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MODULE 2 Hypnotherapy Training Andrew Farquharson [email protected] Abstract What is Entrainment? Entrainment is a principle of physics. It is defined as the synchronisation of two or more rhythmic cycles. The principles of entrainment appear in chemistry, neurology, biology, pharmacology, medicine, astronomy and more.

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MODULE2HypnotherapyTraining

[email protected]

AbstractWhatisEntrainment?Entrainmentisaprincipleofphysics.Itisdefinedasthesynchronisationoftwoormorerhythmiccycles.Theprinciplesofentrainmentappearinchemistry,neurology,biology,pharmacology,medicine,astronomyandmore.

pg.2

SeminarandWorkbookTrainingfortheprofessionalHypnotherapist.

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TheEntrainmentPrinciple

WhatisEntrainment?

Entrainmentisaprincipleofphysics.Itisdefinedasthesynchronisationoftwo

or more rhythmic cycles. The principles of entrainment appear in chemistry,

neurology,biology,pharmacology,medicine,astronomyandmore.

Whilstworkingon thedesignof thependulumclock in1656,Dutch scientist

ChristianHuygensfoundthatifheplacedtwounsynchronisedclockssidebyside

on a wall, they would slowly synchronise to each other. In fact, the

synchronisationwassoprecisenotevenmechanicalinterventioncouldcalibrate

themmoreaccurately.

Ithaslongbeenobservedthatlightandsoundwavescanbeveryeffectivein

producing changes in consciousness. Since we are comprised of vibrational

energy,lightandsoundmaybethebestmediumforcreatingdesiredchanges.

It isanatural tendency for themind/body topace itself toa steadyexternal

pg.3

stimulus,suchasoceanwaves,thebeatofadrum,orthebeatingofamother’s

heart.

Whentwopendulumsaresetinmotionattwodissimilartimes,theentrainment

principleisobservable,asthependulumswilleventuallyswinginunison.

Using this principle, themind/body can be 'entrained' into various states of

being by promoting the presence of alpha, theta, or delta brainwave

frequencies.

Aphysicsphenomenonofresonance,firstobservedinthe17thcentury,hasan

effectonallofus.Entrainment isdefinedas thetendency for twooscillating

bodiestolockintophasesothattheyvibrateinharmony.Itisalsodefinedasa

synchronisationoftwoormorerhythmiccycles.Theprincipleofentrainmentis

universal,appearinginchemistry,pharmacology,biology,medicine,psychology,

sociology, astronomy, architecture and more. The classic example shows

individual pulsing heartmuscle cells.When they are brought close together,

theybeginpulsinginsynchrony.Anotherexampleoftheentrainmenteffectis

womenwholiveinthesamehouseholdoftenfindthattheirmenstrualcycles

willcoincide.

pg.4

MusicalEntrainment

Theentrainmentprocessisquiteevidentinmusic.Itispossibletohaverhythmic

entrainment, melodic entrainment and dynamic entrainment. Entrainment

musichasthepotentialto(1)resonatewiththelistener’sfeelings,(2)transform

negativityintopositivity,and(3)promoteastateoflivelinessorserenity.Certain

sounds, in specific sequence can help bring the listener from one place to

another.

Hypnosis music has been developed with the entrainment transformation

principle in mind. It creates a type of sound “mirror” that first reflects the

currentstressorturmoilofthelistener,andlaterreflectsthedesiredmoodand

feeling.Asthemusicgraduallytransforms,itsresolutionmaybeexperiencedin

thelistener,physicallyoremotionally.

StimulatingtheBrain

The easiestwayof applying stimulus to thebrain is via ears and eyes. Since

humans cannot hear sounds low enough to be useful for brain stimulation,

special techniques must be used. One such special technique used is called

binauralbeats.

Iftheleftearispresentedwithasteadytoneof495Hzandtherightearasteady

toneof505Hz,thesetwotonescombineinthebrain.Thedifference,10Hz,is

perceived by the brain and is a very effective stimulus for brainwave

entrainment. This 10Hz is formed entirely by the brain. When using stereo

headphones,theleftandrightsoundsdonotmixtogetheruntilinyourbrain.

pg.5

Thefrequencydifference,whenperceivedbybrainthisway,iscalledabinaural

beat.

Togetastimulusof10Hz,youmayusetonesof495Hzand505Hz,or400Hzand

410Hz,or862Hzand872Hz,orsoon.Theonlyrequirementsarethatthetone

is heardwell enough and that it is below about 1000Hz. Below 1000Hz, the

wavelength of the sound is sufficiently small so that the soundwaves curve

aroundtheskull.

pg.6

BrainWaves

SomerelaxationMP3’sandCD’sarenotsuitableforhypnosis.Thisisbecause

they containALPHA,BETA andDELTA rhythmswhichmay in fact inhibit the

trance state. Specialist music containing THETA rhythms will enhance your

inductionastheycontainbinauralbeatsthuskeepingyourclient inthetheta

state.MakesureyourmusicisCopyrightfree.

pg.7

DeepeningtheTrance

Deepeningistheprocessofmakingatrancestatemoreprofound.Thegoalof

deepeningistocreateamindsetmoreacceptingofsuggestion(somnambulism).

Hereareafewideasbehindtheconceptofdeepening.

• Hypnosis is a state in which your associative and dissociative (linking

thingstogetherorsplittingthingsup)powersareincreased.

• Youcanusethehypnoticstatetolinkanythingtoanythingelse.

• Fordeepening,takeanyactionorthoughtthatthesubjectisgoingtohave

andassociateittowhatyouwantthemtodo.

Herearesomeexamples…

ArmDropDeepening

"OK,I'mgoingtoreachoverandpickupyourleftarm(picksuparmuntilarmis

extendedasifsleepwalking).Ithinkyou'llfindthatthisarmwillstayupallby

itselfforalittlewhile(keepssupportingarm,lessenssupportuntilarmstaysup

by itself).Good.Now, I'd like you to, as yourarmbegins to feelheavierand

beginstowanttodropdowntoyourthigh,relaxmoredeeplyandletyourarm

comedownasanindicationthatyouarerelaxingmoredeeplyandfully.That's

good, allow thatarm to comedownonlyasquicklyas you relaxmuchmore

deeply, fully good... and as that arm touches your leg you become twice as

relaxed,(armtouchesleg)...good."

Counting

Inamoment,I'mgoingtocountfrom10downto1…

Andinallowingeachnumbertohelpyourbodygrowmorerelaxed…yourmind

gomorerelaxed…sothatcertainthoughts justfadeaway…likesandslipping

throughyourfingers…

pg.8

youcanfindthateasyrelaxationofmindandbody,becauseofthesewords,just

happensnow,

10,easilyrelaxingalloveragain9,then8deeperstill,feelinggreat7,6,5mind

andbodyrelaxedandalive

4... relaxingmore3then2,yourdeepeninggrewat1wonderfuldeep levels,

goingdeeperThat'sright…

Elevators&Escalators

Inamoment,I'mgoingtoaskyoutoimagineyourselfatthetopofanescalator.

I'mgoingtocountdownfrom10to1,asIsaythenumber10inyourimagination,

stepontotheescalator.Allowyourselftogodeeperintorelaxationwitheach

numberIsay.WhenIreachthenumber1,stepofftheescalatorintoastateof

relaxationdeeperthanyou'veeverfeltbefore.

10,stepontheescalatorandgomuchdeeper.

9,relaxingmoreandmorewitheachnumber.

8,allowingyourselftogodeeperanddeeperwitheachnumber.

