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- Herausgeber: Crown House Publishing
- Kategorie: Fachliteratur
- Sprache: Englisch
A collection of brand new general scripts from Lynda Hudson, author of Scripts and Strategies in Hypnotherapy with Children ISBN: 9781845901394. This book covers: Also included is the use of Hypnotic Language and suggestions for varying scripts for particular clients. This volume is an outstanding complement to Roger Allen's now classic Scripts and Strategies in Hypnotherapy ISBN: 9781904424215 and will be welcomed by beginner and experienced practitioners alike. Lynda Hudson, a former teacher, is a clinical hypnosis practitioner who specialises in working with children. She is a lecturer in clinical hypnosis at the London College of Clinical Hypnosis (LCCH) and provides master classes in using hypnosis with children. Covers: Anxiety;Panic Attacks;Phobias; Sexual problems; Breaking habits; Sporting performance; Managing dyslexia and related; Social stigma; Essential tremor; Tics and twitches; Urinary incontinence; IBS; Pain control; Preparation for and recovery from childbirth; Sleeping difficulties; Speaking in groups, meetings, conferences etc; Enhanced business performance; Preparation and recovery from surgery and illness; Coping with mild to moderate depression;Recovering memory (not recovering traumatic memory)
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Praise for More Scripts and Strategies in Hypnotherapy
Even when I use regression or parts therapy, suggestions and imagery are used at both the first and last session … so there is always a place for well written scripts. Lynda Hudson’s More Scripts and Strategies in Hypnotherapy is filled with useful ideas. Her hypnotic phrases included in the opening chapter are so excellent that they would likely be praised by Erickson himself! She blends many other metaphors throughout her book. Many of Hudson’s offerings are slanted for medical uses of hypnosis, which is great for hypnotherapists who work with medical referrals. The author’s ‘soothing liquid calm’ for IBS is masterful; and she also offers some unique scripts for pain management, as well as for pregnancy and childbirth.Roy Hunter, published author of several hypnosis texts
Lynda Hudson’s latest book, More Scripts and Strategies, is deliciously broad in scope, covering a wide range of topics. It is a phenomenal teaching tool with in-depth information and explanations and is written with great clarity. As a hypnotherapy instructor, I especially appreciate the suggestion boxes of variations, adaptations and recommendations. They provide additional teaching for both the novice and the established hypnotherapist. A highly recommended, well-written book of scripts!Katherine Zimmerman, author,Hypnotherapy Scripts, Vol. II
Perhaps best known for her work with children, Lynda Hudson now uses her extensive therapeutic knowledge and scripting skills to encompass adults, producing a unique and innovative book that steps beyond the bounds of the usual collection of scripts. Far from repeating what is already on the shelves, she has looked for what is missing and has admirably filled the gaps. With each script being analysed in detail we are left in no doubt as to the therapeutic meaning and implication of every individual component. These factors and more combine to make More Scripts and Strategies in Hypnotherapy stand out as an original and exciting inclusion in the pantheon of script books, one that has plenty to impart to even the most experienced of therapists.Peter Mabbutt FBSCH, FBAMH, CEO/Director of Studies, London College of Clinical Hypnosis
This excellent book by Lynda Hudson somehow manages to weave influences from all kinds of diverse sources into an exciting coherent whole. It is everything you would want of a new hypnotherapy sourcebook for students and practitioners – fresh, practical and accessible. An important contribution to the development of hypnotherapy scripting, More Scripts & Strategies in Hypnotherapy synthesises the best of traditional approaches with important new developments emerging across a range of different areas.
Combining practical accessibility with theoretical sophistication, this book will be invaluable reading for beginning therapists and experienced clinicians. The individual scripts presented and the self-practice/self-reflection trajectories will no doubt support continuous professional development in this area.
The author provides a clear rationale for the inclusion of key scripted words and phrases and discusses the importance of the therapist taking into account their own beliefs and emotions in formulating each case.Andy Young RMN, LLB(Hons), LLM, PG Cert Hed, Senior Lecturer in Mental Health Nursing, Sheffield Hallam University
I was delighted when, in 2009 came the book Scripts and Strategies in Hypnotherapy with Children. This book was expertly written by Lynda Hudson. I remember well reviewing this book which was certainly an excellent addition to any practitioner’s book shelf. Most certainly it is a book which is proving, rightfully so, to be a bestseller.
Now Crown House have done it again! I am delighted that we now have More Scripts and Strategies in Hypnotherapy penned, once again, expertly and compassionately by Lynda Hudson. The book, as its name suggests, follows on in the footsteps of Roger Allen, but has its own personal stamp and form.
The book demonstrates fully the author’s deep understanding of the subject and also of the needs of both the therapist and the clients. It has been well researched and thoughtfully compiled and contains a wealth of invaluable advice, guidance and information for the therapist as s/he sets out upon the healing mission, however experienced they may be.
The style is clear and uncluttered and, where appropriate, explanation is given to make sure that the reader is able to gain full benefit from the material. This presentation is geared for practical work. It is thought provoking. This is material you will look at again and again as you build up your own personal resources. Like an excellent novel too it is one of those books you just can’t put down. If you want a ready made script for a particular problem it is there and can be used as it is. However I feel that the work stimulates the practitioner to think and amend and make the material more suited to his or her own personal style of delivery.
