Post on 30-Jan-2020
Clinical Counselling Hypnotherapist (C.Hyp)™
P H A S E 1 W O R K B O O K
Clinical Counselling Hypnotherapist (C.Hyp)™ Phase 1 Workbook | daybreaktherapy.ca | 2
Thank you so very much for choosing Daybreak Training as you begin and/or
deepen your journey into clinical hypnotherapy. I strongly believe that skills
development in this area is essential for any counselling professional wishing
to understand, appreciate and respond competently to the intricacies of the
unconscious mind, as they most surely present themselves in the therapeutic
relationship. I am certain that by the end of this training, you will share my
viewpoint that clinical hypnosis is the most powerful tool in the
psychotherapy tool-kit, and the most valuable gift you can offer your clients.
Please know that I am personally committed to making this experience count
as a very special and memorable professional development opportunity for
you. Do not hesitate to let me know of any steps I can take to enhance any
part of the program for you, as you go along.
Upon your successful completion of this Course, you will be provided with
both a certificate and formal permission to use the trade-marked and
protected title of Clinical Counselling Hypnotherapist (C.Hyp™).
In addition, you will be automatically enrolled into our Daybreak C.Hyp™
Network which will enable you to freely access the following:
• Listing on referral database/Daybreak directory
• 1:1 clinical consultation following your graduation
• Ongoing, bi-monthly group clinical supervision meetings
You will be sent an email invitation prior to each virtual meeting, with
instruction on how to login electronically to join in the discussion. If you have
any questions, don’t hesitate to call me at one of the numbers listed below.
For Online Course Students: Please note that in your course outline, you will see
reference to “in-class” training requirements. Our 5-day webinar week is the
equivalent of our Phase 1 (mandatory “in class” training). This training covers all
content as outlined in Day 1-5 of the Course Outline (refer to Section 2 in your
manual for detailed course outline).
I am looking so forward to our work ahead. Please do not hesitate to contact
me anytime with any questions or concerns.
Welcome Colleagues
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Table of Contents Program Overview .....................................................................................................................................................5
About this program ............................................................................................................................................................. 5
Set Your Intention ............................................................................................................................................................... 5
Our Mission ......................................................................................................................................................................... 6
Vision and Promise .............................................................................................................................................................. 6
Philosophical Framework and Values .................................................................................................................................. 7
Pacing of the Course and Check-list .................................................................................................................................... 7
Course Overview ................................................................................................................................................................. 8
Course Outline ...........................................................................................................................................................8
Texts and other instructional materials ............................................................................................................................... 9
Additional Recommended Reading ..................................................................................................................................... 9
Overall Course Outcomes .................................................................................................................................................... 9
Course Delivery Format and Break-Down of 100 Training Hours ..................................................................................... 10
Instructor ........................................................................................................................................................................... 10
Formal Assessments .......................................................................................................................................................... 10
Syllabus .............................................................................................................................................................................. 11
Break-Down of Programming Hours .................................................................................................................................. 15
Therapeutic Framework ........................................................................................................................................... 16
Definitions ......................................................................................................................................................................... 16
Points to make when explaining Hypnosis to Clients: ...................................................................................................... 16
Deepeners - A Suggestion List ........................................................................................................................................... 17
Pre-Sleep suggestion (wording) ......................................................................................................................................... 19
Brief History of Hypnosis ................................................................................................................................................... 21
Hypnotic First Session Intake: Possible Targets ................................................................................................................. 23
Suggested Format: ............................................................................................................................................................ 25
1st Session Framework ...................................................................................................................................................... 26
The Mindful Hypnotherapist .................................................................................................................................... 28
Ernest Lawrence Rossi, Ph.D. ............................................................................................................................................. 30
Meditation Primer ............................................................................................................................................................. 31
A final note on meditation ................................................................................................................................................. 35
Hand-Out: Breathing and Body Scanning: ......................................................................................................................... 36
References ......................................................................................................................................................................... 36
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Hypnosis with Anxiety, Panic and OCD...................................................................................................................... 37
Anxiety: An Overview ........................................................................................................................................................ 37
Neat Brain Stuff ................................................................................................................................................................. 39
Mindfulness, Cognitive Therapies and the Role of Trance ................................................................................................ 41
Trance Themes/Homework: Anxiety and OCD Clients ..................................................................................................... 45
Individualized Programming .............................................................................................................................................. 46
Case Studies ............................................................................................................................................................ 47
The Case of Linda .............................................................................................................................................................. 47
The case of Donna ............................................................................................................................................................. 49
The Case of Jackie .............................................................................................................................................................. 52
Inductions................................................................................................................................................................ 56
Object Gaze (Long Induction) ............................................................................................................................................ 56
Elevator Induction ............................................................................................................................................................. 59
Special Place ...................................................................................................................................................................... 63
The Power Is In Your Hands - Induction............................................................................................................................. 64
Rapid Induction ................................................................................................................................................................. 68
Script: Dialling Down Reactivity ......................................................................................................................................... 70
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About this program The purpose of this certificate program is to provide you with hypnotherapy
skills and tools that will enable you to offer enriched psychotherapy services
to your clients. We encourage you to take this opportunity to explore your
own personal hypnosis style that reflects your unique healing signature. To
get the most out of this training, we ask that you start with a self-reflective
exercise for setting your intention.
Set Your Intention Self-Reflection Questions for Setting Your Intention:
• When is it that I feel most joyful?
• What unique way (s) do I help others? What do I have to offer?
• If I start from a place of joy and my “best possible healing self”, what
images come to mind regarding my hypnotherapy practice - in 2
months?
• And as I grow more and more confident, and as my life becomes more
focused on healing and transformation… what images come to mind
regarding my hypnotherapy practice in 2 years? 5 years?
• Picturing my ideal hypnotherapy practice in 5 years, how do I feel?
• What intention can I set right here, right now that represents a
commitment to my future, and to those I will be helping?
“When you do things from
the soul, you feel a river
moving in you, a joy.”
Rumi
Program Overview
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About the C.Hyp™ Certificate: Upon your successful completion of this
Program, you will receive a certificate of and permission to use the trade-
marked, protected title of Clinical Counselling Hypnotherapist (C.Hyp). We
encourage you take an active role in the C.Hyp Network, as this will provide
you with ongoing professional development and continuing competence as a
Clinical Counselling Hypnotherapist.
About the C.Hyp™ Network: As a qualified member of the Daybreak Training
C.Hyp Network, we invite you to be part of our referral database and
knowledge-sharing community. As such, we ask that you align your
hypnotherapy practice with Daybreak’s Mission, Vision and Philosophy as
outlined below:
Our Mission To heal mental suffering
Vision and Promise
We envision people cherishing life more than they fear it. Driving our vision
is our promise to offer our clients:
• sacred spaces for healing, growth and self-transformation
• vibrant and creative teachings that may very well shake people
out of comfort zones
• gently crafted and individualized treatment and teaching plans that
honour the unique psycho-spiritual journey of each client
• holistic coaching, teaching and psychotherapy methods that blend
traditions of excellence in both Eastern and Western approaches to
mental health and mindful living
• a heart-felt commitment to continually inspire innovation
in both our clients and ourselves
• a sacred invitation to come home to oneself
and awaken dormant potential
Intention Statement:
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Philosophical Framework and Values We teach a Cherished Living Philosophical Framework. Our philosophy is
based on the belief that each person has the innate capacity to heal and
transform. In addition, we believe that each individual has his/her own
unique healing blueprint and signature. We hold that healing blueprint in
divine reverence, as we assist people in locating, treasuring and deepening
their lived commitments to a unique healing framework.
We practice what we preach by living in alignment with our own unique
Cherished Living statements.
Pacing of the Course and Check-list
In Section 2 of this Workbook, you will find a detailed Course Outline. To fulfil
all the requirements of the Course, we suggest that you use the table below
as a guide.
Check Box when complete
Course Requirement When to Start Fast Track Finish Recommended Finish
3 Case Studies You can begin your Case Studies any time after Day 5 of in-class training
During Phase 2 2-4 weeks following end of Phase 3
Online Course: Break the Worry Trance
Phase 2 Phase 2 Phase 2
Final Exam You will receive the Exam on Final day of Phase 2
Any time prior to, or on Day 10 (Phase 3)
1-2 weeks following your completion of Day 10 (Phase 3)
Phase 1: Days/Modules 1 - 5 (see attached Course Outline). Mandatory in-class days
Phase 2: Days/Modules 6 and 7
Phase 3: Days/Modules 8/9/10
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Course Overview This 100-hour training program has been designed specifically for mental
health and counselling professionals who are interested in the clinical
application of hypnosis in the therapeutic relationship. Students are provided
with practical and theoretical immersion opportunities throughout the
program and are expected to demonstrate competency as a Clinical
Counselling Hypnotherapist through the sufficient completion of case
studies, clinical consultations, on-site clinical demonstrations and practicum
requirements, along with an 80% pass grade in the final exam.
This training and certification program emphasizes the integration of both
classical and clinical approaches to hypnosis, within the general framework
of integrative psychotherapy. Particularly, this framework emphasizes:
• Incorporating Ericksonian methodology into Psychotherapy
• Integrating hypnosis with parallel clinical tools, including CBT,
mindfulness-based therapies, and solution-focused brief counselling
• Applying hypnotherapy in strategic interventions for anxiety, phobias,
OCD and mood disorders
• Designing trance-work strategies in the treatment of trauma
• Administering hypnotic protocols for pain management, stress
reduction, and general wellness coaching
• Assisting clients to access their own “inner therapist” resources
through a range of trance-work techniques including age regression,
core belief work and parts therapy
• Integrating energy medicine and psycho-spiritual healing with
evidence-based approaches to mental health treatment
Course Outline
Clinical Hypnotherapy in the Counselling Process
Total Course Hours:
100
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Overall Course Outcomes 1. Demonstrate professional competence in the safe and effective use
of clinical hypnotherapy in the psychotherapeutic relationship
(including, but not limited to the demonstrated proper use of
hypnosis psycho-education; hypnotic suggestions; inductions;
regressions; and trance dialogue)
2. Formulate a comprehensive and individualized clinical hypnosis
session outline that includes the strategic and effective use of
induction, deepening, suggestions, pacing, leads, post-hypnotic
suggestions, and trance-work interventions
3. Write customized hypnosis scripts targeted to the clinical
presentations of anxiety, pain and/or trauma
4. Administer trance ratification, deepening, and depth testing
methodologies
5. Apply Ericksonian methodology in the intake, assessment, formal
hypnosis and counseling process
6. Identify and discuss historical influences on myths, perceptions and
current practices in clinical hypnosis
7. Compare and contrast clinical and classical approaches to hypnosis
8. Integrate hypnosis programming and protocols with mindfulness-
based strategies in psychotherapy
9. Integrate hypnosis programming and protocols with CBT informed
and solution-focused strategies in psychotherapy
10. Discuss the research, current directions and clinical implications of
hypnotic phenomena in therapy
11. Select and implement three differing techniques for non-scripted
inductions
12. Define and discuss clinical hypnosis, indications, contra-indications,
and considerations for continuing competence
Texts and other instructional materials
• Day, Karen. I Can’t Stop Worrying - Guide to Hypnosis with Anxiety, Panic and OCD. Daybreak Clinic, 2011
• Day, Karen. A Mindful Practitioner’s Guide to Hypnosis. Daybreak Clinic, 2010
• Day, Karen. Breaking The Worry Trance. Global Mind Body, 2015
• Daybreak Handouts of Inductions
Additional Recommended Reading
• Hammond, D. Corydon. Handbook of Hypnotic Suggestions and Metaphors. WW Norton, 1990.
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Course Delivery Format and Break-Down
of 100 Training Hours
The course content is delivered through combined in-person and on-line
learning venues, with a minimum of 40 direct contact hours (mandatory in-
class training). A more specific break-down of the 100 training hours is
provided in Appendix 1. The programming is delivered in three phases,
beginning with a five day in-person classroom training. The class-room
training is highly interactive with mixed mini-lecture, demonstration,
discussion and on-site practice applications.
Following completion of the 5-day small group training (maximum of 10
students), each participant is required to complete 30 hours of online and
virtual training delivered through Global Mind Body and the “Sensei”
learning platform which includes pre-recorded video-taped lessons,
interactive and reflective online exercises, and virtual support through tele-
conferencing. In addition, the student is required to complete three case
studies (with ongoing access to instructor for clinical consulting) and to pass
a Final Exam. A minimum of 8 hours of group supervision is also included in
the course.
Instructor
Karen Day is a Master’s trained Registered Social Worker specializing in
psychotherapy. She is in full-time private practice as the Clinical Director of
Daybreak Therapy and Training -- a multi-disciplinary clinic and training
centre dedicated to integrative approaches in mental health, psychotherapy,
and wellness coaching.
Karen has provided training for mental health professionals through various
organizations including the Canadian Society of Clinical Hypnosis - Ontario
Division, the Ontario Hypnosis Centre, the Canadian Mental Health
Association, Hincks-Dellcrest Centre, and the Children’s Aid Society. She also
been involved in applied research on the subject of mindfulness (Centennial
College), and has taught mindfulness, meditation and hypnosis to hundreds
of post- secondary students, private practice clients and professionals at
various social service organizations, training institutions and school boards.
In both her clinical work and professional teaching, Karen draws upon her
extensive training and studies in strategic psychotherapy, CBT, hypnosis,
mindfulness-based psychotherapy, and Eastern inspired approaches to
wellness.
Formal Assessments
3 Case Studies -
Required Pass
Mid-Term Test 1
(Breaking the Worry Trance) -
Required Pass with 80%
Final Exam -
Required Pass with 80%
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Syllabus
Lessons Learning Outcomes Instructional Strategies
Training Day/Module 1
1.1 Introduction
Main Topics:
• History, definitions and overview of both classical and clinical approaches to hypnotherapy;
• The role of the unconscious mind vis-a-vis psychotherapy and mental health treatment;
• Myths vs. research foundations, including discussion of neuroscience and trance-work;
• Contraindications, Ethics, and safety protocols
1.2 Classical style inductions
Main topics:
• Basic induction framework;
• Suggestibility testing / depth levels;
• Trance ratification and deepening techniques
• Depth testing;
• Inductions and Re-alerting best practices
1.3 Basic Intake and Assessment
• Rapport and psycho-education best practices
• Define hypnosis and articulate key historical influences on both classical and clinical developments in hypnotherapy;
• Discuss the roles of unconscious mind, and consciousness in the context of psychotherapy and hypnosis;
• Demonstrate knowledge of ethics, safety and competence in inductions and in trance work;
• Demonstrate basic induction, deepening and re-alerting
Class-room based Direct Contact Hours:
• Lecture and group discussion
• Think, pair, share
• Student Clinical practice
• Clinical demonstrations by instructor and students
Training Day/Module 2
2.1 Essential Ingredients in session
Main topics:
• The crafting of suggestions and goals;
• Assessment considerations;
• Intake and the basic session format;
• Embedding novelty into hypnotic process;
• Pacing, rapport and leading;
• Post-hypnotic suggestions and directions;
• Maintaining momentum;
• Working with resistance;
• Ego strengthening;
• Evaluating your session
• Formulate hypnotic suggestions and goals;
• Perform intake, assessment, and induction using basic session format;
• Demonstrate knowledge of ethics, safety and competence in the use of hypnotic suggestions, directions, pacing and session facilitation
• Demonstrate one rapid induction
Class-room based Direct Contact Hours:
• Lecture and group discussion
• Group round robin
• Clinical demonstrations by instructor and students
• Session simulations and role playing
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Lessons Learning Outcomes Instructional Strategies
Training Day/Module 3
3.1 Mindfulness, Mysticism and Mental Health
Main topics:
• Applications of mindfulness-based interventions with hypnosis
3.2 Hypnotic Regression Work
Main Topics:
• Applications of regression in hypnosis; Indications and contra-indications; protocols; Inner Child work.
