Introduction to Hypnosis in Action

I have compiled these case histories to use as a teaching tool. I think that it is very educational to observe sessions by other hypnotherapists. Since that is not feasible once you have left training, this book provides a bird's eye view of some very interesting cases. I will explain my approach to make the journey more easily understood.

 

At the beginning of each session I ask my clients to set a goal for their session. For example, if we're addressing improving self-esteem I ask which piece of that issue they want to resolve today. It helps them to define their outcome and encourages them to set their intention at the same time. Clients tell me that before the appointment they start thinking about their goal. Sometimes they don't think about it until they are driving to my office, but they know that I'll ask so they do give it some attention. It also helps us to stay on track with regard to time. A few of my clients would keep talking the whole session and avoid doing their work if they could. Asking about their goal gets us back on track. It also helps me to determine what method to use to accomplish their goal. For example, if I hear them talking about a part that wants this but another part wants something different, I'll very likely use parts therapy for that session.

 

Notice how the information about where to take the session next comes from the clients‚ inner knowing. If I make a suggestion that isn't accurate, clients do not hesitate to correct me. Dave, a client I have worked with numerous times, regressed and found himself floating in a space of nothingness. His inner knowing informed him (and me) that regression was not the appropriate choice and that his current issues were not rooted in the past.

 

Over the years I have discovered that many clients drop down into hypnosis so quickly that it is disconcerting. They feel as if they are spinning out of control. For that reason, I always check as I'm deepening trance to make sure that they are comfortable with the level. Other clients, like Rebecca, have trouble letting go so I check in to see if they feel that the level is deep enough.

 

I begin each session by taking clients into a safe, peaceful sanctuary. At least that is my goal. Occasionally, clients report that the sanctuary is filled with odd furniture, darkness, even monsters. Naturally, everything represents something in their subconscious mind so it does give us a starting point. Years ago a client reported finding a masked monster in her sanctuary. She had insisted that her goal of weight reduction had nothing to do with the incest from her childhood. After all, she told me with quite a bit of anger, she had spent five years with a talk therapist. Naturally,
once she felt safe enough to remove the mask, she discovered her father.

 

Most clients do experience peace and safety in their sanctuary and I allow them to linger there for a few moments to fill up with those good feelings. For some clients I think that it gives them the energy to do the work as well as a place to return to if they need a safe place. It can also be very informative to return to the sanctuary once the issue is resolved and see if that inner landscape has changed.

 

Although I use certain techniques repeatedly, I use them differently depending on the client. I normally use a progressive relaxation induction however you will discover a few case histories where I have used a utilization induction, using the client's life experiences to take them into trance.

I have been asked many times over the past few years when I am going to write another book of scripts. My hope is that this book will adequately fill that space. As you read through these cases you might find yourself thinking that this isn't how you would have handled the situation. And that's great. Uncovering an area where I am in disagreement often opens a new door to a creative approach that I would use. Perhaps that will happen for you as well.

 

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