Having had a pre-production copy of this I have been able to use some of the material with my own patients. It was very well received and very easy to work with and build on. Material this time has been composed to cover anxiety, panic, phobias and moderate depression. I have used the section on sleep and this was most effective.
Lynda talks about various sexual issues with great care and compassion and the book can be used by the therapist with confidence in an area from which many people shy away. The IBS section is especially worthy of note and I have found that this is well received by patients. Now I am pleased to have a wider selection of material to develop my own work from. There is work on childbirth, surgery and pain, as well as enhancing performance in sport and business. It really is a cornucopia of sheer excellence.
I assure you, here is a book that the whole of our profession has been waiting for. I feel that we cannot afford to be without it as it inspires confidence and delivers the best of material and is written by someone who really understands us, the therapists, what we need and how we tick, as well as having the deepest interests of the clients at heart.David Slater BA, DHyp, MHA(RegHyp), MASC, DCS, MGSCT, Clinical Hypnotherapist and Counsellor
More Scripts and Strategies is a treasure trove for any hypnotherapist looking for new inspiration and ideas. Covering a wide range of issues from basic relaxation to childbirth, sports and surgery, it is fully comprehensive in the subjects covered, yet wonderfully concise in delivery. Each script is accompanied by easy to follow instructions for timing and delivery, along with many other helpful suggestions throughout. As Lynda points out in her preface different clients need different strategies – it simply isn’t ‘one size fits all’; with that in mind this book is an absolute must.Daragh O’Sullivan ICHP PGA
Until now Roger Allen’s book (The Complete Works) has provided more script and idea sources for my hypnotherapy practice than any other reference material. It was indeed a very pleasant surprise to read Lynda Hudson’s More Scripts and Strategies in Hypnotherapy. This is a veritable hypnotherapy encyclopaedia with scripts and succinct notes for a very wide range of problems. I recommend it as an essential reference book.Barry Shirley DCH, Dip Couns, DRM, MASCH, MAHA, MACA, MATMS
The clarity, creativity and practicality of Lynda’s Scripts and Strategies ensure it’s a must for all hypnotherapists, both experienced and novice. Her expertise and exceptional imaginative flair are displayed throughout the scripts. Succinct explanations and therapy options add insight and direction for the practitioner.
I would highly recommend this book.Bernadette Rizzo, Vice President of the Australian Hypnotherapists Association
More Scripts and Strategies in Hypnotherapy
Lynda Hudson
For Jonathon, Tim and Frances
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements
In writing this book I have had enormous support from my dear husband, John(athon), and my good friend and colleague Anne Lesley Marshall. I would like both of them to know how much I appreciate their wonderful support throughout, both practical and emotional.
Jonathon:
Thank you for your patient reading and rereading every word of these scripts, not once but several times over.
Thank you also for your invaluable comments, advice, ideas and your meticulous proofreading.
Thank you for your belief in me.
(Thank you for your nurturing and ensuring that we didn’t go hungry while I wrote!)
Anne:
Thank you for reading and commenting on these scripts and offering your very helpful opinions and suggestions.
I particularly appreciate your very generous advice and suggestions in regard to the section on childbirth. Your midwifery experience has been invaluable to me.
As you have been writing your own book on coaching people to better health, I know how precious your time has been and you have given it to me most generously.
I am also indebted to Dr Anna Zohrabian, Medical Principal of the London College of Clinical Hypnosis, for checking my sections of medical notes and offering extra suggestions. Thank you, Anna.
A big thank you goes to Angela Everitt for trialling many of my scripts and for her helpful comments. Thanks also to John Hempstead, Christa McKinnon and all other colleagues and peers who gave me their comments.
Thanks also go to the team at Crown House; to David, once again for trusting me and giving me no constraints in writing this book, to Beverley and Rosalie for their helpful editing and marketing on my behalf, always so patient and good humoured, and also to Peter for copy-editing and Tom for the cover design.
Introduction
First and foremost I would like to say what an enormous privilege it is to be asked to write this latest volume in the Scripts and Strategies series. I am well aware of the responsibility I have taken on in following in the footsteps of Roger Allen, whose previous volumes have been such an invaluable resource for hypnotherapists all over the world. Naturally our styles will differ, but I hope this volume will complement Roger’s first two volumes.
More Scripts and Strategies in Hypnotherapy is a compendium of scripts intended to complement Roger Allen’s original Scripts and Strategies in Hypnotherapy. This means that some traditional areas such as smoking or weight do not appear in this volume since they were very well covered in Roger’s book and also in many other books. I have, however, included certain conditions or problems which have been covered previously, in particular anxiety, because unfortunately I see more and more patients these days for conditions which are stress and anxiety based and I believe there is a continuing demand from therapists for different scripts designed to relieve these symptoms.
As hypnotherapy becomes better known and understood by the general public it seems that there is more of a demand for help with issues that fall outside the more well known categories of giving up smoking, weight management and relief from anxiety. Consequently I have tried to fulfil a requirement for scripts which deal with issues such as vocal and motor tics, essential tremor, sexual issues, antenatal, childbirth and post-natal concerns to name but a few. There is a substantial section which deals with coping with pain, taking into account emotional and psychological elements as well as physical aspects. There are also several scripts which deal with the different aspects of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) which is a condition which has been shown to have a very good response to hypnotherapy. Indeed, in some hospitals nowadays hypnotherapy has become the treatment of choice for IBS.
