www.mindmagic123.com
These articles were originally
first published as a column in L.A. Health Magazine, under the title, A
Hypnotherapist’s Casebook.
A Hypnotherapist’s Casebook. No
1.
Hypnotherapy
for Healing
A little over ten years ago I was
between jobs. I had been working in Psychiatric Hospitals and other
Institutions, as an Admissions Counselor, Chemical Dependency Counselor, Case
manager and Discharge Planner. I was attending some college courses, hoping
eventually to obtain a Psychology degree, when a friend of mine suggested,
"Why don't you study hypnotism, you could help people stop smoking and make
some money." It seemed like a good idea, so I ended up attending classes at
the world renowned Gil Boyne Hypnotism Training Institute, in Glendale.
As soon as I saw on the first
video what Mr. Boyne was able to achieve with hypnosis I exclaimed to him,
"You are getting people to give you information in a few minutes that would
take six months to a year in therapy, because consciously they don't know
these things!" I knew I had encountered something I had always wanted, a means
to make my work as a counselor more effective and economical in terms of both
time and money. As yet I was not aware of the possible depth, speed and range
of change available through hypnosis and hypnotherapy.
I have since discovered that
hypnotherapy can be divided into two aspects. 1). "Putting in the good stuff,"
or suggestion therapy. To most people this is the most familiar, planting
suggestions in a clients mind of a beneficial nature, such as, "You will act
on the powerful desire you discover today to stop smoking for good." etc.,
while a person is in a hypnotic trance. The other aspect could be described
as, 2). “Taking out the bad stuff," by altering and/or releasing historical
causations of difficulties. This trance-pires by entering the subconscious
mind, the other seven eighths of our mind we have little awareness of, and
relieving difficulties in hypnotic trance. Of course, both aspects may well be
implemented concurrently, (at least by me), with any client.
The effectiveness can be
astonishing. One client returned after the first session and stated. "I
stopped drinking coffee, watching soap operas, and have emerged from a low
grade depression of many years duration." As a bonus, this man had a thyroid
condition called "Bright's Disease," which caused his eyes to be permanently
popped out, so he looked angry or scared all the time. It was now only barely
visible around one eye. In addition, three quarters of the anxiety, regarding
supervisory duties at work, which initiated his visit, had vanished. Though
hypnotherapy is not always so dramatically effective as this, I inform
prospective clients that eighty percent of those I work with usually see major
positive changes within four sessions. I have seen the client's blood pressure
go down from regular use of one of my self-hypnosis tapes. Persons have
obtained rapid healing with little pain from invasive medical procedures and
surgeries. Young persons, (around fourteen to twenty one years,) if willing,
can often gain astonishing progress, due to being so open, and mentally fluid.
My process produces all kinds of
general positive change, then I also work on the specifics. I help a person
gain access to inner resources and increased self-esteem, while removing
blocks that are keeping them stuck, so they can resume personal growth without
me. Naturally, the amount of time and work necessary to obtain relief from any
difficulty is related to it’s prior nature, duration, intensity and severity,
and the available inner and outer resources.
What kind of problems is
hypnotherapy useful for? Traditionally it has been successful, with habit
control, smoking, weight, bedwetting, nail biting, stuttering, and so forth.
Also to increase self confidence, motivation, memory, concentration,
creativity, productivity and self esteem. For reducing anxiety, releasing
fears, phobias, headaches and nightmares. Sexual problems of both sexes may be
amenable to hypnotic methods. The rapid release of grief is often very easy to
facilitate, and unresolved grief from past losses is a significant contributor
to more difficulties than is generally known. I have found that even the death
of a beloved animal can leave a person in a state of frozen mourning. I use
Hypnosis as an adjunct to treating drug and alcohol problems.. I receive
referrals from Psychiatrists, Doctors, Psychotherapists, Chiropractors,
Osteopaths and Alternative/ Complementary Medicine practitioners, to assist
clients who may be stuck in some way, or have a problem, such as mental and
physical tension, that the referring party does not treat.
Correction of many obstinate
physical/mental/emotional situations can be initiated. In fact, the holistic
hypnotherapeutic process is as unlimited as the boundless Shaman's Imagination
of the practitioner, and to the extent that he can utilize his Wizard Words to
conjure up Magical Image Processes that heal, as becomes a Charm-ing Mage.
Hypnosis then works in the I of the mind, as an Alchemical Philosopher's
Stone, trance-muting the unknown into the golden healing known. Now I will
close with the words of Tiny Tim, from a Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens,
"God bless us all, each and every one."
A Hypnotherapist's
Casebook. No 2
Releasing Past
Grief
One of the most useful aspects of
hypnosis is that in trance, a person's emotional defenses are softened or
lowered. This allows for the release of previously submerged and trapped
emotions. A heightened awareness of thoughts and feelings also trance-pires.
This combination allows the possibility of resolution of difficulties
following the rapid location of their deeper source.
This is especially relevant for
the release of blocked or frozen grief. A significant number of my clients
suffer from this as a major component of their difficulties. It contributes to
poor concentration, irritability, feeling "down", physical and psychosomatic
problems, and accentuates any other problem a person might have. This may be
despite a person's belief that they mourned the loss. Over many years with
many clients, when probed in a relaxed trance state, only two had no residual
pain regarding a major loss. For most, rapidly obtaining complete relief is a
relatively simple matter. After the release, remarks such as, "I never knew
that was there.. still bothering me so much," etc. are made. One female,
having dinner with a friend after a session, was told, "The look of pain that
was always in your eyes has gone." This was after the release of grief
entangled with guilt, as is often the case, subsequent to an abortion.
