but his belief meant he didn't

want to risk it...so I spoke to him how he expected me to and did

what he expected me to do...he did need a second session and had

smoked cigars believing it made him exempt from my suggestions

(so I covered ALL types of smoking in that session and he

stopped)...He smoked due to an unforeseen incident so we factored

these in for the future also...

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Motivation

Recent research showed motivation to avoid loss is greater

than motivation to gain something. The research had people in

fMRI machines and showed what was happening in the brain and

that given the same choices if they are worded/written in a way

that implies a loss (actually they would GET the same) they have a

stronger emotional response to move away from that option, than

they do to move towards the option where they gain something.

For example many people become millionaires because they want

to 'never be poor again' rather than wanting to be rich.

One difficulty with away from motivation is that once you

get far enough away from what motivated you the motivation

begins to drop off so you need to have a towards motivation there

also so that as one is dwindling the other one is gaining strength

and increasing to the goal.

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I think that using both forms of motivation in some way is

useful, obviously each person is different, some people respond

really well to seeing an achievement others may only think about

getting out of their situation, then once they have done that move

on to what they want in its place.

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Creating Change or Changing Perceptions

Very often most of the situations I work with the person

that appears to be the problem (normally a child) isn't present and

has no desire (expressed) to change, they often like things the way

they are. The parent(s) want all the answers on how I can tell them

to make their child behave and do exactly as (s)he is told.

I listen to the patterns that occur, pay attention to any

needs being met inappropriately or not being met at all (for all

involved - child, parents, other siblings) and gather much

information.

Often I can feedback something (normally very simple) that

will have a change on the family situation. For me it is important to

get the parents to the point where they are talking about what part

they play in the problem. Sometimes people don't want to accept

any responsibility and want the child to carry all responsibility on

their shoulders.

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If by the second session their appears to be no change -

often because the parents have continued to do the same thing

rather than do something different - then I work on the perception

of the problem more (obviously this is worked on in the previous

session but not the focus of the session).

I don't tell them I am altering their perception I just let it

develop so they change on a different level. The behaviour stays

the same (although after the perception changes often the

behaviour changes also) but the perception alters so that the

problem isn't seen as that bad, or is seen through a different filter -

I recall on a video of Stephen Brooks he told a client a story about

someone driving along in a car (like a ford or something) and

another car hitting it and the driver getting angry and having ago at

the other driver, then another situation with driver in a porche

driving along and being hit by a Mercedes and the drivers getting

out and laughing (neither accident was serious in the sense of harm

or major damage)...The difference was the second situation was a

brother and sister - the brother had bought the sister her car. This

relationship changed the perception of the accident

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I think generally change is preferable to improvement as in

some cases people can slip back, like a smoker cutting down then

deciding not to stick in therapy but then gradually creeping the

number of cigarettes smoked back up again over time.

As with the example above if there appears to be a way to

achieve a change to the desired future then I will often go with this

first (each case is obviously different though). If in the next session

for whatever reason there was no or very little change then I will go

for an improvement that hopefully will be more immediate. This

often make the people say the time between the sessions has been

better than it used to be even though nothing may be different

apart from perception which in many cases keeps people in therapy

as there has been a demonstration something has happened and

often then they will more readily take on steps towards actual

change.

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Creating Your Image & Whether You Should

Specialise

So far for me as my background was in residential childcare

(and before that residential mental health) and then supporting

parents that require parenting support nearly all clients of mine

were either teenagers against their will or parents of teenagers that

wanted me to 'tell them how to sort their kid out'. For me it got

irritating having other skills or areas I liked helping people with

over looked just because it was known I was good at helping with

teenagers and getting around 'resistance' and making changes with

where ever the motivation was (change one part of a system and

the whole system changes).

I think there are a number of advantages and disadvantages

to specialising, there is also the option of saying you specialise as a

way of generating more business.

If you specialise and focus on knowing all you can about

working with one specific area you limit your knowledge and how

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some problems can be interlinked. You also may get bored of

always treating the same thing. An advantage is that you are more

likely to be chosen for being a specialist because people would

expect you to know more. Being a specialist can then generate

further business like radio or newspaper interviews on your subject.

Likewise you could just say you are a specialist in a specific

area to differentiate from the pack, like if everyone else is

advertising saying use hypnosis to quit smoking or lose weight and

you know it works very well with Phobias or anxiety or depression

you may advertise this which would make you stand out. All of you

may do the same thing but people with problems searching the

headlines of the ads will notice yours which stands out.

The issue of being someone’s long term therapist can

generate you an income long term and it may even seem like easy

money. Again it would be restrictive to you and may seem to get

too repetitive. It also could have a negative effect on the client,

disempowering them and making them believe they always have to

call their therapist with each small issue rather than use their own

strengths and resources to overcome issues and problems.

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With regards to sports performance or any other form of

performance issue, I can see benefits of using hypnosis but again I

would want to empower people to be able to go it alone, rather

than believe only I can help and if I'm not around then they'll fail.

You could get the unlucky job of working with the England

football team to get focus, clarity, to increase observation and

awareness on the pitch etc and mental rehearsal, even help the

players to notice minimal cues more in the opposition (like a goal

keeper knowing where a player plans on planting the ball before

they have kicked it).

But if you lose you would probably be blamed and if you

win you will be wanted to carry on doing the same almost like a

good luck charm and probably attributed with the reason the team

won. This would make it difficult because, again you will be relied

upon and you will be expected to hold all the responsibility which

is disempowering to the players. You want to help them in a way

that allows them to continue the work in some way themselves.

I can fully understand saying you specialise because it

focuses people more (or at least saying 'get treatment for 'X' here)

and if what you are highlighting is different to everyone else you

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stand out. I know that when I first started I didn't want to miss

anyone out, I wanted to let everyone know that whatever their

problem (psychological and within reason) that I could help,

unfortunately a list can be endless of areas you can help with and

this is too defocused so people don't pay attention to it.

My experience was that people would think you obviously

know a little about a lot because how could you really have learnt in

depth about helping people with such a wide range of problems.

When I started emphasising Depression and Anxiety (everyone else

has ads saying Quit Smoking) I had a higher rate of success getting

clients, I still mention the other stuff but it is mentioned more low

key.

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Beliefs and Values

I think an interesting issue with beliefs and values is how

even if we try not to impose our own on a client we do by the

responses we give, by the questions we ask, etc...

Two therapists could have the same client and within a few

questions they would be asking different questions and getting

completely different answers...

Who is correct? The choice of questions comes down to

past experience, what you as a therapist believes is the important

information to gather, what you as a therapist believe about what

treatment should be offered, for example if you believed it is

important for the client to understand why they have the problem

you will get communicate this to them, if you believe it isn't

important to know why but it is important to break the current

exhibited pattern in some way then you will communicate this and

will ask questions about the pattern or structure of the problem...

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How can you do therapy without imposing your beliefs and

values? I don't think you can, I think that the closest you can come

to this is to have a belief that the patient will know how to heal

themselves in some way and that you know how to facilitate this

and make sure the soil is just right for the seeds to grow...

As well as your beliefs your values impact how you do

therapy. If you are doing it for money or material gain then your

motivation and focus on the client will be different to if you do it

out of a desire or compassion and love of helping someone to

enhance their life and future...

I believe that generally values are higher up the chain than

beliefs, I also believe that they can have an independence, and

conflict. You could believe that putting others first is right and

strongly hold that belief but go against it when there is a chance of

high financial gain that can lead to a value you hold that you should

provide for your family as best you can. Likewise you could believe

you are a failure (based on continued past experience for example)

but value success (which could keep you motivated as you strive to

achieve it).

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Be Creative – Absorb the Principles and Create Your

Own Therapy Style and Techniques

Many years ago I was on an NLP course. We were doing a

time line technique for changing limiting beliefs, it involved drifting

back floating above the time line to just before the limiting belief

occurred then generating a feeling that would be more positive and

a belief that would be more positive and lowering down into the

event dissolving it and then travelling back to the present with that

new feeling and belief, then going into the future etc...

It didn't seem right for the person I was paired up with,

they couldn't get a powerful enough feeling (they wanted a strong

feeling to use) and when they had tried lowering into the timeline it

(the belief) just appeared back in place behind them after they

passed it by and so nothing changed.

At the second attempt I did it my way (and got told off) I

had him generate a powerful feeling, having it spinning, I made

sound effects of whirring and crackling and whooshing like a

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powerful spinning motor. I hyped him up being congruent about

how it gets faster and faster and more powerful etc...Then I told

him that when I say now he can fire down into that old limiting

belief and shatter it into millions of pieces with so much force

those pieces just keep spreading out for ever as if they are in space

with no gravity, and as if they are as brittle as a sheet of ice. Not yet

I told him, I explained how the positive colour that will fill his time

line to the present and out into the future will shoot off in front of

him filling every possible future path like flowing up a tree trunk

and filling the branches. I had him do this; he found it a profound

powerful experience and couldn't get back the old limiting belief

only the feeling of motivation and empowerment. I was told that

the technique isn't done like that and if it was meant to be different

it would have been created differently. That the techniques are how

they are and that is how they should stay.

With regards to creating a technique, I once created a

technique having read about Erickson leaving a phobia in a chair. I

would have a client stand up and stand in a location they wouldn't

normally stand. While they are standing I would lift their arm and

use catalepsy as the induction then ask them to carefully describe

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the size and shape and colour etc of the problem in as much detail

as possible, then I would tell them that in a moment I will ask them

to take a step forwards so that they can turn around to see what

that problem looks like there and to check that it is definitely the

right size and shape and colour etc, then I would ask them to do

this, then ask them to 'be sure' we'll take another step so that you

can see it more clearly and how it is held in place, is it floating,

vibrating, undulating etc...then take another step until we are at the

chairs discussing that problem stuck over in the corner...

I used this a few times for fun more than anything just

because I wanted to try to do what Erickson did, but didn't want to

take the risk of asking people to stand leaving a phobia in a chair so

I thought of doing it my way so I am talking about getting a better

look...to me it felt like it reduced the chances of failure as I wasn't

asking for any success just the person to get more distance then sit

down. If they couldn't do it (which never happened) then I would

have just gone on to what would it look like if it was still in that

location and frame the comments in this way until seated, and gone

onto something else if there still wasn't any results and used the

idea of it being in that location during the rest of the therapy...

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Everyone seemed to be able to carry this out and many

people got good results with it.

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Investigations into Past-Life Regression

Back at the end of the 90's and beginning of 00's I wanted

to experiment, looking into past lives. I also wondered about future

progression

Past life experiments:

This is an example of one of my experiment sessions. I

used indirect hypnosis and arm levitation in the induction and

deepener. The subject was in his early 20's. I wanted to make this as

safe as possible. I didn't want the subject to experience anything

unpleasant and obviously implicit in past lives would be death

events (as well as other unpleasant life experiences). I had the

subject drift back to a pleasant experience from a month ago and

when they had settled into it to describe it to me, then 6 months

ago, then a year before that, then five years all the way back into

early childhood, then I asked them to drift into the very first

pleasant experience they remember.

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At this point the subject said 'blue' I asked for more detail,

they told me that they were wrapped up in a blue blanket, they felt

so comfortable and warm, they were in a wicker basket. I asked

them to go back to the last pleasant memory before that, they said

they were a girl standing under a large tree, it is a sunny day, they

are on a crossroad of paths on a university campus that is in

America. They get a ring box out and look at it in their hand and

open it up and look at the ring feeling happy, waiting for their

boyfriend to arrive (the year he said it was 1972). I questioned a

little further about this then asked again to go back to the last

pleasant experience in a life before that one. When they settled on

one they described that they were drunk, lying collapsed on a

cobbled ground, children were laughing at him but he didn't mind.

He described the location and said the year was 1842. After we had

gone through a few past life experiences in this way we came all the

way back to the present then to the future then back to the present

before he came out of hypnosis.

A few years ago there was a series of TV programmes on

ITV called 'have I been here before'. I had a specific reason for

recording and watching the programmes. Each one would have a

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celebrity talking about their views and expectations, then they

would be hypnotised and would reveal events from a past life.

After the session they would show footage of a historian that

checked out their story for accuracy and then feedback and

discussion with the celebrity again.

I had learnt of Joe Griffins theory of dreaming

(www.humangivens.com), I wanted to see if the revealed past lives

could be metaphorical fitting Joe's theory of dreaming. I watched

the first parts of the shows then at the point the hypnosis happens

I paused it wrote down what I think they would experience based

on expectancy, patterns that had been started and not closed,

beliefs they seemed to hold. What I wrote down wasn't exact

events it was the patterns I felt would arise, the themes I thought

would occur. Then I watched the hypnosis part and in each case

what I suspected was what happened.

This led me to think perhaps the memories of past lives (at

least in the sessions shown) were not genuine but creations from

the unconscious. The question is how much did I (in this situation

and the above situation) influence or interpret things to fit my

expectations?

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I like to keep an open mind and still do. Over the years I

have had mixed results of this and future progression. Some very

accurate some way off the mark. Often the way off results seem to

occur when the subject or myself is trying too hard to get a result.

I also wonder how much people want to believe in past

lives to try to give this life more meaning. People often seem to say

'there has got to be more to life than just this'. It can be comforting

to think that when a loved one dies they live on in some way and

past lives can help with this.

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Introduction to Part Four Further Collected Works

The collected works is a set of two books that make up

parts 3 and 4 of my ‘Becoming a Brief Therapist’ Series. The aim of

these books is to give more of an insight into my thinking and how

I personally do therapy. Part one taught an underpinning to doing

effective brief therapy, part two taught the actual ‘doing’ of therapy,

parts three and four go into answering questions that have been

posed to me over the years; questions relating to more fringe based

areas of therapy from the use of energy therapies like Emotional

Freedom Technique (EFT) to past life regression and future

progression, to delving more into cellular healing and what research

and information is available out there.

Much of the ‘collected works’ is edited from posts over the

years in response to questions on forums and groups on the

internet. Throughout the collected works you will find my answers

to different situations that therapists find themselves in; like how to

treat specific problems and difficult clients.

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It is assumed throughout these collected works that you

have a working knowledge and understanding of terms I use and

techniques described. All of these are covered in the first two

books. The aim here is to expand in a more free-form manner the

information that you already know by giving examples and

situations and ideas for thought.

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Motivation and Paradoxical Interventions

My view is to always work where the motivation is, for

example if someone is always being a ‘class clown’ what is the

process and pattern. Often it is to avoid looking stupid, like having

it noticed that you are not very good at something so you take

control over the situation before you look stupid at not knowing

something by looking stupid on purpose (although this on purpose

may happen unconsciously)

I probably wouldn't use a paradoxical intervention I would

want to know what the child feels they get out of their behaviour,

what they would like to get out of their behaviour, whether they

got what they wanted out of their behaviour, what alternatives they

can think of in the future to get what they want etc...It's difficult to

describe exactly what I would be asking as they may say they want

to cause problems and they did so I would chunk up until I got to

something acceptable (like fitting in or being happy) and work on

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that level. I wouldn't ask, suggest or say anything they could

disagree with or resist so I probably would hardly mention the

actual problem behaviour.

I would linguistically imply things and seed ideas and alter

the future to the point that they think they have just decided to take

a specific course of action...

Sometimes paradoxical interventions can be used even

when there are family members etc...