Very broadly the issues fall into categories of Mental, Emotional and Physical Health and Well-being, Enhanced Business Performance, Sports and Arts Performance and Public Speaking. The latter includes presentation giving and attending interviews which are well recognized sources of enormous stress to many people in all walks of life. Nevertheless there are many topics which do not fall neatly into the above categories so I decided not to try to ‘force’ them unnaturally into specific section headings. I believe that you, the therapist, will scan the table of contents for the particular issue you wish to address. If you do not immediately find the condition you are seeking, it could be worthwhile your checking the small sections which appear in most chapters suggesting variations, adaptations and recommendations since many of the scripts can be adapted to other issues.
The scripts vary considerably in topic and metaphor so as to appeal to a wide range of age groups, interests, personalities and preferred approaches of both client and clinician. There are healing lakes, cleansing fountains, stepping stones across a stream to a better future and there are mental computers for programming mind and body, mental biofeedback machines and problem-fixing applications to download from the internet. There are healing dreams, inner conversations and parcels to be unwrapped to release unwanted layers of pain. There are also very straightforward, down-to-earth direct suggestions and visualizations of successful outcomes.
I have adopted a format which is a little different from both Roger’s original Scripts and Strategies in Hypnotherapy and my own Scripts and Strategies in Hypnotherapy for Children. The new format allows comments to the therapist alongside the script to give some insight into my thinking; in some cases the comment draws attention to hypnotic devices or explains specific wording, and in other cases it suggests emphasis in the use of the voice or a way to adapt the script to suit the individual client. Thus, although this is fundamentally a compendium of scripts intended for trained hypnotherapists, I have tried to offer the reader something a little over and above a bare script. For the newer therapist it can also act as a teaching tool, pointing out useful presuppositions, embedded commands, generalizations, truisms and language chosen to invoke different sensory experience which otherwise might not be recognized. For the more experienced clinician it offers reminders, explanations and choices. For the hypnotherapy instructor it gives useful examples of theory put into practice and for clinical supervision it provides a basis for reflection and discussion. I would emphasize once again however that the collection first and foremost is intended as a practical sourcebook for practising clinicians whether recently trained or very experienced.
The scripts vary in length and style in order to suit different problems, situations and personalities and stem from years of experience in private practice. Colleagues have also been generous in reading, commenting and, in some cases, trialling scripts more or less as they stand, and, in others, adapting them to suit their own style and that of the individual client. My overriding message to you is to adapt any script to your own way of working. Please feel free to lengthen, shorten and extemporize as you see fit. Personally I am a great believer in embedded commands/suggestions and you will find many of these throughout the scripts, mostly in italics, so be aware of these when you adapt and reword.
There are several instances where the client is asked to carry out a mental activity or is asked to agree to a proposition which will move them in their desired direction. They are given pause for thought and normally my presupposition is that the suggestion will be accepted. In a collection of general scripts it is impossible to account for every response a client might have but it should be born in mind that it may be necessary to reframe ideas and suggestions, include some parts negotiation, or reconsider goals. In this case of course there will be a need to adapt the script and extemporise as appropriate. I have included suggestions for variations, adaptations and recommendations where I feel they may be helpful.
Generally, with certain exceptions, I have not included inductions in the main body of the script, although sometimes I have suggested that one particular style would be more appropriate than another. In some cases just a conversational lead into the script would be fine, and in others, something deeper or more dramatically convincing would be helpful. In a couple of cases where inductions appear as part of the script, they have also been included in the Inductions section itself. This section is fairly brief as many inductions were given in Roger’s collection and they abound elsewhere. ‘Light’ inductions may often, but not always, be more suited to the workplace or sports coaching environment. Incidentally, the ideas in both these sections can easily be adapted and used in a personal setting too; procrastination, for example, is certainly not exclusive to the world of business.
I have offered a greater selection of reorientations since I think this is an area not so well represented in other collections and I believe it is an important opportunity to add suggestions for well-being, ongoing change and progress at the unconscious level. There are reorientations with renewal of hope particularly suitable for patients suffering from pain or illness, others which are especially energizing and others that encourage the listener to put plans to into action. Suggestions for reintegration of parts, mild confusion, partial amnesia or removal of trance phenomena are included in different endings. Some of these suggestions of course are optional but sometimes they will be essential before returning to full conscious awareness of the present moment.
My assumption is that normally problems will require more than one treatment session, so one script is not intended to deal with a problem outright, particularly if it is complex or long-standing. Some scripts will be more appropriate for initial sessions whereas others will provide solid reinforcement.
There are certain issues, however, such as examination nerves, where I have personally found one session to be easily enough. By the way, since in my former career I was a language teacher, director of studies and teacher trainer, I felt compelled to add a couple of suggestions for examination technique in addition to dealing with the performance anxiety aspect. It also means that I am aware of the sheer terror experienced by some teachers when having to undergo inspections or lesson observation/assessments; hence a script to deal with that issue!
Talking of education, here in the UK at least, teaching approaches have come, gone and come back again in popularity over the years, with proponents of one method claiming it is the best or the only one to get results. I have a feeling that it is somewhat similar in the field of therapy but it is my belief that different clinicians help their patients achieve remarkable results through completely different approaches if they have a genuine and passionate belief in them. The approach, needless to say, has to be right for the patient and therapist alike. I know it should go without saying, but forgive me if I say it anyway, that good listening and rapport are crucial. So, of course, are trust and respect, and wholehearted, mutual belief in the method, together with the skill and compassion of the therapist. To that end, this collection contains scripts which involve both direct and indirect suggestion, metaphor, complexity and simplicity, dissociation from a feeling and association into a feeling - although I would add, not all at the same time!