7,eachnumberandeacheasy,naturalbreathyoutakehelpsyourelaxmore

fully.

6,5,doingdeeperintorelaxation.

4,feelingrelaxationflowandeveryareaofyourbody.

3,2,allowingyourbodyfeelawonderful,attherelaxation.

1,nowmoredeeplyrelaxedthaneverbefore.

pg.9

18waystoinduceanddeepenhypnotictrance

Hereare18thingstosaytoinduceanddeepenhypnotictrance.Eachitemon

the list has a short script as an example. Keep inmind that somemethods

overlap.Readallthescriptsintheentirelistsequentiallyandyouwillhavean

effectivetranceinductionforrelaxation.

Beginbytellingtheclienttoclosehisorhereyes.Makeyourselfcomfortable

andcloseyoureyes.

1.Ask theclient to takeadeepbreathandrelax.Easebackandtakeadeep

breath,allthewayin.Asyouslowlyletitout,perhapsyoucanfeelyourmuscles

beginning to relax, at the same time that yourmind is just beginning topay

attentioninadifferentway.

2.Pacetheclient'scurrentexperiencewithtruismsandleadintotrance.Youare

listening to my voice, and the sounds in the room. You are aware of your

surroundings.Youareawareofthepositionofyourarmsandlegs.Youcanfeel

thetextureofyourclothing.Youcanfeelthesupportofthechaironwhichyou

aresitting.Younoticeyourbreathing,andyounoticehowmuchmorerelaxed

andcalmyoufeel,thanjustmomentsago.

3. Reassure the client that trance is easy to attain and he or she is a good

hypnoticsubject.Goingintotranceisdifferentforeachperson,andwhatever

wayyouexperienceitisjustfind.Iamsureyoucandothis.

4.Compounding:Themoreyoulisten,themoreyourelax.Themoreyourelax,

theeasier it is togowithinandachieve that levelof innerawarenesswhere

speciallearningtakesplace.

pg.10

5. Fractionation: As you learn to go into trance, you can practice it for

improvement.Openyoureyesforamoment.Lookaround.Nowcloseyoureyes

and go right back to an even more satisfying level of relaxation and

concentration.

6. Establish Cause-Effect: As you wonder what hypnosis is all about, you

understandmore.Eachbreathyouexhalecanmakeitmoresatisfying.Ihope

eachmomentthatpassesbringsyouagreatersenseofcomfort.Witheachword

Isay,youcanadvancemorecompletelyintorelaxationandconcentration,as

youplease.

7.ProgressiveRelaxation:(Suggestthateachpartofthebodyisrelaxing.Besure

topausebetweeneachsentence,givingtheclienttimetorespond).Sendthe

thoughtofrelaxationallthewaydowntoyourfeetandfeelyourfeetrelaxing.

Allowthatsamerelaxationtomovegentlyupwardthroughyourbody,intoyour

anklesandcalves.Lettherelaxingfeelingscontinue,sothatnowyourkneesand

thighs can feel more relaxed, as the relaxation moves into your hips and

abdomen.Nowfeelthemusclesofyourbackbeginningtorelaxandletgoofall

thattension.Evenyourshouldersrelaxascomfortingsensationsflowdowninto

yourchestandeachexhalehelpsthatsenseofrelaxationandlettinggo.Letthe

relaxationflowdownyourarms,intoyourelbows,downintoyourwrists,and

allthewaydowntothetipsofyourfingers.Yourentirebodyisrelaxingmore,

whilethatsoothingfeelingmovesintoyourneck,yourscalp,andallthemuscles

of your face relax. Your entire body feels relaxed from head to toe. All the

tensionhasmeltedaway.

8.Presupposethatdeepening isoccurring: Iwonderhowcompletelyyouare

relaxing.Youarediscovering foryourselfhowsatisfyingtrancecanbe.While

youarerelaxing,manysubtlechangesareoccurring.

pg.11

9.Describesomecommonaspectsoftrance:Yourbreathingmightbeslower

nowandmoreregular.Perhapsyourmusclesaremorerelaxedandyourhands

mightfeellooseandlimp,whileyourheartbeatandpulseareslowingdown.You

maybefindingiteasiertoconcentrateonthethingsIsay,althoughfromtime

totime,youarethinkingyourownthoughtstoo.

10.Suggestionsofallpossibilities:Peoplegointotranceinawidevarietyofways

andeveryone'sexperienceisunique.Somepeoplerelaxquickly,andsomerelax

moreslowlyandsomevarythepace.SomepeopleheareverywordIsay,and

others tune my voice in and out. Or you might pay attention to your own

thoughts and not really listen at all. For some, trance is a light, floating

experience,and forsome it isadeepheavyexperience,and forsome, it isa

combinationofsensations.Howyoucreatethisexperienceforyourselfisreally

uptoyou,oryoucanjustrelaxanddiscoverwhathappensnaturally.Itmaybe

whatyouexpectorsomethingdifferent,orsomeofeach.

11.ArmCatalepsy:Asyoufocusinward,youcannoticehowrelaxyourarmsare.

Letthemfeelsorelaxedthattheyfeelheavy-soheavythatfornow,theyjust

don'twanttomove.Theyaresoheavyandrelaxedthatit'sjusttoomucheffort

tomovethem.Trytoliftyourrightarmandfindyou'drathernotliftit,oritis

so heavy, it just doesn't want to lift. Stop trying and relax even more

comfortably. This should give you an indication that you are now fully in

hypnotictrance,andhowpleasantandpeacefulitcanbeforyou.

12.EyeClosure:Nowrelaxyoureyelidsandallthemusclesaroundyoureyes

evenmorethanbefore.Letyoureyelidsfeelheavyanddrowsy.Letyoureyelids

relaxsomuchthattheyjustdon'tfeellikeopening.Theyaresoheavy,sorelaxed

thatifyoutriedtoopenthem,itwouldseemdifficult.Nowrelaxyoureyelidsso

muchmorethattheyjustwanttostayshut.Lateron,ofcourse,theywillopen

pg.12

easily,butfornowyoucanenjoythefeelingofallowingyoursubconsciousto

takepartinthisprocess,relaxingyoureyelidssomuchtheyjustwanttostay

closed.Nowtestyoureyelidstobesuretheywanttostayshut.VeryGood!Now

stoptestingandexperiencethesatisfactionofrealizingthatyourmindandbody

arefullycooperatingwiththeprocessofhypnosis,asyourelaxmorepeacefully.

13. Revivify a memory of previous trance (if it was pleasant) or a similar

experience of comfort and relaxation: (Note: Ask the client to describe the

previous trancebefore youbegin hypnosis. Thenuse the client's ownwords

here,asyouhelptheclientaccessthememory).Itrustyoucanrememberthat

previous time when you were hypnotised. You might recall some of your

thoughtsandobservationsandthesensationsyoufeltasyourbodyrelaxedand

yourmindseemedto"focusinward,"asthoughyouwere"driftingeffortlessly"

while feeling comfortableand secure.You remember that itwas "a soothing

feelingtoletgoofallthatstress."Youcanhavethosesamesatisfyingfeelings

now.

14.MetaphororAnalogy:Somepeoplesaygoingintotranceisascomfortable

asgoingtobedatnight,attheendofalong,productiveday,withnothingelse

to dobut close the eyes and let go and relax. There arenodistractions and

nothing to think about. You can just let the mind drift, feeling warm and

comfortable,whileenjoyingthepeacefulquiet.