Grief is not restricted to the
death of a loved one or family member. Miscarriages as well as abortions. The
loss of a beloved pet animal can be agonizing, especially for those who have
fewer deep connections to other human animals. The end of a long-term
relationship is often like a death. As an addictions professional, I am aware
that saying goodbye and mourning the loss of the "old friend" that could
always be "depended on", whether it be alcohol, cigarettes, or whatever, is a
sometimes a necessary step along the road to abstinence.
To close, I will detail these
simple easy cases where the release was a mini-miracle, immediate and
complete. The first was a lady who had lost a baby due to a miscarriage a year
before she came to see me. After assisting her to enter a relaxed state I
began, "You mentioned the loss of your baby… " At these words, her head went
back, and a wordless howl of agony emerged, on, and on, and on.. finished at
last.. no words.. that was it, all of it.
While on vacation, a man's long
term pet, his dog, had died. Somebody remarked, "You have to take them on a
last walk before they die," and he had become deeply guilt stricken, feeling
he had failed his old pal, and had sunk into a deep depression. In trance, I
pointed out to him that he had taken the dog for his last walk, before he
departed on vacation. The guilt resolved, with further grieving he came to
peace, and laid his canine friend to final rest.
A young woman had had an
emotional breakdown, after rejecting her partner for being a womanizer, with
no interest in changing. She was hardly eating or sleeping, barely living,
going to work like a zombie. A psychotherapist would probably term this a
reactive depression. Coming out of the first trance, after grief release she
said, "I'm hungry!" Returning for the second session she said, "When he calls
me on the phone, instead of feeling so desperately awful, I see myself waving
goodbye to him as I visualized in trance, and I'm O.K." Aligning her head and
heart while releasing the tears of grief was all it took. Because she had no
other problems to complicate matters, only one session was needed to initiate
her recovery process. Though not always this simple, healing is always a
possibility.
A
Hypnotherapist’s Casebook No. 3.
Working With
Young People.
Hypnotherapy with young persons,
from the ages of approximately 13 to 21 years old, can often produce
extraordinarily powerful results. One reason is that their minds are so open
and flexible, so that the process of change is easily assimilated into their
own current growth and development. In addition, their personality and self
esteem are still being formed by incorporating the "messages" conveyed by the
words and behavior of family, authority figures and peers. Positive
suggestions absorbed in trance give them the necessary emotional support and
nurturing that they need. Of course, all adolescent problems have a high
degree of probability of being associated with substance abuse, if not
developing addiction or alcoholism, which is another question. I have helped
teenagers emerge from intensifying downward spirals of anxiety, panic and
depression, subsequent to having a bad experience with alcohol and/or drugs,
some kind of a “bad trip.”
The common antecedent to many
adolescent problems is parental conflict, especially separation and divorce.
Adults usually have little idea how these events devastate a child's sense of
security. A rapid drop in academic levels, or sudden negative behavioral
changes, (if not the result of alcohol/drug problems, another common cause),
frequently indicates a problem at home. Remarriage often brings on or further
aggravates difficulties. Much of the time the child is classed as either mad
or bad, when in fact they are caught in emotional traps. Because young people
are very in touch with their situations and emotions, especially in trance, it
is often quite a simple process to assist them obtain relief, if you can gain
their trust. Absolute non-judgmental genuine sincerity is a must. Many
require no more than four or five sessions, of two hours plus, for virtual
elimination of their troubles. Simultaneous initiation of ongoing emotional
improvement processes via suggestion therapy adds many more benefits.
Realizing that a person's life may be radically improved for fifty or more
years is personally very rewarding to me. Also, my own adolescence was so
disastrous, agonizing and bereft, that I have a deep compassion and
understanding of troubled teenagers, and love to provide them with the
assistance I never knew I needed, and of course did not get.
Serious problems such as
trichonomania, (compulsively pulling out of hair and eyelashes), obsessive
hand washing, night terrors, and so forth, have also yielded to my hypnotic
ministrations. I have helped a succession of young males reverse declining
grades and other unacceptable behavior problems at school, by resolving
resentment regarding a stepfather, especially if the stepfather is
"mistreating" a mother the son is very close to. Unfortunately, when a young
person gets poor grades, not knowing this is the result of emotional stress,
they may conclude, (on their own or with the assistance of authority figures),
that they are stupid and then begin to regard themselves as a failure. In
fact, I have retroactively dealt with these issues in adults, still carrying
scars to their self-esteem from precisely this sequence.
To link directly to this article use this link:
http://www.hypnotherapyarticles.com/ArtG/articleg00030.htm
Brian Green, CHT, CDS. Certified Hypnotherapist. Former
Senior staff Therapist, Hypnosis Institute, Glendale. Former member, ACHE,
NGH, IHF. In private practice twelve years, (2007). Warm, caring,
professional and confidential. Author of, "Mind-mending for Mind-bending,
Wizard Ways With Words." Certified Chemical Dependency Counselor, (Mission
College). Power to solve your problems. All issues. "If it can be done, I'm
one of the guys that can do it." 12 Step counseling. Family and couple’s
issues. Sessions in the Greater Los Angeles area. Potent hypnosis audio
products, (available by mail). Free twenty minute phone consult.
Presentations and Workshops given for hypnosis groups on Hypno-linguistics
or Addictions. mindmagic123.com.
www.mindmagic123.com
Based in
West Hollywood, California, U.S.A