Earlier I said that I have tried to offer something a little over and above the actual script itself. In addition to the accompanying comments, I have also provided at the outset a chapter setting out some useful hypnotic language and expressions to help with devising your own scripts or adapting those contained in this volume. They contain examples, which can be mixed and matched, of presuppositions of success and positive intent, generalizations, suggestions phrased as questions, phrases covering all possibilities of response and various other expressions which lead to the acceptance of a therapeutic idea.
There are also several short sections which provide brief information or points to bear in mind when selecting or adapting a script, or even choosing whether to treat at all before medical diagnosis and referral. For some of you this will just serve as a reminder and for others it may be a pointer to research a condition further before treatment. Where it refers to medical or psychological topics, please be aware that the information is not intended to cover the topic in depth, nor be sufficient on its own, nor to replace medical advice.
Conventions and expressions
I use the words patient and client more or less interchangeably to reflect the different settings where you may practise, for example, hospital or private therapy.
I use the term ‘unconscious mind’ to refer to the processes which are happening outside of our conscious awareness. Memories and emotions can drive or influence our behaviour even when we are not consciously aware of them, or, in some cases, cannot consciously face them. There have been many theories concerning the unconscious mind, those of Freud, Lacan and Jung to name but a few, and of course there are some theorists who believe that the existence of an unconscious mind is simply a myth. In hypnotherapy the unconscious is certainly a useful concept that we can make use of whether through regressions, parts work, or suggestion in order to help a client become more aware of underlying causes of unwanted behaviour and then deal with them more effectively. Some people may prefer to use the term ‘subconscious’, particularly to refer to thoughts or feelings very easily brought into conscious awareness, while others may find that the term ‘inner mind’ is preferable. Please adapt, or even omit, specific terminology in order to fit with your own beliefs and, perhaps more importantly, those of your client.
I use the terms ‘associated’ and ‘dissociated’ in the NLP tradition. The former, having a sense of being inside an experience, seeing it thorough one’s own eyes and fully experiencing it, and the latter experiencing it from a more detached point of view as if seeing or thinking of oneself in a situation at one step removed from it.
I have generally used the words future pace to mean mental rehearsal or pseudo-orientation in time.
Comments to the therapist are normally added as footnotes and are in bold. Occasionally, for convenience, they also occur in the body of the script.
Pauses in the script are indicated by the ellipsis symbol … and a longer pause by [Pause].
Italics are used to show where to use additional emphasis in your voice in order to highlight embedded commands or particularly important phrases.
In some generic scripts examples have been underscored to indicate that they need to be replaced when dealing with other presenting problems.
Parenthesized phrases may indicate either that they need to be spoken rather like an aside (so to speak) or as an option that should be omitted if not relevant. I hope this will be obvious from the text itself.
To my non-British readers
As I am English and live in London, I have largely used British English vocabulary, spelling and expressions, for example in both the areas of work and childbirth here in the UK we have labour whereas in the USA and other countries you have labor. We use practice for the noun and practise for the verb. We have got and you have gotten and so it goes on. So please, be patient and just mentally adapt spellings and change expressions as you go along. Thank you for your understanding.
Lynda Hudson March 2010
Hypnotic Language
Useful phrases and presuppositions
Anxiety, Panic, Phobias
Ratio breathing
This can be used as an induction or a deepener, or simply a short therapeutic activity in its own right.
It is useful to teach the technique before you begin the script and explain how it gives the client control over their breathing.
1Settle yourself comfortably in the chair and let your eyes close and begin to imagine that the air around you is a wonderful colour of calm and comfort … I wonder what colour that would be … and as I count from 1 to 3 … I’d like you to breathe in through your nose that wonderful calming, comforting colour so it spreads throughout your whole body … are you ready? … 2In 2, 3 … Out 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 … In 2, 3 … Out 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 … and each time you breathe out through your nose, you can breathe out any tension in your body … you can even look inside and notice the colour of that tension and … as we count out … just breathe out that colour … Out 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 … breathe away any tension in your mind … that’s right …. breathing. 3In 2, 3 … Out 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 … In 2, 3 … Out 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 … and each time you do this … your level of calm and comfort increases … you become more and more relaxed … you become 4more and more in control of your relaxation … and this will continue as we go on.
5So … as you’ve been breathing in the calm to the count of three and breathing out the tension to the count of six … have you been noticing just how very calming this is? … How it gives you control over your breathing and control over your feelings … and every time you do this … always remembering to breathe 6only through your nose … you will strengthen your ability to stay calm and in control in any situation … you have a tool you can use anywhere … any time … you want to increase your calm and increase your control. So in a moment or two I’m going to begin the counting again and then I’m going to allow you to continue your own 7inner counting … keeping the rhythm … breathing in through your nose and out through your nose … breathing in the calm … and breathing out the tension … as I stay silent for a while … that’s it … ready … In 2, 3 … Out 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 … In 2, 3 … Out 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 … breathing in the colour of calm … breathing out the colour of tension … In 2, 3 … Out 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 … breathe away any tension in your mind … that’s right.8
9Excellent job … I want you to know that the more you practise this at home … the more you strengthen the power of this ratio breathing which gives you calm and control in any situation … any time … any place … with anybody you’re with … or just calmly on your own … calm and control. That’s right.