15.Counting:Iamgoingtocountnowfromonetofive.Witheachnumber,just

letyourmindandbodyrelaxmoreandmore,sothatbythetimeIreachthe

numberfive,youwillbemuchmoredeeplyrelaxed,withafullersenseofinner

awareness. One, relaxing deeper and deeper. Two, relaxing more and

completely.Three,adeeplycomfortablefeeling.Four,goingwithintofindwhat

istheretodiscover.Five,muchmorerelaxednow.

pg.13

Note: If you use counting to deepen the trance, reverse the countwith you

reorienttheclient.Example:NowIamgoingtocountfromfivetooneandwith

eachnumberyou'llbecomeincreasinglyalert.Five,comingupnow.Four,feeling

morealert.Three,readytoreturntoconscious,wakefulawareness.Two,ready

tomoveaboutagainandopenyoureyes,andone,eyesopen,fullyalertnow.

16.Splitting:(Posetotheclientthatheorsheisawareoftwooppositethingsat

once. Use a different tone of voice for each one). You have a conscious

mind...andyouhaveasubconsciousmind.Yourconsciousmindisawareofthe

externalworld...andyour subconsciousmindmanagesyour innerawareness.

The consciousmind dealswith facts and logic...while the subconsciousmind

works with intuition and creativity. The conscious mind thinks about the

problems...whilethesubconsciousmindholdsthesolutions.Mereconversation

speakstotheconsciousmind...andhypnosisspeakstothesubconsciousmind.

17.Guidedimagery:Imagineyouaredriftingdownaquietstreaminacanoe,

underalovelybluesky.Thecurrentcarriesyoualong,soyoucanjustsitback

andrelaxandenjoythescenery.Overhead,anoccasionalcloudfloatsslowlyby,

movingeffortlesslywithitsownsenseofdirection,eventhoughyoudon'tknow

where it is going. It changes shape as it moves, sometimes resembling

something recognisable, sometimes not. On either side of you there is a

riverbank, with trees, grasses, shrubs and flowers. Butterflies flit among the

colourfulflowers,seemingtoknowjustwhattodotogetatthatsweetnectar

deepinsideeachone.Allispeacefulandtranquil,asyouletthecurrentcarry

you,andthegentlerockingofthecanoe,underthewarmthofthesunseemsto

lullyouintoadeeplyrestfulstate.

18. Word play: As you trance-sition into hypnotic trance in your own way,

gettingoutofyourownway,youmighttrance-fersomeprevious learningto

pg.14

haveityourownway,oritcouldbethatyouwaitfortheexperiencetotrance-

formyourawarenessofhowyouownthewayyoudoitandtrance-latewhatI

say,intosomethingyoucanusenoworhavediscoveredearlieron.

pg.15

Ideo-motorsignals

Oneofthemostpowerfultechniquesinhypnosis-ideo-motorsignaling.

Anideo-motorsignaliswaytocommunicatenon-verbally.

Ideo-motortechniquesarepowerfulforanumberofreasons.Sincethe

unconsciousmindfunctionsonmoreofametaphoricallevel,aleveldealing

withimageryandimaginationratherthanlogic,methodsthatusethebody

andemotionsratherthanourverbalskillsarehighlyeffectiveinreachingthat

partthemind.

Inotherwords,ifyouaregettingnon-verbalresponsesfromyourclient(or

fromyourself),youarecommunicatingwiththepartthemindyouneedto

communicatewith.

Usingideo-motormovementscommunicateswithunconscious,pre-verbalparts

ofthemind.Sincemanyproblemsalsooriginateinpre-verbalpartsofthemind

thistechniquecanbehighlyeffective.

Becauseideo-motormovementsdonotincludeverbalresponses,whatwemust

do it is set up a communication system that does not include speaking. The

easiestwaytodothisiswithapendulum.

Trythissimpleexperiment:Getapendulumorcreateoneby,tyingapieceof

string to a ring. You can alsouse anecklaceor gold chainof some sort that

swingseasilyinalldirections.Something8to10incheslongisideal.Restyour

elbowonatablewithyourarmstraightupandyourhandparalleltothetable

(yourwristwillbebentata90degreeangle).Holdthestringorchainlooselyin

betweenyourindexfingerandthumb.Askyourunconsciousmindtochoosea

movement to indicate yes. It can be a clockwise circular motion, a counter

clockwisecircularmotionorabackandforthmotioninanydirection.Mentally

pg.16

think "yes"overandoveragain.Usuallywithina fewseconds thependulum

beginstomove.Askyourunconscioustopickadifferentmotiontosignify"no".

Noticewhichwaythependulummovesthistime.Youhavenowsetup ideo-

motorsignalstocommunicatedirectlywithyourunconsciousmind.

Haveyoueverplayed20questions?Twentyquestionsisagamethatyouplay

wheresomeonethinksofanobjectandyouhavetoguesswhattheobjectis.

Youcanaskquestions,butonlyquestionsthatcanbeansweredyesorno.

Hereisanexample:Let'ssupposeIthoughtofapenguin.Youmightask"Isit

biggerthanacar?"Answer:NoQuestion:Doyouhangitonyourwall?Answer:

No.Question:Isitananimal?Answer:Yes.

Andsoon...

Youaresupposedtoguesstheanswerwithin20questions.

Sohowdoesthisrelatetoideomotormovements?Wecansetupapairofnon-

verbal responses to signify yes andno. You canuseeither thependulum,or

someotherbodymovement.Fingertwitchescanbeused;atwitchoftheright

indexfingercansignifyyes,andatwitchoftheleftindexfingercansignifyno.

Then we can ask the unconscious mind all sorts of questions, using the 20

questionsformat(yes/no).

Here'sanexampleofhowyouwouldgettheunconscioustodevelopanideo

motor signalling system: "Iwould like your unconscious to select a finger to

signifyyes.Whenithasselectedthatfinger,givethatfingeralittletwitch.(Wait

untilyouseeafingertwitch.)thankyou.Now,Iwouldlikeyou'reunconscious

toselectadifferentfingertosignifyno.Whenithasselectedthatfinger,give

thatfingerlittletwitch.(waituntilyouseeafingertwitch).Good."

Nowyoucanbegintoasktheunconsciousquestions.Makesureyoureiterate

andreinforcetheideomotorsignalsasyouaskquestions.Here'sanexample

pg.17

wherethepersonsunconsciousmindpickedtheleftindexfingerforyesandthe

leftlittlefingerforno.Wearegoingtousethistechniquetolocatetheoriginof

aproblem.

"Okay,doesyourunconsciousmindknowwhenthisproblemstarted?(Indicates

yes).Good.Didthisproblemstartbeforeyour20thbirthday?(Indicatesyes).

Didthisproblemstartbeforeyour18thbirthday?"(Indicatesno-wenarrowit

downfurtheruntilwediscovertheproblembeganduringthesummerofthe

client's19thyear).

Let's use the same technique to get theunconscious to commit tomaking a

changeinanailbitingbehaviour.Thisexampleisfromasituationwherewehave

deducedthattheclientneedsafeelingofrelaxationtoovercomethebehaviour.

"Does your unconscious mind understand what to do in order to solve this

problem?Answermeyesbytwitchingtheleftindexfingerornobytwitching

the left little finger. (Indicates yes).Wonderful.Does your unconsciousmind

nowtakeresponsibilityforcreatingandmanifestrelaxationinyoubehaviourfor

you inthosesituationswhereyouusedtobiteyournails?Answermeyesby

twitchingtheleftindexfingerornobytwitchingtheleftlittlefinger.(Indicates

yes).So,fromnowon,inthosesituationswhereyouusedtobiteyournails,you

automaticallyandfullyfeelawonderfulsenseofrelaxationsweepingoveryou.