If, for example, someone isn't sleeping then prescribing

more of the same makes no real difference to others in the

relationship as the person is up anyway. If anything the person will

be getting up and going elsewhere so not being so restless in bed

which can let the partner sleep.

Obviously there are cases where a paradoxical intervention

may not be appropriate as it may have a negative impact on the

family system.

With Children, when I worked in residential childcare with

children with severe challenging behaviour if you tell them to stop

swearing it wouldn't work, they would do it more, so often I would

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tell them to swear at me more and would encourage it and get them

to try to think of more examples etc...they would get annoyed at

doing as I want them to do and get irritated with having to swear at

me more so they would stop...Obviously this would be done

skilfully and respectfully so as not to increase aggression.

You need to think through the likely effect and

consequences of the intervention. You don't want someone losing

a job because of your intervention. With a child you are more likely

to work with the parents as they are going to be the ones that want

the behaviour to stop and so are likely to be more motivated. If in a

therapy session you told a child to swear more for example the

parents would probably be annoyed with this, what you want is the

parents to be the ones encouraging the swearing (they will be

contextualising it and making it very conscious and deliberate). The

other option is if you have explained to the parents what you have

asked of the child (like if you ask them to intentionally wet the bed

- if they are a bed wetter).

Sub modalities are a useful thing to know about. It isn't that

you would create an unrealistic image of the future etc...changing

sub modalities alters the memory (real or future etc).

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If for example someone has to do something in the future

but they are not motivated you can ask them whether they are

associated or disassociated, then try on the opposite and ask what

happens (increase or decrease motivation), then ask them to turn

up the brightness and turn down the brightness and see what

difference this makes. Do this for many sub modalities and

remember which changes increased the motivation then use these

so that the thought of doing that task is motivating.

Sub modality use is at the heart of many techniques, swish,

VK, etc...Generally if something is brighter, more vivid, associated,

in colour, HQ surround sound etc it has a stronger emotional

content (not always, for example I have known people assaulted or

raped etc in the dark that having the brightness reduced increases

the fear), generally the opposite will reduce emotion, you only really

know by testing or asking and paying attention to language. For

example someone may say 'I just want to get some distance from

my problem...' So you know they need to disassociate, or at least

move further away.

Some examples of using paradoxical interventions

successfully...

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I worked with an alcoholic, his pattern was to go to buy

three bottles of vodka, take them home to his flat and drink them

there until he passed out, then repeat the process when he has

sobered up enough to go to the shop to get more (normally the

next day)

I had two sessions with him where he took no notice of

anything, he had no intentions of changing yet his father had asked

me to help him as he didn't know what to do...the man didn't ask

for help himself.

It is easier to make someone that doesn't want to stop

doing something agree to do more of it so this is what I suggested.

I said he obviously want to keep drinking and wants to keep seeing

me but I'm not going to waste my time seeing him if he isn't

prepared to work with me. I said I don't want his father to think

that this is a waste of time also so would he agree to do some

drinking that will let him explore his issues with drinking and learn

something and at the same time he can tell his father that I told

him to do it as an experiment.

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He agreed. I told him what I wanted him to do was when

he feels he needs a drink, go to the pub, order 3 pints of beer, line

them up in front of him and gulp back the first one then say

'f**king therapist making me drink this beer', then gulp back the

second and third pints doing the same, then go home. If he still

wants to drink more he is to go back to the pub to do the same.

He did this and stopped drinking on his own a few weeks

later...(this type of intervention I have done on a few occasions

with alcoholics that drink alone at home and that don't drink beer)

I worked with a smoker that was referred to me by the

NHS smoking clinic. He came in and said 'I'm going to tell you

what I told the lady that ran the clinic, I will have you smoking 50 a

day before you can stop me smoking 50 a day'

He didn't come across as very motivated to quit, he knew

all the reasons he had been told he should quit but said he didn't

want to but he will see me and then he can tell everyone how he

has tried everything.

I saw him for a first session, by the second session he stuck

to his word of ignoring everything and wanting to stay smoking, so

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again I told him I want him to try an experiment just so I know a

bit more about his habit, and that it will involve him continuing to

smoke. He agreed he would do what I asked.

One of his patterns that happened every few days was that

he drove to Tesco to get food shopping. He didn't go to the

nearest supermarket because he had to have a fixed number of

cigarettes. He would have one when he gets in the car, two on the

journey and two in the car park (because he knows he can't smoke

in Tesco so he has to have extra before going in there). I told him

what I want him to do is to wait until he gets into the car park then

smoke all five cigarettes and one more because he had to wait so

long before having any. He enthusiastically agreed to do this

thinking it sounded easy.

He cancelled his next appointment and I bumped into him

in town a few months later. He said he was really angry with me.

He did as I asked but he found that sitting in the car when he had

shopping to do and having to smoke 6 cigarettes really annoyed him,

all he wanted to do was get into the shop and get his food and go,

but he was stuck outside the shop still smoking, he was resenting

the cigarettes. He ended up deciding not to smoke in his car

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because of this. This then spread to forgetting to smoke after he

was home out of his car and over a few weeks he was regularly

forgetting to smoke and so quit.

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Memories and Sensory Thinking

About what is going on in the mind...you have thoughts as

a sensory experience as this is how the mind works, some

memories will be dull others vivid etc...how the memories are

coded in the brain influences the emotion of the memories, the

memories will also be organised in your own learnt way of

representing time...often in a line either left to right or behind you

and out in front of you, you will often either be associated in this

structure of time or disassociated, this also changes depending on

the situation.

When for example the VK technique is done memories get

recoded with altered sub modalities so that they are no longer

traumatic. When Swish gets done memories get recoded with

altered sub modalities.

Another use is for learning other people's strategies to take

on for yourself, like if you wanted to think like Walt Disney and

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learn his creativity strategy you can take on his mental processes

and the sub modality coding. Like when he was disassociated and

associated, when he gets distance and closeness, when images are

brought into focus and defocused, when they are bright and

dimmer, when the volume level is changed and where the sound

comes from etc..

Likewise if someone has a voice in their mind that says

things like 'you're useless, you'll never manage that'...etc you can

have them change the voice so that it makes them laugh when they

hear it or so it evokes some other emotion that is more

productive...

Another use with sub modalities is in pain control, turning

the Kinaesthetic into other representational systems, like visual etc

and then making the changes like increasing or decreasing light,

changing the colour, shape etc...

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Learning the Process and Structure Behind Techniques to Create Your Own

I am always promoting with people to learn structures and

processes behind techniques so that you can understand what

makes it work and then do your own in a way that suits the client

not a way that you know how to do it...

Like learning about redirecting force in Aikido and about

how this process is created in the various techniques so that you

can respond in a situation with a technique you create in that

situation utilising the processes rather than trying to think of a

technique that might work...

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Relaxation; Trance and Trance Signs

Soldiers go into a trance marching and are completely not

relaxed.

I have worked with people with things like phobias in the

situation they are having the phobia where there is no way of

relaxing them or doing formal hypnosis of any sort, because the

person could be at the top of a tower about to abseil or about to

hang onto a death slide; so they need to be helped in minutes.

Often people are deeper than they first seem, and when you

watch them you notice the trance indicators even though they seem

alert and awake...

An induction I like using is to guide people deeper into a

trance by using a painting in an art gallery in their mind; or a room

with a TV or Cinema screen they can step into followed by other

paintings or screens in those paintings or screen that can take them

deeper and more fully absorbed.

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Another induction that is less structured word wise and

offers more freedom for creativity for the therapist with the

sensory language input is to use a journey or adventure with

multiple routes to take. You could use a holodeck or the

adventures of Alice in wonderland with doors and rabbit holes,

twists and turns etc all leading to new discoveries. I have used

people settling in a situation like by a flickering fire and drifting

into a meditation where they can find themselves in an experience

where they see themselves meditating under a tree perhaps, then

they can lower into that them and discover where that them is

meditating about etc...I think it is useful noticing processes not just

taking a technique and using it as it has been learnt.

I feel the more out of the process the therapist keeps the

better, so unless a client mentioned holodeck or star trek I wouldn't

do that, I wouldn't tell them where they are meditating etc...

In my experience you don't need the person to appear to be

in a deep trance to have effective therapeutic work take place. I

have had people either too hot or too cold or uncomfortable and

they have moved or opened their eyes and got sorted out etc

without any real negative effect on the trance or the work done.

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People go in and out of trance with each sense system. At

one point they may hear a noise so their hearing comes out of

trance whilst the rest of the person stays in trance, then when they

are comfortable with the noise their hearing goes back into a trance

again, then if they need to open their eyes their eyes come out of

trance yet their hearing and feelings are still in trance, then they go

back again when ready. Likewise if they are uncomfortable how

they are sitting they may come out of trance to shift position then

back into trance again.

I have experienced this in many situations, even when

people have had to get up completely because they hadn't turned

off their phone and it has rung so they have come round, answered

it and then afterwards sat back down and as soon as I have

continued talking in the same hypnotic way they re-enter trance

almost instantly.

When I started out I used to worry that people had been

asleep, not hypnotised. I had regularly been reassured that it is

incredibly rare and that in the rare occasion that it happens it

usually mean the person needs the sleep more than the therapy on

offer. Nearly every person I hypnotised told me they were asleep

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because they don't remember anything. I learnt that they weren't

because they always opened their eyes on cue.

It became apparent that these people's unconscious was

listening and that the conscious had gone off somewhere else...The

unconscious always responded in a way that let me know it was

listening. I used to test if I was unsure by getting the client blushing

on one side of their face (as a visual cue not easy to fake that if they

are sleeping they are unlikely to spontaneously do)

I used to get hung up on having to get people in a deep

trance. Now I am so unconcerned as I know the unconscious mind

is always listening, most of what I do probably doesn't resemble

hypnosis. This is something Steve Gilligan said when talking about

doing Deep Trance Identification as Milton Erickson, he said that

one thing he learnt was that everybody’s unconscious was listening

and that everybody was already in a trance.

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Polarity Responders

My experience with polarity responders is that they are

everywhere. Children and Teenagers especially seem to be polarity

responders, you tell them to tidy up and they make more mess, you

tell them to be quiet and they turn up the music etc..

I think it is situational in many cases, they won't respond

well to authority in one situation but may do in another

situation...like bad with the police, but good with peers...

Everyone probably is in some situations where if someone

tells you to do something you will do the opposite...Some people

are more this way than others...When this happens with the

therapist it could be that the therapist represents something (like an

authority, or a person from the past or a father etc...) or they are

annoyed with the situation, they may also be desperate to comply

yet respond this way...

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Generally I've not had problems with polarity responders, it

is more difficult with people that completely ignore all options as

you have to think in detail to make sure you have covered all

options leaving them with something that wasn't an option that is

what you want them to do but that if they decide to try to catch

you out and go with one of your options these will also lead to the

outcome... I think this 'non cooperative' person isn't a polarity

responder as they don't respond opposite they do their own thing

instead.

A true polarity responder will respond with the opposite

response. To your question 'which hand they feel is heaviest?' A

polarity responder will say they feel light as saying either hand will

agree with the question. By saying a light hand they are agreeing

one is heavy, if they say both are light then you would have to

utilise this.

By saying what you don't want or saying negatives you can

get round the polarity responder.

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The Classic Staircase Induction

One issue with the staircase induction is matching people's

internal reality. When you are timing steps with each out-breath it

relies on the client also going at that speed. Even when you say that

it can be one step with each out-breath people sometimes find this

too slow as they are walking down the steps and they are already at

the bottom as you are counting.

Other people follow it well and go at the speed of their

breathing.

If people seem to be rushing to the bottom of the steps

some things that I have found useful in slowing them down is

things like having them wonder what is around them, pictures on

the walls, views out of the windows as they walk down the stairs.

Or just wondering whether they will get distracted as they reach the

6th step 7th step or 9th step and wonder what will distract

them...etc

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Alternatively I separate the counting and the steps so they

can walk down a flight of steps and it will take them until the count

of 20 to reach the bottom.

I'm one of those people that wants to go at the speed a

hypnotherapist is saying but am often at the bottom waiting for the

counting to catch up, or I'm running up and down the steps as I

wait...

Another way is to say something like 'I wonder whether it

will be walking down the step or the counting down that takes you

deeper into a trance or if it will be the breathing out with each

number that helps you to become more fully absorbed'

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Why Do People Have a Built-in Process For Getting

Phobias and How Can You Help Them?

The feelings are required for survival purposes so the

memories can be repressed but the feelings and the response to

future situations has to come through.

If you were attacked by a sabre tooth cat (in prehistoric

times) you may get scared enough to cause a phobia. In the future

under similar conditions something may happen that evokes the

fear response to save your life because it could be a threat. You

don't have to know what the initial incident was only that in future

situations you will instinctively know to be afraid and run or fight.

This process has saved people for thousands of years.

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Treating Phobias

Use Scaling: The difference for the client is more noticeable

between scaling before treatment and after treatment. Phobic

clients go into a trance easier. There is more to work with. Trauma

memories are stored as survival memories so the more phobic

someone is the more pure the memory. You want to change the

memory to being stored like a normal memory. If they can't access

it so easily it gets harder to work with.

Use the rewind technique or a variation of this: The reason

for rewinding the memory is to scramble the pattern having it run

from after everything has calmed down to before anything

happened, these are also two safe points

I usually do it about 3 times, it could be less sometimes,

sometimes it maybe a couple of times more, not often though...

You can ask them to re scale after the work has been done

to notice the new reaction...

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My view is that if after treating one memory if there is still a

bit of a reaction there then I go for a second memory and

occasionally a third...

It is called Rewind because that is a part of the technique

that is done, it is called Fast phobia cure because it can be used to

cure phobias fast. Although obviously it isn't exclusively able to

treat phobias, it can treat PTSD, OCD, etc...

The Cinema metaphor is just one metaphor for the

process...

As an example I was sat on the plane back from Dubai and

the person next to me was nervous about flying. I picked up the in-

flight duty free magazine and flicked through it finding an image of

a child playing with a children’s airport play mat and big fat comicy

looking aeroplanes. I got all excited about playing with the plane,

flying it all around the air and the airport etc...

The person found they got excited about the flight and

enjoyed the flight...

I used principles of the VK Technique but used the image

of the child playing with the plane and airport and changing their

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representation of flying. I used language to link what I was using

with them. It took about two minutes and they could think of

flying with enjoyment rather than fear...

With these techniques it is about learning the process. Once

you know that you can improvise your own treatments.

Once the memory goes into the higher parts of the brain

future situations will be processed more appropriately, rather than

through a strong emotional filter. It doesn't stop the person being

able to have the fight or flight response to certain related stimulus

just makes it so that it is appropriate. For example; having the fight

or flight response in a future car accident is appropriate, having it

every time you see a car because it reminds you of a previous

accident. Or having a fight or flight response in a situation where

someone is trying to rape the person is appropriate, having it when

seeing any man or any specific colour just because it reminds them

of a past incident isn't appropriate (for example I worked with

someone that had been attacked and raped by someone wearing

black in an alleyway. The person developed a fear for black clothes,

alleyways and men behaving in certain ways. This incident was de-

traumatised so that none of these things triggered fear, if someone

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attacked her again she would still respond appropriately for her

own survival).

By survival memories I mean fight or flight response

memories. They are stored in the more primitive parts of the brain

that deal with emotions predominantly (Amygdala). By taking the

emotion from the memory(ies) yet keeping the content it gets

stored with a lower emotional level of arousal and so gets stored in

higher parts of the brain.