• Describe inter-relationship between mindfulness-based psychotherapy approaches and hypnotherapy
• Practice mindfulness interventions in conjunction with hypnotic interventions
• Practice administration of hypnotic regression
Class-room based Direct Contact Hours:
• Lecture and group discussion
• Student Clinical practice
• Clinical demonstrations by instructor and students
Training Day/Module 4
4.1 Clinical Hypnotherapy and Ericksonian Principles
Main Topics:
• Integrating classical and clinical hypnosis;
• Ericksonian framework;
• Metaphors and language patterns
4.2 Core Beliefs Part 1
Main Topics:
• Impact of early beliefs;
• Merging CBT with hypnosis programming
• Identify and summarize at least three Ericksonian principles in hypnosis work
• Practice integration of Ericksonian language patterns and approaches into trance work
• Describe and draw core belief cycle
• Name 3 cognitive traps and their corresponding possible negative core beliefs and clinical implications for hypnotherapy
Class-room based Direct Contact Hours:
• Lecture and group discussion
• NLP Game
• Story-telling exercise
• Student Clinical practice
• Clinical demonstrations by instructor and students
Training Day/Module 5
5.1 Core Beliefs Part 2
Main Topics:
• Transforming core beliefs with hypnotherapeutic interventions
5.2 Fears and Phobias
Main topic:
• Systematic desensitization with imagined exposure; simple phobias protocols
• Summarize 2 core belief hypnotic practice protocols and corresponding coaching strategies
• Write script targeting core belief transformation
• Practice inductions, suggestions and trance-work with one identified core belief
• Practice trance work protocol for phobias
Class-room based Direct Contact Hours:
• Lecture and group discussion
• Group case study exercise
• Dyadic practice
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Lessons Learning Outcomes Instructional Strategies
Training Day/Module 6
6.1 Breaking the Worry Trance
Main Topics:
• Integrating hypnotherapy into client programming for anxiety and panic issues;
• Hypnosis programming to complement clinical treatment for OCD and obsessive thinking;
• Connections between anxiety and depression; clinical implications for hypnotic treatment
• Describe core dynamics of “Worry Trance”
• Summarize Conscious and unconscious patterns underlying anxiety and mood disorders
• Define “Bridgeway Consciousness”
• Examine hypnotic interventions for anxiety and depression vis-a-vis building Bridgeway Consciousness
• Analyze Case study applications of hypnosis with Panic, OCD and anxiety issues
On-line Class-room
• Student completion of “Breaking The Worry Trance” interactive e-course
• Video classes
• Experiential Skill Builder Exercises / work-sheets
Virtual Support
• Teleconference clinical follow-up
• Case Studies
Training Day/Module 7
7.1 The Role of Hypnosis in Trauma Work
Main Topics:
• Integrating hypnosis into therapeutic programming for healing trauma;
• Staging, pacing and matching hypnotic interventions to stages in trauma recovery;
• Applications of hypnosis with body-oriented psychotherapy
7.2 Working with Ego States and Parts
Main Topics:
• Introductory overview of Ego State therapy and “parts therapy” interventions
• Articulate therapeutic value of hypnotherapy in trauma work
• Identify two hypnotic interventions for each stage of work with traumatized clients
• Explain key guiding principles for integrating hypnotherapy into a trauma treatment framework
• Describe three tools for work with “parts”
On-line Class-room
• Student completion of video classes
• Experiential Skill Builder Exercises / work-sheets
Virtual Support
• Teleconference clinical follow-up
Training Day/Module 8
8.1 Pain Management
Main Topics:
• Protocols, guidelines and scripts for pain management
8.2 Best Practice Protocols
Main Topics:
• Individualized approaches in trance-work; Integrative coaching strategies and principles of SFBT in hypnotherapy
• Practice script writing and 1st Session Framework for pain management client
• Participate in Clinical round table for brainstorming on best practice protocols
On-line Class-room
• Student completion of video classes
Virtual Support
• Teleconference Clinical Round Table
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Lessons Learning Outcomes Instructional Strategies
Training Day/Module 9
9.1 Habits and Addictions
Main Topics:
• Interplay of unconscious factors in the maintenance of habits and addictions; Integrating hypnosis into problem formulation and treatment
9.2 Weight Loss and Hypnosis Programming
Main Topics:
• The relationship between unconscious patterns and weight gain/loss; individual and group programming guidelines.
• Review 5 hypnotically-informed strategies for habit reversal
• Determine role, relevance and indications for hypnosis in addictions recovery work
• Discuss case study highlighting hypnosis work for weight loss and addictions
• Examine research and relevant programming for hypnosis and weight loss
On-line Class-room
• Student completion of video classes
Virtual Support
• Teleconference Clinical Round Table
Training Day/Module 10
10.1 Energy Medicine and Psycho-spiritual Healing
Main Topics:
• Shamanism and Eastern based approaches to energy healing vis-a-vis hypnotherapy
10.2 What Is Your Healing Signature?
Main Topic:
• Exploring unique healing style in hypnotherapy; group review on “putting it all into practice.”
• Write script incorporating one application of energy medicine and/ or psycho-spiritual healing principles
• Create signature healing experience for hypnotherapy clients
On-line Class-room
• Student completion of video classes
• Experiential Skill Builder Exercises / work-sheets
Virtual Support
• Teleconference clinical follow-up
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Break-Down of Programming Hours
Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3
30 hours for completion of webinar “live streamed” and interactive program (program delivered in 6-hour segments via Crowdcast, for 5 days). Students can join in “on demand” or view recordings within a 3-month time-frame
20 hours for on-line viewing of recorded in-class sessions for advanced training topics (includes reflective exercises and optional phone conferencing)
8 hours for virtual group supervision
(4 on-line bi-monthly clinical group
meetings)
10 hours of on-line course: Breaking the Worry Trance
10 hours allotted for three 1:1 clinical supervision sessions, and personal reflection summaries to be submitted to Instructor, following clinical supervision requirements
10 hours completion of Case Studies
12 hours for completion of readings and Final Test
TOTAL HOURS PHASE 1:
30 HOURS
TOTAL HOURS PHASE 2:
52 HOURS
TOTAL HOURS PHASE 3:
18 HOURS
Phase 1: First 5 days of Program (pre-set dates for live-stream training)
Phase 2: Within 4-8 weeks following Phase 1
Phase 3: Within 3 months of program commencement
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Definitions Hypnosis1 can be defined as a trance state of “inner absorption,
concentration, and focused attention.”
Hypnotherapy1 can be defined as the utilization of trance state to assist
people in altering and/or deepening their awareness of thoughts, emotions,
behaviours and perceptions.”
Points to make when explaining
Hypnosis to Clients: • Hypnosis is a natural state
• Trance occurs naturally every 90 minutes
• Gene dialogue/deep meditation
• Highway hypnosis/hypnosis in movie theatres
• A therapy room for the unconscious and conscious
mind to have a conversation
• Practice makes perfect!
Add more points here:
• _____________________________________________________
• _____________________________________________________
• _____________________________________________________
1 Above definitions adapted from American Society of Clinical Hypnosis
Therapeutic Framework
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Reference Chart: Suggestibility and Stages of Depth
Stage of Depth Suggestibility Test Observation Criteria
Light / Hypnoidal Eye-lock Small muscle catalepsy
Deeper Trance state Arm-lock Larger muscle catalepsy
Analgesic / Amnesiac depth Glove analgesia • Analgesia • Amnesia
Full Body Catalepsy Stuck in chair Body catalepsy
Somnambulism Hallucination suggestion • Full anaesthetic effect • Capacity for positive and possibly
negative visual hallucination
Profound Somnambulism Direct suggestion to leave body consciousness
Esdaile state
Deepeners - A Suggestion List
Fractionation:
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Direct suggestions (each time you breathe in…)
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Dishcloth or wet noodle / rag doll - PICK UP AND DROP:
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Sound of voice:
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Thermometer / scale:
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Stairs:
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Confusion technique:
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Pendulation:
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Multi-modal engagement:
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Trance ratification:
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Anchoring / utilizing:
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Counting down:
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Metaphor:
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Opposites:
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
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STARTING TO PUT IT ALL TOGETHER - GROUP EXERCISE
IN SESSION PRACTICE:
1. Rapport building and Psycho-education for client wanting to “generally
get better.”
2. Induction
3. Test and deepen
4. Pre-Sleep suggestion
5. Re-alert
6. Debrief
Pre-Sleep suggestion (wording) Now that your mind is more receptive to suggestions, you can begin to use
the power of your mind and the power of auto-suggestion to help yourself
get better and better. Auto-suggestion is something you can practice each
night before you go to sleep, beginning tonight.
Here’s how you practice this powerful pre-sleep suggestion. Just before you
fall asleep tonight, place all ten fingers on top on your blankets. Lift up the
pinky finger of the right hand as you say in your mind: “each day in every
way, I get better and better.” Then, put the pinky finger down, and move to
the next finger on the right hand, lifting it up and saying: “each day in every
way, I get better and better.” Then, put that finger down and move to the
next one, and the next one…until you’ve gone through all 10 fingers,
repeating this affirmation ten times. “Each day in every way, I get better and
better.” If you FALL ASLEEP before you are finished counting, simply
remember that after a full night’s sleep, you will continue your count.
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Brief History of Hypnosis
Timeline Key Contributor Unique Contribution to our Field
2,500 B.C Evidence of “sleep temples” in ancient Egypt, Greece and China
There is historical evidence of ancient Egyptian high priests and other ancient spiritual leaders offering healing through deep rest and suggestion/ trance inducing rituals.
Mid 1700s Franz Anton Mesmer (1734-1815)
Mesmer, an Austrian physician is responsible for the term “mesmerize.” In the middle of the 18th century, he studied and published findings on what he called “animal magnetism” referring to a healing process that could be observed by manipulating energy fields around people. Mesmer was famous for staring deeply into his subject’s eyes to induce trance while he was also known for having magnetic wands to move energy around people.
Early 1800s Dr. James Esdaile Dr. Esdaile had studied mesmerism as part of his doctoral training and was the first documented physician to practice “mesmeric analgesia” with patients undergoing surgery at a hospital in India.
1843 Dr. James Braid Dr. James Braid, a Scottish surgeon, has been credited with coining the term “hypnosis” in 1843. The word has origins in “hypnos” referring to the Greek god of sleep.
1882 Jean-Martin Charcot
Charcot is known as one of the pioneers of modern-day neurology. He was the first to describe multiple sclerosis. Charcot was interested in the phenomenon of hysteria - a subject he studied and taught extensively in his clinic which he opened in France in 1882. Charcot described hypnosis as an altered somatic state, based on a faulty nervous system. He is most famous for teaching hypnosis to Sigmund Freud.
Mid- late 1800s
Pierre Janet
Janet, a student of Charcot, pioneered research in the area of dissociation as a defense mechanism in the trauma experiences. After Charcot’s death, the French Charcot-Janet school contributed greatly to fore-runner theories in trauma and dissociation.
Late 1800s Ambroise August Liebeault
Hippolyte Bernheim
Liebeault, a French physician who was fascinated by animal magnetism opened up a clinic in Nancy, France in 1860 wherein he treated many medical conditions hypnotically. Dr. Bernheim studied with Liebeault and opened up the Nancy School of Hypnosis. The famous Nancy School of Hypnosis was known to be a rival of the Charcot-led Salpetriere School in another part of France. While the Charcot school viewed hypnosis as a result of hysteria, the Nancy School of Hypnosis viewed the trance state as psychotherapeutically beneficial, not pathological.
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Timeline Key Contributor Unique Contribution to our Field
Early 20th Century
Sigmund Freud
Freud studied hypnosis in depth and was a student of both Charcot and Bernheim. Early on in Freud’s career, he used hypnosis with patients regularly, viewing it as a useful tool. He described hypnosis as his “principal instrument of work” during his early years as a physician. By the turn of the century, he abandoned hypnosis, favouring his own developments in psychoanalysis. He acknowledged the influence of his hypnosis training in the development of his theories, and in shaping the field of psychoanalysis.
1920 Emil Coue
Coue is credited with publishing the first book on auto-suggestions and positive affirmations (Self-Mastery Through Conscious Autosuggestion). He wrote extensively on positive affirmations, his most famous autosuggestions phrase being: “Each day in every way, I am getting better and better.”
1933 Dr. Clark Hull
Dr. Hull was the first Psychologist to extensively research the outcomes and process of hypnotherapy using modern scientific rigor. His book Hypnosis and Suggestibility (1933) determined that hypnosis was not a sleep state, but a deep state of being more receptive to suggestion and motivation techniques.
Mid-20th century
Dr. Milton Erickson
Milton Erickson (1901-1980) was both a Psychologist and Psychiatrist who used hypnosis as he was conventionally trained to do so, in the 1930s during his time as Chief Psychiatrist at the Rhode Island State Hospital for Mental Diseases. He found that many patients are resistant to classical styles of suggestion and hypnosis, and he gradually developed his own indirect and more naturalistic style of trance work (he used both direct and indirect suggestion in his work). The success of his hypnotic work with patients became internationally known and studied. By the 1950s, he had achieved a world-famous reputation, and he was featured in Life magazine. In 1957, he founded the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis (ASCH), and his teachings influenced the development of modern-day “Ericksonian” psychotherapy.
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Hypnotic First Session Intake: Possible Targets Client Description of Problem:
(Brief summary)
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Solution Focused Questions and Imagery:
(e.g.: future movie; future scene; magic wand; inner therapist)
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Externalizing Questions and Image:
(e.g.: how does this interfere with your happiness - examples; what does it tell you to do; how does it show up?)
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Behavioural Targeting Questions and Imagery:
(e.g.: what do you DO …exactly…) (What do you wish you would do differently)
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Feelings Focused Questions and Imagery:
(e.g.: how would you describe the sadness if it was a character in a movie?)
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Somatic Focused Questioning:
(e.g.: where do you feel that in your body?)
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Cognitive Focused Questioning:
(e.g.: what are your thoughts…the helpful and unhelpful ones?)
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Is there a metaphor or image that would nicely encapsulate this issue?
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Other 1st Session Assessment Questions might include:
• What are your hobbies and interests?
• What kind of music do you like?
• What are your strengths?
• Do you have previous experience with hypnosis? Describe
• Imagery not to be used in hypnosis?
• Imagery preferred?
• Special places?
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Suggested Format:
1 Hour Hypnosis Session
First 15 minutes: Check-In:
• If it is the first session, complete the intake
• If this is an ongoing session, check in and follow up on homework, if any
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
15 minutes: Hypnotic Intervention #1:
Examples:
• Mini-meditation or mindfulness intervention, customized to client presenting issue
• Psycho-education if appropriate
• Review hand-out or film clip related to ACT, CBT or another framework you might be using
• Creative art, drama or journaling exercise, etc.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
20 minutes:
Formal Hypnosis
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
10 minutes:
Debrief; Assign homework
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
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1st Session Framework Name: _______________________________
Date: _______________________________
Session Agenda Notes
1. INTAKE AND INITIAL PROBLEM
FORMULATION (20 min)
• Externalize the issue
• How does it control?