Answermeyesbytwitchingtheleftindexfinger.(Indicatesyes).Excellent,I'd

liketothankyourunconsciousforhelpingusinthismatter."

Nothing that I've seen indicates that the unconscious mind is capable of

predictingthefuture.Askingforlotterynumbersorthepredictionofeventsthat

dependonotherpeople is, inmyopinion,counterproductive.Herearesome

areasthatideomotorsignallingisgoodfor.

• Gettingacommitmentfromtheunconsciousmind

pg.18

• Findinglostitems

• Findingrootcausesofevents

• Remembering information that thesubjectknowsbut isunavailable to

theconsciousmind

Using a pendulum is also a powerful convincer for some people. Sometimes

peoplearescaredofhypnosisandusingapendulumisagoodwaytocreate

hypnosisandnon-threateningenvironment.

Beforebeginning the ideomotorquestioning, the therapistshouldexplain to

theclientthattheunconsciousmindcontrolsalltheinvoluntaryfunctionsofthe

body,suchasbreathing,heartbeatandbodytemperature.Thereforeitisvery

easyforittocontrolthemovementofthefingers.Also,asthereasonsforthe

client’sproblemarestoreddeeplyinthesubconsciousmind,thequestionscan

onlybeansweredatansubconsciouslevel.Ofcourseithastoberemembered

thatthequestionsaskedmustbecapableofbeingansweredbyastraight“yes”

or“no”.

ScripttoAllocateidea-motorSignals

Firstinducetranceandthenproceedasfollows......

NOWTHATYOUARESODEEPLYRELAXED,ICANNOWCOMMUNICATEWITHA

VERYSPECIALPARTOFYOU,THEPARTOF?YOUTHATKNOWSALLABOUTYOU.

IAMABOUTTOASKTHISSPECIALPARTOFYOUAFEWSIMPLEQUESTIONS........

ANDTHEANSWERSTOTHEQUESTIONSWILLBEEITHER“YES”OR“NO”

pg.19

SOIFTHESUBCONSCIOUSPARTOFYOUWOULDLIKETOINDICATE“YES”,THEN

THIS FINGER WILL RECEIVE MESSAGES FROM YOUR SUBCONSCIOUS MIND

INDICATING“YES”.(Gentlystrokefinger)

AND IF THE SUBCONSCIOUS PART OF YOUWOULD LIKE TO INDICATE “NO”,

THENTHISFINGERWILLRECEIVEMESSAGESFROMYOURSUBCONSCIOUSMIND

INDICATING“NO”.(Gentlystrokefinger)

SO THAT THIS FINGER NOW BECOMES YOUR “YES” FINGER RECEIVING

MESSAGESFROMTHESUBCONSCIOUSMINDINDICATING”YES”(Gentlystroke

finger)

ANDTHISFINGERNOWBECOMESYOUR“NO”FINGERRECEIVINGMESSAGES

FROMTHESUBCONSCIOUSMINDINDICATING”NO”(Gentlystrokefinger)

SO,IFTHESUBCONSCIOUSPARTOFYOUUNDERSTANDSTHIS,THENINDICATE

“YES”NOW.......

Wait for response. If the response is immediateandpositive, then thiscould

indicateaconscioussignal.Asubconscioussignalwouldbedelayed,jerkyand

slight.

Everytimeyougetananswer,acknowledgetheanswerperhapsbystrokingthe

fingerbysaying“GOOD,NOWRELAX10TIMESDEEPER”

pg.20

Hypnotismhasnothingtodowithwillpower(orwon'tpowerasthecasemay

be). Will or won't power is a function of the conscious mind, whereas the

subconsciousmindisbasicallyinfluencedbytheimagination.

Inanybattlebetweentheimaginationandthewillpower,itistheimagination

that invariably wins. In other words, if there is ever a conflict between the

subconsciousandtheconscious,thentheSUBCONSCIOUSWILLALWAYSWIN!

Letslookatwhyitisthenthatsomepeoplebehaveinawaythatappearstobe

out of their control. The bestway to explain this is to use the example of a

personwhohasaphobiaforspiders.

Consciousknowledge.

Thespiderphobicknowsconsciouslythataspiderwillneverhurtthem.Itsno

goodsayingthingslike“ohcomeonitsonlyasmallspider”,thephobicalready

knowsthis,buts/hecannotcontrolthewayshefeelswhens/hethinksabouta

spiderorwhens/heisinthepresenceofaspider.

pg.21

SubconsciousKnowledge

Deepinthephobicssubconscious,thereisa“faulty”programmethattakesover

andrunseverytimethephobicisinthepresenceofaspider.Thesubconscious

willoverridetheconsciouslogicofknowingthespiderwillneverhurther.

Ironically,whenthephobicwasabout9monthsold,s/hewouldprobablypick

aspiderupandeatit,therewasnosubconsciousreactionthen!

Faulty programmes usually come from experience. Remember the

presuppositions“allexperiencehasastructure”.

Weallhavesomefaultyprogrammesinsomeformoranother.Theprogrammes

will continue to run, cued by a trigger, until the old outdated, unwanted

programmeisupdatedwithamoreacceptableone.However,insomecasesthe

clientmaynotbeconsciouslyawareofwhatthetriggeris.

Takeasmokerforinstance,heknowsthecigarettesarekillinghim,anditeven

saysonthepacketthatitwillcausecancer.Theymayapplyconsciouslogicto

thisanddecidetomakeaconsciousdecisiontostopsmoking.Soonafterthe

smokerhasmadethatconsciousdecision,thesubconsciouswillrun itsfaulty

programme. There is a belief in the subconscious that the smoker needs

cigarettestostayalive,itcan’tapplylogicsoitover-ridestheconsciousdecision

andthesmokerisforcedtohaveacigarette.Theremayalsobeotherelements

whichre-enforcesthesubconscious,forexample,anyphysicalorpsychological

addiction.

pg.22

Thiswillcontinuetohappenuntilthesubconsciousprogrammeisupdatedwith

a more appropriate programme. Hypnosis does just this, providing that the

suggestionsareformulatedcorrectlyandthatthesuggestionsareaccepted.

Rememberthatbecausethesubconsciouscannotanalyseandcriticise,itcannot

tell thedifferencebetweenaharmful behaviour and ahealthybehaviour, in

otherwordsitdoesnotrecognisewhetherabehaviourisnegativeorpositive.

Any behaviour which the subconscious is presenting, whether negative or

positive,initsoriginalformwasacceptedbythesubconsciousintheinterestof

theclient. Itdidnotknowthat itwaswrong.Rememberthepresuppositions

“underlyingeverybehaviourthereispositiveintent”.

pg.23

PlanningyourTherapy

History taking is a very important part of the treatment session andmaybe

calledthefirstphase.Thetherapistcanonlystarttohelptheclientwhens/he

hasgatheredenoughinformationforhim/hertoworkon.Thereisnowayof

arrivingatthepropertherapyforanemotionallydisturbedpersonwhocomes

fortreatmentexceptthroughathoroughhistorytaking.

History taking is not merely the gathering of essential facts to support or

disproveahypothesis;itisalsoanessentialpartoftherapy.Thedialogueduring

the history taking phase advances two essential factors inherent in the

therapeutic process, namely, the growth of a strong trusting relationship

between two persons and the gradual growth of insight, which arises from

dialogueandencounter.Rapportinotherwords.

Ofcourseacertainamountoftimehastogobybeforeaclientwillsettledown

enoughforthemtoopenupfully,howeverthistimefactorcanbeshortenedby

theuseofbodylanguagetechniquestobuilduprapport.