This isn't just fight or flight emotions, it is all strong

emotions. Fetishes are also stored in the same way as are other very

strong emotions. That is why if you do the VK Technique on

someone’s fetish it reduces the strength of the fetish, and why you

shouldn't use the technique on a pleasant strong emotion like love.

I worked with an agoraphobic a while ago, she said she had

been agoraphobic for many years and that it hadn't been a problem

because she just stayed indoors, didn't go out, had the internet to

do shopping, had people round etc... It had been a problem until

she decided not to try going out anymore.

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Her problem started with walking down a pavement when a

cyclist knocked her over, she got knocked out, hospitalised and

nervous on pavements because the same thing could happen again.

A few weeks out of hospital and she was in her car when another

car hit it. Again she got traumatised and felt if it can happen on one

road at one time it can happen on any road anytime. A few more

minor bits happened just so that she could confirm and maintain

her belief before deciding it was safest indoors. Her opinion on

'safest indoors' was that there was no problem when she was

indoors so it was like she had no problem (just like someone scared

of spiders has no problem in a confirmed spider free zone so they

could become complacent and almost believe the problem doesn't

exist)

I spent some of the first session de-traumatising her past

experiences and doing other bits and pieces, then we went for a

walk down the beach and had an ice-cream and just chatted. She

had not been able to go outside in her garden or out the front. The

only thing that made her 'remember' she had a problem, or realise

the problem was that her son was in hospital and she wanted to

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visit him and wanted to be able to bring him back to hers to look

after him and found she couldn't leave the house when she tried.

I had a few subsequent sessions to get her driving again

comfortably...

I have used the Rewind Technique in hundreds of

situations effectively. What happens is that the person is double

dissociated at first (so there is virtually no connection with the

feelings), they watch them watching the movie of the old incident,

then they experience it rapidly in rewind, this scrambles the pattern

as they experience it in a new and different way (everything running

backwards, often sounding stupid because all audio and voices are

fast and backwards), then they dissociate again and watch it in fast

forward (again they are watching it in a new way which scrambles

the pattern again), this process happens a few more times before

they watch it at normal speed again. This is a case of using time

distortion and dissociation to turn the old traumatic memory into a

normal memory. Traumatic memories are accessed differently

(because they are for survival) to normal memories.

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513

How Do You Get To The Root Of What A Client

Really Wants From Therapy?

Often the easiest way is to ask 'if you were to see yourself

on a tv screen once the problem is gone how will you know? What

will you see, hear, feel? What will others notice...etc' all of this gets

information about what will be achieved rather than what will be

gone.

It is often difficult for people to know what they want

rather than what they don't want (like with smoking etc) by asking

them for a description of what it will be like instead of just asking

them what they want people often find it easier to answer and it

gives you information to use in the session.

I rarely write during a session. It often just seems like a

chat; my aim is to keep the therapy relaxed and conversational. The

questions I ask would be What, Where, When, Who, How

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questions. You would want to get sensory specific information, one

of the easiest ways to get this is to ask what would be seen if you

were watching it on a TV screen. People say things like 'I walked

out on stage and the panic hit' this doesn't give information on

what happened physically, linguistically or internally (internal

dialogue, body feelings). It would be useful to know at what point

did the panic hit? How did they know they were panicking not just

excited? What lead up to the panic (obviously you would not want

to use the word panic as often as I am here!)(Did they spend weeks

worrying about panicking practicing for the real event?) Who else is

involved (does the group have to be over a certain size, made up of

certain people etc) the other option is to ask 'If I were to give you a

day off and I'll do the panic for you, how would you teach me to be

able to do a good panic, up to your standards? (Then they can tell

you to worry for weeks, through to the actual event and then how

they calm down afterwards)

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Creating Dissociation, Metaphors and Age Regression

My view is that a metaphor is a form of dissociation. The

metaphor maybe used to give the client a pattern for the necessary

association, for example if I told someone about streams running

to a river then the river running to an ocean it would lay down a

pattern for association or integration, the result of the metaphor

would be association. Likewise if I told a story about a cat that lost

its kitten and blamed herself so couldn't cry or express emotion and

spoke about the cat's experience of getting in touch with the

feelings, that would be laying down a pattern and would be

dissociated from the person and their actual situation, hopefully

getting in touch with those feelings would happen as a result of the

metaphor.

Likewise with smokers I would often discuss paths in

forests and cutting through a new path that once cut through

sufficiently is easier, quicker and more pleasurable to follow. Or

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about someone moving from a smog filled city, with all the

congestion on the roads etc...to moving to the country with open

space, fresh air etc...

Even metaphorical tasks have the person dissociated as

they are experiencing a pattern (like going into a field to find two

identical blades of grass) that will be of use to solving the problem,

they aren't actually experiencing the problem itself, or the solution

itself.

Using the multiple mirror technique.

I had a client I used this technique with; again rather than

the standard version I created my own version based on the

principles. This technique is based on Erickson’s Crystal Ball

Technique.

I started by talking about how the sun is 8 minutes away

and how what you are actually seeing is what the sun looked like in

the past and how you can't see what is happening now. I then

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mentioned other planets and stars and how each of these is also

being viewed at different times in the past, that when you look at

the night sky you can see many stars and planets and the moon

simultaneously yet the moon is what it was like seconds ago, the

planets are what they were like minutes ago, the stars are what they

were like years ago...

I then moved on to talking about how as a child you get so

engrossed and focused on cutting exactly around the shape of a

person on folded up paper, and that the more you cut the more

careful you are to make sure you cut it really well, and you focus

completely on that paper and on that cutting...you can't wait to see

what it will look like...you're excited to find out...when you have cut

out the shape of a person completely you then slowly and carefully

open up the paper to have it look like lots of people all holding

hands...

I then mentioned how each person can carefully be

coloured in so that each one looks slightly different from the next,

with a youngest one on the left and the oldest one on the

right...and how each one can be coloured in to represent a relevant

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part of how the issue we discussed (it was smoking) was able to

form, formed and had been able to be maintained up until now...

Then I spoke about how many great works of art have

many layers where they have been changed, updated and corrected

until the artist feels that the picture is right, and that they will take

all the time they need to make it just right...

I told them they can continue to slowly and carefully colour

in each person until each person feels just right...and how they can

get a sense of how colouring in one person can influence how the

others need to be coloured in and altered...

I had them do this until they were proud of their work and

could step back and admire the end result (head nod to let me

know this was done), then I had them carefully fold back together

the paper noticing how it can become more 3D as each part is

stuck back in place with the newly painted images integrating in

their own unique way...

I moved on to some more stories before moving back to

talking about space, stars and planets then the sun, and then

allowing them to open their eyes when they have fully reintegrated

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in anyway necessary and made all the changes needed to allow

progress to be automatic and to take effect at an appropriate rate

and speed...

Another way for inducing age regression can be to use

Double Dissociation Double Binds:

'You can drift into a pleasant memory and wonder what the

future will hold, or discover yourself already in the memory curious

about the future'

'You can experience a pleasant memory with no awareness

of the future, or be absorbed in a memory looking forward to the

future'

'That memory can take you back to a previous pleasant

experience before the future happened, or that memory can take

you deeper into the past curious to discover the future'

When I was out in Dubai recently I found that, being from

the UK, I wasn't used to all of the heat. I would be beside the pool,

lying in the sun and after a while I would get used to it even though

at times it was uncomfortably hot. When it got uncomfortably hot I

would go to the pool and go to walk in. The temperature difference

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between being out of the pool and being in the pool made the pool

seem much colder than it really was. It made it difficult to enter as

it felt too cold and uncomfortable. I had to decide whether I want

to be hot and uncomfortable or cold and uncomfortable. I knew

that staying out of the pool would get hotter and hotter as the day

went on, and more and more uncomfortable, yet also knew that

once I was in the pool I would be fine, it was just taking the steps

to get in the pool that was the challenge. In the end I decided 'sod

it' and just jump in, and quickly got used to the water and feeling

comfortable...

I told this story (not exactly the same, I tailored it to the

client) to a client the other day. They were depressed, they seemed

proud of how many Psychiatrists, Psychotherapists and

Counsellors they had been to and that they had spent time in the

priory and yet they were still depressed. They explained how they

will 'always' be depressed so they 'have to get used to it' and that

they were told they should see me just to 'talk it over'. They said

they are uncomfortable with change and have tried CBT with no

luck because they know what they should be doing and saying and

they know that what they stop doing when they are depressed are

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the things that will stop them being depressed but they can't put all

that into practice once the depression starts. They knew I had just

got back from Dubai and so asked me how it was, what it was like

(which is why that story came to mind)

The following week the client was much happier and

cheerful (still has bits to work on) and she was using terms I used

in my story to describe how she has been (like 'I decided 'sod it I'm

just going to go for it' and feel uncomfortable mixing with people

when I'm down because I know that will make me feel better')

The metaphor I used above is one I chose to use because it

is a true event from my life that I can tell in conversation without it

seeming like a metaphor, I'm just talking about my holiday

experience. I find that the most important thing is to have a thread

running through the stories you tell. So if you wanted trance you

may talk about interests and as you talk about your own and the

trance aspects of them (without mentioning trance if you want to

be indirect), then you may talk about science (if you or they show

an interest in that) and fascination with Newton under the apple

tree and Einstein day dreaming travelling on a beam of light, you

may then end up on the subject of holidays and so talk of trance

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aspects relating to holidays, etc...All these stories will make sense in

context (EG; discussing interests, holidays etc) with what is being

discussed, also they are being discussed in a wider context of the

overall discussion about the perceived problem so they will

unconsciously make sense in relation to the problem. As each story

has a same pattern in it (that of people entering trances

spontaneously and effortlessly and positively etc...) the unconscious

mind can spot this same repeated pattern as it is in each story. The

same with hypnotic phenomena or patterns for resolving problems

etc.

You can also be more vague with patterns in stories

especially when someone is in a trance, like stories of nature,

seasons, animals, fairytales, etc...

The unconscious mind is very good at working with

patterns, so if you created a metaphor that laid down a pattern it

can use that pattern in a different context (the problem context).

I worked with a French girl once that barely spoke any

English and would have struggled to understand the words I was

using if I used complex language patterns and may not know half

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the words, she wanted to quit smoking, she could speak some

English so we could establish like and don't like. This was enough

to start working with, the rest was images, holidays, demonstrating

deep breathing in and filling lungs, not liked places, not liked

images, shallow breathing and coughing and suggesting she should

visit Arundel (a local countryside town), go to the top of a hill and

breathe in some of that fresh air and wonder what it can mean in

the context of being healthy. She stopped a few weeks later after

doing all this and we had just enough language to get by...

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Hypnosis, Trance Induction & Utilisation

One quick way to induce a trance is to have a person recall

their problem (it is often likely to be trance inducing), like getting a

smoker to recall smoking (or getting a craving), or a person in pain

to focus on the pain (only this time in a non-attached way be

focusing on its colour, shape, size, etc), or a person that has OCD

to discuss their OCD process, or someone with a spider phobia to

recall the phobia, etc...

The higher the level of emotion the deeper the trance the

person will naturally go into when they recall it.

You’re always working with the trances you get, some

people are just more responsive than others and so better hypnotic

subjects.

Everybody is different, some people you can just look at

them and say sleep and they will (if they know you do hypnosis and

expect it to happen). Others would not respond in this way.

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A good hypnotic subject is likely to be able to perform

hypnotic phenomena and respond to therapy easily.

As Erickson has mentioned, in some cases he had to train

people for some time to help them to be good hypnotic subjects. It

is useful to know when someone is at that stage, so that you can

move on to hypnotic therapy using different phenomena and so

that you know they will be more responsive to what you say,

whether this is when you first meet them or after you have trained

them for some time. Generally though people don’t need to be

brilliant trance subjects to do good therapy, the therapist just needs

to be able to utilise whatever the client brings to the therapy.

I naturally take fairly unnoticeable long slow breaths and

people think I'm mucking around and holding my breath, this is

often (not always) more pronounced when I enter trance. If I am

hypnotising someone it is my responsibility to make the effort to

match the clients breathing.

The trick to breathing quicker (but slow for the person your

matching) is to just drag in and push out the air at a faster rate

rather than do half of your normal breath then breath out (always

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leaving half your lungs full of stationary air because you never

empty your lungs properly) as not emptying your lungs properly

and filling them properly is bad for you. It is a bit like scuba diving

and having to learn to control your breathing, then after a short

while you can do it automatically.

If someone is breathing too fast or in a way that would be

awkward then don't copy it exactly, you could do 3 of their breaths

to one of yours (or any other comfortable option). And you could

make emphasis to the out-breath and may be do your in-breath to 3

of theirs, then your out-breath to 4 of theirs.

There can be so many contexts when you want to notice as

people enter mini trances so that they will be taking on what you

are saying (assuming the trance includes you) or they could be in a

trance to integrate what you have just taught (like doodling or

staring into space) so you would want to give them a brief bit of

time to finish. Or if you want to demonstrate and have as few

problems as possible then someone very responsive is likely to

carry out what you say best (which can also act as a convincer to

the less engaged)

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If you ask someone about the stages of their problem they

have to enter trance to tell you. If you ask them about a leisure

activity they enjoy they will enter trance. If you ask them what

colour their front door is they will enter trance. Ask them how they

will know when they are better and they will have to enter trance...

It would be difficult not to have them enter trance. Even if

you sat doing nothing they will go inside to ask themselves what is

going on, so they will have entered trance.

These are all small and can be built on and used for a bigger

future trance, or any of these can be deepened as they appear.

When you ask someone 'have you ever been in a hypnotic

trance before?' what you are doing is a double bind. This is because

you have added the word before. If you ask have you ever been in a

trance? They can say yes or no, if you ask 'before' it means before

what? Before the one you are in? Before the one you are about to

go into? So whether they answer yes or no they are accepting they

will go into or are in a trance.

If they answer yes and it is a good experience then

gathering information will quickly drop them into a trance again yet

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it will appear like you were just enquiring about that previous

trance. If you want to still follow this line of questioning to induce

trance when they have said no you can just explain what it will be

like (using your hypnotic language skills)

Either way they are likely to enter a hypnotic state rapidly

and be well on their way before they know what is happening.

I just wanted to share my experiences of stopping using

scripts.

When I first trained everything was direct and all about

using scripts. I even contacted every therapist in my area to learn

from them, get their opinions and views on their success etc and all

the feedback was to buy lots of scripts and when a client tells you

what their problem is, use a script for that, find out which

induction script they want and use that and use a script for ending

the therapy. I had a collection of over 500 scripts! Imagine sitting

with a client and trying to remember which script I should use!! I

also felt it was wrong to just read in a monotonous voice from a

sheet of paper and get paid for it and claim I know what I was

doing. They could buy a book of scripts, choose the ones that suit

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them best, talk to a tape machine and do it themselves for much

cheaper.

When I found out about Ericksonian Hypnosis I realised

what Stephen was doing and Richard Bandler and that it wasn't that

they had memorised inductions and therapy scripts and were

reciting them, but that they were tailoring the therapy to the client.

