Scripts and Strategies in Hypnotherapy, Volume 1 - Softcover

Allen, Roger P.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1899836462 ISBN 13: 9781899836468

Publisher: Crown House Pub Ltd, 2001

Synopsis

In various schools it has been established that the use of scripts in therapeutic procedures produces better results. Far from constricting the therapist, scripts can be used as a framework upon which to build the most successful therapy sessions.

Written by a practising British hypnotherapist, this indispensable book contains an extensive series of scripts which can be used either as they stand or adapted to incorporate the specific needs and requirements of the client. Areas covered include inductions, deepeners and actual scripts, and strategies for a wide range of problems, from nail biting to getting a good night's sleep, sports performance to past life recall, pain management to resolving sexual problems.

Highly acclaimed as a valuable tool for anyone starting out in the field of hyponotherapy, this book forms an indispensable guide for all hypnotherapists, containing a wealth of useful, accessible information.

About this title

About the Author

Roger Allen is a practising hypnotherapist who constantly seeks to improve the effectiveness of therapeutic endeavours. He readily accepts that all progress in this field is achieved as a result of informed debate and clinical experiment, and, consequently, this book is the culmination of the work of many dedicated therapists.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

So much has been written concerning the "state" that is termed hypnosis and the attempts to describe it in scientific terms have been many. For the purposes of this book, I would describe the "state" of hypnosis as an altered "state" of awareness that will allow access to the subconscious, having reduced the critical analytical interference of the conscious rationalising processes.

The process of inducing hypnosis is in effect a focusing of the conscious processes to a point where an altered "state" of awareness is achieved. In this "state", those activities can be relaxed to the point where we still "hear", as our normal physical abilities are not impaired. This is similar to being engrossed in a television programme, whilst overhearing a conversation in the background.

Basically, all else just fades into unimportance. "There are three main components of the process of inducing hypnosis: relaxation, imagination, and enactment." (Hildegard & LeBaron, 1984)

The subconscious part of the mind continues to hear all that is to be heard and in the same manner continues to react to stimuli whether visual, tactile, oral, olfactory, but is not subject to the same degree of rational conscious processing. The subject is not asleep or unconscious.

Information presented to the subconscious within this "state" will not be subject to the alterations of perception that are the mark of conscious processing of information and stimuli.

In stage hypnosis, this concept is often demonstrated by a suggestion such as that an onion given to the subject is in fact a juicy apple. The subconscious will accept the suggestion uninfluenced by the rational conscious mind. The subject will taste not an onion, but an apple.

Once trance "state" has been induced, then a process of deepening can be utilised, relaxing even more the constant chatter of the inner mind, allowing for therapeutic change to take place at a subconscious level.

Examples of deepening techniques are included in these pages. These techniques can be a very simple utilisation of a technique known as "compounding". Typical examples of this are: "as you experience X you can go ten times deeper into trance"; "I'm now going to take your right hand and, as I release it, it will fall into your lap just like a wet towel and you will go five times deeper into trance".

In order that we can facilitate changes in attitudes and behaviours, the therapeutic session continues using strategies that, when employed in conjunction with hypnosis, emulate recognised learning patterns. Suggestion therapy is very powerful, using positive affirmations that provide new and more beneficial responses to situations and conditions.

The practice of couching meaningful messages within metaphors was widely employed by the father of modern clinical hypnosis, Dr Milton Erickson. He used this technique as further distraction of conscious rationalisation while the important new learning was assimilated at a subconscious level. Hypnotherapy is in fact a teaching process, as we utilise the capabilities and the potential of the subconscious, taking advantage of our ever-increasing knowledge of learning patterns.

Whichever of the strategies is employed, they all have value and are effective. It is the skill and experience of the therapist in deciding which of the tactics available are most appropriate for his/her clients which will determine efficacy.

The hypnotherapy session concludes with a reorientation to conscious awareness, usually with a count. "I am now going to count from one to five and on the count of five you will be fully awake and aware". Of course, there is here an opportunity to give some suggestions such as: "On the count of five you will be fully awake and aware, feeling relaxed and comfortable as if you have had a refreshing nap". Discussion of the content of the therapy session is discouraged with the use of distractions such as, "What have you planned for the rest of the day?" Within the scripts and strategies, I have included some italicised text. These items are for the guidance of the reader in his/her use in therapy, and I trust that these and the manner in which the material is presented will allow for easy understanding and utilisation.

A number of the scripts and strategies employ Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) techniques. I would recommend that the reader take the opportunity to obtain some of the excellent works by Bandler & Grinder and by Andreas & Andreas on these concepts. I have included some of their works in the acknowledgements (at the end of this book), and they are available from most good book stores, or from the publishers of this book.

Edition details

• Publisher: Crown House Pub Ltd
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 1899836462
• ISBN 13: 9781899836468
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 176