During the first history taking session the clientmay be reluctant (formany

differentreasons)totalkabouttheirsymptom.Theywillelectinsteadtospeak

ofitinasuperficialway.Theymayevenbehopingthatallthetherapisthasto

doistowaveamagicwandandtheirsymptomwilldisappear.Thedominant

moodofthepersonactsupontheassociationsystemsofthemindinsuchaway

thatmemorybecomeshighlyselective. Thesubjectivethoughtsof theclient

can then distort their reasoning. Only those experiences which are in

accordancewiththeirmoodareadmittedtoconsciousrecognition.Theeffect

pg.24

ofthisisthattheclientonlyrememberswhats/hewantstorememberandcan

thereforefalsifytheirhistory.

Thetherapistmustrecognisethatinlisteningtotheunstructuredhistoryofan

emotionallydisturbedperson,theyarehearingahighlyselectiveaccountofthe

pastandmaybeadistortedone.Itisonlywhentheclienthassettledandrapport

hasbeenestablishedthatamorestructuredanddetailedhistorycanbetaken.

However it is importantthat initiallytheclient isallowedtotelltheirstory in

theirownway.

During the history taking, or information gathering as we sometimes call it,

clientsoftenhavea tendency toholdback fromdisclosing therealnatureof

theirsymptom.Maybetheyfeeltheyhavetogettoknowthetherapistbetter.

Again,asrapportisestablishedsotheclientbecomesmoreateaseandwillthen

start togive thetherapistmoredetailedandspecific informationabout their

symptom.

pg.25

ThePresentingProblem

It is importantthatthetherapistbeawarethatthepresentingsymptommay

justbeasmokescreenandmaynotcoincidewiththerealsymptomatall.These

smokescreensymptomsmaybeveryreal(i.e.thepersonmaybeacompulsive

handwasher,butthatisn'ttherealsymptom)andveryconvincing,leadingthe

therapist tobelievethatthis is theonecausingtheclienttohavedifficulties.

However, it isnotalwayspossibleduring the first therapy session toget the

clienttoadmittohavinganunderlyingsymptom.

SUBJECTIVEINTERPRETATIONS

Whenclientspresent themselves for therapy theygivevariedaccountsas to

whytheyhavetheirsymptoms.Someoftheinformationtheygivewillbebased

onfact,someofitwillbebasedontheirbeliefs.Thelatteraresubjectiveand

canbeanimportantreasonastowhytheclienthangsontothesymptom.Itis

much easier for the therapist to work with an actual behaviour or illness.

However, the client will usually insist on giving their own subjective

interpretationsregardingthesymptom.Manyofthesearenotusefulandifthe

therapist allows himself to be drawn into these interpretations they can

contaminatehisanalysisofthesymptom.Thetherapisthastobeawareofthe

possibilityofgettingsidetrackedbytheclient'ssubjectiveinterpretations.Ifhe

findshimselfgoingoffonatangentthenthechancesarehehasbeeninfluenced

bysomesubjectiveinformationgivenbytheclient.

pg.26

MAKING SUBJECTIVE INTERPRETATIONS ON WHY OTHER PEOPLE HAVE

SYMPTOMS.

Becausesomanyproblemsinvolveotherpeople,clientsofteninterpretother

people'sbehavioursfromtheirownsubjectiveviewpoint.Anexamplecouldbe

ofahusbandinterpretinghisdaughter'sbehaviourbysaying,"nowondershe

actslikethat,hermotherbehavedinjustthesameway".Inrealitythereason

forthedaughter'sbehaviourcouldbecausedbysomethingdifferent. This is

mind reading on the part of the client and can contaminate the therapeutic

process. What the therapist should be looking for is specific information.

Withoutthespecificinformationthetherapistcanfinishupbeingasconfused

astheclient.Equallythetherapistshouldnotresorttomindreading.

Clients will also make statements which are exaggerated. For example:

"everybodydoesit",howdoyouknowthateveryonedoesit.Anotheroneis:

"He’sthebestintheworld"howdoyouknowhe'sthebest.etc.,etc.,

It'suptothetherapisttogettheclienttobemorespecificandnottogeneralise.

Thetherapistmustnotfallintothissametrap.E.g.makinghisownsubjective

interpretations.

CLIENTSSUBJECTIVEINTERPRETATIONS.

1. Hereditaryinterpretations:"mymotherhadthesamesymptom"

2. Predictioninterpretations:"hewillsaythesamethingnexttime"

pg.27

3. Causeandeffectinterpretations:"shealwaysfeelsdepressed

whenourdaughterforgetstophone"

4. Biologicalinterpretations:"it’smyhormones"

5. Personalityinterpretations:"that'sjustthewayheis"

6. Casualinterpretations:"sheactsjustlikethatgirlontheTVwith

thesamesymptom."

7. Medicalinterpretations:"thedoctorsaysI'mdepressed,anditcould go

onforyears"

8. Cognitiveinterpretations:"He'sthinkingabouthisworkallthe

time"

9. Nominalisedinterpretations:"She'sconfusedanddoesn't

understandherexpectationsarepreventinguscommunicating".

10. Judgmentalinterpretations:"peopleshouldn'tbehavelikethat

shouldthey".

11. Emotionalinterpretations:"I'vealwaysbeenuptight,

.....it'smynerves"

pg.28

CASTINGDOUBTONSUBJECTIVEINTERPRETATIONS

Beingobjectivetotheclient'ssubjectiveinterpretations

Theclient'ssubjectiveinterpretationsoftheirsymptomcanbefarawayfrom

reality. Therefore, it isessential tohavecontrolwhenquestioning theclient,

otherwisetheclientwillrambleontalkingaboutirrelevancies,andmuchtime

willbewasted.

Shouldirrelevanciescomeintotheconversationthenthetherapistshouldeither

ignorethemorchallengethembyaskingaspecificquestion.Thequestioncould

be"whathasthatgottodowiththesymptom".Byaskingthistypeofquestion

the therapist will be able to keep control. Negative statements can be

acknowledgedandthenignored.Anodoftheheadisallthatisrequired.Point

outtotheclientanyexaggeratedaccountshe/shemaybemaking.

Whenthesearepointedoutitissurprisinghowquicklysomeclientswillchange

andbecomemoreobjectiveintheirthinking.

BARRIERS

Thetherapistmustbecarefulnottoallowapatternofholdingbacktodevelop

during thehistory takingas thiscanalsoextend into the induction. Thiscan

meantheclientholdingback,doesnotletgoandabarrierissetup.Theanswer

tothis is the formationofgoodrapportwithplentyof timetakenforhistory

taking.Theapproachtohistorytakingmustalwaysbeleisurely.Theclientdoes

notwanttobegiventhefeelingofbeingrushed.Informationgatheringshould

pg.29

proceedeasilyandcomfortablywith theminimumofdirectquestionsat the

outset.Theclientshouldbebroughtcasuallytodifficultareasandallowedto

unburdenthemselvesintheirownway.

THEREMAYNOTBEANUNDERLYINGSYMPTOM

As the therapist becomesmore experienced theywill be able to detect the

possibilitiesofanunderlyingsymptom.However,itisnotwisetoassumethat

therealwaysisone.

RESOURCES

During the history taking, the therapist should ascertain just what personal

resourcesandstrengththeclientmayhave.S/heshoulddetermineifthereare

any resources in thepastonwhich tobuild therapy. Remember that taking

historyrestorescontinuity.Itrelatesthepresenttothepastandthepasttothe

present.

pg.30

TabooWords

Intheprofessionofhypnotherapy,theirarecertainwordsthatthetherapist

shouldneveruse.(althoughmosthypnotherapistsarenotawareofit).Hereare

thethreemainwords,neverusethesewordswithaclient.Omitthemfromyour

personalvocabularynow!