Go to further therapeutic suggestions, or ego strengthening and trance reorientation as appropriate
Variations, Adaptations and Recommendations
Ratio Breathing is best carried out while breathing through the nose, as this will slow down and regulate the breathing. It is a useful technique to teach patients to use if they have a tendency to panic. A frequent response to anxiety is for people to feel that they can’t get enough air and then they open their mouths to catch their breath and begin to hyperventilate (over-breathe). This hyperventilation in itself can cause major panicky feelings in their body and in their minds too. Ratio breathing can help restore the delicate balance of oxygen and CO2 in the blood necessary for normal functioning.
Using the above as an induction has a twofold effect: it is calming and relaxing in itself and, at the same time, the patient is being taught an invaluable technique to use on their own. It is probably best only to tell them afterwards that it can be a coping technique for panic in order to avoid their becoming anxious about needing to learn it in the first place!
Rewind procedure
There are many variations on this theme which is based on dissociation and guided visualisation in a way which breaks up the original coding of the memory in the brain. We remember things in words, sounds, pictures, feelings, and sometimes smells and tastes too, and we normally remember them in the sequence they occurred. If we play about with the sequencing, the colours, the size, and any other variable that you can think of, the memory trace stored in our brains and any associated negative feelings are altered, in some cases quite dramatically. This is a useful first intervention for situations where there have been one or more specific frightening events which have triggered anxiety, panic or phobias. The Rewind Procedure can be carried out with or without formal trance.
When you choose to use this type of intervention with a tragic incident, it would clearly be inappropriate to use some of the suggestions for humorous modality change such as using cartoons.
Demonstrate the procedure of ‘rewinding imagery’ with a memory which has no upsetting content and will be clear in client’s minds, such as their journey to see you.
Summary of Rewind Procedure
Prepare to turn the frightening event into a film/movie/sequence on a computer screen and establish a safe beginning and a safe end.See the sequence through on the screen from beginning to end (Optional: create further dissociation by sitting above/beside self to watch whole process). Freeze-frame the safe end scene.Run the sequence backwards as if on rewind mode, emphasizing the safe end and safe beginning. Blank out the screen.Repeat Rewind Procedure, changing modalities of speed, size, colour, cartoons etc., blanking out the screen between each rewind.Optional: step into the end scene of the sequence (associated) and rewind it again.Run it forwards again from the beginning, ensuring that the client behaves as they would prefer to have done (dissociated). Repeat this action until no further improvements can be made and the client reports that previous negative feelings have been eliminated or significantly reduced.Step into the picture and go through the event from beginning to end, noticing the feelings of confidence and calm (associated).Generic rewind template
Eliminate or lessen the effect of a previously experienced frightening event, phobic response or panic attack
This script may be used with phobic responses, panic attack and milder anxiety too. It can also be adapted for use with a traumatic or tragic situation where you would employ more dissociative techniques and avoid insensitive humour. It makes use of ‘one-stage dissociation’ by asking the client to see, as a mental movie/film, a previously experienced frightening event which had either caused or reinforced an anxiety, phobic response or panic attack. It then employs ‘two-stage dissociation’ by having the client’s observant part float out of the body and view the event from a doubly-dissociated perspective. It can be used either within a formal deep trance framework or as an informal and conversational light trance framework, getting feedback as you go along.
It is important to establish the safe start and end scenes of the mental movie before you start the script so the client has very clear, safe and calm anchor points.
Before embarking on the use of the script, you might like to experiment, merely conversationally, with your patient, with changing modalities of a different memory to see whether changing the size, colour, etc, of an internal image has positive or negative effects.
10I’d like you to be aware of yourself sitting comfortably here in the chair just about to switch on your imaginary remote control to view your imaginary television/computer screen … and then do a rather unusual thing … 11let the part of you that is very good at observing float up and sit down beside you and observe you watching the movie which is about to begin.
12Tell me when you’re there … good.
13So, just as we discussed earlier … the opening scene of your movie is the one before you got on the train/bus where you are feeling absolutely safe and fine/calm/normal. Got that image? Good … now run that movie through from beginning to end and tell me when you’ve got/gotten to the end scene where you are, once more, feeling perfectly safe and back in the house/on the platform/waiting at the bus station … just wherever you are feeling perfectly safe and secure … good … very well done indeed/good job. 14Now fill that screen with an incredibly bright light for a moment so you see only light and nothing else before we begin to change all those old unwanted feelings into more positive ones … great
Now get that very safe final scene up on the screen once again and then press the rewind switch on the (imaginary) remote control in your hand and watch it15all speeding backwards from the end to the beginning … and notice how it’s at triple speed and everything is happening in that rather funny jerky way that lends a whole new perspective on everything/that lets you see things in a completely different way … and gives you a totally different feeling about it … let me know when you are back at the opening scene of the movie where you feel perfectly safe and at ease. Well done. 16Now here’s the remarkable thing … when you do that, you break up not only the sequence of events in your mind but you break up the feelings of that old memory that you used to carry around so that you change the effect completely … so you get a totally different and reasonable response now … just as you told me you want to feel completely safe.