I attended a two day course on Ericksonian Hypnosis and

on the course we had to sit opposite someone and (like

catchphrase) 'say what you see'. This was fine and I was

comfortable with this in the safety of a course where at least I

know I could do hypnosis, there were beginners that couldn't. I had

also by this point started 'ad-libbing' self-help tracks because I

couldn't find tracks or scripts for what I wanted to explore. I had

also listened by this point to many of Stephen Brooks’ Audio

courses and seen numerous videos and so had a greater grasp of

language patterns, tonality, etc...I still used scripts with client

because I thought I would not know what to say.

After the course I met up with a friend that was willing to

be a guinea pig, I said confidently that I can now do hypnosis

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without a script. I decided I would do a leisure induction with him

and utilise his interests and times his mind has naturally wandered,

and utilise ongoing behaviours that I can observe.

I asked him 'in an ideal world where you could do anything,

what would you do that would make your mind wander, that would

make you lose track of time and really enjoy yourself?'

His response was 'I would go back to Thunder Mountain

(apparently some water-ride in a water park in America?)'

I thought well I said I would use anything...so I did, and he

said it was the deepest trance he had ever been in and we got

numerous hypnotic phenomenon and great success.

I was nervous when he didn't say a nice warm beach or

something like all the course participants had said, but I am glad, I

have never looked back and now can't imagine using a script.

The thing I learnt is you can't be wrong because you are

given your script moment by moment by paying attention. And if

you expect them to go into a trance and so let your voice and

breathing guide them it doesn't matter if you don't yet know all of

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the language patterns. You learn best by being uncertain at first

rather than knowing it all then deciding to try it out.

There have been a few occasions where I have worked with

people that need to know the side effects of everything. You talk to

them and they tell you all about all the different tablets they take

and how they always get most of the side effects. With these people

on many occasions I have got them to be agreeing that when they

receive treatments they have the side effects. I then give them side

effects for the treatment they receive from me. These side effects

are obviously positive though.

I do this when working with some people with Obsessive

Compulsive Disorder also. I will give them a daily treatment plan

that sounds specific but isn't, like between 1830 & 1945 you will

have fun with your children, the plan gets followed obsessively, I

have symptoms created of what happens if the plan isn't followed

(positive of course) that gets the person trapped in a double bind.

Doing the re-framing and getting agreement initially is the trick,

once they are willing to follow the plan they also tie themselves into

following the consequences of not following the plan...

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Describing your own experience to induce a trance

You know one of my interests is going on walks through

the nearby woods. I'll spend hours just wandering along in my own

little world...feeling the breeze on my skin...I...begin to notice the

sound of each footstep...time seems to just... slow right down...and

I seem to be able to ...notice the smoothness of the movement of

my breathing, of each regular step, of individual sounds from the

birds, the rustling of the leaves...noticing the shimmering rays of

light...the warmth of the sun on my face...and as I continue walking

I...notice how the breathing begins to relax and deepen all by

itself...often I find my...muscles relaxing...around my shoulders,

arms, neck and face...and before long it already seems like time to

go home...

I find when I talk hypnotically about an interest I have the

client often finds it a familiar experience and so gets guided

indirectly by listening to my description. I did this for one person (a

hypnotherapist) where I challenged myself to see if I could

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hypnotise a hypnotist without them noticing. Part of what I did was

said 'you know I've always wanted to drive down America, see how

things change on a journey through the States' I went into detail

about this imaginary journey in conversation and he was in a trance

in no time at all.

Regarding therapist entering trance as well as client, I agree

it is best when it happens. The difference is in the trance. The

client enters a trance focused internally and the therapist (at least in

my case) goes into a trance focused intensely on the client, paying

full attention to the client. So the therapists trance is an externally

focused trance, the clients internally focused.

Sometimes the therapist may not know all they need to

know or they may not have time but want to get as much done as

possible or they may have been presented with a number of issues

and only worked on the one they could make change the fastest.

Nominalisations can be used to aid the client’s unconscious

mind to begin to spread change to other areas. I have recently

posted a video on a site of mine where I work with a woman that

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over the phone said she wanted to quit smoking then came to me

and said she wanted to lose weight and stop drinking cola and quit

smoking. I asked which one of these was most important to her.

Quitting drinking cola was what she expected o find hardest and

was most important to her. I helped her with this issue whilst

dropping in nominalisations and non-specific ideas for change in

other areas to also occur. So far (three months later) she has lost

about a stone and a half, cut down on smoking and had no

problem stopping drinking cola with no side effects. She wants to

now work exclusively on smoking in a follow up session. My aim

was to promote a way for her unconscious mind to have

permission and an understanding to spread change. Asking things

like 'You can be curious to discover what other changes occur' A

sentence with no specific meaning other than the one the listener

places on it and it doesn't give any direction or content as to what

is expected other than change. Given in a context where all change

that is happening is positive the expected change is also likely to be

positive.

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In one session I couldn't cover all three issues but could

indirectly begin to get movement on the issues I appear not to be

working on.

Arm Levitation and Catalepsy

Just lifting an arm in an ambiguous way would induce

catalepsy without asking for it (the movement would imply it).

Saying 'In a moment I'm going to lift your arm and I'm not

going to tell you to put it down' Implies you are going to want the

arm to be cataleptic but doesn't say this.

Telling a story about being in a cinema and your hand

stopping in the air as something interesting happens on the screen

implies catalepsy.

Saying 'and when I lift your arm you don't have to move it

up, or down or left or right or in any other direction, you can just

enjoy the relaxation' (implies it will stay still)

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Talking about animals that lie in wait for hours on end

without moving implies catalepsy.

The stories or metaphors above would be useful for

seeding in advance, giving time for it to sink in then when you lift

the arm the unconscious mind recognises the pattern and activates

what was seeded earlier.

Another way could be to lift the arm so gently they client

doesn't know if you are holding it or not so it gets confused and

stays where it is.

Time levitation instructions/suggestions/commands with

the clients in breaths...

It is a good relatively easy form or ratification keeping the

arm in catalepsy when the person awakes from trance. I think it all

depends on the person and the situation and what you want to

achieve with it...

That is catalepsy, catalepsy is happening all the time

somewhere in your body (like the neck staying in position to keep

your head still). Catalepsy is not rigid like an iron bar (although this

is often used as a metaphor) it is more like a waxy immobility that

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is comfortable, it is difficult to describe but your description is

correct.

I have done full body catalepsy in un-hypnotised people by

having them stand and then tapped on their shoulders in different

directions causing confusion (like the tapping on the arm) and on

the upper body and catalepsy sets in.

At the same time it makes the areas reduce in ability to feel

sensation, they also stick where they are placed (if you lift a

cataleptic leg it will stay where you let go of it, for example). It is

good for initiating pain control or for operations.

In catalepsy there is no muscular forcefulness/tension, for

example if the eyes are cataleptic it isn't like they are being held

shut like when you tightly shut them, it is more like they just don't

work.

I worked with one person that needed to believe he had

been in a trance and I was videoing the session and I asked what

would make him believe, he said if he could see on the video that

he was in a trance, so I had him do catalepsy for the whole

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hour...He was convinced because he knew this was impossible

normally, his arm would have wavered or lowered.

Other times I see that someone’s arm is getting tired etc so

I will suggest faster lowering, sometimes slower lowering,

sometimes if they believe 'I have the power' and I need to be a bit

more direct I wait until the arm is halfway down then I push it

down to their leg as I link it to something internal almost like a

shock/surprise induction being done with the person already in

trance.

Other times I use it as a metaphor for something so it

could be that I can lower the arm, then they can lower the arm (like

lowering a resistance etc)(with the arm placed between me and

them)

Hallucinations

Suggestions can still be given indirectly, or priming/seeding

can be done indirectly etc...

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If someone doesn't see what you want them to see then you

can reply with something like 'that’s right, you really don't see it,

and I wonder what else is there that you really can't see...'

The other way round it is to presuppose what you want

them to hallucinate without saying it, like asking 'what breed do you

think my dog is?' Whilst slowly gazing down towards the floor

where you want them to hallucinate the dog. Or what do you think

of my new picture? Whilst looking at a blank wall. If they say they

don't know they can't see it cause confusion by implying not seeing

it means being deeper in trance, and praise them for their ability to

go so deep, and then deepen their trance etc...

If it was auditory hallucination you can mention how you

can hear music in the background and ask if it is a piece they are

familiar with, and then ask them to really focus on that music.

With hallucinations in most positive hallucinations is a

negative element and vice versa, for example, if you hallucinate a

chair in front of you; you have to hallucinate out parts of the

background, if you don't see a chair that is there you have to

hallucinate in parts of the background.

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I once decided to do an experiment involving creating

artificial auras. I hypnotised myself to see different colours around

people for different modes. My logic was that there is so much

information to take in (non-verbal signals, verbal cues, words, etc)

that I thought my unconscious mind is probably noticing all of this

stuff, can it just process it for me and give me a cue that I can

notice that sums up the information. What I thought was the best

thing for this would be to see auras that I can observe changing

and can work with (for example if I wanted a specific depth of

trance, once the client is there the aura would be a dark blue, I this

gets lighter they are coming up so I need to acknowledge then

deepen, if it gets tinges of red there is some anxiety so I need to

acknowledge this and deal with it etc)

Over time the auras faded and I just started saying what

came to mind whether it made sense or not.

I used a similar thing when I first started out doing

hypnosis when I was about 14. I was envious of people with

synaesthesia (probably spelt wrong?) I thought ‘if only I could see

sounds, how useful would that be for playing man-hunt in the

woods at night’. So this is what I did. I made it so that sounds

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would make light and so if someone stepped on a twig for example

I would see a flash and know where they were. It is easier to judge

where something comes from when you see it rather than when

you just hear it. This is something that frustratingly I've not been so

capable of as I've grown up, don't know why?

Surprise and Confusion

Surprise or confusion can be used indirectly, just telling a

joke can surprise. A handshake being slightly different is barely

noticeable or paid attention to but it causes confusion and a trance,

moving your head as you talk to the client (or looking into a

different eye for conscious/unconscious etc) causes some

confusion as two messages are being conveyed with different

meaning, one of them to the unconscious to go into a trance,

overloading the client with information causes confusion, like

asking them to do something then before they have time to get it

done ask for more and more until they need to take on some of the

tasks unconsciously. making purposeful mistakes can cause

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confusion like saying I'm going to reach over and lift up your left

hand' and lifting the right one, or saying different to what you are

doing 'I can lift your hand up, down left right etc (doing as you are

saying) then after a few rounds of being congruent move the arm

different to what you are saying (up, move hand down, down move

hand up, left, move hand right etc)

When I tell confusing stories changing terms with one

meaning into characters people seem to think it is a challenge to

do. The trick is to turn each term into a character then just tell a

story, it isn't confusing to me saying it (unless I rattle it off too fast)

because it is just a story and characters.

Left/right confusion etc is all something you go into a

trance to do. I normally do small doses not long reams although I

don't have a great problem with this. It has to be right for the client

and context.

Client says left hand feels heavier than right, I might say so

your left hand resting right there is heavier than the right land left

right here is that right? Etc...

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Compound Suggestions

Compound suggestions can overlap. Generally it is a truism

followed by a suggestion, this can be from observable to non-

observable, out of trance to in trance, etc...

For example:

You can sit there, and read this writing

You can read this writing, and let thoughts come to mind

Those thoughts can come to mind, and some can be of

pleasurable experiences

You can be aware of those pleasurable experiences, and

become more absorbed and relaxed

One thing I did when initially learning this and all of the

other language patterns and structures etc was to listen to

conversations (in real life and on TV etc) and look out for specific

patterns.

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In work lots of times people would say things like 'Your

shift doesn't finish for another hour, does it? Can you go get the

paperwork up to date' Implying because the shift doesn't finish the

person can do the paperwork although there is no real link between

the two.

In ordinary conversation people don't often work from

observable to non-observable, or from not in trance to in trance.

(some good communicators do) Normally it is just truism-

suggestion, sometimes they can be linked but most people don't

realise they are doing it so just use single sentences.

Another one could be

'You know where Johnny is? Can you call him for tea'

In sales

'Look at this phone, it meets all of your needs'

'You look like someone that likes making good decisions,

this is the TV for you'

'You want the Big Mac Meal, and you’re going large with

that' (Question said as a statement)

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On TV

'The question is shown on the screen, phone in if you know

the answer'

'It's the end of the show, enter this competition to win

£5000'

Contingent Suggestions

Some examples of contingent suggestions you may hear in

everyday situations:

You don't have to brush your teeth until you're about to go

to bed

When you go to the shop remember to get some milk

Wash your hands before you eat dinner

I'll read you a story when you're in bed

You can have chocolate fudge cake after you have finished

your dinner

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Contingent suggestions make one part of a sentence

contingent on the other. The way to word them is to have the

contingent part an unconscious process. If it is unconscious the

client can't say 'no' when the behaviour it is linked to is true and

happening

'As you blink in that special way you can become more

absorbed'

'As you breathe out you can relax deeper'

'As you look at me, you can also be aware of certain

thoughts that come to mind...as you become aware of those

thoughts you can wonder what is happening in those hands...as you

wonder what is happening in those hands you can notice that one

hand feels different from the other...'

All pacing and leading and all starting with a truism. The

contingent parts are all out of conscious control. Becoming

absorbed, relaxing deeper, having thoughts, wondering what is

happening in the hands, hands feeling different from each other.

Nominalisations obviously help here with the leading parts.

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When are people in a trance naturally?

I would say when people lose car keys that are right under

their nose they are in a trance state. In the same way that when you

get catalepsy in a cinema you are in a trance, when you forget a

name at a party that you know you know and the harder you try to

recall the name the more elusive it becomes, you are in a trance

state.

I think it all comes down to how you are defining trance. If

you get into a state of uncontrollable laughter you are in a trance

state, same with problems like depression, smoking, anxiety, etc

they all involve going into a trance and at the time you are in that

state you see the world through that trance. Change trances and

you see the world differently.

With the key example assuming they are in view and

somewhere you have looked and not seen them often people find it

is when they need the keys, they focus all their attention on 'where

are the keys', then when they can't find them focus on how they

can't find them and begin to narrow their attention on the issue of

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keys missing and as heightened emotion also induces deep trances

(like phobias, fetishes etc) they are now getting emotional (stressed,

anxious etc) because they can't find the keys so the trance gets

deeper and more powerful and it cycles round as a self fulfilling

prophecy. The answer (as with the name example etc) is to stop,

and think about something completely different to break the cycle.

One thing that gave me confidence at inducing a trance was

seeing that everyone was going in and out of trances all by

themselves all the time (also see Rossi; The 20 minute break - a

book about Ultradian Rhythms). Leisure activities induce trance,

reading, listening to music, daydreaming. Most trances people go

into are self induced and most people wouldn't notice that

someone is in a trance because they wouldn't be looking for it.

Driving involves trance (sometimes deeper than other times) you

have to do many tasks simultaneously without thought, same as

tying shoe laces, doodling, all automatic behaviours involve mini

trances (handshakes, etc) A hypnotherapist can interrupt these

trances and extend them and become a focal part of them to take

control of the trance.

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Binds, Double Binds & Implication

If you use things like a double bind you presuppose one

direction whilst they think they are always making the choices

which you are then responding to.

I remember watching Erickson say to a client 'look at my

dog, what breed do you think it is?' The client wasn't asked if a dog

was there only the breed.