Theword‘problem’

Althoughwemayusethewordproblemonthiscourse,itisquitewrongtouse

itintherapyorwhentakinghistory.Totalkaboutaclient’sproblemreinforces

thefactthattheydohaveaproblem.Thisthengivesthemtheopportunityto

holdontoit.

Thewords‘trustme’

Thesetwowordsinfertotheclientthattheremaybereasontodoubtyouasa

therapistsimplybyaskingaclienttotrusthim.Trustissomethingyoucannot

askforbutyoucaneasilyearn.

Theword‘try’

RememberEmileCoue’slawofreverseeffect....themoreyoutry....

Nevertellyourclientthatyouaregoingtotrytohypnotisehim,you’llhaveno

chance.Nevertellyourclientthatyouwilltrytohelphim,thisputsdoubtinthe

client’sconfidenceinyou.

Wecanandwedousetheword“try”,butonlytoouradvantage.Forexample,

wecouldgiveourclienta“worrywindow”

pg.31

Labelling

Ibelieveittobeveryfoolishofatherapist(oranyoneelse)to“label”clientswith

anillness.Tellingaclientthats/heisanALCOHOLICoraHYPOCHONDRIACoris

DEPRESSEDmerelyconfirmsthattheyhaveaproblem.Itgivesthempermission

tocontinuewiththeirbehaviourandholdontotheirsymptoms.Youcouldend

upmakingtheclientworsebycollaboratingwithhim/her.

Doctors often have a habit of labelling clients and this oftenmakes itmore

difficultforustoundothis.Doctorsoftentellclientsthattheywillhavetoput

upwith their illness for the rest of their life. The power of suggestion then

inhibitsrecovery.

Obviously,iftheyhavecancerorMSoranotherdisease,thenyoucannotdeny

thistothem.

Tellingawifebeaterthatheisanalcoholicgiveshiman“excuse”tocontinue

withhisbehaviour.Hemaysaythingslike,

“Ican’thelpit,I’manalcoholic”or“it’snotmyfault,it’sthebooze”

youmaycomeacrossclientswhosaythingslike:-

“thedoctorsaidImaybeabitdown,it’sbecauseI’vebeenunderalotofstress”

“I’vebeendiagnosedashaving??????andIcanexpecttofeellikethis”

“Ihavetroublewithmyhormones,andI’malwayslikethis.”

pg.32

“I’monmyperiod”(soI’mentitledtobesnappy)

Rememberthelawofconcentratedattention,well,labellingisawayofgetting

yourclienttoconcentrateontheideaofbeing??????

pg.33

SpecificQuestioning

Aftertheinitialhistorytakingwethenmoveontomorespecificquestioning.

Thesespecificquestionsareveryimportant. Theynotonlygivethetherapist

valuableinformationonwhichhecanbuildhistherapy,butbecausetheclient

hastogoinsideanumberoftimestogettheanswers,Ibelievethishelpswith

thetranceinductionlater.

Thereisatechniquecalled“THEFOURW’s”.thistechniqueisdesignedtodo

twothings.Firstly,tostoptheclientansweringyouwithsimpleyes’sandno’s,

butmoreimportantly,theclienthasto“goinside”,andcreatean“innersearch”

inordertogiveyoutheanswer.Thisthengetstheclientusedtogoing“inside”,

orshallwesaycreatesanalteredstateofawareness(hypnosis), thusgetting

your client to practice “going inside” (hypnosis) and therefore making your

hypnoticinductioneasier.

THEFOURW’s

1. WHEN doesthissymptomaffectyoumost?

2. WHERE diditfirsthappen?

3. WHAT aretheworstsymptoms?

4. WHY doyouthinkithappens?

ItisadvisabletoaskasmanyoftheseWquestionsasyoucanthinkof.

pg.34

QUESTIONS

1. “WHENDIDTHISFIRSTOCCUR?”

It is necessary to know just when the symptom started. Be aware, when

questioning, of any signs of them having had similar feelings long before it

becamesymptom.Youcanaskthisquestion.Iftheanswerisyes',thenWHAT

didtheydotoovercomethem.

2. “WHENDOESITOCCUR?”

Doesitalwaysoccurinthesamesituation?Doesitalwaysoccurwhenthatsame

personisaround?Whatbringsiton?

3. “HOWLONGDOESITLAST?”

Whatisthetimelimittothesymptom?

4. “WHENDOYOUNOTHAVEIT?”

Itmaywellbethattheclientsays,"Ialwayshaveit"Ofcoursetherewillbetimes

whentheydonothaveit.Thiscanbeveryenlighteningtotheclient,atthesame

timegivingthetherapistvaluableinformation.

pg.35

Verbalandnon-verbalCommunication

Anotherimportantpartofquestioningskillsistheabilitytoreadandtranslate

theverbalandnon-verbal communicationof theclient.Theclient is likely to

haveworkedoutlongbefores/hearrivesfortreatmentwhats/heisgoingto

tellyou.Someclientswillmaketheirsymptomsoundfarworsethanitreallyis.

Otherswilldo just theopposite.Bywatching thenon-verbalcommunication,

thetherapistcangetatruepictureoftheclient’spredicament.

Non-verbal cues to look for are change in expressions and body posture

movements showing signs of uneasiness etc. During information gathering a

client could give the therapist a distorted view of his/her symptom, maybe

becausetheyareembarrassedathavingthesymptom.Whenthishappensthe

nonverbalcommunicationwillbeincongruouswiththeverbalcommunication.

Clients may be totally unaware they are giving off signs of non-verbal

communication, thisbeinganunconsciousaction. The therapist should take

noteofthedifference inbothaspectsofcommunicationandinvestigatewhy

theclienthasdonethis.AswithIdeoMotorsignallingtheunconsciouscanand

doesdisagreewiththeconscious.

Whentheconsciousandunconsciousareindisagreement,thetherapistshould

believethenon-verbalorunconsciousratherthantheverbalcommunication.

The client is not necessarily telling lies. S/hewill be giving the details from

his/herconsciousawareness,althoughthismaybeverydifferentfromhis/her

unconsciousawareness.Bypractisingidentifyingnonverbalcues,itispossible

to tellwhat a person is feeling or even thinking. That is,whether they are,

thinkingpositivelyornegatively.

pg.36

TheOutcome

Towardstheendoftheinformationgatheringthetherapistshouldidentifyjust

whatoutcometheclientishopingfor.Istheoutcomeachievable?Althoughwe

havetobepositiveabouttheoutcomethereisnopointinmisleadingtheclient

iftheyhavesettheoutcomebeyondthatwhatisattainable.

Agoodwayofaskingyourclientwhat’swrongwiththeminapositivewayisto

askthisquestion.“ifIcouldclickmyfingers,andyouwereinstantlybetter,or

evencured,thenHOWWOULDYOUKNOW?”

Theclientwouldthengiveyouallthebenefitsofgettingbetter.Perhapss/he

mightsay,

“IwouldhavenicelongnailsandIwouldnolongerbeembarrassedbythestate

ofthem,Iwouldnothavetohidethem,andIcanmanicurethem”,or

“Iwouldwakeupinthemorningfeelingfit,healthyandstrong.Iwouldnolonger

feeltiredallthetime,Iwouldhavemoreenergyandbeabletocopebetter.”

pg.37

ArmLevitation

Arm levitation is a technique which demonstrates the theory that the

subconsciouspartofthemindcannottellthedifferencebetweenpretendand

real.Also,itdemonstrateshowpowerfulthepowerofsuggestionreallyis.Arm

levitationisalsoawayofprovingtoyourclientthattheyareactuallyinhypnosis

as they often think that they have not been hypnotised. There are however

therapeuticvaluesinthistechniquewhichwewilldiscusslaterinthecourse.

