(This blog was originally posted on February 13, 2014)
As
a hypnotherapist, one of the most important things I do is to motivate my
clients to continue working to change an unwanted behavior. Sometimes a
challenge or a setback occurs during this therapeutic process, and I must put
on another hat to facilitate crisis management. Perhaps you have experienced a
personal crisis, such as the unexpected death of a spouse or life-threatening
medical diagnosis*; or, you are discouraged about your rate of progress in
achieving the desired self-improvement goal. It is my honor and privilege to
help you to find/re-discover, and employ, your inner resources to overcome such
a challenge in the following ways:
- Provide you with unconditional positive regard. I use active and reflective listening techniques to help you clarify the issue or source of frustration, and identify the emotions or feelings surrounding that situation.
- Employ Neuro-Linguistic Programming techniques such as “chunking down” the problem to help you look at and identify ways of breaking it into smaller, more manageable elements that you can resolve.
- Help you to brainstorm a list, which you will write, of all of your inner resources—talents, work/sports experience, problem-solving skills, etc. that you have acquired during/through hypnotherapy—that you believe will help you overcome the current setback or disappointment.
- Apply hypnosis and therapeutic guided-imagery techniques to help you access those resources and other problem-solving skills that you have previously used to overcome a similar situation in order to conquer the current setback: If you have overcome ‘X’ before, your subconscious mind knows how to use these skills to succeed, again!
- Help you to create a subconscious anchor which you can access at any time to activate this sensation of relaxation, calm and comfort that you experienced during hypnosis in order to solve a problem or overcome a challenge when you are alert and aware (not in hypnosis).
If the issue or
crisis is beyond the scope of my expertise as a hypnotherapist to help you
achieve your vocational and avocational self-improvement goals, I will refer you to a licensed medical
doctor and/or licensed mental health practitioner. This referral is imperative
to ensure your emotional and physical well-being, because these experts are
equipped to provide you with the specific support that you need to help you
through that event. However, according to California law I may continue to work
with you as your hypnotherapist in conjunction with these other experts to
provide complementary therapy, with a signed referral from them (Business andProfessions Code 2908).
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/.
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