If you are stating truisms people are not necessarily going

to notice you are using a technique, and they can't really find holes

in it. Also if you ask questions with implied responses but not

actually asking for verbal responses or questions they would seem

stupid o answer no to (like 'so your name's Steph?', or clarifying age

etc...) it can just seem like you are clarifying rather than trying some

technique.

Implied responses could be

'So you're sitting in that chair, and you can notice me and

hear my voice and you don't expect to go into a trance yet' (Four

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implied agreements that don't ask for a response so are unlikely to

face resistance etc...)

Post Hypnotic Suggestions (PHS)

Whenever anyone carries out a post hypnotic suggestion

they go back into a trance like they were in when the suggestion

was created to carry out the suggestion. If this trance is interrupted

before finishing the PHS then you can expand on it and utilise it.

If someone has constant pain and it is ok to remove or alter

the pain then you may want a client to hallucinate numbness or a

different sensation for a long period of time (perhaps with

conditions that if the signal is required it will come through)

You may not want to tell them it is only an hallucination

and you may want them to be stuck in the hallucination to the

extent that the pain control lasts a while. And that a trigger like

opening the eyes in the morning could be used as a PHS for the

hallucination to begin each morning.

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At the end of therapy you would end everything you don't

want them leaving therapy with so that they are completely

reoriented back to 'reality' before going home. You may say 'you

can wake up totally and completely' or 'wake up all over'

Nominalisations

Another area with therapeutic nominalisations is building

your own context through the links between the nominalisations. If

Development was used with talk of business the meaning of

development to the listener is more likely to be in the context of

business and it could be good or bad. If development was used in

the context of 'what is happening now' then it is more likely to

bring up meaning in this context.

The context the nominalisation is given in effects the

meaning of the nominalisation.

'New developments are happening in the business, there

will be organisational changes taking place'

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'New developments are happening inside your mind, and

you can wonder how those organisational changes and

improvements will take place'

Fractionation

Fractionation is where you put someone in a trance and out

of trance repeatedly. Each new trance induction deepens the trance.

Erickson noticed each time he hypnotised patients they would go

deeper than the previous time. He would spend weeks (sometimes

many months) hypnotising clients. Then he wondered if he did the

same number of inductions in a session rather than over many

sessions would it have the same effect and he found out it did. To

make it more effective it is useful to not bring the person 'out'

between inductions. Just distract them (if they have their eyes open)

or ask them to open their eyes (and not ask them to wake up etc)

and talk and then do another induction (all can be indirect or it

could be overt and asking them to 'close their eyes')

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Inducing trance with music

You can induce trance with music. Many cultures have used

music and no words to induce altered states (trance states). Many

tribal cultures use flickering lights of the flames of a fire and drum

beats to induce the trance state. Sometimes this beating can be fast,

other times it could be slow. The trance states are different

depending on the speed of the beat but it can all be used. I often

use drum beats and other sounds to induce trance on my mp3

tracks and use bineural beats (different frequency of beats to each

ear to create an illusion of a beat out of the difference between the

two beats that often leads to the frequency of the brain matching

these beats)

This all happens in music, especially modern music that can

be listened to in stereo (or 5.1 Surround Sound) that allows

musicians to create tracks that allow for deeper absorption from

the listener. So any music can probably be used to induce a trance.

I've known a number of teenagers I've worked with that would use

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Eminem or a gangsta rap group...If anything (especially with this

age group) it shows respect to them that what they like and are into

isn't being dismissed. I feel the times I've used these

musicians/types of music that if I dismissed it and used something

else it may have appeared disrespectful. I appear to show a keen

interest if I ask for more detail and use it. You don't even have to

know much about what you are discussing because you can be

vague with your language and use nominalisations so it sounds

meaningful to them.

Richard Bandlers Neurosonics hypnosis tracks use Blues

and jazz to help induce a trance...I have used marching as a trance

induction (ex soldier), I have used dance music (trance music) and

even rollercoaster’s, through to diving, hang gliding, etc...almost

anything can be used...

Every day Trance Phenomena

what is commonly thought of as deep trance phenomena

can occur in a lighter trance, like catalepsy occurring when

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watching a film in the cinema, or someone hallucinating that they

thought they heard someone say their name, or hallucinating that

they saw something out of the corner of their eye after watching a

scary film (obviously these examples of naturally occurring times

and so aren't as dramatic as when under hypnosis, but they are still

occurring). I have had arm catalepsy in people in seconds while

they are in a light trance. Noticing multiple deep trance phenomena

or signs is more likely to mean deep trance is present than just

noticing one (same as trance indicators like REM, fluttering eye

lids, etc).

Rapid inductions

To do them the main thing is confidence. It is about

interrupting a pattern or causing confusion. I rarely use rapid

inductions. I rarely in private practice use anything that resembles a

formal induction. At best I often ask people to close their eyes and

I begin to talk to them and observe them closely, slowing down my

breathing and speech, lowering my voice and tonality, and I

mention talking to the unconscious part of them and just do it.

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Really the inductions I do don't exist. For example if I am

treating a phobia I just say something like 'OK just close your eyes

a minute and we'll try something' then I go into the technique and

make sure that all of my non verbal behaviour is implying trance

induction and deepening while they focus on the words and

following any instructions (which is also trance inducing).

Watching Bandler, or some of Milton Erickson’s footage

can help. Also reading ‘The deep trance training manual’ by Igor

Ledochowski and ‘Training Trances’ by Overdurf & Silverthorn is

useful. These have info about rapid inductions and handshake

inductions.

I do handshake inductions similar to how Erickson did

them as they are less dramatic, or I will tell someone that 'in a

moment I’m going to reach over and lift up your right arm...and

I'm not going to tell you to put it down (implying levitation)...any

faster than...your unconscious (embedded command)...allows you

to go deeply and comfortably into a trance while the conscious part

of you can drift off and think of pleasant memories or hopes and

dreams...etc...' Then I reach over lift the arm very gently so I am

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hardly touching it and once it is levitating I say that’s it or that’s

right, as it starts lowering I suggest it can take its time etc... The

person will already be in a trance, and as the arm lowers they will

go deeper.

Or I do the fingers coming together induction. This

induction is rapid and the client can then recreate it (if this is

suggested) as a self hypnosis induction in the future...

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Observation Skills

When I first learnt about congruency between conscious

and unconscious messages I wanted to know how I could practice

this and refine it as a skill

The best way I have found is to watch people, watch them

in pubs, clubs, restaurants, anywhere where you get to observe

people interacting. By doing this you can listen to conversations at

the same time as objectively watching non-verbal behaviour.

Another place to watch this is on reality TV shows like Big Brother

and on programmes like 'the Jeremy Kyle show'. I used to record

one of these shows a week and watch interactions and see what I

could figure out about people based on mismatching

communication. With programmes like Big Brother you can test

your ideas about your observations over a period of time.

You can watch people talking and look for patterns. Doing

this you don't get to ask the questions but you can pay your full

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attention because you aren't involved. Anyone that has knowledge

of magic and watches a magician knows that if the magician is

captivating enough you miss what they do even though you know it

happened right under your nose. This the same when starting out

doing therapy, you know lots of stuff but miss it when you are in a

real situation because you have too much to take in.

As you watch people you may work by initially just getting a

sense of something or you may actively look for patterns that you

could tell someone else (like change in facial colour, change in lips,

body posture, eye contact, etc)

The best way to learn to recognise minimal cues is to focus

on one at a time while you learn.

What you do with the observations depends on what you

are observing for (it could be to look for congruence, or it could be

for a specific state, etc) If it is for a state then you can suggest back

the minimal cues, so if you wanted to induce a deep trance

comment on the minimal cues (overtly or indirectly) each time you

see a trance based minimal cue. You could link it to going deeper

for example by saying 'as you continue to blink in that special way

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you can drift deeper.' Or 'That’s Right' (said on each blink, or sign

of ideo-motor movement etc)

The easiest way of noticing minimal cues is to be in a

trance, letting your unconscious notice for you.

To switch the trance focus (from internal to external or

external to internal) you can start by matching the experience then

guiding it to where it is wanted.

'You can be aware of the ticking clock, of the traffic

outside, of the sound of my breathing AND you can notice what

those hands feel like resting on your lap WHILE you wonder what

will happen next...and BEFORE you discover what will happen

next you can notice which hand feels the heaviest and wonder

which one will lift...' (Getting more internal)

To do this the other way reverse the process and match

ongoing internal experience then you can ask them to remain in

this state while they open their eyes and pay their full attention

honestly and completely (a statement they should take literally) to ...

(whatever the external thing is - reading, practicing an instrument

etc)

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With leisure activities you can have an external focus

activity and guide it internally (even by saying 'I sense you can feel

some of that now').

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Six-Step Reframing

I remember Richard Bandler saying he created the six step

reframing technique as a way of getting people to do hypnosis

(when he couldn't use terms like hypnosis) and talk with the clients

unconscious mind (or have the client talk with their own

unconscious mind) to allow the unconscious to hold multiple views

(positive intention of the problem, how to find a better way of

meeting that intention - like smoking to relax, self hypnosis to relax

- and to allow the unconscious mind to take control of integrating

these ideas) He has said he doesn't use this technique as a

technique now because there isn't such stigma about using

hypnosis and just doing this directly like lifting an arm and saying

not to lower any faster than you make these changes (while the

person is in trance). The six step reframing was designed as a trance

induction and therapy script all in one technique, 'go inside, thank

your unconscious for its solution (the problem), ask the

unconscious to find a variety of better options that fulfil the same

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need or requirements, check this is OK (look to the future etc) -

EG - Smoking to relax, deep breathing to relax or self hypnosis to

relax or time management to relax etc, healthier and fitter in the

future and some positive side effects may be happier at work or

home etc) then give a signal when this is done (arm lowering, finger

signal, feeling in the body, eyes opening etc)

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Cause, Symptoms, Problem Perception & Solutions

Having cause and symptom both different views of the

same thing is like a fish’s view of an iceberg and a bird’s eye view of

the iceberg. The therapist and client may only be aware of the

bird’s eye view, by knowing that what you can observe is part of

what is hidden not something different from what is hidden, you

can look at what is keeping the top of the iceberg in place.

It maybe that the cause no longer exists but something is

still keeping the iceberg tip in place, this could be an unconscious

belief that the habit is still required as it served a purpose, which

would mean there is still a linked cause (the belief it is needed - like

a form of self therapy, the cause being the therapy, needed or not -

like insomnia because 40 yrs ago light sleeping was required and the

pattern has stuck, or smoking to manage stress etc).

The similarities with particle physics are useful ideas and

interesting to wonder how truly linked these things are. In quantum

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theory something is in every possible outcome until it is observed,

then it settles on one outcome...the observation create the

outcome. The position of the observer and what is observed also

affects the outcome. This is the same in therapy, observation

affects the perceived problem.

Also creating a change in one place creates an instant

change in all related areas. So if someone that has an acne problem

forgets they have and forgets to pay attention to it, it disappears

quickly. Or if someone stops worrying, they stop being depressed,

if someone tries to stay awake instead of doing their usual

behaviour of trying to fall asleep they fall asleep. So changing one

part of a pattern alters the whole pattern, leading to a different

outcome.

This was a large part of Erickson’s work. He wouldn't

know what was going to happen, only where he could help make a

change. He would trust the client to make it positively and in

context with finding a solution to their problem.

For example when he knew a man could move one of his

fingers, he got the man doing this, he didn't know exactly what the

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outcome would be only that when the man noticed he could move

one finger and the finger next to it moves a little he'll know that

means he can move a second finger, which moves a third finger

slightly etc...

On Sunday I was in a car getting a lift back to Bognor Regis

from Roehampton...It was raining quite heavy...we took a wrong

turning...The driver asked if we should perhaps get out the satnav

or hope we find our way or if we have got lost for a reason we

don't yet know?

I told a story about a farmer that had a prize stallion that

escaped from his field...the villagers say 'that was unlucky' the

farmer says maybe, the stallion comes back with some healthy wild

horses...the villagers say 'that was lucky' the farmer says maybe, the

farmer's son gets on one of the new horses and gets thrown off

breaking his leg...the villager's say 'that was unlucky' the farmer says

maybe, the army come to town to recruit soldiers and the farmer's

son can't be recruited because of his broken leg...the villagers say

'that was lucky' and the farmer says maybe...

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A couple of minutes after telling this story when we were

about 2 seconds from a petrol station (literally) the engine cut out

and we drifted comfortably onto the forecourt in front of the

correct pump to try filling up the car (it didn't need more petrol),

we called the RAC and it turned out there was an RAC van less

than 10 minutes away from where we were...no -one needed to use

the pump we were at and the RAC man knew what the problem

was and how to sort it out quickly and we got back to Bognor fine.

Had we not taken the wrong turning and just gone with it,

we wouldn't have been in the right place at the right time...instead

we would have broken down on a motorway in the rain and dark

rather than under cover in a service station with a shop and just

down the road from an RAC van.

The unconscious is very good at working in ideas, concepts

and metaphors..For example I have seen a video of Erickson lift up

a resistant clients arm palm facing them then putting it down again,

then getting them lifting their own arm to the same position and

putting it down again (to take down their own barrier between

them - that is where the arm was placed)

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Setting tasks does a similar thing like the example of

Erickson having a client hunt for two identical blades of grass, or

giving out African violets.

You only need to ignite the change not do it for the client.

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Time Distortion

I once hypnotised someone to experience a whole lifetime

in a world they created in the space of 10 minutes...They spent

hours recounting what they got up to over their lifetime...

It happens when you dream, if you get asked about it

straight away you can recall loads of information about the dream

and can claim it was hours even if you know you only nodded off

for a few minutes

Anaesthesia using time distortion is like taking different

drugs. Some drugs may work on just the discomfort, other drugs

may make the whole area numb, other drugs may make you

unconscious (so having no awareness of pain). Pain is made worse

than it needs to be because you do remember what the pain felt

like, you think about how painful it will be in the future (both of

which will bring back to some level the feelings associated with the

pain, just like a leisure trance induction brings back to some extent

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the feelings associated with the activity) and you have the pain you

are currently experiencing.

You could make the area of the pain numb (for example a

pain in the wrist could have the WHOLE wrist made numb) or you

could make JUST the pain numb (so that if you touched the wrist

you would feel the touch because only the pain is numbed), you

could give amnesia for past pain and have the person forget they

may have future pain (reducing the pain by 2/3), you could change

the sensation of the pain (so that it feels like a warmth or tingling

etc - pain is a signal saying 'look after me' so sometimes getting rid

of it completely will not work because it is important that you have

some awareness of it) or you could speed up the passing of the pain

(again respecting that it is there as a signal rather than just making it

go away). Technically if the pain (headache for example) would

have been there for an hour and it is gone in one minute then what

is happening for the other 59 minutes? It must be anaesthetised

because it isn't there when it would have been.

In the past I have asked people to experience entire

artificial life times, almost like giving them the chance to live

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through a fantasy (like in the land of lord or the rings, or star wars,

or on the star ship enterprise) and to take a minute of my time to

do this. They experience the highs and lows of that life (I add bits

to how I suggest it so that they don't have anything like being killed

in their 'dream' and clarify what they want). It has been really

interesting talking for hours with people when they come out of a

trance and tell you their WHOLE life story, all the adventures etc

as they grew old. People have told about living to 70, 80, 90 etc and

recall memories from all of it. So I think the mind can distort time

to an incredible range effortlessly.