PROCEDUREFORARMLEVITATION.

Firstinducehypnosisinthenormalway,thenproceedasfollows.

TIP:YOUMUSTBEPATIENTANDPERSISTENT

I WONDER IF YOU HAVE NOTICED YET THAT MAYBE YOU LEFT ARM FEELS

LIGHTER THAN YOUR RIGHT ARM. OR PERHAPS YOUR RIGHT ARM FEELS

HEAVIERTHANYOURLEFTARM.IWOULDLIKEYOUTOTAKENOTICEOFHOW

YOUR LIGHT ARM IS BECOMING LIGHTER AND LIGHTERWITH EVERYWORD

THATISPEAK.IWOULDLIKEYOUTOUSEYOURIMAGINATIONANDIMAGINE

THAT YOU ARM IS BECOMING LIGHTER AND LIGHTER, AND FLOATING AND

DRIFTINGUPWARDSALLBYITSELF.GENTLYANDEASILYYOURARMBEGINSTO

FLOATUPWARDSGETTING LIGHTERAND LIGHTER, AND IF YOUCOULD JUST

IMAGINE A LARGE HELIUM BALLOON TIED TO YOUR WRIST AND GENTLY

PULLING YOUR ARM UPWARDS, PERHAPS A HELIUM BALLOON OF YOUR

FAVOURITE COLOUR OR MAYBE EVEN A LARGE BOUQUET OF HELIUM

BALLOONSGENTLYPULLINGYOURARMUPWARDSANDALLOWINGYOURARM

pg.38

TOFLOATANDDRIFTUPWARDSALLBYITSELFGETTINGLIGHTERANDLIGHTER

ALLTHETIME,JUSTALLOWTHISTOHAPPEN,SIMPLYALLOWINGTHESOUND

OFMYVOICETOHELPYOURARMBECOMELIGHTERANDLIGHTER.

Nowrepeatthesesuggestionsuntilarmlevitationisachieved.

BEPATIENT!

Waituntilthearmhaslifted,andthenproceedasfollows

NOWIWOULDLIKEYOUTOOPENYOUREYESANDSEEWHEREYOURARMIS

NOW..................................................NOWCLOSEYOUREYESAGAINANDENJOY

THISPLEASANTRELAXEDFEELINGTHATYOUARENOWEXPERIENCING.

NOWIMAGINGTHATARMBECOMINGHEAVIERANDHEAVIERASTHEHELIUM

BALLOONSAREREMOVEDFROMYOURARMANDYOURARMBEGINSTOFALL

DOWNWARDSTOWARDSYOURKNEE.ASYOURARMFALLSANDGETSHEAVIER

ANDHEAVIER,YOUFINDYOURSELFRELAXINGMOREANDMOREASYOURARM

APPROACHESYOURKNEE.

WHENYOURARMTOUCHESYOURKNEE,YOUWILLFINDTHATYOUWILLRELAX

100TIMESDEEPERTHANYOUARENOW.

Wakeyourclientinthenormalway.

Sometimesyouhavetobeverypatientandpersistenttoachievearmlevitation.

If you find that nothing happens, do not assume that your client is NOT

pg.39

hypnotised,theyprobablyarehypnotisedbuttheresubconsciousisnotallowing

thistohappen.Rememberthatyourclientisalwaysincontrolandtheywillonly

dothethingsthatthesubconsciouswillallowthemtodo.

Abreaction

Abreaction’saretherelivingofearlytraumaticexperiences.Sometimesthey

are deliberately evoked. Sometimes they occur spontaneously. They can

oftenbedramaticandfrighteningfortheclientandthetherapist.

Ofall thephenomenaencounteredbytheworkinghypnotherapist–orstage

hypnotist,forthatmatter-theabreactionisprobablytheleastunderstood.Or

themostmisunderstood.Thefirstencounterthetherapisthaswiththisprocess

ofthemindisinclinedtopolarisehim/herandfromthatmomentons/hewill

eitherseektoavoiditliketheplagueorsearchitoutwithadeterminationthat

isatleastequaltotheclient'sresistance.

It's the type of training we receive that governs this response; analysts are

delightedbyabreaction,live(inthetherapeuticsense)forabreaction,andfirmly

believethatitprovidesthefastestandmostprofoundrelieffromallmannerof

psychologicalsymptoms.Othersmaybelesscertainofthis,viewingthissudden

intenselyemotionalstatewithalarm,andfranticallysearchingforwaystocalm

downwhattheiradministrationshavedisturbed.All therapistsshouldhavea

clear idea ofwhat is actually happening, and should also understand a Very

ImportantFact-abreaction,handledproperly,candoonlygoodforyourclient.

So, what exactly is it and how do we handle it? As for what it is, it is the

revivication of a traumatic experience that occurred in a moment of great

trauma-usually, thoughnotexclusively,duringour formativeyears. Inother

pg.40

words,thereleaseofarepression.Anadultrepressioncanoccurasaresultof,

say,atraumaticroadaccident,whenwethentendtocallitamnesia,instead.

Therecanbethreeseparate,thoughintimatelyconnected,memoriesinvolved

withanyformofrepression.Theperceptionoftheevent(usuallyvisual); the

physical sensations; and theemotional response.And, yes, theyAREentirely

separatememoriesandeachmay'surface'togetherorindividually.

Itisnotunusualforaclienttorecall,inonesession,aphysicalsensationofsome

sortsostronglythats/hecanactuallyFEEL it,yetnotdiscovertheemotional

responseortheexactnatureoftheeventuntiltheirnextsessionoreventhe

oneafter that. It is theemotionalpartofanyabreaction (oftenunwarranted

guilt,shame,orvulnerability)thatisthemostimportantandoncethishasbeen

'surfaced'andworkedthrough,itislikelythattheclientwilldisplaylittleorno

interestinfurtherinvestigationofthatparticularmemory.Itisnotuncommon,

infact,fortheemotiontobereleasedwithouteverdiscoveringwhatwasthe

causeofit;thisappearstomatterlittle,forcatharsiswillstillbeeffectedand

symptomsstillalleviated.Thisrevivicationcanbesorealistic,asfarastheclient

isconcerned,thattheirbodywillactuallyreproducethephysicalchangesthat

occurredatthetimeoftheevent; iftherewasanelementofsuffocation,for

example,yourclientmaysuddenlyfindgreatdifficultybreathing-ormayeven

stopbreathingforafewmoments.

Itcanbedifficult,forthecaringindividual,tositandwatchthiseventthatisso

evidentlyfullofpainunfoldinginfrontofthem,butonceyouhaveexperienced

thesenseoflightnessandreliefthataclientcanmanifestimmediatelyafterthe

abreactionhassubsided,youwillhavenomoreproblemwiththat.Itisnotfair

tosaythatalltheirsymptomswilldisappearovernight,butfromthatcathartic

momentonwards,yourclientwillstarttoFEELwellandhis/hersymptomatic

pg.41

work will very soon start to fade. Usually, you and your client will have an

understandingofwhytheeventthathasbeenrememberedshouldhavecaused

their symptoms. If not, it always possible that there is something else to be

releasedbut,thistime,itislikelytobelessintense.

