 |
| Photo courtesy of Microsoft Hypnotherapy can facilitate divorce mediation proceedings and reduce animosity between the spouses. |
If a couple
decides to divorce but cannot amicably agree on a settlement, the petition is
likely to go to a jury and mediation will be required. Hypnotherapy can help
ease the tension between the estranged spouses and facilitate an amicable (or
at least, less hostile) divorce.
Hypnosis
Imitation Motivation Institute founder John Kappas, Ph.D., believed that a
hypnotherapist can facilitate the mediation by helping both parties to
construct an equitable settlement and encourage them to seek counsel from
separate attorneys. The hypnotherapist’s professional stance in divorce
mediation should always be one of objectivity and non-judgment, he continued. “You
only need a mediator if one party contests the divorce,” Dr. Kappas said. “Have
the facts already agreed/discussed before you get to court. If you’re volatile
in court, the judge almost always rules against you.”
Dr. Kappas recommended
that the hypnotherapist explain Emotional and Physical sexuality (http://www.hypnosis.edu/streaming/ep/)
to the couple to enlighten them about each other’s behavioral patterns and
motivations and work toward a settlement that both people can live with. Specifically,
the hypnotherapist can help to ease tension between the estranged spouses, such
as if a partner wants to “hang on” to the relationship or seeks revenge on an
unfaithful spouse. In that case, the hypnotherapist may employ hypnotherapeutic
techniques to address anger, guilt, sadness/disappointment and rejection by
guiding the person through the stages of loss, systematic desensitization and
de-loving techniques. A hypnotherapist can also work with the client to build
or re-build the person’s self-confidence and self-esteem, accept responsibility
his or her role in the break-up, and motivate the individual to pursue new
interests.
In
terms of mediation proceedings, Dr. Kappas recommended that the divorce
lawyer(s) be included in the therapy sessions. Payment to each professional
should be equal for each session. The attorney would be responsible for
explaining the divorce proceedings and give the couple a mediation sheet that
outlines each spouse’s equity. The hypnotherapist would help each partner “agree
to disagree and work out hostility between the spouses.”
Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a
certified hypnotherapist based in Southern California. She graduated with
honors from the Hypnosis Motivation Institute in 2005. For more
information about Calminsense Hypnotherapy®, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/