• What has it taken away?
• How does it play out? Give examples
Client formulation:
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Client self-talk and patterns:
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Metaphors / Examples:
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
2. S-F Questions (20 min)
a) The miracle scenario (e.g.: -
play me the movie; miracle
questions; goals
b) Motivational scaling
(readiness level)
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Session Agenda Notes
3. Psycho-Education (20 min)
E.g.:
• Cycle of fear/habituated responses
• Avoidance cycle
• Role of amygdala
• Normalize; externalize; demysticize
(draw or explain hypnotically)
4. Hypnotic Intervention (20 min)
Goal: Breaking avoidance
Examples:
• Best Possible Self /pendulation
• N.A.D
• Be With / Agree With / Bring On
• Changing Rules
• Imagined practice
• Metaphors and future pacing
Stress: non-resistance; 1 small thing different; address barriers and work with
resistance; externalize; work with resistance; ego-strengthening
5. Homework assignment and
check motivation (10 min)
Goal: positive early outcome
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Recent research suggests that hypnosis and mindfulness practices inhabit a
common domain, namely with respect to the role of suggestions1. Although
there are general distinctions between the major aims of mindfulness (ex:
cultivating an observer’s mind) versus hypnosis (ex: shifting perceptions to
change behaviours), there is also much overlap and blurring of boundaries
between the two practices. As an illustration, hypnosis programming for weight
loss often includes mindfulness-based visualizations and teachings, such as
learning to experience the sensation of cravings without over-identifying or
acting upon such sensations. By comparison, mindfulness-based weight loss
programs teach mindful eating practices while also often employing hypnotic
visualizations (ex: imagery of a strong tree that can withstand various external
conditions or emotional “storms” while remaining centred and strong like a large
oak tree, rooted in the ground of mindful awareness).
The mindful hypnotherapist is able use his/her expertise and training in both
mindfulness and hypnosis to determine when a mindfulness-based therapeutic
tool will be more valuable for a client than a hypnotic intervention and vice-
versa. In addition, the skilled psychotherapist is ideally able to integrate
mindfulness, meditation and hypnosis interventions into client-centred
programming that is customized to the presenting issues at hand. Here are just
some examples of how the inter-play between mindfulness and hypnotherapy
has been built into clinical counselling practices:
• A client with a history of severe trauma was taught mindfulness-based
techniques such as breathing exercises and the body scan, to help in the
stabilization phase of treatment. During this same phase of treatment,
the client was given a pre-sleep self-hypnosis program that included
1 Lynn, S.J., Malakatris, A., Maxwell, R., Mellinger, D., and van der Kloet, D., 2012
“I hope clinicians who have
embraced mindfulness
discover that mindfulness
approaches are more
strongly related to patterns
and dynamics of hypnosis
than they may have realized.”
Dr. Michael Yapko, 2011
The Mindful Hypnotherapist
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embedded suggestions for a positive future (to assist with normalizing
sleeping patterns and cultivating a preliminary sense of looking forward).
• A client with chronic anxiety, who had not responded positively to
MBSR nor mindfulness/meditation practices, stated that she wanted a
more “directive” and “no nonsense” way of dealing with her “insanely
busy mind.” Since the client responded well to formalized induction
and classical style hypnosis intervention, the seven foundations of
mindfulness were taught over a three-month period, using
visualizations and hypnotic suggestions.
• A client who stated he wanted to try hypnosis but was repeatedly
“unable to be hypnotized” was responsive to the therapist’s invitation
to try a guided meditation, beginning with a Body Scan. The Body Scan
served as a non-threatening induction, and the client achieved full-
body catalepsy in the hypnotic state, following the Body Scan and
suggested hypnotic deepeners.
The Clinical Counselling Hypnotherapist who regularly practices mindfulness
becomes much more skilled in trance-work interventions. While the full
extent of what happens intra-psychically in a hypnosis session is not yet
completely understood, recent scientific research on mirror neurons along
with client and therapist reports of increased rapport and other hypnotic
phenomena such as “magic” occurring in sessions, indicate the following:
Being able to stay present and heart-to-heart engaged (emotionally,
mentally and spiritually) with your client’s hypnotic journey, is
essential for an outcome that involves the client making full contact
with his/her deepest levels of inner wisdom and creative
imagination. The mindful hypnotherapist has the ability to
courageously “hold the client’s working space” without mental
distraction, for clients to do their very best internal work.
From a brain-based perspective, both hypnosis and meditation practices
encourage slower brain wave activity conducive to relaxation. In addition, both
practices are associated with changes in frontal attention systems in the brain1.
The inter-relationships between gene expression, neurobiology and trance-
work have been researched extensively by Dr. Ernest Rossi, of the U.S.-based
Neuroscience Research Group. Rossi states that in any situation of problem-
solving, billions of connections in the brain begin to light up, as the thinker
moves through a 4-stage creative change process which involves:
1. Novelty (curiosity)
2. Incubation/numinosum (frustration)
3. Inspiration (A-ha! Moments)
4. Neurogenesis/Integration
1 Spiegel, White, and Waelde, 2011
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Ernest Lawrence Rossi, Ph.D. According to Rossi, the only job of the hypnotherapist is to help the person
turn on the creative neuron-based activity, so that the “inner genius” located
within the billions of neural connections can illuminate content as a client
moves through the 4 stages of change. Rossi’s research tells us that the
average person moves 12 times a day through a cycle of natural neural
rhythms of arousal-to- relaxation. In 1-2 hours, the brain waves complete a
full cycle. Rossi emphasizes the role of mirror neurons and their role in
motivating the change process. Gene expression is “turned on” by novelty
and surprise, thus hypnosis can stimulate neurogenesis and the building of
new neural pathways, hence client insight.
As Hypnotherapists, we have a golden opportunity to ignite gene expression
for clients – in trance, there is a gene-to-gene dialogue taking place which
mimics this same dialogue that takes place in our dreams, thereby
illuminating relevant data for clients!
Whether we call it hypnosis, visualization, or deep meditation, the brain is
doing the same thing whenever a person is in a trance state. If someone is in
a state of deeply absorbed and focused attention, that person can be said to
be in a trance state. Trance work can be incorporated through various
methods in a client session, whether that be formal hypnosis, visualization,
energy work, or even a provocative and mesmerizing CBT discussion. Good
therapy requires attention with intention on the part of both the therapist
and client.
In the field of clinical hypnotherapy, trance is used as the common thread to
incorporate valuable teachings such as mindfulness principles, cognitive
restructuring, and ultimately - radical behavioural and mental
transformation. Strategic psychotherapy (based on Ericksonian therapy)
draws upon the use of whatever tool or “key” will assist each client, and
trance is used as the glue holding all the keys together.
If you’ve not yet done so, you may wish to experiment with teaching your
clients basic mindfulness and meditation practices. Clients who have the
experience of bringing themselves into a trance or hypnoidal state through a
meditation discipline, are often also able to experience deeper levels of
hypnosis and are generally more amenable to hypnotic interventions. The
following Beginner’s Guide (See next page) is one that your many clients find
useful. These beginner exercises can be integrated (in a clinically appropriate
manner) with hypnotherapy.
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Meditation Primer Some Meditation Exercises for the Developing Practitioner
What is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness generally involves meditation practices and contemplative
exercises designed to bring attention to the present moment, conditioned
mental habits, and intentional ways of being in the world. Mindfulness, as a
reflective way of being and observing, has its origins in Tibetan Buddhism.
Current mindfulness literature is rooted in ground-breaking work that was
completed at the University of Massachusetts by Kabat-Zinn and colleagues
in the late eighties and early nineties. Largely as a result of this work,
mindfulness was introduced in a secular, westernized format to mainstream
medicine.
Kabat-Zinn published many of the early outcomes related to the impact of
mindfulness and meditation for patients at the University of Massachusetts
Medical Centre Stress Reduction and Relaxation Program1. These patients
underwent an eight-week training program known as Mindfulness Based
Stress Reduction (MBSR), a Program that has since been replicated across
various disciplines, in a range of settings, with thousands of people. Since the
1990 publication of Full Catastrophe Living1, many Western social
researchers, educators and service providers have drawn on mindfulness
teachings, to examine and explore their modern relevance in service delivery
to people experiencing the problems of health, illness and everyday life.
What Does the Research Say?
We now know through very recent breakthroughs in medical research on
neuroplasticity and mind-mapping that personality is not static and neurons
are not incapable of re-growth (as believed until very recently). (Begley,
2007). Mindfulness research demonstrates clearly that changes in thoughts
produce measurable, well-studied and proven changes in brain structure and
chemical processing relating to learning, emotions, emotional self-regulation
and social interactions2. Hundreds of studies demonstrate the effects of
mindfulness and meditation on a range of health and mental health
conditions, including general relaxation, lowered blood pressure, lowered
anxiety, improvements in blood sugar, skin conditions, chronic illness and
lowered levels of chronic pain3.
There has been exponential growth in medical and scientific research in the
last 10 years regarding the relationship between neuroplasticity and
mindfulness practices, and the implications of this relationship in the helping
professions.
1 Kabat-Zinn, 1990 2 Claxton, 2005 3 Murphy, Donovan, and Taylor, 1997
Jon Kabat-Zinn defines
mindfulness as “paying
attention in a particular
way: on purpose, in the
present moment, and
non-judgementally.”
Kabat-Zinn, 1994
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For example, Dr. Jeffrey Schwartz and a team of UCLA scientists demonstrated
dramatic results in brain function and processes in a group of 18 patients with
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), involved in 10 weeks of mindfulness-
based therapy. PET scans after treatment showed marked decreases in activity
in the orbital frontal cortex of the brain– this was the first study to show that
mindfulness meditation changes faulty brain chemistry1.
Another landmark study related to mindfulness-based clinical outcomes was
published by a team of researchers treating and studying depression. In this
study, half of the 145 depressed patients were assigned to an 8-week
Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) treatment program, while the
other half received standard treatment. There was a 44% reduction in the
risk of relapse in the group receiving MBCT. This study was replicated in
2004. In the 2004 study, the rate of relapse fell from 78% in the standard
treatment group, versus 36% in the mindfulness group2. As Sharon Begley
reported in 2007 regarding these new studies on neuroplasticity and
mindfulness: “Somehow, mental training (is) altering brain circuits, in what
we might call top-down plasticity.”3
How do I start a mindfulness practice?
You can begin by introducing morning and evening mindfulness practices
into your day. Examples of such practices are included below, along with
other mindfulness and meditation exercises for you to try.
Morning affirmations and gratitude exercises
Each morning, shortly or immediately after you rise, state an affirmation and,
if you wish, an affirmative prayer or reflection. Frame each affirmation as
though it is a reality. For example, don’t say: “I will get along with others.”
Say instead: “I live in peace and harmony with all beings.” Believe your
affirmation, as though it has already happened. The more times each day
you draw attention to and re-state your affirmation, the more likely that you
will create your own reality. Affirmations provide a meditative focus and
mindful tone for each day.
Each evening, before bed, name some things/people/places for which you
are grateful. Allow yourself to focus on and feel the “attitude of gratitude”
and, if it feels right, say your own prayer of thanks.
Daily mindfulness moments
Bringing mindfulness to any activity will transform it into a kind of
meditation. As long as you are doing ANYTHING, you might as well do it with
FULL PRESENCE. Choose any activity (waiting in a line, riding a bus, walking in
nature, washing the dishes, cutting the vegetables... anything!!) and allow
yourself to be “at one” with the activity.
1 Schwartz, 1996 2 Teasdale, Segal, et al., 2000; Ma and Teasdale, 2004 3 Begley, 2007
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Make a conscious/mindful attempt to sense your timeless I AM in the midst
of any every-day activity. Sense the I AM that exists without thought or a “to
do” list and simply be in the moment, richly taking in the experience of
cutting up carrots or whatever it is you are doing. In this way, we are
meditating on BEING while DOING.
Beginner’s mind moments
Each day, notice something or someone, with the quality of a “beginner’s
mind.” In other words, notice things in the same way a baby looks at
something or someone. For example, in an everyday conversation with a
family member, notice and feel how unique and beautiful this person is. You
don’t have to share your observations with the person, simply notice the
observations, and allow a compassion to fill your being. Try focusing 100% of
your energies on this other person’s reality (what they are feeling, thinking,
how they are living) – Be in the moment with the person (empathy) without
focusing back on your own reality. Behold this life with admiration and
respect.
You can look at pets, trees, nature and others in a similar regard. Children in
everyday interactions are good focal points for “beginner’s mind” moments.
You can even do this with the bank teller, the person who serves you coffee
in the morning, or maybe the neighbour who has lived on your street for
years, but with whom, you’ve never really spoken.
Sitting Meditations
The attached hand-out from “Full Catastrophe Living” provides some seated
meditation activities. In addition, you can bring “object meditation” into your
seated meditations. During object meditation, you focus on any mundane
object such as a pen or cup. Choose something that is not likely to elicit
emotion or thinking. Keep your attention on the object, paying attention to
every detail of it. Do this for about 2 minutes or longer if you can. As
thoughts, judgements, labels or object analyses come to your mind, do not
get involved with such thoughts. You want to perceive something with full
presence...let the thoughts or the “voice in your head” become quieter.
Situational awareness
Be aware of one pleasant or unpleasant situation/event AS IT IS HAPPENING.
Notice your body and sensations. Observe your feelings, beliefs, breathing at
the time of the event. If the situation is a pleasant one, take in and be in the
pleasant situation as fully as you can be – clear of any distractions, thoughts,
and/or urges to “DO” something.
If the situation is an unpleasant one, maintain presence and see if you can be
aware of a “calm centre” in the midst of the chaos. Be focused and aware of
your every thought, impulse, urge and action in this situation. If you end up
“losing it” in the situation, simply observe yourself losing it and work
consciously on observing, feeling and letting go. When something is done, let
it be done.
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As soon as possible, regardless of the outcome of the situation, WRITE IT
DOWN. Provide all details on the situation, what happened before, during
and after. Most importantly, what did you learn about the situation? What
did you learn about your beliefs, your patterns, your thoughts, etc.
Peaceful Presence Principles
Borrowing from the writings of Eckhart Tolle and the Dalai Lama, allow
mindful presence to be the main current of daily doings. Peaceful presence is
the point we want to come back to in our lives, as often as possible
(recognizing it’s not possible to be peaceful at all times). “Peaceful presence”
principles include:
ENJOYMENT – Find opportunities throughout each day to be joyful. Embrace
these opportunities, however small, as often as you can. Feel yourself smiling
inward and allowing joy in, as much as possible.
ENTHUSIASM – Joy, with a goal.
PRESENCE OF MIND – When we cannot enjoy moments (e.g.: in moments of
sadness or boredom), let us at least be aware of and accept that life is just,
well... life. As the well-known scripture tells us, there is a time to laugh and a
time to cry. Be fully present with each of life’s moments. As life moves
through us, and as we move through our journeys, let us be AS AWAKE AS
POSSIBLE. For example, when something stressful occurs, imagine saying to
yourself something like: “well, here is stress.” Allow acceptance in and be
fully aware of how you are responding to stress. Be mindful of the fact that
stress is not permanent, everything passes. Be aware of all of your options
and thoughts in any given situation. Rather than fighting or running away
from problems, make some attempts to stay mindful and centred, to learn
from each moment.