17So that’s why we’re going to do that a few more times and each time we do it, we’ll add in some other changes too … take a look at your remote control because you’ve got some other keys that you probably hadn’t noticed before … so quickly get up the end safe scene on your mental screen … ready? … You’re going to press the rewind and also press the size-change key and … hey … that’s amazing … everybody except you shrinks down smaller and smaller … still speeding along backwards in that rather comical way … and let me know when you get back to the opening scene where you are totally safe and unconcerned … quite nonchalant actually … look at your face … look at your body language … great job … now fill the screen with light … that’s it, brighter and brighter so all you can see is wonderful bright light.
Now quickly get up that end scene again … that’s it and this time … (18what’s your favourite song by the way? … OK. Great) … this time as you run the movie backwards … still really, really quickly … I’d like you to be singing your favourite song … really loudly … you can do it just in your head … (19but actually there’s no law against singing so you can sing out loud here and now if you want to) … whichever way you do it will be perfect for you but please do it really loudly and you can get the other people to join in too … let me know when you’ve done it and you’re safe and sound at the beginning again. [Pause] Excellent. You know what to do now … let in the bright light again.
Each time the client rewinds the movie, stress the aspect of ‘feeling calm and safe’ on the opening and final scenesRepeat the procedure at least four or five times, making more changes to the speed (go more quickly), size, colour, sound, feelings, tastes and smells as appropriate with each rewindHave them turn everybody into cartoon characters or their favourite movie starsOptional InsertionAfter having carried out the rewind procedure on screen (dissociated), you can ask the client to mentally step into the film and imagine actually being there (associated) feeling themselves carrying everything out backwards. This is particularly good with people who have a strong kinaesthetic sense as it really helps to break up negative feelings.
20Now this time I would like you to call up the opening scene of you looking exactly like your normal calm self … no funny colours … no different sizes … no cartoons this time … just looking perfectly relaxed and at ease and I want you to run the movie forwards, at normal speed, from start to finish and have yourself react coolly and calmly … just as you would have wanted to do … and when you get to the end and you are feeling absolutely fine … I want you to tell me what was different about it this time. [Pause]21
So this time it felt better/you felt calmer/you felt more in control/you could even see the funny side … wonderful! … 22Could you improve it in any possible way? If so, just run it through in your mind with you reacting even more calmly and confidently … so you can keep this memory in your mind … which is altogether easier for you, is it not?
23And … the next/very last thing I want you to do is to take a step into the screen and be there now seeing things through your own eyes … and this time I want you to run a future movie of ‘the calmer you’ in a similar situation but noticing how differently you handle everything now … how you feel confident inside and how you are completely in control of your feelings … you are completely in control of your actions … let me know when you’ve finished and now 24tell me how the experience was a whole lot different this time. [Pause]25
Excellent … you have made some 26really life changing alterations to the way you used to see/do things and now I’m going to ask your unconscious mind to make these 27new responses a very real part of your own inner world … to fuse them into you so they remain always with you wherever you are … whomever you’re with … whenever you’re there and whatever you’re doing. Now I think would be a good time for that observant part to float back into you and … I’m sure … you will 28agree with me on what an excellent piece of work you’ve done today and … although you and I know how very 29different everything is going to be from now on … have you been wondering how your 30husband/wife/son/daughter/friend will react when they see you so calm and in control when you’re on the bus/train? … Will you be looking at them with some amusement as they are looking at you wondering exactly what is going on?
Give more direct suggestions, more positive guided visualisation of a positive outcome or go directly to a trance reorientation as appropriate
Change anxious thoughts and images
And as you sit there, you can become aware of any possible stored tensions that you’d like to let go … and … just as soon as you’re ready … you can choose to let them go with your breathing … 31and this may be the time … when you need to let yourself begin to find a way to rest right now … building your calm … and do know that you have that calm and confidence deep down within you … settling yourself down … 32calm and confidence drifting up to the surface … so I’d like you at first to let only your 33eyelids rest now … letting every tiny little muscle and nerve ending rest and let go. Don’t worry about the rest of you … just concentrate on letting your eyelids rest … that’s right, making them more comfortable now. Let the feeling of comfort spread right through the eyes, feel the comfort and know it’s34safe to enjoy those feelings of comfort now … and as you listen to the sound of the voice and as a calm feeling is beginning to come upon you … so you can begin to feel the comfort spreading further … and every place that it touches in your mind and body can notice that comfort spreading calm35 … and now your eyelids are really resting, can you notice that different parts of your body are beginning to feel more comfortable now? And it’s good to let them feel even more comfortable now … all over … all the way through.
And if you were to become aware of any36knotted feelings anywhere in the mind or body … imagine taking the knot in your fingers … now find the loose end … give it a little tug and notice how it loosens when you pull it gently … how it unravels any old, unwanted anxious feelings … how it seems to relax any unnecessary tension … notice how it seems to let every muscle go, ease every tiny little muscle fibre … soothe every nerve ending in the mind and body … wonderful.
And even though 37you are aware of feeling this wonderful sense of relaxation, I wonder if you can try really hard to open your eyes … that’s right. Difficult, isn’t it? … But, well done [as their eyes open], you can just manage it … I want you to know that … in a moment … when I ask you to let them close again … there will be an experience of even deeper relaxation and calm … for … as your eyelids close … they release any possible remaining hint of tension and you will go into a profound state of calm and ease where you can begin to understand things from a different perspective and find a way for you to view your thoughts in a calmer way.