Regarding Time Slowing Down, when I worked in

incredibly violent and aggressive situations time would slow down

to what seemed like a snail’s pace. I would become so aware that

for a five minute incident I could write pages of information about

every little detail (in my job at the time I could write the events of a

24hr period in a single page and think I had covered everything).

The same thing occurred when I was ran over, time slowed right

down, all I felt was peace and relaxation. I was so aware of

everything around me. Time changing like this in emergencies is a

natural survival response to give you more chance of effectively

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managing the situation (if you are attacked and go into this state

you are hyper aware so time appears to run slowly).

This type of time distortion is different to comparing

spaces between events, which is why as you get older time appears

to speed up (a year for a ten year old is 10% of his life, a year for a

hundred year old is 1% of his life) so time appears to get faster.

Also amnesia between events makes time seem faster.

Generally time distortion will usually happen whether it is

asked for or not. The best way to elicit time distortion is through

stories, metaphors and examples of naturally occurring time

distortion. Creating a situation conducive of time distortion, like

getting the client very engrossed or focused on one thing so they

exclude all else, or language patterns. It could be directly suggested

with some people but that doesn't work with many others. The use

of language patterns to induce time distortion fascinates me, you

could say something like 'in hypnotic time you can discover a

whole hour seems like a minute, as in waking time a whole minute

can stretch to an hour' or another variation maybe 'You can be

curious to discover whether an hour of your time will seem like a

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minute of waking time or whether a minute of my time will seem

like an hour of hypnotic time?'

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Analogue Marking

With the issue of analogue marking or embedded

commands, I use it all the time throughout whole sessions. It is like

allowing your communication to be multi layered. The conscious

mind will be phasing in and out.

I think it is important to be continually allowing

communication to both the conscious part and the unconscious

part. Analogue marking allows the conscious part to listen into an

apparent conversation whilst the unconscious part is aware of the

marked out sections.

Because the unconscious part notices these sections and the

conscious part doesn't the conscious and unconscious receive two

different messages. I often do this telling stories/metaphors etc

that the conscious mind just listens to while the unconscious part

responds to the patterns in what I am saying and also to any

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sections that get marked out (a form of analogue marking is

embedded commands/suggestions).

The 'my friend john' technique is a good example of this

used in trance induction. It also happens in everyday life, you get

people that say 'I told him...I'm really annoyed at the lack of respect

you show me...' As you here someone talking directly at you like

this it can feel like it is aimed at you, it creates feelings in your body

as it affects you on a deeper level even though logically and

consciously you know they are not talking about you.

If ideas and suggestions are given indirectly (via analogue

marking for example) then the conscious mind is highly unlikely to

notice so it will only be received unconsciously, if the suggestions

were given directly then the conscious mind may become aware

and may in the future sabotage the work because it remembers bits

and pieces.

When I want to educate someone in therapy and feel that

they probably don't see that they don't know what they don't know

I do it indirectly. Often by telling them I'm not going to tell them.

because I am there as a therapist and they have come to me for

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help there is a high chance that they expect me to know what I'm

talking about so if I don't give them reason to challenge me then

often what I say gets accepted.

As an example in smoking, some people think they know

the risks of smoking but don't really, they only know the common

few things that get plastered over the media. I want them to have

an understanding of some of the other issues but I don't want to

lecture them or to have them defend why it won't be them etc (I

don't always feel this is necessary, it is client dependant).

I will often say 'I know you know all the effects of smoking,

so I don't need to tell you that 50% of all smokers die of a smoking

related illness'...then I tell them what I said I wasn't going to tell

them.

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Rapport

Over the years I have found that many people

misunderstand what they should be doing when building rapport

and matching or mirroring body language etc. People seem to think

they should be copying but this really annoys people. The idea is to

join the person in their reality respectfully. Look for patterns. If

they do a specific gesture when saying or talking about a specific

thing (like making a brushing motion when talking about getting rid

of a habit) then if you talk about the same you can make the same

motion. You don't just do it because they did.

I match breathing and often match heart rate with the

movement of my head or a finger or my foot, often match blinking

(either with my blinking or with a finger etc), I match general body

posture and certain words and phrases used. I don't match things

that would be unnatural for me (I had a client that had a bad arm

and she kept it in an awkward position. I could copy it but it would

582

have been uncomfortable and would have looked like I was taking

the piss).

If you are matching how someone is sitting and they

change positions, don't immediately change how you are sitting,

wait until a time when it would be natural for you to decide to

change positions.

The idea is to respond in the same way they would, not to

copy them. I pace then test then lead people into trance

without placing any importance on the words I am saying just by

using breathing, body posture, heart rate, blinking etc so that when

they are responding to me I gradually put myself in trance and they

follow.

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Working with Problems

You should allow the client enough time to talk about the

depression (or their problem as they see it) it would seem very

disrespectful if it was ignored or brushed under the carpet. I

probably didn't word what I wrote very well. Just like you can use

questions and asking for more detail to induce a positive trance,

you can do the same to induce a negative trance, so if you ask them

questions about all of their problems and make your focus on their

problems they'll give you the answers whilst at the same time they'll

often begin to deepen their depression because your eliciting proof

that they have had a lifetime of depression (which backs up the

depressive thinking style).

If you listen to their story and focus in on the islands of

hope and resiliency whilst at the same time acknowledging 'that

must have been a difficult period in your life, no wonder you got

depressed, I'd be surprised if anyone could go through a situation

584

like that and not need to take some mental time out to get your

head round it before being able to move on' (or whatever

wording/comment/etc would feel right for the client in front of

you)

It's not that the therapist shouldn't talk about the

presenting problem (depression), It's that I don't believe the

therapist needs to talk about all the depressing things that have

happened to the person in their life on top of that problem (as

some therapists I've had to observe have done, and many clients I

have had have been the result of feeling suicidal after seeing

counsellors that have done this leading to them believing they were

justified to think their life was a failure and worthless) I like people

to leave a session optimistic and with a sense of hope and

expectancy for positive change

Smoking is a trance state, the craving focuses attention and

negates everything else, I've known people that have said when a

craving happens they would kill for a cigarette, people have said to

me that they turn into a different person if they try to ignore the

craving, they 'see the world through the filer of the craving', when

585

they smoke the process happens automatically, they don't think

about what they are doing.

Often in therapy I ask them if they enjoy every cigarette?

and if they remember each cigarette? The answers are always that

they just need a cigarette and find themselves smoking. If they

make roll ups then they do this whilst talking, etc with no

conscious thought, they get on with chatting as they get a cigarette

out and light it, they instinctively light up a cigarette when they

have a coffee, or when they answer the phone, or when they get

out of a no smoking area (or whatever it happens to be for them).

What I do often is (especially with people that don't want

to quit but have been told they are seeing me to quit) is make it so

that it becomes so conscious as a process they don't enjoy it. I

don't do this by working with the conscious part of them directly,

so I don't tell them what I want them to do. I do things like

scrambling their usual pattern of how their smoking habit works,

by having (instinctively) the negatives coming to mind when they

think about smoking or go to smoke, and positives coming to mind

when they think about being healthy and when they decline offers

of cigarettes etc. Because this is coming to mind for them they are

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very conscious of the act of smoking (not because I have asked

them to be but because it is what comes through from their mind

when they try). I, at the same time presuppose when they will

finally decide 'enough is enough' for themselves and offer choices

about that date, etc...

I also often make it conscious by suggesting tasks, for

example a man saw me (referred by the NHS stop smoking clinic).

The first thing he said was 'I will tell you the same as I told the

nurse at the clinic, I will have you smoking 40 a day before you

would be able to stop me smoking 40 a day' he knew why he

should stop and was not there because he had any intention to

stop.

One of his regular patterns was to smoke a specific number

of cigarettes on his set journey (like to the supermarket) he had a

reason for doing this. For example to the supermarket he had to

smoke 6 cigarettes, he would have 4 on the journey (15 minute

journey) and 2 in the car park. This was because once he's in the

shop he can't smoke until he comes out. He agreed he can go 15

minutes without a cigarette (does longer in the supermarket) he

agreed he won't cut down or stop, he also agreed that he was

587

willing to try my idea of really making the most of those cigarettes

and smoking them all when he is in the car park or when he has

arrived at his destination, if he isn't driving he can really focus on

enjoying those cigarettes.

I told him but I don't want you to cheat, you must smoke

all the cigarettes that you normally would have smoked. He found

it such a chore to be sat consciously smoking each cigarette when

he was at his destination and felt he was wasting his time because

he wanted to be doing what he was there for not just sitting in his

car smoking. He saw me a week later and said he had tried to do as

I asked but found himself cheating sometimes and not smoking as

many as he was supposed to be smoking.

He then cancelled the next appointment and quit on his

own without help so that he could take credit for it (my assumption

was that he probably felt he would lose face if he quit because of a

therapist when he told all therapist none of them could stop him)

Months later I saw him and he had lost weight, not smoked and

looked healthier and was proud he did it on his own.

588

All psychological problems involve a trance element...this is

one reason why hypnotherapy is so useful for treating them. Each

trances has different characteristics, a depression trance offers a

specific view of the world that is different to a happiness trance for

example.

Addictions and eating disorders and OCD, phobias, PTSD

all involve a trance element. An easy way to hypnotise a smoker for

example is to ask them to talk about how they smoke, what feelings

are associated with it etc. Even the trances therapists guide people

into can be different. It is possible to create 'designer trances'

where you create a desired trance then use fractionation to add a

different trance onto that one and have different combinations of

trance.

I saw someone the other day that had one type of trance

experience with me a week earlier and told me what he liked and

what could make the previous experience better so I helped him

experience this new type of trance. To get it I had to do different

things. Different rhythms and frequencies create different trance

states. I made an altered states mp3 that involved using drum beats

589

(and different drums and spatial locations when listened to in

stereo) to create an interesting trance state.

Obviously it is beneficial to use something enjoyable and

positive as the induction but it is also useful to know that the

problem is a trance state and a unique one at that and so any

alteration made to that trance state will change the resulting trance

experience or break it completely and make the unconscious

processes leading to the trance conscious. (Like making a smoker

aware of every step of smoking by altering an element of it so that

it is no longer an unconscious habit but more a conscious chore or

something that suddenly they feel self-conscious about because

they are now aware they are doing it)

In my experience with people with over drinking problems

I've found that often it is their medication, they drink to self

medicate against something. it could be that they get too stressed

and so drink to forget what is causing them stress, or they have a

drink and know when they go home they will be late and will end

up in an argument so they drink more and don't go home yet to

face the music, which leads to more problems when they do go

home. Very often they desperately want to quit but as long as they

590

don't know of a better more productive way of dealing with what

they are using the drink to deal with then the pattern continues.

People may drink when they socialise and believe that they

won't be able to socialise if they stop drinking, or when they drink

they get attention and looked after the next time they are sober,

etc... Normally in my experience if there is a secondary gain then it

stands out.

I have often asked people 'so what do you get out of

drinking/smoking etc?'

Or asking about relationships (friends and family and work

colleagues), normally as you take a history and cover all aspects of

their life surrounding the problem you observe certain things that

could be secondary gains (like a wife looking after the husband

when he has sobered up, or special treatment from work

colleagues)

I've worked with children through to adults with mental

health issues and I don't mind if they are talkative or not talkative

at all or highly educated or don't understand most things most

people would understand. I find that if I utilise whatever they

591

present and if I talk in a way they can understand. I feel that the

therapist should be flexible and adaptable and change their

approach , words and actions to suit the client. Sometimes I may

use child type metaphors like stories and fairy tales other times

more grown up examples perhaps of daily situations. I wouldn't

want them to shut off so to keep them happy I want them to feel

I'm understanding and respecting what they know. I may not use so

many complex language patterns, not because I don't think their

unconscious can understand, but because it may sound complex

and break rapport. I'm more likely to stick to embedded

commands. The same for gathering information about the patients’

history I would want to do this in a way that suits the person I'm

working with.

The patterns I look for are more the structure of the

problem. The content of the problem is often very important to

the client; this is what they have often come in with and what they

feel the therapist needs to hear. It is important to respect the client

and to acknowledge their feelings and circumstances and to feed

back in an accepting manner that you listened and that times

perhaps were not easy. If there are exceptions these can be fed

592

back and islands of hope and success can be feedback. Also if they

mention positive up and coming things these can be feedback. It's

more a case of positively directing the clients attention whilst

respecting what is also important to them and showing this respect.

You will only be feeding back truisms (statements of fact) so

anything you say is unlikely to be challenged or seem disrespectful.

With parents they often say they reached the end of their tether and

just walked away and then the child calmed down. I often feedback

when summarising '...and how did you know that walking away was

the right option for getting Joe Blogs to stop shouting and

swearing?

As all of the summarising is truisms the yes set created will

often aid continued rapport and often your summarising makes

them feel better and more hopeful (which helps rapport to)

I think often an outcome a therapist comes up with is not

the therapist’s outcome but an observed outcome that the client

hadn't made the connection to. I believe that therapists should be

humble enough to respect a client’s view on what they want treated

and what they currently don't want treated. I knew someone that

wanted to stop being depressed and they smoked. I helped them

593

stop being depressed but didn't try to MAKE them stop smoking.

Another therapist was horrified that I sent them on their way

'imperfect'; their training had been that a client stays in therapy

until they have no more problems. My question was by whose

definition and standards? And what is a template of a normal

problem free person that everyone should leave therapy fitting?

This depressed person had two sessions and was happy with the

results (and actually cut down on smoking as a side effect of

managing stress more effectively, and managing boredom more

effectively)

Some of the most important information is gathered from

asking about when the problem doesn't occur, especially from

when the problem doesn't occur but was expected to...(for

example; if a smoker HAS to smoke every hour and then goes on a

7hr flight to Dubai and doesn't even think about wanting a

cigarette).

This information can be talked about and expanded. Also

for example if someone is ALWAYS depressed and you ask them

about the times they feel less depressed (if asking about times when

they weren't depressed is too much of a leap) you can find patterns

594

associated with the non-depression, or happier times (at this point

they may not accept that they were happy or having fun at the time

but being less depressed is a start).

Asking about exceptions builds hope and expectancy as

you guide the client’s attention to solutions and problem free times.

If they think they always have the problem (like pain or depression

etc) and now they have examples of times without the problem it

begins to break it down.

I remember hearing about a lawyer doing this...Someone

took the stand with pain, they were trying to get compensation for

an injury, and the interaction went something like this;

Lawyer 'where is the pain worst?'

Person 'in my right arm'

'Where in the right arm is the pain worse?' 'in the lower part

of my arm' 'so the top part of your arm is more comfortable?' 'Yes'

where in that lower part of your arm has the least discomfort?' 'My

elbow and down my forearm' 'so your elbow and forearm are more

comfortable, is the feeling more in your wrist or your hand?' 'More

in my hand' 'so your wrist is more comfortable than your hand?'

595

'Yes' 'which parts of your hand feels most comfortable, your palm

or your fingers?' 'my palm' 'your palm feels more comfortable than

your fingers' 'yes' 'which of your fingers feels most comfortable?'

(And the questioning continued down to the thumb) '...and when

does the discomfort affect you least, day times or night time?' 'Day

time is better than at night' 'does it bother you while you sleep?' 'no'

'do you feel more comfortable when you wake up or when you fall

asleep' 'when I wake up' (at this point recapping is done) 'so you've

got some pain, its better during the day, it doesn't really bother you

while you sleep or when you wake up, and it is worse in your right

thumb just when you are falling asleep and more comfortable in the

rest of your hand and arm...'