GRATITUDE – Cultivating and nourishing gratitude and thankfulness can be
done in many ways. For example, the next time you say, “thank you”, make
eye contact with the giver, genuinely feel gratitude and appreciation for this
person. Another exercise for deepening gratitude is through eating. For one
day, make a conscious commitment to eat gratefully – enjoying and
savouring each bite, every taste and every swallow of the food you are
eating. One meal may take an hour if you commit to doing this...maintain
your focus on the food, the flavour, the sensations and imagine yourself
being thankful for the food, your ability to eat, to taste, etc. Of course, saying
grace before a meal is also a nice way of bringing gratitude into every day.
“Enthusiasm knows where it
is going, but at the same
time, it is deeply at one with
the present moment.”
Eckhart Tolle, A New Earth
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A final note on meditation When the mind wanders during meditation....
• Don’t fight the thoughts away. Notice your thoughts and any
emotional “charge” they carry for you. Maintain an observer’s mind:
Notice, feel, and let go. Notice the part of you that is the “calm centre”
in the midst of the busy thoughts and bring your focus back to the
calm centre.
• Gently continue in bringing your mind’s focus back to the breath or
the part of the body or the situation which is the focal point for the
meditation
• Over time, you will be surprised at how well you can train your mind to
reach points of stillness and calm
• Remember 2 important concepts in ALL of your meditations:
1. Non-judgement: Steer clear of analyzing, judging, labelling your
meditative experiences as “good” or “bad” or anything else.
Meditation is what it is. Withhold judgement ...this is a good
practice to get into, in general. Mindful living is about BEING WITH,
not being superior or being a judge of anyone or anything
2. Non-striving: The best way to meditate is to just do it...free of
expectations. Do not expect anything to happen. Do not strive for
any particular result. Just be still – that is all. If you get caught up in
goals or results that you want, you will lose out on the richness of
simply being. Be still and allow meditation to run its course – do
not try to control it.
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Hand-Out: Breathing and Body Scanning:1
1. Breathing Exercises:
ONE
• Get into a comfortable position. If sitting, assume a “dignified” posture and consciously relax your shoulders
• Close your eyes and bring focus of attention to your abdomen
• Allow the abdomen to rise with the in-breath, and feel your belly go down as you exhale
• Practice “being with” the breath as it moves through your body
• As your mind wanders, gently guide it back to your breath. You may need to do this several times.
• Get into the breath and FEEL every aspect of it, moving thorough you.
TWO
• Simply be aware of your breath at various points in the day. Consciously feel the breath as it moves through you. Don’t force it in any special way. At times, you can visualize breathing into points of tension in your body (e.g.: shoulders, jaws, etc.). Be mindful/aware of yourself as you breathe in life. Be grateful for your body, for your breath. Make a conscious attempt to “befriend” your breath as a centering tool for any time of business, stress and doing.
2. Body Scan:
• Lie or sit comfortably and close your eyes. Take some time to focus on the breath as per above exercises.
• Feel the “whole” body and all the sensations within it. Scan for stress, general feelings of peace. You may wish to visualize your whole body, perhaps surrounded by light or warmth.
• Once you feel the energy or feel “at one” to some extent with your breath and body, bring your attention to the toes of the left foot. (proceed to your foot after a few minutes of “whole body” sensations, regardless of whether or not you feel ready to do so)
• Imagine breathing into your toes and breathing out from your toes in your left foot. Take time to feel every sensation in your left toes. If you are not feeling anything, simply notice that you are not feeling anything.
• When you feel ready, leave the toes, consciously breathe into them and visualize them dissolving in your mind’s eye. Let go and move on...focus a few moments on the breath, and now move to a focus on the sole of your foot, the heel, top of foot, etc.
• Move gradually up your left leg, then your right side, then up through the hips and whole body – focusing on and breathing into/with each part of your body as you scan.
1 exercises are taken /adapted from: “Full Catastrophe Living” By: Jon Kabat-Zinn
References
Begley, S. (2007). Train Your Mind, Change
Your Brain. New York: Random House.
Kabat-Zinn, J. (1990). Full Catastrophe
Living: Using the Wisdom of your Body and
Mind to Face Stress, Pain and Illness. New
York: Hyperion.
Lynn, S.J., Malakatris, A. et al (2012). Do
Hypnosis and Mindfulness Practices
Inhabit a Common Domain? Implications
for Research, Clinical Practice, and
Forensic Science. Journal of Mind-Body
Regulation, Vo.2, Issue 1.
Ma, S. And Teasdale, J. (2004).
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for
Depression: Replication and Exploration of
Differential Relapse Prevention Effects.
Journal of Consulting and Clinical
Psychology, Vo.72, no1.
Murphy, M., Donovan, S. et al (1997). The
Physical and Physiological Effects of
Meditation: A Review of Contemporary
Research 1931-1996. Petaluma: Institute
of Noetic Sciences.
Rossi, E. (2008). The Deep Psychobiology
of Psychotherapy: Towards a Quantum
Psychology of Mindbody Healing.
Republished in The Breakout Heuristic: The
New Neuroscience of Mirror Neurons,
Consciousness and Psychotherapy, The
Milton H. Erickson Foundation Press.
Schwartz, J. (1997). Brain Lock: Free
Yourself from Obsessive-Compulsive
Behaviour. New York: HarperCollins.
Spiegel, D., White, M. et al (2010).
Hypnosis, Mindfulness Meditation, and
Brain Imaging. Hypnosis and
Hypnotherapy. Santa Barbara: Greenwood
Publishing Group.
Tolle, E. (2008). A New Earth: Awakening
to Your Life’s Purpose. New York: Penguin
Books Ltd.
Yapko M. (2011). Mindfulness and
Hypnosis: The Power of Suggestion to
Transform Experience. New York: W.W.
Norton & Company.
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Anxiety: An Overview
The most common types of anxiety disorders include:
• Generalized anxiety disorder
• Panic disorder (with or without agoraphobia
• Specific phobias
• Social anxiety
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
All anxiety is characterized by some common themes:
• Low tolerance/intolerance of discomfort and uncertainty
• Poor internal locus of control (often accompanied by fear of
abandonment /dependence issues, especially in panic disorder)
• Avoidance behaviours
• Pervasive cognitive distortions
(e.g.: catastrophizing, perfectionism, globalizing)
• Panic reaction (except in G.A.D)
• Often, hyper-vigilance/perfectionism
(excessive worry about what others will think)
Hypnosis with Anxiety, Panic and OCD
“Love looks forward, hate
looks back, anxiety has eyes
all over its head.”
Mignon McLaughlin
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Regardless of the anxiety symptoms, the part of the brain being used during
panic/excessive worry is the “alarm centre” response (amygdala). The vicious
cycle of panic is activated as follows:
Panic, Worry and Phobias Rolled into One: OCD
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder characterized by
the presence of persistent, repetitive and intrusive thoughts (obsessions),
leading people to engage in bizarre behaviours (compulsions) to avert an
imagined negative outcome or catastrophe. It is the 4th most common
psychiatric disorder, with about 1 in every 40 people affected1.
The most common and basic types of OCD include: checkers;
washers/cleaners; orderers and repeaters; hoarders; pure obsessionals;
religious obsessions; avoiders (e.g.: avoiding certain numbers; fear of certain
words or saying something wrong, etc.).
From a scientific perspective, PET scans show increased chemical activity in
the orbital cortex (where thoughts and emotions combine) of the person
with OCD, and also in the alarm centre portion of the brain. Various other
1 Hyman and Peck, 2005
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parts of the brain are affected, making individuals hyperaware of stimuli, and
also lacking in capacity (of the caudate nucleus) to filter out unwanted
thoughts. There is a decreased level of serotonin, and an overactive “early
warning system” in the brain.
Symptoms of OCD or any type of anxiety tend to “flare up” in times of stress.
The most promising research to date on OCD and anxiety, points to
interventions that target the following 3 areas:
• Relationship to OCD /panic /anxiety
• Cognitive restructuring (thinking patterns)
• Behavioural and skills-based training (concrete skills)
It’s all in the Thoughts...
The following are the most common cognitive distortions found in persons
with obsessions, worries and ritualizing behaviours:
Common Cognitive Distortions
Overgeneralization/ Global thinking
Catastrophizing
Perfectionism Persistent Doubting/ perceived helplessness
All or nothing thinking Externalizing
Personalizing Magical thinking
Required certainty and sense of safety/comfort
Neat Brain Stuff
The way we are thinking, and perceiving is constantly affecting our brains,
our cells, and our entire evolution as a species. We now know that our
thoughts do indeed change the structure of our brains, thanks to
breakthrough and recent studies in neuroscience. We know from MRI
studies that left pre-frontal lobe activity is associated with positive feelings,
whereas right pre-frontal lobe activity is associated with anger and anxiety.
Recent research shows us that when a person is in trance, there is increased
activity in the left pre-frontal lobe, and a decrease of activity in the right pre-
frontal lobe1. By changing our mental activity, we change the circuitry of the
brain and its neural pathways.
1 Davidson, 2000; Davidson and Irwin, 1999
“Evolution is an hourly and
daily process.”
Charles Darwin
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There has been exponential growth in medical and scientific research in the
last 10 years regarding the relationship between neuroplasticity and
mindfulness practices/mental training, and the implications of this
relationship in the helping professions. For example, Dr. Jeffrey Schwartz and
a team of UCLA scientists demonstrated dramatic results in brain function
and processes in patients with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD),
involved in 10 weeks of mindfulness-based therapy. PET scans after
treatment showed marked decreases in activity in the orbital frontal cortex
of the brain– this was the first study to show that mindfulness meditation
changes faulty brain chemistry in OCD clients1.
Another landmark study related to mindfulness-based clinical outcomes was
published less than ten years ago by a team of researchers treating and
studying depression. In this study, half of the 145 depressed patients were
assigned to an 8-week Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)
treatment program, while the other half received standard treatment. There
was a 44% reduction in the risk of relapse in the group receiving MBCT. This
study was replicated in 2004. In the 2004 study, the rate of relapse fell from
78% in the standard treatment group, versus 36% in the mindfulness group2.
As Sharon Begley reported in 2007 regarding these new studies on
neuroplasticity and mindfulness: “Somehow, mental training (is) altering
brain circuits, in what we might call top-down plasticity.”3
A 2008 Harvard study analyzed the genes of meditators against non-
meditators to measure impact of meditation on gene expression. In a one-
hour experimental session, an average of 77 genes were “turned on” in the
non-meditators sample. In this same one hour, 2-3000 genes were “turned
on” in the advanced meditators sample. For novice meditators, about 1000-
1500 genes were affected. The study concluded that the genetic effects of
meditation may have long-term physiological consequences, including the
slowing down of the aging process4.
The inter-relationships between gene expression, neurobiology and trance-
work have been researched extensively by Dr. Ernest Rossi, of the U.S.-based
Neuroscience Research Group. Rossi states that in any situation of problem-
solving, billions of connections in the brain begin to light up, as the thinker
moves through a 4-stage creative change process5:
1. Novelty (curiosity)
2. Incubation /numinosum (frustration)
3. Inspiration (A-ha! Moments)
4. Neurogenesis/Integration
1 Schwartz, 1996 2 Teasdale, Segal, et al., 2000; Ma and Teasdale, 2004 3 Begley, 2007 4 Dusek, Otu et al., 2008 5 Ernest Lawrence Rossi, Ph.D.
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According to Rossi, the only job of the hypnotherapist is to help the person
turn on the creative neuron-based activity, so that the “inner genius” located
within the billions of neural connections can illuminate content as a client
moves through the 4 stages of change. According to Rossi’s research, the
average person moves 12 times a day through natural neural rhythms of
arousal-to-relaxation. In 1-2 hours, the brain waves complete a cycle, thus
Rossi allows 1.5-2 hours per client session. Rossi emphasizes the role of
“mirror neurons” and their role in motivating the change process. Gene
expression is “turned on” by novelty and surprise, thus hypnosis can
stimulate neurogenesis and the building of new neural pathways, hence
client insight.
As Hypnotherapists, we have a golden opportunity to ignite gene expression
for clients– in trance, genes will mimic the gene-to-gene dialogue that takes
place in dreams, thus illuminating relevant data for clients!
How exciting!!
Mindfulness, Cognitive Therapies and the
Role of Trance
What is mindfulness?
Mindfulness generally involves meditation practices and contemplative
exercises designed to bring attention to the present moment, conditioned
mental habits, and intentional ways of being in the world. Mindfulness, as a
reflective way of being and observing, has its origins in Tibetan Buddhism.
Current mindfulness literature is rooted in the ground-breaking work at the
University of Massachusetts by Kabat-Zinn and colleagues in the late eighties
and early nineties. Largely as a result of this work, mindfulness was
introduced in a secular, westernized format to mainstream medicine.
Kabat-Zinn published many of the early outcomes related to the impact of
mindfulness and meditation for patients at the University of Massachusetts
Medical Centre Stress Reduction and Relaxation Program1. These patients
underwent an eight-week training program known as Mind-fulness Based
Stress Reduction (MBSR), a Program that has since been replicated across
various disciplines, in a range of settings, with thousands of people. Since the
1990 publication of Full Catastrophe Living1, many Western social
researchers, educators and service providers have drawn on mindfulness
teachings, to examine and explore their modern relevance in service delivery
to people experiencing the problems of health, illness and everyday life.
Kabat-Zinn refers to 7 foundations of mindfulness, and these foundations
inform the structure of mindfulness-based psychotherapy interventions
1 Kabat-Zinn, 1990
Jon Kabat-Zinn defines
mindfulness as “paying
attention in a particular
way: on purpose, in the
present moment, and
non-judgementally.”
Kabat-Zinn, 1994
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What is CBT?
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is based on both cognitive therapy
(targeting thoughts) and behavioural therapy (targeting behaviour). CBT
interventions help people to examine and challenge their thoughts and
beliefs, alongside challenging and changing their behaviours. Common
methodologies in CBT include Socratic questioning, thought records, role
plays and cognitive restructuring of faulty belief systems / thinking patterns.
Exposure and Response Prevention (E/RP) is a common CBT method used in
the treatment of OCD, panic and phobias. With E/RP, the client is exposed
gradually to the feared object or situation (graduated exposure). The SUDS
scale is used to determine progress in exposures. Gradually, the person
builds up to the point of exposure to greatest anxiety-producing situation,
and also gradually increases length of time in delaying the ritual or
compulsion. The goal is habituation.
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapies:
Growing from the mindfulness movement, mindfulness-based
psychotherapies (including MBCT, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and
Dialectical Behavioural Therapy) have recently become more widely
researched, adopted and accepted within the mental health field, especially
in the treatment of persons with mood and anxiety disorders. All
mindfulness based cognitive therapies merge the principles of CBT with the
approaches of mindfulness, thus emphasizing the following:
• Being in the moment
• Decentering (being aware of sensations, thoughts, feelings – without
the narrative)
• Radical acceptance
• Non-attachment/Letting go
• Non-doing
• Compassion
How do we put it all together?
(mindfulness, cognitive therapies and trance)
Whether we call it trance or meditation, the brain is doing the same thing, if
there is focused attention involved. Thus, trance work can be incorporated
into client sessions from a number of pathways: a meditation session, a Tai
Chi or Reiki session, a provocative and mesmerizing CBT discussion, a deep
hypnosis or a light trance state...it’s all trance work. Good therapy re-quires
attention with intention on the part of both the therapist and client.
