Sometimes, an
issue that a client presents to the hypnotherapist during a therapy session is
a symptom rather than the cause of another problem. For example, increased
anxiety and various signs of physical discomfort such as light-headedness,
headache or nausea may suggest that the individual is experiencing symptoms of
low blood-sugar levels rather than just responding to a specific stress
trigger. Low blood-sugar levels can also trigger a phobic reaction. (For more
information about this relationship, see my blog titled Nutrition
and the Development of Fears and Phobias.) In this case, it is important
for the hypnotherapist to work with the client’s physician to create an appropriate
nutrition program to control the blood-sugar level and incorporate suggestions
about nutrition and healthy eating during hypnosis to reduce these symptoms.
However, it is
also possible that a client’s behaviors or emotional responses/reactions are
actually manifestations of his or her repressed emotions: i.e., a body
syndrome. Once a licensed medical doctor has ruled out a physical etiology (cause)
of the symptom, the hypnotherapist may explore the cause of the symptom in the
context of body syndromes. For example, persistent pain in the client’s
shoulders and upper back (Responsibility
Syndrome) may provide a secondary gain of being “allowed” to avoid
participating in certain activities undesirable at work or with the person’s family.
For example, Hypnosis Motivation Institute founder John
Kappas, Ph.D., explained how a client’s persistent hoarse throat and fatigue was
actually a symptom of her subconscious resistance toward the woman’s
husband/manager’s pushing her to accomplish something. The client, a singer,
also experienced symptoms of low blood-sugar that were brought on by her
husband’s demands for perfection in her performances. The hypnotherapist
determined that his client was subconsciously motivated to use her hoarse
throat as a way to avoid having to sing when she didn’t feel like it.
Consequently, Dr. Kappas approached her therapy by first addressing her
behaviors (e.g., feeling tired and hoarseness). He explained how her nutrition
contributed to her feeling tired and recommended ways to change her diet that
would increase her energy. Next, he explored with her the various reasons why
(cause) she was experiencing the hoarseness and addressed the client’s
perception of her husband’s perfectionist tendencies as a source of her stress
and subconscious resistance.
Once the client
understood how the various sources of perceived external and internal pressure
on her to perform were affecting her behavior, the hypnotherapist discussed ways
of treating her symptoms. First, Dr. Kappas encouraged her and her husband to
separately work with a therapist to work out some of their professional
conflicts. Then he worked with the client to help her husband agree that they
could change their interactions with each other and how this behavior change
could be achieved. Ultimately, the woman’s symptoms would dissipate as her
relationship with her spouse/manager improved, thus ameliorating her
subconscious desire to avoid singing/performing because their pattern of
interacting with each other became less stressful.
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/.
© 2015
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