The person taking the stand apparently was more pain free

and appeared happier but didn't get much compensation...

Every day I use my mind to control discomfort. Time

distortion and perception fascinates me. The uses are varied. When

you are in pain you are naturally in a trance so a trained Doctor

could utilise this by building a yes set around the feeling then

wondering curiously how long it will last and what it will feel like as

596

it disappears and whether it will disappear from the arm up or the

neck down, or from the centre out dispersing or maybe round the

edges first or maybe in a random fashion... It is interesting to offer

a client more time in a short space of time to do some work by

talking about natural times time distortion happens. Like when you

are doing something exciting and time flies by, or when you read a

good book and notice you've nearly finished and been sat there for

hours but it seems like only a few minutes, the same when

watching a good film..And I'm sure you can think of more?

Another use for summarising is reframing. It gives you a

chance to offer a slightly altered interpretation that is more

beneficial. Like changing pain to discomfort (which hypnotically

has the added bonus of being 70% made up of comfort). You can

phrase the feedback as 'correct me if I'm wrong....'

I really do value and appreciate the use of questions. If you

ask the right questions, you guide the client through a more

productive route on their map of reality. It is like they have been

walking through a dark and misty moor unable to see the safe route

through so they keep getting stuck. If you ask the right questions

597

it’s like you’re helping to guide them along the safe path to where

they want to go.

Even though they may not realise it your questions can

focus them on what they should focus on. If you have a depressed

client and you ask to be told about all the bad things that have

happened in their life they will tell you and may get more

depressed. If you ask them for the exceptions, for when things

have gone well, etc... You are more likely to focus them positively

and give them hope, same as if you make their problem seem more

normal.

The same when setting tasks, you can ask them to notice

what happens between now and the next session that they would

like to continue to have happen.

I work with many clients; the questioning is a very

therapeutic tool as it gathers information that is useful directing a

client around their map in a way they may not have taken before.

For example; I work a lot with parents that have children with

behavioural problems. Often I meet the parents or parent and they

598

have 'rehearsed' what they think they need to say to me and what

they think I need to know.

I often start a session talking about irrelevant seeming

things like how 'it's a nice day for a change' (one of my favourite

ambiguous comments to start a session), I try to notice something

about them that I can talk with them about, I ask them what has

been happening since they made the appointment that they would

like to continue to happen, or I may ask them what has been going

well, etc...I'll try to begin to focus on successes. I let them tell their

story for a while, but often feed key bits back.

For example; Parents often say when describing the

problem that they reach a point where they have had enough and

they just walk away. I often ask what happens next? The response

is usually that they calm down. I then often comment 'How did you

know that to make him calm down and to end the situation you

walk away?' I don't mind whether they accept my interpretation or

not at this point, I just want to get across an alternative view for

their behaviour as a success not a failure.

599

So I think skilful questioning and responding to responses

is therapeutic. On average in an hour session I probably spend

about 15-20 minutes gathering information/history about the

problem, the process, how the problem starts and ends, a few

examples (so that I can hear them describing it), the context,

whether they have solved the problem in the past (For example;

perhaps they want to quit smoking and they did for 5 years 10 years

ago, then I can find out what is stopping them doing the same

again and what made them restart), etc... but with some people they

have a need to talk for longer and feel listened to and other people

give what you probably need really quickly (I help someone with a

phobia once in less than 10 minutes because the situation only

allowed this and they needed the phobia removed, I gave

suggestions at the end of the work to the unconscious to use day

dreams and night dreams to make any other necessary adjustments

to make the change comfortable and lasting whilst maintaining any

necessary learning that the old incident had taught)

What I have observed is that it isn't always necessary to

know where the problem came from to treat it, the cause may have

long gone, I often give a few metaphors/stories about change and

600

work with what information I have, often if the person can really

get a sense of the future without the problem (if they struggle to

accept the possibility of change and describing a future without the

problem I sometimes say 'what would it be like if...' or 'Imagine you

wake up tomorrow and what bought you here today has stopped,

how would you know...etc') then they rarely need to go back and

find why it was there or deal with any past issue, it may have burnt

itself out or passed its sell by date and no longer be relevant.

What I often find is that if the first session doesn't get

significant results then I may have to dig a little deeper or even use

ideo-motor responses and ask for the unconscious to work things

out and signal yes when it is done.

601

Looking for Patterns

There are many examples, people shaking their head while

they say yes (or nodding and saying no) this movement will often

be slow and fairly minimal, crossing arms (or legs) whilst trying to

appear like they don't have a problem with what you are saying (or

pretending to agree), people acting interested with their feet

pointing at the door (or someone they would rather be talking

with), micro movements (brief glimmers from the unconscious to

what has just been said or happened moments before the conscious

mind responds) like slight scowls followed by a smile or part of the

face giving a response like eye brows lifting like fear or startle as

the person tries to smile and not look surprised. Metaphorical

behaviours seem to be very common, people having an aching neck

or digging heals in, or using hand gestures to push a problem away

or to move something closer or to put things in place.

602

In my experience it is about looking for patterns. For

example someone may cross their arms because they are cold or

because they disagree with something you have said. My advice

would be to be observant. If you think you have noticed a pattern

(someone crosses their arms while you say something) then change

subject (they may then uncross their arms or may not if they are

cold) then a few minutes later go back to the subject again and see

if they carry out the behaviour again. Same with rubbing the neck.

It could be a genuine pain in the neck or it could be a husband

being a pain in the neck. If they rub their neck when the husband is

mentioned and then you change topic and come back to it and

again they rub their neck it may well be a sign. I have known of

many courses that teach about body language and non-verbal

behaviour wrong (in my opinion) they say 'this means this' in a very

rigid way. I had an interview where the interview panel all

interpreted me shifting on my seat and crossing my arms as being

very uncomfortable talking about my past (I had just been ran over

and so had to cross my arms to support my bad arm and had to

shift in my seat for the same reason. Over a prolonged interview it

was inevitable (to me) that I would begin to get very fidgety)

603

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610

611

Index

‘ ‘I must’, 51 ‘I need to’, 51 ‘I’ve got to’, 51

3 3 things, 333, 334 3 things (different), 334

7 7-11 breathing, 285, 289

A A directive induction is an

induction where you tell the client what to do., 84

Aaron Beck, 145 Accelerated healing, 75 A-ccess Resources, 151 acne, 568 Activating agent, 21 Acupressure, 371, 373, 374 addiction, 268, 274, 279, 295,

296, 299, 300, 307 Addiction, 50, 607 addictions, 196, 243, 299, 311,

333 addictive behaviour pattern, 49 Aggressive thoughts, 308 Aids, 367 alcoholic, 491 alter blood pressure, 75 Ambiguous Language, 404 amnesia, 26, 88 Amnesia, 75, 123, 399, 422, 423,

425, 430 An effective therapist will:, 279 An example dream I recently

interpreted, 31

An example of a pattern interrupt induction:, 80

anaesthesia, 127 Anaesthesia, 27, 124 anchor, 28, 151, 164, 226, 227,

228, 229, 230, 231, 232, 234, 236, 248, 290

anchoring, 60, 165, 185, 226, 228, 229, 230, 231, 232, 234, 235, 256, 258, 290

Anchoring, 168, 186, 225, 227, 230, 231, 234, 349, 359

anger, 24, 55, 59, 65, 143, 245, 311

Anger, 356, 359 angry, 24, 64, 65, 158, 184, 215,

277, 312 anxiety, 15, 25, 55, 143, 222,

240, 245, 247, 248, 252, 279, 288, 289, 290, 299, 302, 304, 307, 308

Anxiety, 287, 367, 396, 439, 472, 607

APET, 21, 28, 36 Arm levitation, 135 Association, 359 attempted solutions, 41 attention, 20, 23, 50, 63, 67, 79,

87, 126, 127, 128, 174, 490, 533, 536, 544, 550, 562, 563, 568, 586, 592, 594, 596

Autonomic nervous system, 363 AWARE, 288

B B.F. Skinner, 145 Bandler, 247, 605, 606, 607 Bandler Richard, Time for a

Change, Meta Publications, 1993, 606

Bandler Richard, Your Own Personal Genius, CD's, McKenna Training, 2001, 606

basic needs, 268, 276, 283, 299, 307, 322, 326

612

Beating the addiction, 299 Behaviour, 145, 156, 259 Behaviour Modifier, 259 behavioural, 146, 153, 160, 187,

188, 212, 270, 283 behavioural problems, 599 Beliefs, 156, 365, 453, 454, 475,

476, 477, 483 Binds, 120 bineural beats, 556 Bineural Beats, 421 blinking, 75, 77 Blushing, 49 body language, 67, 159, 161 brain, 11, 17, 20, 26, 35, 37, 54,

55, 56, 74, 99, 143 Brain, 355, 365, 368, 402, 421,

441, 442, 443, 465 breathing, 505, 506, 525, 528,

529, 533, 535, 558, 563, 566, 583, 584

Breathing, 381, 382, 383, 384, 407, 408, 409, 410, 412, 413, 415, 420, 426, 427, 431

build muscle, 75 By, 23

C Cancer, 366, 367 Capabilities, 156 Carl Rogers, 145 catalepsy, 22, 26, 76 Catalepsy, 123 Cellular healing, 341, 363, 368 challenging behaviour, 65 change mood, 75 childcare, 65 Children, 488, 503 Class clown, 487 Tap gamut point, keep tapping

as you, 238 cognitive, 145, 146, 187, 188,

212, 270, 283 communication, 152, 159, 277 Compound suggestion, 113 Compound Suggestions, 546 confidence, 45, 47, 170, 202,

252, 259, 260, 265, 280, 313, 314, 315, 317, 318, 319, 320, 322

confusion, 79 Confusion, 79, 139, 404, 544 confusion induction, 85 Conscious, 359, 360, 369, 380,

385, 386, 402, 404, 420, 445, 451, 452, 489, 502, 544, 549, 559, 561, 579, 580, 587, 588, 591, 603

consciously, 44, 93, 99, 121, 123, 154, 196, 229, 231

Contingent suggestion, 116 Contingent Suggestions, 548 Conversational (overt &

covert), 79 conversational induction, 80 counselling, 13, 153, 188, 212,

222, 270 Counsellor, 269 Cross-matching, 157 Crystal Gazing Induction, 417

D Damaging or unrealistic

expectations, 49 deep relaxation, 280 deep sleep, 20, 304 Deep Trance Identification, 502 Deepening rhythmic breathing

(part of the process for sleep)., 24

Deletions, 99 depression, 15, 20, 143, 145, 182,

207, 215, 236, 268, 269, 279, 283, 299, 302, 523, 550, 585, 586, 590, 596 depressed, 19, 20, 24, 46, 48,

145, 168 Depression, 351, 359, 367, 369,

442, 449, 472, 474 DEPRESSION, 283, 286 Derren Brown, 411 diet, 283 digestive system, 55, 287, 290,

311 Directive, 79 directive induction, 84 Disassociation, 343, 359 Discovering resources, 163, 197 Discovering resources (What do

you do to relax?), 197

613

dissociation, 122, 123, 236, 259, 327

Distortions, 100 Distraction, 424 Doing less of what’s not

working, 52 double bind, 121, 122, 124 double binds, 49, 51, 122, 123 Double binds, 121 Doubt (E.g. Whether you have

locked doors or turned off switches), 307

Dowsing, 387 dream, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22,

23, 27, 29, 31, 32, 34, 84, 141, 143

Dream Interpretation, 19 Dream., 31 dreaming, 16, 18, 20, 26, 29, 73,

78, 88, 144, 284, 301 Dreaming, 15, 372, 442, 483

E effective therapist, 271, 279, 280 effective therapy, 13, 15, 63, 89,

166 embedded commands, 81,

231, 236, 579, 593 Embedded commands, 97, 119,

403 Embedded-

meaning/metaphorical, 79 embedding commands, 232 emotion, 21, 28, 29, 55, 99, 127,

145 Emotion, 21 emotional arousal, 55, 56, 304 Emotional Freedom Technique

EFT, 341, 343, 371, 372, 373, 374

emotional mind, 55, 182 emotional needs, 53, 146 Emotional needs not being

met, 48 emotional responses, 44 emotional state, 226, 230, 284 emotional states, 165, 229, 275 Endocrine system, 363 Ernest Rossi, 363, 364, 365, 380,

419

essential skills, 146, 181, 268, 274, 276, 299, 322

European Therapy Studies Institute, 246, 280

evoking abilities, 51 Exceptions, 163, 197 exercise, 70, 71, 160, 165, 167,

170, 171 extreme emotion, 55 eye accessing cues, 101, 104 eyes flutter, 77

F Family, 488, 592 Fast Phobia Cure, 371 fear, 55, 182, 279, 289, 291, 293,

323 feedback, 59, 67, 110, 133, 166,

176 Feedback, 91, 151 fetishes, 226, 292 Fetishes, 511 fight or flight, 510, 511 flashbacks, 246, 291 focus your mind, 167, 285 For example:, 64 fractionation, 91 Fractionation, 91, 555 Future pace, 151, 164, 198 Future progression, 341, 434,

435, 481, 484

G Gene expression, 363 General Adaptation Syndrome

(GAS), 367 Generalisations, 98 Gestures, 347, 349, 411, 412, 440

gesture, 348, 349, 350, 411, 412

Give people more than one task to do at once, 127

Goal Setting, 166 Griffin Joe, Hospital Trauma

Cure, Video, Lawrence Enterprises, 1995, 607

guided imagery, 147, 179, 184, 312

614

Guided imagery, 356, 373 Guided Imagery, 147 guided-imagery, 187

H habit, 41, 42 Hallucination, 75 Hallucinations, 123, 541

' 'have to', 51

H headache, 42 healing, 74, 93 Healing, 344, 363, 365, 367, 429 healthy alternative, 42 human givens, 270, 283 Human givens, 181, 187 Human Givens, 146, 212, 371,

607 Human givens approach, 181 hypnosis, 15, 21, 22, 24, 25, 26,

27, 29, 33, 68, 73, 78, 93, 108, 173, 179, 181, 184, 187, 192, 210, 329, 331, 332, 333, 499, 502, 527, 532, 543, 557, 558, 560, 565, 606, 607

Hypnosis, 22, 23, 26, 29, 73, 184, 331, 332, 353, 354, 355, 360, 372, 395, 401, 409, 410, 416, 418, 422, 425, 426, 429, 435, 442, 455, 457, 462, 472, 473, 481, 482, 483 Induction, 353, 372, 404, 414,

416, 421, 426, 427, 429, 430, 478, 481

Hypnotherapist, 25, 269 Hypnotherapists, 26, 95 hypnotic induction’s, 78 Hypnotic journeys, 399 Hypnotic language patterns,

107 Hypnotising Deaf People, 416

I Identifying limiting beliefs and

challenging them therapeutically, 207

Identity, 156 Ideo-dynamic responses, 377 Ideo-Dynamic Responses

Ideo-affective, 377 Ideo-cognitions, 377 Ideo-motor, 377, 378 Ideo-sensory, 377

Ideo-motor, 363, 378, 379 illusion of control, 51 imagination, 75 immune system, 75, 217, 284,