“The aim of the program
is freedom, not happiness
or relaxation”
Segal, Williams, Teasdale –
founders of “mindfulness based
cognitive therapy
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Trance is used as the common thread to incorporate mindfulness principles,
cognitive restructuring, and ultimately – radical behavioural and mental
transformation. Strategic psychotherapy (based on Ericksonian therapy)
draws upon the use of whatever tool or “key” will assist each client, and
trance is used as the glue holding all the keys together.
The Basic Recipe: Strategic Trancework
• Individualized Induction
• Yes-set
• Suggestion(s)/Metaphor(s) regarding cognitive target #1
• Suggestion(s)/Metaphor (s) regarding cognitive target #2
• Move from general to more specific
• Reframing (optional interaction) and behavioural suggestion
• Motivating/ego strengthening (optional interaction)
• Post-Hypnotic suggestion
• Closure
• Disengagement
Putting it all together for OCD
• A flexible blend of classical and clinical hypnotic interventions
• Self-Directed, skills-based and educational training
• Individualized mindfulness training
• Short-term, solution-focused and structured sessions
• Ongoing cognitive and behavioural targets/goals (SMART approach)
The Role of Faulty Beliefs
Deeply held and conditioned belief systems and cognitive patterns consistently
override and over-power suggestions and behavioural-based interventions.
Some of the most common flawed beliefs include the following:
• To be worthwhile, I must do everything perfect
• I have to be prepared, be on guard and be ready for the worst
• I can’t handle uncomfortable symptoms. I can’t handle...
• Not preventing harm is just as bad as causing harm; I have to be
sure ...
• Having a bad thought is as terrible as doing a bad deed/I’m a bad
person
• I must get rid of unwanted thoughts
Interventions “permit and provoke” discomfort and uncertainty. The therapy
objectives are: cultivation of internal locus of control, self-support, and
new cognitive and behavioural skills.
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Internal Locus of Control and Focus
Self Support
Cognitive Skill sets: Sample Interventions
Behavioural Skill sets
Clear mind meditations Recovery phrases* Cycle of worry psycho-education
Graded exposures (self-directed)
“Going inside” and core self-trance work
Calming breaths, teaching self-hypnosis
Noticing the Thoughts/ reframing or thought stopping
In vivo or imagined behaviour rehearsals (amplify panic symptoms in session)
Tonglen and Letting go meditations
Body Scan and trance practice for panic responses
Development of Observer mind
Teaching pattern disruption (e.g.: singing worry, worry time, writing down obsessions, loop-played obsessions...)
Everyday mindfulness activities (I AM... I am here)
Relaxation training N.A.D. or 4-step Distraction techniques
De-emphasis of thought content
Supportive self-talk scripts (must replace external reassurance seeking).
Emphasis on “Life is Messy, then you die” and “you never really know for sure”
Playing the OCD “game”
Mindfulness foundations exercises
Teaching EFT and energy medicine techniques
Motivational interviewing for development of risk-taking
Role plays
TEACH: FEEL FEAR, DO IT ANYWAYS!
TEACH: FEEL FEAR, DO IT ANYWAYS!
TEACH: FEEL FEAR, DO IT ANYWAYS!
TEACH: FEEL FEAR, DO IT ANYWAYS!
*Some Examples: Helpful Recovery phrases:
It’s not me, it’s my OCD
Not mine! Ignoring...
Feels real, no big deal
It’s okay, I can handle this
This discomfort...that’s the price I pay for freedom
This is not an emergency...
Not answering the “what if “question
“Don’t know, don’t care, and keep moving”
“Step away from the thought...Stop, drop and roll”
I might... (faint/die from contamination/cause father’s
heart-attack), and I CAN HANDLE THAT
I don’t want to do this (exposure) – well! – Great practice!
– I’m going’ in
All is well
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Trance Themes/Homework:
Anxiety and OCD Clients
Trance work should begin upon first contact with the client. It is crucial that
all of our interactions, inside and outside of the formal trance, are targeted
at de-hypnotizing the client from his/her current trance of doubt, shame
and/or avoidance.
Trance Themes & Metaphors:
• Behavioural rehearsal in hypnosis (be careful not to set client up)
• Parts therapy
• Empty Chair
• Core Self and somatic processing
• Regression/Future pacing
• Pendulation
• Inner/Higher advisor
• Systematic Desensitization
• Inner child /Reprinting work
• Meditative Trance work (e.g.: breath awareness, body scan)
• Recovery movie (light or deep trance)
Metaphors
• Child having a tantrum
• Schoolyard bully
• Diving into the deep end
• Water metaphors (floating, diving in...)
• Sports metaphors
• Background noise
• Prisoner/prison walls
• Butterflies/nature metaphors
• Automobiles/drive metaphors
The Importance of Homework
Homework should be assigned every meeting, and even BEFORE the first
meeting! Homework exercises might include:
• Play of the day/Recovery sheets and solutions focused homework
• Thought Record (more for generalized anxiety and panic disorders)
• Listening to CDs (Self-hypnosis)
• Visualization List/Writing out New Reality Tale
(future pacing exercises)
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• Thought stopping
• Breathing exercises, meditations
• Stickers, affirmations, points
• 1 thing different/1 thing that scares you
• Lab experiments (clipboard exercises)
• Foundations of Mindfulness (1 foundation per week)
• Mapping the Territory/Reclaiming the territory
• Observer/Commentator
• Self-talk/Key recovery phrases
• The “3-D” exercise (Dramatized? Deadened or Discovered/Directly
experienced?)
• The “4-B” exercise (Lynn Lyons exercise)
Individualized Programming
Every first session should, ideally include:
• Assessment and rapport building
• Psycho-education: What’s going on from brain-based perspective?
• Brain-training overview/programming
• Confidence building/allegiance
• Truisms (Yes-set) and trance work (ideal is CD or MP3 take-home to
begin homework)
• Q and A/Homework
Each session after the first should emphasize:
• Expect anxiety
• Externalize anxiety
• Experiment with a new approach to anxiety
Individualized, age-appropriate interventions can be use in the
implementation of the above. An individualized/custom worry tool-kit should
be developed in collaboration with the client, by the 3rd or 4th session
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The Case of Linda
Session 1:
Intake and assessment; Taped CD of “heavy hand” distraction; psycho-
education (brief EFT introduction, but client didn’t like; attempted somatic
processing, but client asked to stop the process). Client enjoyed being
informed about cycle of worry and role of alarm centre, etc.
Session 2:
Client reported some success in using “heavy hand” distraction while driving
and noticed her worry thoughts (but could not stop them most of the time).
Client stumbling blocks: asking “what if”. Session included a 5-minute object
meditation and the introduction of mindfulness/”being with.” We discussed
how to respond to the “what if” question and a list of recovery phrases was
developed. Client refused to close eyes, refused trance work beyond the
meditation. A discussion took place regarding her “recovery movie.” An Mp3
made outside of session was sent to client (Ericksonian/generative focus on
doing versus feeling; incorporation of recovery phrases, recovery movie).
Session 3:
Client was successful with homework and reported having a good week,
despite triggers such as parents out of town. Client practiced exposure for 10
minutes (hospital parking lot) and waited for anxiety level to drop from 8-4.
Focus of session: Systematic desensitization (light trance) and imagined
exposure for higher level fears/change in attitude to: “I’m Going In”. With
confusion induction, client successfully went into deep hypnosis.
Case Studies
Homework: Listen to CD
Homework:
1. Listen to Mp3 daily.
2. Do one exposure, using
techniques discussed.
3. Beginner’s mind homework.
Homework:
1. Listen to recording of session daily,
2. Increase exposure (negotiated),
3. Mindfulness practice exercises: Letting Go/Non-judgement (Observer versus commentator) (Drops in river)
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Session 4:
Client went into hospital waiting room and waited for anxiety to drop to level
3. Focus of session: safe place induction to introduce more
paradoxical/provocative response to triggers (I want to feel more
anxious/willingness to do something radically different). In addition, a “core
self” tape was made. Continued discussions regarding cognitive and
behavioural responses to stimuli.
Session 5:
Discussed client highlights and what she did differently to avoid panic
attacks. A great few weeks reported with noticeably less panic. Client is
decreasing meds and continuing self-directed exposure work. Still avoiding
doctor appointments. Client reports interesting dreams of being sick and
needing mother to reassure her. Another dream: being kidnapped and taken
from child-hood home. Regression work to happy memory and lessons
learned – future pacing to series of sensitizing events; parenting of “inner
child” introduced as trance theme.
Session 6:
Client successful with doctor’s appointment and continued self-talk/changing
reaction to anxiety. Split screen visualization used. Continued discussion on
how to respond to events, with new attitude.
Session 7:
Client reported 1 incident of seemingly isolated panic attack. Somatic
processing and regression work attempted to locate pre-panic thoughts, but
not successful. Discussed the natural process of anxiety fighting back. Client
reported continued success with driving out of comfort areas. Emphasis was
on value of trusting/using vigilance to stay calm in the midst of a “anxiety
storm.” Travel metaphors used in naturalistic trance work (dancing all the
way back to a deep knowing in the midst of not knowing....).
Session 8:
Client now off all medication, and reports feeling great. Has been going to
doctor visits regularly and practicing exposures (1 big risk was a solo drive far
out of comfort zone). Family members noticing improvements in her attitude
and approaches. Client reports finding “singing the obsession” to be most
helpful method of pattern disruption. She is also catching her thoughts at the
onset, regularly...sticking to her script of recovery phrases. Client stated: “I
think it’s that I don’t want to grow up.” We discussed this at length and built
Peter Pan imagery into discussion (Wendy is never trapped in that grown-up
place, but she’s not trapped in the nursery, either...).
Homework: Listen to MP3;
Exposure; Notice 1 highlight to
report re: paradoxical response
(wanting to increase anxiety),
and 1 highlight to report of
resisting the urge to “give in”
to anxiety mind.
Homework: Mp3; doctor’s
appointment.
Homework: negotiated exposure
work. Introduced pattern
disruption techniques.
Homework: paradoxical practice
and report-back on a highlight; 1
big risk activity; pattern disruption.
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The case of Donna
Session 1:
Donna presents with moderate range OCD symptoms (YBOCS scale) which
include ritualistic hand-washing (over 20 times per day); cleaning (e.g.: daily
laundry and washing of clothes that might “feel” dirty); and avoidance
patterns related to sexual obsessions. She is very interested in mindfulness
and has a yoga practice. Following intake assessment and psycho-education,
began to explore core fear (“I’m a Bad Person”). Began “Cherished Life”
statement. Taught BAM and NAD.
Initial brief hypnotic intervention: Parts of Me / Making decisions based on
goals not feelings
Session 2:
Donna came with completed homework and reported that she was able to
restrain on hand-washing a couple of times each day and was feeling
hopeful. We discussed her motivation for recovery work, and we went over
the framework of RESTRAIN/ RETRAIN / MAINTAIN. Developed handwashing
restraint program with maximum allotment of 10 blue cards per day (BE
WITH was chosen as her preferred strategy). Donna wrote a “BE WITH”
coping statement and completed the “Willingness to Suffer” scale with a
score of 35 (scored lowest on risk-taking). Donna was given a playlist of
motivational songs to listen to while running, etc. (Brand New Chick).
Hypnotic intervention: Running...hitting runner’s wall...moving past the
pain. Used imagery of new runner’s path, new levels of risk, new marathon
with highest prize.
Session 3:
Donna achieved 70% success rate with Restrain program. Discussed cognitive
barriers to achievement of 80% and completed in-vivo exposure work with
germs (bottom of shoe). Practice non-reassurance/no escape/make room
for. Developed Exposure program to complement HW restraint program
(att).
Hypnotic intervention: Napoleon and French Revolution / rules had to
change for the sake of freedom
Homework: Cherished Life
Statement; Listen to recording;
journal “something different”
based on BAM method and
NAD teaching; What has OCD
taken away?
Homework: Listen to recording;
Follow Blue Card restrain program
Homework: Listen to recording;
Follow E/RP program
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Session 4:
Donna reported 80% success with both HW restraint program and the
exposure homework. Assigned higher level exposure homework with
ingesting germs from bottom of boot daily; Taking a no-check walk daily.
Practiced exposure work in office on “I’m a Bad Person” (by creating tape of
“The Molestation”) as Donna asking to move more intensively into RETRAIN
programming. Donna raised issue of “clearing” compulsion. We reviewed
attached “THE CHOICE” and her clearing cycle.
Hypnotic intervention: Prison walls and clearing
Session 5:
Donna reports 90-100% success with all exposure homework related to
germs. However, she achieved only 40% success with non-clearing. Her “bad
person” thoughts are becoming more stressful. We developed “I’m A Bad
Person - I’m Guilty” hierarchy and wrote Molestation Messages (flip charts,
notes in wallets, in pockets, etc.).
Hypnotic intervention: Somatic drop-down and Tonglen
Session 6:
Donna reported 60% success rate with non-clearing. In office, we practiced
“Tell the Kiddie Porn Story” and Donna was able to exercise calm and
openness to this exposure exercise (was highly agitated previously).
Motivational counselling. Donna agreed to continue with same homework,
working up to 80% success rate.
Session 7:
Donna reported 80% success rate with non-clearing and indicated that she is
about 75% complete (show of hands) in her recovery journey. She says she
feels there has been a lot of progress and “things are definitely shifting.”
When asked about how she will know there’s been a recovery, Donna gave
examples of internal markers (e.g.: not feeling stress when triggered) and
had difficulty discussing behavioural indicators. We discussed “putting cart
before the horse” philosophy vis-a-vis behavioural which include Chuck E
Cheese outing day and practice of Reversal of Energy in crowds.
Hypnotic Intervention: Drops in the River (emphasizing letting guard down)
Session 8:
Donna reported success with homework and was proud of the mall homework.
She was feeling a “surge of revved up energy” that felt restless and we practiced
somatic inquiry and “staying with” exercise. She said she felt the terror of
surrendering to vulnerability, and we used most of session to practice this.
Hypnotic Intervention: Dropping down and through
Homework: Listen to recording;
“Tell the Story” of molestation/
pedophilia; Continued HW restraint
and regular exposure homework;
Use NAD for non-clearing.
Homework: Handwashing 4-6
times a day, and continued
exposure work; imagined
exposure 1x daily (Tell the Story);
Reduced maximum quota per day
for clearing.
Homework: Continued daily
clearing quota; Willingness
homework includes daily mall-walk
Homework: Listen to recording,
continued Willingness homework.
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Session 9:
Donna came to session reporting that she felt impact of Tonglen-type
exercises for first time, experientially. Afterward, she began to run every
morning, and started giving herself higher level (Magnify) exposure
exercises. She then experienced a fatigue and what she described as too
much anxiety. Expressed frustration with herself. Focus of session was on
self-compassion and Metta, along with key phrases of “Even this…” with a
gentler approach to fear.
Session 10:
At check-in, Donna’s hands still at 75% point -- feeling frustrated with
stagnation. When asked again about markers for success, Donna began
focusing on feeling benchmarks, but corrected herself and we discussed
behavioural goals. A good deal of session spent focusing on mental striving
versus self-compassion /giving up the fight. She is still ranging between 60-
80% success rate with non-clearing, is engaging in risk taking, but also
reports mental self-reassurances and some avoidance behaviours. States she
is unwilling at this time to engage in higher level Willingness exercises related
to child molestation fear.