There is something of immense importance when working with abreactive

statesandthatistomakeABSOLUTELYCERTAINthatyourclienthadaccessed

the emotional 'roots' of their psychological difficulty. It is the ORIGINATING

CAUSEOFTRAUMA(oftencalledtheInitialSensitisingEvent,orISE)thatweare

afterandnothingelsewilldo.Itisactuallyquiteeasytoascertainwhetherthey

havebeentotherightplaceornot...iftheemotionalresponsedoesnotstartto

fadewithinafewminutes,orifitreturnstoitsformerstrengtheachtimethe

memoryisaccessed,thenthereisstillworktodo.Workbackwardsfromthat

memory using either direct regression or free associative techniques to an

earliermemorywiththesameorsimilaremotionalqualitiesandworkthrough

that one in theway you have just been reading about. Keep going until the

negativeemotionhasclearedandcannotberestored.Theclientisthenwellon

theroadtosoundemotionalhealth.

Mostly,abreactionofthesortdiscussedinthisarticleappearsastheresultof

regression-styletherapies,butitcanalsohappenspontaneously.Eventhen,the

rulesarethesame-workthroughitandmakesureyou'vegotitallout.

pg.42

Therearethreeoccasionswhenyourclientmayabreact.

1. SPONTANEOUSLY. This may come on rapidly as you induce hypnosis,

withoutanyinfluencefromthetherapist.Ifthishappens,thensimplylet

ithappen.

2. WHEN THE TIME IS RIGHT. If and when the clients subconscious has

enough rapport with the therapist, the subconscious may take the

opportunitytolookatacertainissueanddealwithithereandnow.Again

thiswillhappenwithoutanyinfluencefromthetherapist.Ifthishappens,

thensimplyletithappen.

3. INDUCED ABREACTION. Some therapists will deliberately provoke an

abreaction.Theycallthistechnique“causeandeffect”therapy.

Thecauseandeffecttheorysoundsgood,butthinkofalltheproblemsitmay

causeifthisisNOTtherootcauseoftheproblem.Inourexperience,theroot

causeisusuallysomethingfarlesstraumatic(asfarastheadultisconcerned).

pg.43

Sometimesaclientmaybetotallyunawareofapasttraumaticexperience.They

have been able to apply amnesia to that period of their life as a means of

surviving.Itisonlywhenusinghypnoanalysisthattheeventcanbediscovered.

Ondiscoveryoftheeventanabreactioncantakeplacespontaneously.

Onceanabreactionstartstotakeplace,thetherapistmustcarryitthroughto

theend. Ifabreaction isprevented then thechancesofgetting theclient to

abreactagainwillberemote.Thisisbecausetheclientnowhasanawareness

ofthehiddentraumaticexperience.Therefore,theabreactionshouldbecarried

throughtotheend.Bygoingthroughthecompleteexperience,theclientcan

releaseallthosebentupandhiddenfeelings.Thisabreactioncanbefrightening

foraninexperiencedtherapist. Thetherapistshouldbeawarethattheclient

pg.44

could be violent depending on the original traumatic experience. This can

happen if the client recognises the therapist as being involved in the early

trauma.Thetherapistshouldremaincalmandinfullcontrolofthesituation,

supportingtheclientastheygothroughthisexperience.

During the abreaction, your client will find comfort in using the following

phrases.

“justgowithitFred,itsjustamemoryandmemoriescan’thurtyou.”

“itssafeforthistohappen”.

Aftertheabreaction,thetherapistshouldstarttoapplysomeformoftherapy.

This canbedoneby re-framing. The client shouldneverbeallowed to leave

withouttherapy.Bettertosendthemontheirwaywithnewbeliefs.

Thebestthingtodohereisjustbeforeyouwakethem,getthemtoregressback

tosomethingfunny.Thiswayyourclientleavesyouona“high”,withtherelease

oftheassociatedchemicals.

Re-framing issometimesnecessarytohealthememory. Forexampleachild

abused by a parent will feel very angry and resentful yet at the same time

wantingtobeloved.Theneedtobelovedisanimportantpartinre-framing

theclientsbeliefandattitudetowardstheparent.Theparentmaybealiveor

dead,howevertheclientsfeelingsofangermaystillbethesame.Oneapproach

canbethattheparenthadareasonforabusingthechild.(Rememberthebasic

presuppositions)Becausetheclientwillhaveinformationabouttheparentfrom

theirchildhood,theclientmaybeabletoaccepttherewasavalidreasonfor

pg.45

abusing.Bearinginmindthattheclientwantstobeloveds/hemaybewilling

to look at ways of understanding why the parents abused. Here there is a

possibilityofchangingthenegativefeelingsofhatredtowardstheparentinto

positivefeelingsofforgiveness.Thiswouldleadtotheclientleavingthetherapy

sessionfeelingsomuchbetter.

pg.46

HypnotherapywithChildren

Childrenareusuallyveryopentohypnotherapyandtheygenerallyhavefewer

misconceptionsaboutitthandoadultssincechildren,theyoungeronesatleast

havenotheardofstagehypnosis.

Perhapsthebiggestdifferences inworkingwithchildrenare in thedegreeof

formalityemployedinthestructureofthesessionthetechniquesusedandthe

styleofinteractionwiththechild.Childrentendtobeaccustomedtousingtheir

imagination, they live in itonadailybasis, switchingeasilybetweenbeinga

princessandafairy,oranurseinminutes.

Fromthetimeofbirthtoaround5yearsold,childrendonotillustrateacritical

faculty. This means that the conscious part of their mind is not yet fully

developed and the subconscious mind is "collecting" suggestions which will

"tailor"therepersonalityandeventuallymakethemthepersontheybecome,

withcertainbeliefsandofcoursedis-beliefs.

Because children of this age are learning various life skills using there

subconscious mind, they are susceptible to ALL suggestions put to them.

Childrenofthisageareextremelyopentothepowerofsuggestion.

Uptotheageofaround14childrenarestilldevelopingtheirconsciousmind,

thiswilleventuallygivethemtheabilitytothinkforthemselves,andtomake

certaindecisions.Andupuntilthisagetheyareveryeasytoputintohypnosis.

Indeed,youngchildrenspendlotsoftimeinhypnosis.

pg.47

From theageof around14 to18 the child slowlybecomesanadult and the

stressesandstrainsofadulthoodisveryobvious.Alsoduringthistime,there

consciousmind ismaturingand they start tomakedecisions for themselves,

moreoftenthannot,thesedecisionsarethewrongones.

Thingstodo-Thingstoremember

1. Checkoutlegalandsafetyproceduresandrequirementswhenworking

withchildren.

2. Preparesomeage-appropriateexplanationsofhypnosis.

3. Gainparentalsupportforyourapproachbetweensessions.

4. Speakdirectlytothechildratherthanaboutthechildduringthesession.

5. Usethechild’sownideas.

Children are very hypnotic, but youmust remember that they do get bored

easily.

AnexcellentbookbyLyndaHudson,Scripts&StrategiesinHypnotherapywith

childrencontainsawealthofinformationandideasforworkingwithchildren.

Nowyouhavelearnthowtohypnotiseyourclient,usingavarietyofinductions

and deepeners it is time to introduce you to the variety of tools andmind

management techniques that will help you to help your client. Scripts are

available froma varietyof sources including the internet, but althougha set

scriptmaybydefaulthelpafewpeopleinthemainbecausethetherapyhasnot

been tailored to the individual they are unlikely towork for themajority of

clients.

Therapistsworkwiththeclient,notthe illnessasdoctorsdo. Ifyoutreatthe

persontheillnesswillgoaway.

pg.48