301, 304, 311 Immune system, 364, 369 implication, 122 Implication, 552 Implied directive, 129 Increased confidence, 246 Information Gathering, 161 Information transduction, 363,

364 Insomnia, 301 instinctive, 74, 75, 144 interpersonal, 145, 146, 187, 283 Interspercial technique, 118,

119 Intervention, 489, 492 interventions, 51, 55, 145

J Joe Griffin, 371 John Grinder, 457 Joseph Griffin, 16

L Language shows externally

what is going on internally., 98

Learning, 349, 351, 352, 354, 368, 369, 372, 378, 401, 402, 418, 459

left hemisphere, 54 leisure, 530, 533, 564, 573 lift depression, 283, 285

615

limbic system, 54, 55, 182 listening, 54, 141, 145 Look for solutions, 50

M Managing attention, 275 Martin Paul, The Sickening

Mind, Flamingo, 1997, 608 Matching, 155, 156 Matching and mirroring, 411,

412, 413 Matching:, 156 memories, 495, 507, 508, 511,

513, 559, 575 Memory, 343, 351, 364, 368, 369,

371, 372, 443, 482, 489, 508, 509, 510, 511, 513, 521

metaphor, 509, 517, 523, 524, 539, 541

Metaphor, 347, 348, 352, 461 metaphorical tasks, 518 metaphors, 31, 81, 94, 95, 127 Metaphors, 126 Micro movements, 427 Milton Erickson, 351, 381, 382,

385, 386, 401, 414, 415, 419, 428, 429, 434, 462, 478, 479

Milton H Erickson, 92 Milton H. Erickson, 48, 608, 610 mind, 16, 21, 22, 27, 28, 29, 31,

35, 53, 54, 55, 57, 61, 62, 66, 78, 82, 88, 89, 93, 94, 95, 99, 101, 104, 108, 112, 116, 117, 119, 122, 129, 130, 131, 133, 136, 137, 138, 139, 140, 141, 151, 170, 171, 173, 174, 175, 182, 185, 187, 191, 196, 198, 212, 217, 219, 225, 228, 230, 232, 249, 253, 254, 260, 273, 275, 283, 284, 287, 292, 298, 302, 312, 315, 319, 320, 331, 333, 334, 335, 336, 338, 339, 495, 496, 502, 523, 524, 533, 536, 539, 543, 546, 549, 555, 565, 575, 579, 580, 587, 592, 597, 600, 603

minimal cues, 562, 563 Minimal cues, 364, 412, 419, 420,

473 Minimal Cues, 391, 407

miracle question, 163, 193 Miracle Question, 200 Miracle questions, 163, 197 Mirror Induction, 337 Mirroring, 157 misdirect, 48 Mispronounce words, 130 Mispronounced Words, 404 misuse of the imagination, 287 motivation, 20, 59, 138, 151, 196,

231, 252, 254, 260, 265 Motivation, 458, 465, 466, 471,

476, 478, 487, 490 multiple perspectives, 47, 48 Multiple tasking, 127 Multiple task-serial suggestions,

128 music, 503, 542, 551, 556, 557,

591 My Friend John Technique, 414

N narrowing focus of attention,

47, 73 naturalistic induction, 87 Naturalistic induction’s, 86 Needs and innate ‘coping’

skills, 217 Negative belief destroyer, 252 Neurolinguistic Programming

NLP, 343, 439, 477 Neuro-linguistic Programming

NLP, 11 Neuro-linguistic-Programming

NLP, 11, 15, 28, 29, 34 Nominalisations, 131, 174, 175,

386, 396 Non-verbal behaviour, 97 Normalising, 163, 197 Normalising (I have many

people coming to me with similar problems), 197

Not, 126 Not Doing, 428 Not doing suggestions, 126

616

O observing self, 57, 58, 185, 186,

259 Obsessive Compulsive Disorder,

307, 608 OCD, 236, 245, 307, 308

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, 509, 527, 590

one off learning, 227 Open ended sentences, 129 Open ended suggestion, 125 Open eyes/close eyes, 338 optimum learning state, 76 Or, 200 Our models of the world are

made up of deletions, distortions and generalisations., 98

Outwards like in an emergency., 73

P Pacing and leading, 153 Pain management, 325 panic attack, 191, 288, 290 Paradoxical intervention, 487,

488 Parents, 489, 594, 599 particle physics, 567 Past-Life Regression, 481 Pattern, 487, 491, 508, 513, 517,

518, 524, 539, 558, 567, 568, 587, 592, 604

Pattern interrupt, 23, 79, 422 Pattern interruption, (like

handshake induction’s) these fire the reorientation response as the correct pattern isn’t happening so they take their cue on what to do next from the hypnotist., 23

Pattern matching, 15, 21, 35, 36, 37

Pattern Matching, 35, 355, 359 Pattern-matching, 17 Patterns, 354, 355, 356, 357, 372,

381, 383, 392, 407, 420, 421, 429, 447, 467, 483

patterns of behaviour, 74 Pavlov’s dogs, 28 Pendulum, 387, 388 Peripheral Vision, 427 permissive, 124 phobia, 21, 28, 44, 99, 192, 208,

226, 236, 291, 293, 314, 499, 507, 509, 527, 559, 601

Phobia, 355, 458, 478, 479 phobias, 12, 15, 39, 44, 47, 143 Photo reading, 427 Placebo, 365, 366 polarity responders, 503, 504 Post hypnotic suggestions, 93 Post Hypnotic Suggestions

(PHS), 553 post traumatic stress disorder,

15 post-hypnotic suggestion, 95, 96 post-hypnotic suggestions, 95,

96 Prescribing more of the same,

488 Presuppositions, 96, 97, 130 priming, 94, 95 Principles of solution-focused

therapy, 188 Problem Free Talk, 414 problem structure, 13, 15, 50 Process, 487, 491, 497, 500, 507,

509, 510, 513, 527, 543, 549, 563, 587, 601

Psychiatrist, 269 Psychic, 381, 383 Psycho-analyst, 269 psychoanalytic, 269, 270 psychodynamic therapy, 188,

270 psychological problems, 15, 29,

36, 42, 99, 185, 276, 331 Psychological realignment

Technique, 236 Psychoneuroendocrinology,

367 Psychoneuroimmunology, 363,

367 Psychotherapist, 269 psychotherapy, 13, 29, 143, 147,

153, 179, 212, 222, 245, 270 Psychotherapy, 143, 149, 211

617

PTSD, 15, 28, 143, 236, 245, 271, 279, 291, 509, 590

Q Quantum Physics, 418 quantum theory, 568

R R.E.M, 73, 74, 304, 331 rapid eye movement, 304, 331 Rapid inductions, 558 rapport, 38, 48, 49, 74, 91, 108,

109, 127, 150, 151, 152, 153, 154, 155, 158, 159, 160, 161, 606, 610

Rapport, 149, 152, 156, 159, 160, 407

Reality., 32 re-evoke, 59 Reframing, 453 Re-framing, 63, 65, 66, 70 Re-framing exercises, 70 Regression, 124 Rehearsal, 150, 170, 175 Rehearsal exercise, 175 Rehearsing hypnotically, 60 relationship, 19, 133, 152, 255 Relationship, 488 Relationship Enhancer, 255 relationships, 145, 153, 311 relax, 24, 37, 42, 45, 46, 47, 49,

59, 61, 70, 78, 83, 90, 97, 116, 119, 131, 135, 141, 151, 181, 191, 197, 200, 207, 218, 220, 234, 248, 277, 285, 288, 289, 290, 300, 302, 304, 308, 312, 322, 336, 337

relaxation response, 37, 256, 285, 290, 300

Relaxing, 24, 275 REM state

Rapid Eye Movement, 356, 371

reorientation response, 20, 22, 23, 78, 237

Reorientation response, 371, 372

resistance, 59, 61, 69, 169

resistant, 124 resources, 38, 46, 60, 61, 93, 131,

134, 150, 151, 163, 164, 165, 168, 169, 192, 199, 228, 275, 280

Resources, 363, 378, 414, 418, 453, 455, 472

Reverse set double bind, 124 Reverse yes set, 111 rewind technique, 185, 186, 245,

246, 247, 292 Rewind Technique, 509 Richard Bandler, 11, 349, 405,

457 RIGAAR, 149, 150, 151, 170, 181 right hemisphere, 54 Robert Dilts, 417 Rossi Ernest, Cheek David,

Mindbody Therapy, W. W. Norton & Co. 1988, 610

Rossi Ernest, Ryan Margaret, Sharp Florence, The Seminars, Workshops & Lectures of Milton H. Erickson Vol 1-4, Free Association Books, 1998, 610

run, fight or freeze, 55

S sabotage, 45 Sabotage, 447, 459, 460 Scaling, 163, 197, 204 Scaling (On a scale of one to

ten, with ten being the worst, how anxious do those old memories make you feel when you think about them now?), 197

Scrambling, 243 Self Hypnosis, 426 self-esteem, 252, 259, 313, 319,

320, 321, 322 Sensory Language, 101 Sigmund Freud, 144 single session, 15 sleep, 16, 20, 22, 24, 42, 78, 86,

88, 95, 217, 236, 284, 301, 302, 304, 311

Sleep, 345, 383, 488, 501, 527, 597

618

Sleep Disorders, 301 slow wave sleep, 304 smoking, 37, 42, 48, 61, 68, 93,

137, 138, 151, 168, 171, 172, 492, 493, 515, 520, 525, 527, 537, 550, 565, 567, 581, 587, 588, 591, 592, 595, 601

Smoking, 353, 361, 432, 447, 454, 459, 462, 463, 472, 566, 586

solution-focused, 163, 187, 188, 189, 190, 195, 197, 198, 283

Solution-focused, 146 splitting and linking, 49, 51 Stair case induction, 336 Staircase Induction, 505 State Dependant Memory

Learning and Behaviour, 363, 367 SDMLB, 363, 367, 368

Stephen Brooks, 45, 124, 401, 468

Steve Gilligan, 502 stories, 58, 100, 126, 185 Stories, 58 story, 58, 81, 83, 85, 127 Strategies of Genius, 417 strategy, 150, 169, 170 stress, 15, 143, 211, 213, 217, 221,

245, 271, 311, 333 Stress, 367, 368, 369, 447 structure, 15, 38, 46, 149, 150,

495, 593 structure of therapy sessions,

149 Sub modalities, 489 Subconscious, 386 Subliminal Auditory Stimulation,

381, 382 suggestion, 23, 94, 95, 96, 113,

114, 116, 128 Surprise, 544 survival, 18, 21, 54, 55, 56, 144 survival response, 287 swallowing reflex, 77 Symmetry (straightening

pictures, lining pens up on a desk, 308

Symptomatic trances, 147

T Tag questions, 112 task, 52, 127, 128, 198, 200, 201,

204, 222 tasks, 52, 53, 78, 205, 280, 544,

551, 571, 588, 599 Tasks, 200 teenagers, 65 Telling stories helps prepare and

use the observing self. 58 Telling stories, anecdotes etc…,

127 Tensing Body Parts, 336 The, 256, 291 The Psychobiology of Mind

Body Healing, 365 The same process causes all

fears, phobias and PTSD. Phobias and PTSD used to be thought of as different. The treatment offered for these was also different. The process that creates these problems is the same., 291

Then as the eyes begin to want to close suggest that you can go to a special place in your mind where all the necessary changes can occur at an unconscious level, 338

therapist, 25, 29, 30, 31, 38, 46, 62, 70, 71, 78, 95, 96, 108, 143, 144, 145, 153, 162, 165, 167, 168, 170, 175

therapy, 11, 12, 18, 28, 30, 35, 37, 43, 45, 46, 57, 61, 101, 108, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 149, 158, 166, 171, 172, 173, 485, 489, 501, 528, 531, 532, 554, 562, 565, 567, 568, 580, 587, 595

Therapy, 47, 144, 246, 280, 281, 608, 610

Thought, 21 Thought Field Therapy

TFT, 371, 372, 374 Thoughts of contamination

(which can lead to obsessive washing or cleaning), 307

619

Thoughts of having physical symptoms, 307

time, 12, 16, 18, 19, 20, 22, 24, 25, 27, 32, 33, 37, 38, 42, 43, 45, 48, 50, 55, 58, 59, 64, 65, 74, 78, 84, 89, 91, 94, 96, 99, 100, 107, 116, 120, 124, 132, 135, 144, 147, 160, 161, 164, 166, 169, 173

Time distortion, 124 Time Line Processes, 433 Time-limited therapy, 187 To feel understood and

emotionally connected to others, 218

To have a sense of competence and achievement, 218

tolerance to pain, 75 trance, 15, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27,

28, 29, 30, 47, 48, 49, 56, 61, 69, 73, 74, 76, 79, 81, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 94, 95, 96, 97, 111, 117, 120, 122, 123, 125, 126, 128, 129, 131, 143, 181, 183, 210, 228, 229, 284, 308, 326, 332, 334, 335, 336, 337, 338, 339, 499, 500, 501, 502, 506, 508, 523, 524, 527, 528, 529, 530, 533, 536, 539, 540, 541, 542, 543, 544, 545, 546, 547, 550, 551, 552, 553, 555, 556, 557, 559, 562, 563, 565, 573, 575, 580, 584, 585, 586, 590, 591, 597

Trance, 15, 73, 75, 76, 353, 354, 355, 356, 359, 360, 361, 368, 381, 383, 399, 404, 405, 406, 407, 409, 410, 412, 415, 416, 418, 420, 421, 427, 429, 430, 431, 435 Inwards, 73 Outwards, 73

Trance indicators, 76 Trance Induction, 527 trauma, 222, 245, 246, 251, 279 traumatic memories, 245 Traumatised or faulty pattern

matching, 49 triggers, 37, 230, 237, 300, 312 truisms, 111, 113, 114

U Ultradian Rhythm, 27 Ultradian rhythms, 368 unconscious, 52, 78, 89, 91, 93,

95, 99, 107, 108, 117, 118, 119, 121, 122, 123, 129, 131, 136, 137, 138, 140, 144, 150, 173, 196, 212, 228, 230, 232, 254, 330, 334, 335, 336, 337, 338, 339, 487, 502, 524, 536, 539, 543, 544, 549, 558, 559, 561, 563, 565, 567, 570, 573, 579, 580, 591, 593, 601, 602, 603

Unconscious, 354, 359, 361, 364, 369, 377, 379, 380, 385, 395, 402, 405, 420, 423, 424, 429, 430, 431, 443, 483

unconscious mind, 89, 95, 99, 129, 136, 173, 232

unconscious process, 44 utilisation, 59, 61 Utilisation, 59, 62, 527 Utilisation exercise, 62 Utilise everything, 89 utilise feelings, 59 utilising on going behaviour, 92

V values, 93, 98, 156 Verb tenses, 132 Visualisation, 372, 422 VK Technique

Rewind Technique, Fast Phobia Cure, 343, 371

W Walt Disney, 417, 495 What, 61, 73, 279, 297 What is hypnosis?, 73 What to look for in a therapist,

279 When, 88, 170, 187, 300, 308,

314 worrying, 20, 24, 33, 73, 172,

195, 216, 220, 268, 277, 283, 284, 285, 287, 301, 302, 312, 516, 568

620

Y yes set, 109, 111, 151, 158, 166 Yes set, 109

621

622

623