Hypnotic intervention: From dark forest (with emphasis on “Even this…”) to
entering caste of light (Focus on ego strengthening)
Session 11:
Donna came to session saying that things are really “crystalling” for her, and
that she is feeling a change from having to do everything with her mind, to
feeling self-compassion and just “going with the flow.” She reports that she
feels more self-acceptance and has been experimenting with “Even this…”
feeling a deep energetic change. She finds herself taking more risks (e.g.:
taking subway every day, “leaning in” to crowds rather than clenching), is
going out more on social outings,
Hypnotic intervention: Self-compassion (Stop. Be still. Stay.).
Session 12:
Donna reports doing well in homework, and in challenging compulsions with
“I give up this fight” self-talk. She says she has begun to feel anxiety due to
work situation, and she has begun subtle avoidance - thoughts relating to
sexual content becoming more pervasive. Practiced “in-vivo” exercise with
sand-play figurines. Since Donna is reading Thich Nhat Hanh, used breathing
in /breathing out affirmations, followed by “staying with” energy during the
figurine play. Donna reported feeling surprised and proud she got through
this exercise and feels ready for higher level risk-taking as homework.
Homework: Continued same
Willingness work; Success journal
of surprises.
Homework: Donna still not willing
to work on higher level exposures
(child molestation) but did agree to
decrease maximum quota on non-
clearing; continue non-avoidance
exercises and listen to tape/
practice self-compassion.
Homework: Figurine Play at
home; Go to daycare in work
building and talk with friend who
works there - try to find excuses
to be around kids.
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The Case of Jackie
Session 1
Jackie is a woman in her 20s presenting with Body Focused Repetitive
Behaviours (trichotillomania and skin excoriation). Client has background of
perfectionism, eating disorder, anxiety and low self-esteem. She reports that
CBT was unsuccessful in helping her. She also reported that she went to a
hypnotherapist in the past who gave suggestions for “feeling intense pain”
with each compulsive action. This hypnotic intervention resulted in a
cessation of the BFRB for a short time, but then symptoms returned and
exacerbated with follow-up and repeated hypnosis sessions.
Jackie stated she wanted to try hypnosis again, since she did notice an initial
success with trance-work. She is currently spending 3-4 hours a day on
compulsive rituals. Therapist and client put together a collaborative
treatment framework to include hypnotherapy to be delivered within an
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) approach combined with Habit
Reversal Training.
Focused Interventions: Cherished Life Statement; Identification of
pattern/cycle which was related to the automatic trigger thoughts of “I’m
hideous.” Initial hypnosis focused on safe place with anchor mudra as
suggested competing response (client enjoys mudras as part of yoga
practice). Avoidance and pre-compulsive behaviours/triggers identified.
Session 2
Client reports success with “Be with” phrase and was able to defer for 15
minutes more than 1x per day. She also listed to tape regularly.
Focused Interventions: Introduced “BAM” method and collaborated on 1
“magnify” exposure exercise (V-neck and off-shoulder clothing). Coaching on
acceptance-based cognitive responses to feelings and thoughts related to
shame and embarrassment. Used Tug of War metaphor to emphasize and
practice. Further discussion on Cherished Life.
Hypnotic Intervention: Elevator induction with suggestions of “a new way of
being that is perfectly imperfect.” Acceptance of imperfection.
Session 3
Client reports 10-15-minute maximums of bathroom rituals (previously
hours) 2x per day. She was successful in going to park with no make-up; She
also followed through on daily magnify exercises and stated that she felt
“giddy and empowered, but also ugly.” Has been using squishy balls as
competing response behaviour and is practicing daily self-hypnosis.
Focused Interventions: Much of discussion focused on Jackie wanting to
transcend self-hate. Client was taught Metta, but she resisted the self-
Homework: Audio daily; deferral
with acceptance phrase and “be
with” practice; pattern interruption
with stress balls.
Homework: Self-hypnosis daily;
Magnify exercise daily; pattern
interrupt; continued deferrals
of 15 minutes.
Homework: 1 ugly walk per day;
self-compassion exercises;
continued exposure/willingness
exercises; quota (10 checks per
day) for mirror checks; daily
meditation or self-hypnosis.
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compassion — therapist used modified meta-visualization, with self-
compassion suggestions brought in at end.
Session 4
Jackie is continuing to successfully complete weekly homework, and sessions
have moved to bi-weekly. She states she feels ready to “let it all go.”
Hypnotic Intervention: Energetic Pathway protocol for regression. Somatic
bridge re: “I can’t be myself - you can’t see me.”
Jackie revisited a childhood memory of being embarrassed and shamed by
mother; processing work resulted in Jackie renegotiating the memory and
integrating new perception and experience.
Session 5
At check-in, Jackie reports great success with the quota system, and is down
to 5 short mirror-checks per day. She is also pushing herself with
willingness/magnify exercises — has deliberately gone to more public places
with no make-up. She finds “agree and proceed” as preferred acceptance-
based mantra to trigger thoughts related to avoidance and BFRB. She also
reports greater ease in speaking and relating to her mother.
Hypnotic Intervention: Prominent tree metaphor with added imagery of
weather patterns and imperfections/discomforts on the outside, while
strong and on path in the inside.
Session 6
Jackie reports she is now at 5-6 minutes per compulsive bathroom routines,
at twice per day. She is feeling like she is “80% better.” The compulsions are
not strong, and the picking has become a “non-issue.” Client reports that she
has begun obsessing about her weight. These obsessions have not translated
into altered eating behaviours, but she reports urges to exercise more and
“cover up belly fat.” Therapeutic discussion focused on transfer of ego-state
energy, and the comparison of ego states to rooms in a house was presented
metaphorically.
Hypnotic Intervention: Rooms in a house with a “great room” of messy joy,
with embedded suggestions for embracing imperfections, and mindfulness
with what is.
Homework: Energetic Ego State
exercise before bathroom rituals;
Bathroom rituals at maximum of 8
minutes per day.
Homework: continued self-
hypnosis and quotas re: checks and
times for BFRBs. Continued
willingness exercises.
Homework: continued self-
hypnosis and quotas re: checks and
times for BFRBs. Continued
willingness exercises.
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Session 7
Client is now dating and enjoying a new job. She is beginning to feel
overwhelmed with demands of new job vis-a-vis perfectionist tendencies.
Continued maintenance of timed routines and quotas on checks. Continued
non-avoidance behaviours.
Hypnotic Intervention: Drops in the River — embedded suggestions for
mindful presence with emotions and cognitions.
Session 8
While Jackie was listening to her audio, she spontaneously saw an internal
image of giving herself a hug. She impromptu practiced mirror work with
affirmation: “I am willing to learn to love you.”
Session focus was on “I don’t want ____________ and I completely accept
__________”
“I don’t like ______________ and I completely accept
___________________________”
Hypnotic Intervention: Elevator induction with focus on self-acceptance and
letting go.
Session 9
Jackie is successfully practicing phrases like:
• “I don’t like redness on my skin, and I CAN LOVE myself even with
redness on my skin.”
• “I hate feeling judged by others, and I CAN LOVE myself even when I
feel this way.”
• “I don’t like feeling like I look hideous, and I CAN LOVE myself even with
these feelings.”
She reports still checking approx. 3x a day, but they are “minimal” looks in
mirror. Her bathroom routines are now down to 3-4 minutes per ritual. She
is still noticing thoughts coming up about weight, but this has not been
accompanied by any compulsive behaviours. She is able to resist urges to
“correct” redness or perceived skin imperfections, about 80-90% of the time
(self-reported), and reports that when she does pick or pull, it’s short and
that she can move on much more quickly and easily. Counselling and
coaching session focused on acceptance-based reframes and self-
compassion work re: relationship triggers.
Homework: continued self-
hypnosis and quotas re: checks and
times for BFRBs. Continued
willingness exercises.
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Session 10
As client wanted to experience regression again (found it very helpful and
noticed big changes after last regression), most of session was dedicated to
another regression. In this regression, Jackie visited a pre-natal experience of
absorbing mother’s shame and depression. During post-processing reframe,
Jackie visualized a chalkboard with all toxic thoughts and phrases erased and
replaced with the phrase: “You are Free.”
Session 11
Termination Session. Jackie states that she has forgiven herself for all her
years of self-deprecation and bodily abuse. She reports talking more
positively to herself and has been practicing self-compassion exercises
regularly. She shared that she is finding herself better able to say no,
especially at work and in relationship with boyfriend (saying no to automatic
tendency to over-give). She says that she is regularly saying “good enough”
and “whatever” while often going public places with no makeup. Jackie has
forgotten to check on some days, and also reports some days of no picking.
The hypnotic intervention was a traditional meta-based visualization,
commencing with self-compassion. Jackie was able to accept this
intervention without resistance.
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Object Gaze (Long Induction)
Suggestions for objects: candle flame; hypnotic picture on wall; or nature imagery
Please find an object to rest your gaze on now.
As you gaze deeply into _________
Allow the gaze to soften in ways that bring relaxation in waves, wave after wave of relaxation spreading with your gaze in
a feel-good, day-dreamy sort of way.
Future Tense
Soon, you’ll notice that your body is naturally becoming more relaxed
Without you even having to think about it
Waves of relaxation travel from the top of your head down into your cheekbones
Relaxing your whole face
While waves of relaxation also spread down
Into your arms
So, your arms will become more relaxed with each breath in
And your legs will become more relaxed
With each breath in,
Your whole body, with each breath,
Will become very relaxed
And soon, you’ll drift into a very peaceful state. Feeling safe, secure and comfortable.
Inductions
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Now in a moment I’m going to count from 10-1
On each count, I’d like you to blink
Now, you can choose whether you blink quickly or slowly or at some pace peacefully in between.
But, here’s the important part, so please listen carefully:
Let each time you blink be an indication to your creative unconscious that you are moving into a deeper, peaceful
hypnotic state.
As you do this, your mind will become naturally more relaxed
And your body will become naturally more relaxed
And so, all the muscle groups in your body will become much more relaxed
SO relaxed that even the tiny muscle groups in your eye-lids won’t want to work anymore….
and the eyes will just naturally, wonderfully close. Maybe they’ll close at the count of 3, maybe 5, maybe even at 8. You can
be curious about that for now - wondering when those eyes will close.
For now, I’d like you to listen for my count from 10-1. And remember, on each count: blink your eyes. So, it will look like this
(DEMONSTRATE 10/9/8)
Good. So, go ahead now
And gaze deeply into _________
Allow the gaze to soften in ways that bring relaxation in waves, wave after wave of relaxation spreading with your gaze in
a feel-good, day-dreamy sort of way.
Present Tense
Now your body is relaxed
Without you even having to think about
So, enjoy those waves of relaxation travelling from the top of your head down into your cheekbones
Relaxing your whole face
While waves of relaxation also spread down
Into your arms
So, your arms are now much more relaxed with each breath in
And your legs are now much more relaxed
With each breath in,
Your whole body, with each breath,
Is very relaxed. Very at ease. Feeling safe, secure and comfortable.
And you can let yourself drift more and more into this very peaceful state that you’re experiencing now.
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And in a moment, I’m going to count from 10-1
Remember: On each count, I’d like you to blink
You can choose whether you blink quickly or slowly or at some relaxing pace in between.
The important thing, as you may recall, is this:
Each time you blink will be an indication to your creative unconscious that you are moving into a deeper, peaceful
hypnotic state.
As you do this, your mind is now more relaxed
And your body is now more relaxed
And all muscle groups in your body - so relaxed
SO relaxed that even the tiny muscle groups in your eye-lids won’t want to work anymore and so the eyes will just naturally
close. Maybe they’ll close at the count of 3, maybe 5, maybe even at 8.
So, listen to my count now:
10 (prompt, if needed, to blink)
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
(If eyes close before 1, state: “good, keep the eyes closed while I continue to count down)
Directive
Keep your eyes softly closed now and enjoy that wonderful, peaceful sense of deep relaxation.
Post-Hypnotic Suggestion
Each time you go into hypnosis, you’ll find it easier and easier to get into this state very quickly and without
much effort at all.
(INSERT SUGGESTIONS HERE)
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Re-Alert
Now, take some time to gradually re-orient yourself back into an alert state. As you allow yourself now to emerge from
hypnosis, take with you the feelings of calm, refreshing energy that will keep you feeling confident, focused and alert for
the day ahead.
1. Beginning to emerge from hypnosis now
2. Feeling yourself getting back into regular consciousness
3. Feeling alert, awakened and refreshed. It feels great!
4. Getting ready to open your eyes as you feel your fingers and toes
5. FULLY BACK NOW. AND OPEN YOUR EYES
Feeling great, feeling alert and refreshed!
Elevator Induction
(Bolded instructions for Operator)
Allow yourself to move naturally into a more relaxed state of being. Take your time to commit, this time…to set your
intention….and move to a slower pace. That’s right.
And as you do that, settling into a slower pace… a more relaxed space… in whatever way you do that - you can close your
eyes and mentally relax the muscles around the eyes… and in the jaw… the neck, and all the muscles around the head and
forehead and the eyebrows.
It’s really just a process of softening. Softening the face, almost as though you are smiling gently inward… Let your
shoulders drop and you let go of a little more tension around the shoulders and the neck and the head and the face. And
take a nice breath in. Good. And breath out. And on the next breath in, count mentally for an inhale of four, 1 -2 -3- 4,
good. And do that again and see if you can exhale to a count of four… So, the inhale is a slow deliberate count of four and
the exhale is a slow deliberate count of four. Just practice that for a couple of times.
And as you do that, you might begin to become more and more focused on and aware of your internal experience. And of
course, you are also aware of external sounds, distractions. But they don’t have to be distractions. They can simply be the
sounds of the heartbeat of life that continues on around you and brings you comfort and safety, anchoring you more and
more, deeper and deeper into an internal experience that’s your very own. Just by breathing in and out (optional: guided
4x4 breathing).
And in your mind’s eye now, create the image of an elevator (or cozy mini-meditation room, if there is a phobia of
elevators). You may actually visualize or see an elevator. Or you might imagine that you see an elevator. It’s fine either
way. But, you do it, imagine the elevator doors opening up and you move into your elevator. And you become aware of
how this is indeed YOUR elevator. Almost like your own little elevator room, that’s just for you. It’s your perfect place of
relaxation and comfort. And as you decorate the elevator walls in your mind, the elevator walls further insulate you in your
own internal reality, deepening your experience of going inward.
Your custom design elevator space is so very comforting to you. There may even be a place to sit or meditate or lie in this
special, cozy, one-of-a-kind elevator. Just for you. Breathing in and breathing out… Something about that simplicity can
feel simply peaceful. And you can also become aware of perhaps buttons on the elevator wall by the doors… or maybe it’s
some sort of panel or system that indicates what floors you will be visiting as the elevator moves downward. And even
though it is not moving just yet, you become aware or imagine you are aware of what that panel looks like. How you will
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know that you are on each floor. Will it be buttons that light up? What colours? Will it be voice command that indicates
each floor? Whatever system it is, design it now in your mind’s eye. Really take a few moments to carefully craft and create
this wonderful internal experience of your custom-made elevator. Your haven, your signal, to your unconscious mind, that
all is well, and it is time to proceed on a journey that has already begun. Take your time.
