When I create hypnotic scripts for a client, I take great care to include words and phrases that have positive intention and positive action. I do this so the person’s subconscious mind will understand, accept and process the positive energy in his or her therapeutic goals.
For
example, if a person comes to me for help losing weight, the first thing I do
is help to reframe this goal in a more positive-action perspective. Even though
the client wants to “lose” weight, this word is loaded with the implication
that the SCM needs to “find” it somewhere—typically, by reverting to unwanted
behaviors that he or she is trying to change. To avoid this, I will help the
person rephrase the goal to express shedding the extra pounds, such as: “dropping
(the number of) pounds,” “getting down to (the goal weight),” etc. These are
just examples of alternative expressions to state this goal; the important
thing is for the client to choose word(s) or phrases that most resonate with
his or her ultimate goal.
Another
phrase I help my clients to replace is “try to.” My reasoning for this is
simple: the word try is actually an
inert (not moving) verb. Remember the scene in The
Empire Strikes Back in which Luke Skywalker begins his training to
become a Jedi Knight? When he says that he will try to accomplish the task that
the Jedi Master has set for him, Yoda is not impressed with the young warrior’s
response: “Try not. Do or do not. There is no ‘try.’” Performing a behavior is
action; even if you are not 100 percent successful when you do it the first,
second or even third time, you are still doing
it. Conversely, the word “try” is ambivalent. It implies indifference, acting
without focus to achieve the desired outcome of the task: success.
The
other word I avoid using in hypnotic scripts is “not.” The subconscious mind
does not recognize negative qualifiers in our thoughts. It is as if the words “not,”
“no” and “won’t” are nonexistent. For example, a few years ago I told myself
that I would not fall off of my horse at the beginning of a ride. Guess what?
That is exactly what I did do,
because all my mind saw/heard/understood was “I will fall off of my horse.” These
days, I repeat the following mantra: “I am secure in the saddle and I will
enjoy a fun and relaxing ride.”
To help motivate
my clients to pursue their vocational and avocational self-improvement goals, I
incorporate visualization in the hypnotic script so they can feel what it is
like to achieve that success. Guided imagery works well as a therapeutic
modality because the subconscious mind cannot tell the difference between
fantasy and reality. If you imagine that you are doing something, it is no
different from actually doing (and accomplishing) that task. When you imagine
that you are improving a skill and succeeding at a task, your subconscious mind
is already primed and prepared to help you realize your goal because it
believes you already have.
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® and to set up an appointment, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.
© 2014