38And if any intrusive/unwanted/anxious thought were to drift in … don’t fight it … encourage it now and allow yourself to listen to it in a more critical way … notice the tone of it … notice the volume of it … notice which direction it seems to come from … and now begin to experiment with it and become aware of the difference that each individual change creates in the way you respond … notice how your body can feel differently too … make the 39inner voice louder … make it quieter … make it a high squeaky voice … now a deep voice … make it seem to come from the opposite direction … get inventive! … Keep the changes you prefer or simply reach out and turn the volume control off altogether.
You may have noticed 40that an image accompanied the thought … take a mental step back and observe it fully and notice the colours, the size, the position of it … become aware of any feelings that go alongside and notice where they are in your body … nod your head when you notice a colour … that’s it … now let that colour fade away … perhaps into a kind of sepia colour, just like a very old photograph … nod your head when you’ve done it. … Good, now send it away from you right over there … further and further away so it becomes smaller and smaller … and smaller still … more and more insignificant now … and I wonder if … you can, right now … drain the colour completely away so it becomes quite transparent … so you can see right through it … see right through it for the fraud it used to be … notice how it seems so much easier to deal with it now … calmly and coolly … coolly and calmly … now white that thought out, white it out completely, calmly and peacefully now. Nod your head when that seems altogether more peaceful and calm … Good job.
41And so I think it will please you to know that you have gained a tool to take control … refuse to be intimidated by old exaggerated thoughts … shrink them down into their genuine insignificance so that you not only stand up to those unwanted thoughts but you tower over them with your strength and calm and control. And as you quite deliberately choose to let more and more unhelpful thoughts fade into the distance in this way … you are going to find that they no longer have the power to affect you in that same old way ever again … you are the one with the power to cut them down to size … to turn down the volume … to switch off that inner voice and replace it with one that is so much calmer and more rational.
Staying here just a little longer and feeling a sense of satisfaction with your own ability to take control over old unwanted anxious thoughts … take a moment to notice how much more confident you can feel with this new ability to calm your thoughts whenever and wherever and with whomever you want … think about how it can seem so natural that you have much more control of your emotions. … It’s also interesting, by the way, to consider exactly42how you notice that you are feeling much better already … do you feel lighter, as though a burden has been lifted off you, as indeed it has? … Or would you describe it as a more grounded feeling? Well, whether you would use the words calmer, or 43lighter or grounded it’s good to be aware that it is your own mind that has created this special state for you of peace and calm and confidence where your deeper, inner mind is released from old unwanted responses and can instead be more and more open to new ways of responding calmly and confidently here and now and then and sooner and later … each day learning more and more about your ability to 44relax and enjoy your life in a calm and confident way.
45So, just before we finish today I think you would find it interesting to drift forward in your mind … as in a dream sequence … through the next few weeks and months and get a taste of just how positive it can feel to experience this calm confident feeling as you go about your daily life … so take a moment to … dream now and look at the more confident you, how you feel so much calmerin your mind and in your chest, your tummy/your belly,46your whole body … altogether so much more relaxed … and hear, as well as see, how things are different now … listen to your voice that sounds so much more assured … yes … and also your inner voice seems so much more rational and calm now … and if ever there were to be the merest hint of an intrusive thought or image, you are now aware of how powerful it feels to be able to change the effect of any thought or image in those proactive ways you learned with me … and, of course … the more often you practise changing the colour, the size, the position of an image … or you practise changing the tone or the volume of an inner voice … the more control you take over those old outgrown thoughts so that they can never disturb you in that same old way again.
And as you bring all those insights from your new future back with you now and begin to reorient to your present surroundings … I find myself wondering whether it will be only you who is 47noticing these positive changes in you or whether your friends/family/partner will be noticing something very different too … and I wonder what is most enjoyable and what is most satisfying about all of this for you? … And for them? … And over the next few days and weeks and months there are going to be many things to notice and many things to enjoy.
And you can even enjoy an energising feeling at this very moment … rather as if you are awakening from a sleep/doze/nap which has refreshed and invigorated you … eager to get on with your day … a sense of calm purpose … noticing that you want to stretch … wriggle your fingers and toes. … Welcome back!
Or use a more formal trance reorientation if appropriate
Fountain metaphor
The script includes the idea of standing in a fountain, so it is important to check that your patient does not have a fear of water.