And so, imagine now that you are on the 20th floor. And I will count down and, on each count, you will imagine stopping at
each floor, but the doors will not open. You will simply notice a gentle stopping, a deep pause… and moving down again,
gently, at a perfect pace for you. So, you move down from the 20th floor, very naturally, very gradually to floor 19 and as
you do that - because you stop briefly at 19 - you feel calmer… You move to 18 and it’s calmer yet. And 17… even more
relaxed… And 16, noticing what you notice as you notice less and less. And moving down even further into relaxation in a
peaceful sense of letting go to 15. And Noticing and maybe even relishing this deep level of relaxation and moving even
further down to 14 and 13, more and more… very, deeply relaxed. You might even be surprised with how relaxed you are at
12, and perhaps how more and more… deeply aware, insightful as you let go. Moving from 11 to 10. Deeply down now
from 10 to 9. Becoming less and less concerned with external realties. You can remember to forget or even forget to
remember, because it doesn’t even matter - the main thing is the peace that embraces. Like a warm blanket that wraps
itself to a level of your perfect comfort - as you peacefully, pleasantly drift down to 8. Peacefully, deeply, at your own pace.
Enjoying, freeing, that sense of 7. In your own way, for a change… 6… 5.
So natural it is now… to let go and you give yourself permission. And I wonder if you can go just a little bit deeper… for 4…
And 3. Very deeply now. To a beautiful sense of stillness and wonder to level 2. Because you can … Look forward to letting
go, all the way down… to level 1. And at 1, the doors open.
(ADD DEEPENING IMAGERY AND SUGGESTIONS HERE)
Optional: Deepening Journey Metaphor
…and you are aware now, that you are in a building feeling very peaceful. In this peaceful beautiful building. Perhaps there
are windows. You even notice sounds or if you hear any sound. As you move across the floor away from the elevator now.
Moving towards doors that lead outside. And you put your hand the door which leads you outside into wide open fresh
air… You find yourself on a sidewalk… And where ever you are in your mind is perfect for you… And so, you continue
walking along the sidewalk. Noticing what you notice… Peaceful walk, peaceful walk and gradually the sidewalk becomes
grassy… And you are aware that you are moving into a more natural setting. Less concrete, and more grass, and more
field. You move more and more into the field. And you gradually become aware that in this field, this expanse, there is a
pathway… And so, you’re now walking that pathway. Notice how pleasant this is, how you feel now… And what the
pleasant pathway looks like. Perhaps you have a sense of how you’re dressed and maybe what’s on your feet… So, you
walk along the pathway… And you’re aware that this pathway is leading somewhere. And even though you don’t know
where exactly, there’s a sense of looking forward to following along. Looking forward to… walk your path. You have a
vague sense of the commitment it takes to walk your path…
And for a moment you might hesitate about that. After all you came from, you can always turn back. But you make a
decision now… on how to proceed, to continue walking your path, and you do so. And notice how nice it feels to move
forward along the path. Eventually, whether that path is straight or narrow or wide or windy or hilly or rocky… However,
that path looks, whatever shape it takes, you follow it, and you follow it, and you follow it… And eventually it leads to a
fork in the road… A branching off into two directions. So… you stop here and pause for a moment, not sure in which
direction to proceed. Right or left. This way or that. And you’re also aware that somewhere ahead on the path is a very
beautiful beach. And you very much want to get to that beach. And it dawns on you, that if you take one branch from the
path it will lead directly and quickly to the beach. And you’re aware that the other branch in the path also leads to the
beach… where the sand is soft… where the water is clear… and the sun brightens the sky… so clearly. You decide right then
and there, which path you will take… you really are committed to walking this path… And so, you proceed one foot in front
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of the other. You proceed because it feels good to move forward. (OPTIONAL: may not be used in situations of grief: It
feels good to say goodbye to one path and to move clearly with intention, with focus, with clarity in this direction now).
And you proceed… Even though at one point, there is some hilly terrain… and it gets tiring climbing up that hill… and
negotiating the terrain… And even though you may be aware that it might be easier to turn around… you’ve made a
commitment with focus, with intention… And so, you simply anchor in this commitment as you climb to the top of the hill.
Optional: Ego Strengthening and Moving Forward Suggestions
(especially indicated for clients with background struggles)
There’s a large bird flying overhead, and you can hear its calls and sense its majesty with all of nature, beckoning you,
encouraging you, to continue… Until you are all the way on the top of the hill, and from the top of the hill you have a bird’s
eye spectacular view of the beach. And you’re so close now, so close you can almost taste the smell of the beach and the
air. And feeling so much more confident now that you’ve made it this far. And so, the only choice is to keep going. And the
sun seems to shine brighter as you celebrate that choice, that success. Knowing the success of reaching the top of the hill
was born out of a long journey and a difficult climb upward. But all that is behind you now and it fades completely from
your mind, fades completely out of your visual screen. It doesn’t even matter, it’s as though it didn’t even exist. All that
matters is where you’re going. And you’re picking up your pace now, and feeling so much more confident, so much more
liberated. So free… to almost run now toward the beach, feeling your feet on the sand as you make contact with your
destination. Enjoying that… You may even hear the waves gently and beautifully lapping on the shore. And that reward of
liberation, proceeding with confidence. And so really, really… feel and see yourself now on that gorgeous beautiful expanse
of beach and sun. And the rays of sun warming your skin, your face, even your hair and your hands. And the perfect
temperature of the water. And the perfect sounds and smells around you. And breathe in all this beauty. And here you
become aware that this is a very special place and time for you. Meant just for you.
Optional: Reframing and Integrating Time-Line
And you become aware that on this beautiful beach, there is a gentle wave taking shape now in the water. And this wave
represents to you and reflects back to you all of your past. Especially your past images that relate to the issue that you
have now. You notice all those images of yourself, your past self, dancing in the wave. And you go forward into the water,
with a curious and gentle view, meeting the wave peacefully, allowing it to wash over you, cleansing, healing, wash over
you completely… and the wave naturally dissolves into the water. And then it’s gone. And, you feel so refreshed and
cleansed, purified and healed by that wave. And you are grateful, so grateful for this.
And smiling inwardly again, you sense another wave gently, gradually taking shape. And interestingly, this wave represents
for you where you are now especially with that particular struggle, around confidence, around _________. And you allow
this wave and all of its images of your present-self, struggling, pondering, striving. All the images, all the words, all the
thoughts in this present wave, picking up now as the wave grows larger and bigger… And you allow it to wash over you
completely and it feels good as it washes over you, cleansing, healing. And as the wave dissolves back into the water from
which it came, you can easily let go completely of that present wave. And it feels good to do that, because you are very
aware now of something in the distance — a new wave approaching, a beautiful and pleasant new wave — perhaps it’s a
different colour and shape than the others, a different feeling altogether… And that beautiful, gentle wave that is coming
to meet you now. This wave represents your future. Your future… based on where you are heading with confidence into…
your future… with focus, with clarity. Your future success. Confident, liberated, healed. You see all the images of your
future-self now coming to meet you. And with outstretched arms you allow that wonderful wave of the future to meet you,
and move through you… and merge with every molecule and every cell in you… and in the water around you… And you feel
so healed now. And this brings you comfort, and you decide to, somewhere along the beach now, celebrate your new
reality. The one new reality you’ve created simply by walking your path, staying on it, being committed, being focused.
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You’re celebrating your new reality. You decide to celebrate this with a gentle rest, a nap. You stretch yourself out
somewhere along the beach in perfect proximity to the sun’s rays, the amount of warmth being just right for you. Warming
you, basking in the glow and radiance of the sun. And you have a rest… reflecting, reflecting on your new reality.
Optional: Future-Self and Anchored in Commitment
And in your rest and your reflection, you become ever so peacefully, wonderfully, blissfully aware of a figure, a gentle
healing figure coming towards you. Coming to meet you on the beach. This is your future-self coming to meet you now on
the beach. You allow that image to take shape: yourself, five years from now. Your future-self that has walked this path,
and continued to walk it, for the last five years.
This future-self is here, to impart wisdom with you. And so, you take this opportunity to have a dialogue with your future,
wise self. Your future-self shows you - through an image in the water - a scene of what you will be doing five years from
now… so, you peer into the scene of yourself five years from now. Notice what you’re doing; who is around you; notice
what your wearing. The scene coming more and more into focus. You might even be happily surprised by what’s happening
in this scene. The snapshot of you in the future, what you’re doing, what you’re saying, how you’re carrying yourself, how
you’re walking, how you’re talking.
And you turn toward your future-self on the beach, who is now watching you watching the scene of yourself in the future…
and you can look into the eyes of your future-self and simply ask: how do I get there? How did you get there? From here to
there… what is the most important thing I need to know now?… And just listen. Just listen for words of advice… or perhaps
an image… or however it is that your future-self imparts wisdom to you… Allow for that wisdom to sink in. Fully.
And as that advice, as that wisdom for you sinks in, your future-self gives you a gift, maybe the gift is a phrase or an
affirmation. Or maybe the gift is something from nature, or a symbol of something. But see your future-self giving you this
very special gift and receive it from your future-self. See, feel and sense this gift fully. This gift is your reminder that you’re
never alone. You always have your wisdom. And your reminder to you of where you are headed with focus, full
commitment, no hesitation, full confidence. And you are determined to proceed. And as you allow that image of your
future-self to leave your visual screen, that sense of focus and commitment sinks in to every cell, every layer, every aspect
of your being. There is no hesitation, it is done. And as that sense of calm, focused, very focused liberation, sinks in even
deeper, you pledge allegiance… you pledge allegiance to this commitment to your future-self, above all else, no matter
what. Really allow that to sink in and be absorbed at every level of consciousness, every level of awareness, every level of
self. Let it guide you in the next few days, weeks, months, years to come. Let this be the time you will re-member as the
turning point. And with full allegiance to that commitment to your new reality.
Re-Alerting
I will now count you up from 1-10. But know that you can always, very quickly, easily and effortlessly, return to the core of
yourself, to your infinite wisdom that is beyond all thought, beyond all emotion, beyond all external circumstance. You
can return easily and effortlessly at any time to your core truth.
10 Taking your time to gradually integrate all of the new learning
9 Gradually re-orienting yourself to the present moment
8 Bringing your mind back into your body…
7 Good, a nice healing and refreshing breath in…
6 Moving into regular consciousness now, with a gratitude and a new sense of renewed com to your path.
5 Feeling your body here now. Feeling your arms and your legs.
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4 Coming more and more back with your mind fully in your body now, feeling refreshed and alert. Take another
refreshing breath in.
3 Feeling your fingers and your toes, giving them a wiggle, feeling so happy for the journey that you’re on, feeling
grateful and recharged.
2 Fully aware, re-vitalized, re-focused. Excellent. Feeling wonderful in every way!
1 All the way back now… a big stretch, all the way back in, OPEN YOUR EYES, COME ALL THE WAY BACK NOW… You’re
Grateful for your lessons and your path.
Special Place (with naturalistic induction lead-in)
Instructions to operator: Begin with gradual deepening, and transition to “yes-set” (example: you know, you
mentioned to me that it took you longer than expected to get here to the office today... (embedded suggestion: good
things worth waiting for); and I don’t know what exact route you took, but I do know that you were probably curious
about the first meeting and what would happen; and you’ve been curious about things in the past, too... projects... new
beginnings... not knowing how things would turn out... It’s interesting how one can look forward with anticipation... and
yet not know... at the same time... (embedded suggestion – possible to feel more than one emotion at the same time)...
And, isn’t it also interesting how even as you sit there now reflecting on all this, you might notice relaxation spreading
more and more, as you might be wondering... looking forward... anticipating... what next?
And you can... spread that relaxation... notice how it spreads, maybe in waves, maybe in just a felt sense of a blanket of
warmth or comfort... spreading... notice how that comfort moves through you – perhaps from your head and facial
muscles down... perhaps across your shoulders… into your arms… the relaxation travelling like gentle moving waters down
the arms and the hands… and into the tributaries of the fingers…
As the body relaxes, so do does the mind - making it easier and easier to let go. The way a small child holding onto a
balloon, lets go of the string on the balloon, and the balloon rises… into the air… and as it moves farther and farther up
into the skies… it appears smaller and smaller…
It’s curious how calming that can be - watching something get smaller and smaller like watching while holding onto an icy
snowball in the palm of one’s hand… observing and feeling how that cold, icy snowball gets smaller and smaller in the
warmth of the sun… and how the coldness transitions into warmth. And gets warmer and warmer. Just by letting go.
And how you do that... How you CAN LET GO is completely up to you. How you’ll use your wonderful, one-of-a-kind
creative imagination to open up to a peaceful, one-of-a-kind gateway to that MUCH WISER, MUCH DEEPER part of
yourself... that part is up to you.
I’d like to suggest that you take some sort of pathway or bridge to help you meet with this deeper, wiser part of yourself…
in your own special place, a sanctuary in the mind’s eye. So, imagine, if you will, in your mind’s eye now… some sort of
pathway or bridge that will you take to your own special, magical place of the creative imagination.
Maybe it’s a bridge or a road or water-way that takes you to your special place. Whatever way or path you take… do that
now. Allow yourself to go to your special, healing place - maybe your special place is real or maybe it’s imagined - maybe
you see it in your mind’s eye, or maybe you just imagine you see it. Maybe you feel it. It might be a place in nature or
somewhere else. It’s perfect for you. The temperature is perfect, the colours are perfect and pleasing to you, even the
sounds around you begin to surround you in feeling so relaxed, so safe, so comfortable.
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Take some time to decorate your special place with a sound-scape and all the imagery of wonder and delight... gentle,
peaceful sounds… gentle, peaceful colours… notice how the mind can design just the right sounds and deep feelings of
serenity. How that just happens... there may be serene bursts of tranquil and new colours and a tapestry of tranquility
and peace... this special place almost paints itself into existence. You can almost smell the aromas that for you represent
deep relaxation…
This is your place, your time. For you to enjoy. You might find a place to sit or lie in here. You feel very at ease… Very
Happy on the inside, close to even glowing on the outside.
Whatever needs to be added for your ease, just simply add it now.
Ask your unconscious creative mind to do that for you. While you fully appreciate the experience of a deep inward
journey - Fully appreciating your time, knowing this is your time, to feel wonderful in every way.
I’ll stop talking now to allow you to take this time - a looooong time in hypnosis and a short time in real time, to just enjoy
- letting that comfortable peace seep into every cell, every molecule, every aspect of your entire being... curving its way all
the way around your DNA... making its way to a resting place, a special place - deep within.
Awakening
And... Smiling inward... you allow yourself to very gradually and gently re-orient yourself. To help you do that, I’ll now
count from 1-5.
1 - Bringing your mind all the way back into the body now...
2 - Taking a nice, deep refreshing breath in...
3 - Coming all the way back
4 - Refocused, rejuvenated, feeling great....
5 - Open your eyes - fully awake.
And feeling wonderful!
The Power Is In Your Hands - Induction
In this induction, the “problem” is used as a primary content pathway for facilitating a more mentally receptive state for
helpful hypnotic suggestions.
(Bolded instructions for Operator)
Induction
(can be open or closed eyes)
I’d like to begin with an energy exercise that involves you thinking about a problem you’d like to work on. Think about a
problem now. You know, at various points in your life you’ve had to problem-solve; And, I don’t know when the last time
was for you that you had a dilemma - maybe it was a simple decision-making dilemma like what to have for dinner, or
maybe it was something that felt bigger. But I do know that you’ve had at least some experience with decision-making.
Decisions you’ve been happy about and maybe some you’re still wondering about. And, I do know, that if you’re human,
you’ll know exactly what to do when I say: “Focus on a problem.”
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It doesn’t require much thought to focus on problem. And for you... right now... it doesn’t have to take much effort, to
focus on A Problem. The problem. It may seem counter-intuitive to be asked, in a therapeutic session, to think about the
problem. But, actually - what you’ll find as we go through this exercise... is that often what seems like the big, scary
PROBLEM takes over so much of our awareness (If client’s eyes are closed: ask to open: view hands: Use hands to
symbolize “taking over”), that all of our energy is used to HOLD US IN (use hand to demonstrate), to tighten us up... and
this takes a lot of mental effort (demonstrate with hands).
And, the thing that happy people have figured out is HOW to LOOK AT THE PROBLEM (Use hand motion to demonstrate
looking at hand), in such a way (and there IS an artful way to look at a problem - I’m going to show you how in a
moment)... that the energy of the SOLUTION (use hand to demonstrate) is freed up... and once that solution energy is freed
up... it’s free to MOVE (move hand to demonstrate)... and then, YOUR unique, one-of-a-kind, super-creative, brilliant
unconscious healing energy becomes free to problem-solve IN YOUR UNQUE WAY (bring hands together), to heal and
resolve.
So, are you ready to try this healing energy exercise now? (Good. Close eyes)
To help you do this, in a few moments, I’ll count from 3 to 1, and when I get to 1, I’m going to use the word: “STRIVING.”
When you hear the word “striving”, you can allow yourself to just go ahead and try to get yourself deeply absorbed into the
energy of the problem - allow yourself to get fully into all the striving and trying and thinking and over-thinking about the
problem. It will just be for a FEW MOMENTS... No big deal, no over-attachment to the content of the problem... but, for the
purposes of this exercise - FOR THOSE FEW MOMENTS... I’D LIKE YOU TO EXAGGERATE the energy of this problem issue as
you allow it to move through you - all the way (demonstrate: wincing eyes, clenched jaw and fists, etc.). You’re going to
allow the problem to represent itself completely in the way your body feels, the way your shoulders and jaw feel... allow
this energy to magnify and express itself as though you can become a “statue” of THE PROBLEM.
So, here we go now. Thinking about the problem. Getting more and more into it. Feeling it. 3-2-1. STRIVING. So, go ahead
now:
Allow yourself to just go ahead and try to get yourself so fully, so deeply absorbed into the energy of the problem - yes,
that’s right... allow yourself to fully get into all the striving and trying and thinking and over-thinking about the problem.
AND REALLY EXAGGERATE the energy of this issue as you allow it to move through you - all the way. Allow the problem to
represent itself completely in the way your body feels, the way your shoulders and jaw feel... allow this energy to magnify
and express itself as though you can become a “statue” of THE PROBLEM.
Good. Excellent. Notice the feeling and energy of the problem. Feel it fully. Good.
And now - just shake that off... yes, that’s right (demonstrate relaxing, “shaking off” energetic presence)... take a nice,
healing breath in. And, relax.
And now, to help you really feel the difference between striving energy and healing energy, I’m going to again count from
3-1 (or ring bell), but this time, I’ll use the word “HEALING” and when I do... allow your body and mind to soften and centre
into healing energy completely. However, you do that. Just for a few moments - softening and loosening. Opening to a
feeling of lightness and rightness - healing energy as it restores and rejuvenates just as completely as you can... resting into
that highest, and most centered and present, solution-focused version of YOURself, YOUR energy, YOUR highest self.
Ready?
Okay, here we go. 3-2-1 (or ring bell). HEALING. Yes, go ahead - Fully and completely now:
Allow your body and mind to soften and centre into healing energy completely. However, you do that. Just for a few
moments - softening and loosening. Opening to a feeling of lightness and rightness - healing energy as it restores and
rejuvenates just as completely as you can... resting into that highest, and most centered and present, solution-focused
version of YOURself, YOUR energy, YOUR highest self.
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Good. And, I invite you now to open yourself to softening around the edges... just a little bit more, if you can, and feel ready
to do that... an opening as in the way that flowers open up to the sunshine. There might even be a pleasant colour or feel
or image that comes to mind... Yes, NOTICE how that feels. Enjoy this time, your time to simply notice and allow this
energy of no words, no concepts, no constructs - simple, unobstructed awareness... of a gentle, easy energy... resting its
weight so lightly on your shoulders like soft clouds easing those shoulders down. And with each breath in, you can allow
yourself to sink...deeper and deeper in... to this softening energy... like a pleasant, warm breeze around soft, wispy clouds...
a light, inviting breeze that beckons your chin up ever so slightly toward the sun....gentle weights... cloud-filled.... that are
smoothing down your shoulders... chin gently tilting up toward the sun... and now, sitting in a gentle, upright and dignified
position... completely comfortable, completely centered, in a way that represents your best and highest, healing version of
who you really are.
(INSERT DEEPENERS / EGO-STRENGTHENING SUGGESTIONS)
Optional Suggestion: Power Switch
Excellent. Now, keeping your eyes closed and maintaining this tender, softened mental state, Imagine that somewhere
inside of you lies the central control for this best and highest healing part of you. Where would that part of you be? Search
around inside and just notice. Where in your body can you imagine that part of you located?
When you’ve located that internal central control for your highest healing energy, you can deepen your experience of this
by mentally assigning a colour to this highest and best part of you - what would that colour be? And you can also assign a
shape to that healing energy... and you can ask your unconscious creative imagination to show you in colour and shape
how to move that energy through you now.
And, if you like, you can stay here enjoying the experience of this healing energy - going to wherever it needs to go in your
body... whichever part of you needs healing most. It just knows exactly where to go on its own without your help... you can
just watch... allow... and let this healing energy do its therapeutic work for your best and highest good. That’s right. Letting
that happen.
Optional Suggestion and Hypnotic Exercise: Healing Hands
And, if you feel ready to go just a little deeper... I’ll count from 3-1, and when I get to 1, you simply open up the palm of
your hand, and allow that same healing energy - the colour and shape of it - to move a part of itself (but not all of it) out of
your body and into the palm of your hand. You can be curious about which hand will open to that ball or blob or shape of
unique healing energy. You might already feel the tingling or sensations of which hand it will be... that opens up when I get
to the count of 1.
3 allowing part of that energy to swirl itself into a healing shape…
2 the shape moving from inside your body…
and 1... into the palm of your hand.
And just notice how the hand, as it holds that healing energy lightly for you, wants to move. You can observe how the hand
feels as it moves itself naturally in tandem with an open book of solutions and new perspectives for you. Just let the healing
hand move and around and express the solution in its own way. Yes.
If this, the healing hand, your solution hand had a message for that problem you were thinking about earlier - what would
this message be?
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And you can naturally and easily let your other hand represent the problem. So, focusing all your awareness for a few new
moments on the other hand - the problem hand - allow this hand to have its own qualities of colour and texture. Notice if
this hand feels heavier or lighter than the solution hand. Allow this hand to express itself as the problem hand moves in its
own way.
Isn’t it wonderful how you can experience the 2 different sensations... those 2 hands can dialogue with each other...
unobstructed by words... through simple movement expression, through energies... the problem and the solution... moving
energies... unconsciously resolve… Yes.
Allow the problem hand to move and express itself fully... the fingers to form into various shapes and to move as the
unconscious does this important work... just allowing... and, the solution hand to do its healing work... those fingers
forming and moving artfully as the unconscious wisdom finds its way into the portals of those hands.
Each hand moving to its own music... own rhythmic swaying to the healing directives of the collective unconscious, the
individual sub-conscious, the mind-soul know-how and deep wisdom of the ages... all that power... in your hands.
And that power... that... solution... moving out in waves and signals.
And that knowledge which comes naturally… that insight…
New shifts in awareness trickling in like waterfalls... settling in like peace does. Naturally, easily, effortlessly.
And let a resolution occur now and be expressed in these moments with the hands... signaling that your unconscious is
doing what it needs now in allowing you to become much more open to helpful suggestions, helping you to unlearn what
no longer serves you… and helping you heal for you best and highest good.
A resolution, a hand-expressed deeper understanding
Deepening your knowledge of that... without you even having to try
Re-Alerting
Your unconscious mind will continue to do its work in healing and resolving... in the next days and weeks to come, while
you rest and even while you sleep, and move through dream states every evening... new insights... shifts and new
perceptions... higher understanding...
In a few moments I’ll count from 1-5... as I do, allow those 2 hands, if they have not already, to come to a healing place
and resolution for now. As you do so, bring yourself gradually back into regular awareness.
1 Looking forward to new insights, smiling inwardly...enjoying the cognitive shifts and new perspectives happening now
2 Coming gradually back now...into regular awareness. Re-orienting yourself to the present
3 All things coming together, feeling peaceful and revitalized
4 Coming all the way back now, your mind all the way back into your body
5 Refreshed, revitalized, OPEN YOUR EYES... nice, healing breath in. Smile
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Rapid Induction
Rapid Induction #1: Arm Drop Induction
Put your arm out in front of you like this. Very straight, very locked in. Good.
Now, I’d like you to take a nice deep breath and close your eyes with the exhale. Excellent.
Now, keeping your arm outstretched, imagine your shoulder unlocking
And your elbow unlocking
And in your own time, in your own way… allow that arm to slowly surrender to the gentle force of gravity.
Letting the arm slowly drop…
with nothing you have to do…
Nowhere you have to go…
This is your special time…
That’s right…
And as that hand meets a surface - your leg or the seat of your chair
This is a wonderful indication for you to drop…
Just a little more deeply
Just beneath the surface…
In a relaxed, comfortable way…
Your way… your time…
Letting go a little bit more…
in a way that feels just right for you.
Rapid Induction #2: Object Gaze - Rapid Version
Please find an object to rest your gaze on now. As you gaze deeply into _________
Allow your gaze to soften in ways that bring relaxation in waves, wave after wave of relaxation spreading with your gaze in
a feel-good, day-dreamy sort of way.
Good. Now… you can drop your shoulders and drop your chin ever so slightly. So that your eyes cast slightly upward while
you gaze at your object of meditation. Relaxed shoulders, relaxed jaw. Excellent.
Relax every part of you, especially the tiny muscle-groups in your eyelids that are by now perhaps getting heavier and
heavier. As you notice the eyes getting more tired, more heavy, you can realize that those eyes can close whenever they
want you. And, as you CLOSE YOUR EYES, your brainwaves SLOW DOWN, and it feels wonderful… to DRIFT DOWN
PEACEFULLY and comfortably into your own ideal hypnotic state.
Rapid Induction #3 : The Hand Hold
Would it be alright if you put your hand lightly on the palm of my hand? (obtain permission)
Are you ready to go rapidly into a hypnotic state? Good.
All you have to do is press lightly down on the palm of my hand while I lightly press up.
I’m going to lightly resist (demonstrate) each time you press down (demonstrate).
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So, you Press down… I resist. And now you press down… good. (practice resistance briefly).
Now this time, see if you can double your relaxation with each press down.
Press down. Double the relaxation. Good.
Press down again. Doubling the relaxation with each press down. Right.
Now we’ll stop here for a moment.
Take a deep breath in and close your eyes.
Thank you.
I’m going to count down now from 5-1. On each count, You’ll press down as we practiced, and you’ll continue to become
more and more relaxed with each count and each press down. On the count of 1, you will be so relaxed, your whole body
will become loose and limp, and you’ll enter into a very peaceful hypnotic sleep. Let me know with a nod if you
understand these directions (wait of yes signal)
Thank you.
I’ll now count down:
5 - press down. Deeply relax (operator slightly resists)
4 - press down. More relaxed. good
3 - down. Deeper and deeper relaxed
2 - down. Deeper and deeper.
1 - SLEEP (Operator says “SLEEP” while pulling hand abruptly, in a downward motion while snapping fingers).
Rapid Induction #4: The Eye Roll
Get into a comfortable and secure feeling, relaxed position.
As you relax and get comfortable, see if you can find a way to sit with your back straight, shoulders down and look straight
ahead.
Keep your arms, hands and legs loose and limp. Very relaxed.
Good. Shoulders down, jaw relaxed, facial muscles relaxed, body relaxed.
Sitting very comfortably now, move your eyes - just your eyes… to the top of your head or if you prefer, the ceiling.
Imagine there is a window at the top of your head or the ceiling that you can magically look out of. You can look thorough
the window into the bright, blue open sky.
As you gaze at the sky, your eye-lids might become heavier and heavier until they want to close. And as the eyes close, your
level of relaxation depends richly, as you go inward.
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Script: Dialling Down Reactivity
From: Affect Regulation Toolbox: Practical and Effective Hypnotic Interventions for the Over-reactive Client.
Dr. Carolyn Daitch, 2007.
Used with Permission.
In Your safe room… there is a desk with a large dial on it… a dial with a needle that points to your current level of tension
(or reactivity) on a scale of 0-11… and when you can see the needle registering on the dial, please nod… (client nods).
OK… Good… And now… I want you to superimpose a shaded area… a zone of comfort… and also a red zone signifying
excessive anxiety or tension… intense reactivity… Perhaps the optimal shaded range goes from 0 or no reactivity to 2 or
3…just a little bit of tension needed to handle situations that arise… and the red zone is from 8 to 11… and, once again,
nod when you are able to visualize the dial with the two zones… (nods).
OK… and, if the needle is not in that optimal range…if it’s on a middle range number… or if it’s in the red zone… can you
utilize the power of imagination to dial the number down… to move the needle into that optimal range?... Again, nod
when you have been able to move the needle into that range… focus on your breathing… deep, relaxed breaths… waves
of relaxation… slowing your pulse… lowering your blood pressure… moving that needle down into the optimal range… nod
when you are there… (Nods). Very good.
Now think of some event or situation that you are worried about or perhaps simply a stressor that is actually… in reality…
just an inconvenience or an aggravation… yet you experience it as much more… with too much intensity.
And now concentrating on the dial, notice what number the needle on the dial is registering. You can use the power of
your mind to dial the number down to be in alignment with the right level of tension that this concern merits. You might
even imagine also using your fingers to turn a knob to move the needle down to that desired level.
Your unconscious mind will advise you as to just the right level… of reaction this concern merits so that you can be
effective, focused, yet relaxed… in control… It may be that no reactivity is in your best interest, or maybe you just need
some emotional energy… to handle the situation with measured reactivity. Now slowly take three deep breaths. In and
out… in and out, relaxing a little bit more… you become more, more, and more deeply relaxed and see the situation that
was upsetting or worrying you, and you see the needle moving down now to where it should be. Can you notice how
much more in control you feel?
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Isn’t it nice to know that you are in charge and that you can dial down your reactivity with the power of your mind?
Sometimes the stress of an event or a relationship or some unavoidable challenge will come into your life, and you can be
reassured to know that you can determine how much you’ll react or even if you react at all… Now I am going to be quiet
for a moment or two while you see yourself practicing the calming breath… visualizing your quiet room with its desk and
its dial… and seeing yourself intentionally dialling down as you continue to relax… and enjoy this experience…
Each time you dial down, it will become easier and easier to feel in charge. You can make a daily commitment to dial
down your reactions, and as you do… you may say a supportive statement… You might say the phrase “I am in charge of
my response.” Say that phrase to yourself now three times, and as you do it, store it… integrate it… put it in a mental file…
holding on to it… reinforcing it.”
©Dr. Carolyn Daitch, 2007.