So, relaxing comfortably here in the chair and becoming more and more aware of comfort spreading calm all around … 48I wonder if you can begin to imagine a feeling of mild warmth … maybe experiencing this warm feeling as though you could feel the sun shining gently on your skin? A lovely day with the temperature of the air just perfect for you … and I wonder how you will imagine some special gardens … perhaps beyond a gate, which you could stroll through now into a very peaceful place … your own place where you can be peaceful and calm … the grass is a vibrant green and gently springy beneath your step … can you 49feel it? … And when you look up, can you notice50how blue is the sky? … With occasional fluffy white clouds creating interesting patterns? … And are there flower beds with wonderful colours and delicate fragrances on the air? … Know that this is your own very special place that you can 51visit as often as you want to let feelings of velvet calm come upon you … where others only enter at your special invitation … so pause awhile … look around and breathe in the peace surrounding you and … as you stop and 52listen now … you may seem to hear the sounds of water … and walking down through the beds of flowers … drawn towards that sound … can you catch a glimpse of a fountain in the distance? The gentle rays of the sun still pleasantly warming your skin as you walk on towards the fountain … coming closer now … yes, standing right in front of it now … so close that you can extend your hand and feel the perfect temperature of the soft water on your skin … now moving closer and feeling a fine spray of water on your arms … already aware of a sense of letting go of tension … becoming 53aware of an urge to step into that fountain and allow the water to spray over your entire body … letting it flow over your face as it washes away all remaining tensions from the scalp … from the back of your neck … the water is washing away all unwanted anxieties from your shoulders, your chest, your stomach as it washes away all unwanted concerns from your mind … feeling an immense sense of relief as the water now begins to cascade down … cleansing, melting away sensations of tension, the body relaxes, the mind unwinds more and more comfortably … bringing with it a crystal clear understanding … that … this is the time … this is the place … this is your opportunity now … yes … to let go finally of any54unwanted, unnecessary or harmful thought … that’s it … let go any uncomfortable feeling … what a welcome relief … let go any long-outdated unhelpful response … from however long ago … let them all flow away with the water … at last … what a weight off your shoulders … and as the water cleanses you, watch the colour of it as it carries all that debris away … splashing down into a little stream … 55carrying it all away … and you can keep watching until the water grows clearer and clearer … and clearer still … sparkling … releasing you to experience 56a delightful feeling of inner calm and confidence … a feeling of being at ease with yourself … and when you’re at ease with yourself, how much more natural it seems to feel at ease with the world around you … staying here for a while allowing your imagination free rein to run through all those occasions in your life which you will experience from now on with more calm … with more courage … with more curiosity … and with more ease than you’ve done for a long, long time or perhaps with more ease and confidence than you’ve ever done in your life before.
And when the time seems right to you to move on, nod your head and let me know. [Pause] Well done … why don’t you step out of the fountain now? … Yes, that’s it … and find 57the sunlight instantly dries you, once again gently warming you … looking down at the now clear water of the stream and seeing your reflection sparkling back at you … look at your face … relaxed and smiling and at ease … one sparkling image replaces another … 58scene after scene of you feeling calm, confident and relaxed in those situations that you once used to feel uneasy about … now behaving in a comfortable and easy manner … allowing others as well as yourself to feel that ease and calm … in fact … so natural to you now that it can seem rather strange that it was ever not so. It does seem so natural that you have been able to replace old concerned thoughts with those of calm and ease and confidence … which now enable you to go through your daily life with ease and equanimity.
And as you begin to reorient to the room you can enjoy this wonderful sense of ease and calm and confidence in your59mind and in your body that will stay with you as you return to full conscious awareness of how calm and positive and optimistic you feel right now. When you stretch … that’s it … and open your eyes … you will feel refreshed, revitalised and looking forward to a really positive day!
You may like to leave it here or go to a more formal trance reorientation if appropriate
Variations, Adaptations and Recommendations
This script could be adapted to form the basis of a framework for letting go of anger, frustration, guilt or grief. The use of water cleansing away unwanted, unhelpful emotion is a very powerful metaphor. Clearly, a means of coping with any original causes and/or any current triggers of these emotions would also need to be included.
Anxiety biofeedback
60I wonder if you have you ever used a biofeedback machine where you rest your fingers on sensors and the sensors pick up physiological information through minute temperature changes and moisture on the skin? They can measure blood pressure, muscle tension and heart rate too … absolutely amazing … and even more amazing is that when you become aware of these things you can gain control of these processes in a way that allows you to decrease levels of tension … and increase your calm and relaxation in a way you have never dreamed of before … that’s right … increase your calm and relaxation in a way you have never dreamed of.
And some of these biofeedback machines are linked to screens where you carry out very simple tasks … like slowing your breathing … to increase your calm and relaxation … and this calm and relaxation is then picked up from your fingers by the sensors and fed back to the screen where you see the result … sometimes these are in the form of graphs … sometimes they are through verbal feedback … and sometimes they come in the form of visual images and interactive pictorial stories.
And … as you really want to get some relief from the anxious thoughts and feelings that have been weighing you down …61 I’d like to invite you to explore the biofeedback idea in your imagination with me right now so when you’re ready to begin, please just nod your head … excellent. In your mind’s eye/imagination … let your fingers rest on the sensors and look at the screen in front of you … and you will see a gate ahead of you that will only open into the garden beyond when you breathe calmly and deeply and it senses you are very calm and relaxed … let’s try it now and see if it opens … take a deep breath and inhale a sense of calm and comfort … that’s right … and now with your out breath let go of any possible tension … and continue doing this until you are so calm and at ease that the 62sensors pick this up and the gate begins to open … keep doing the breathing … that’s right … breathe in the calm and breathe out the tension … and let me know when the gate begins to open.
[As you get a response] Excellent … as you open the gate the whole garden is filled with a wonderful light and can you feel a sense of expectation as you walk through … that something special is waiting for you here? An opportunity for you to experience something interesting that will improve your life immeasurably? Are you curious? The sensors will pick up the curiosity in your fingers and … when they do … you will be directed to a path for you to follow … let me know when you notice the path. [Pause] 63Good … so you’re feeling curious … let’s see what happens.
And as you walk along the path, I wonder if you are already sensing an opportunity coming closer … to free yourself of 64this burden/weight/millstone around your neck that has been stopping you from moving forward in your life as quickly and easily as you would like? How long have you been carrying it around I wonder? Keep walking along and you will notice that the path opens out into a small clearing … let me know when you notice the clearing.
That’s good … walk along a little further and you will come to a rather lovely rock pool with a grassy patch around it where you could sit down for a while … enjoy the rest
