Law of Reverse Action

Photo courtesy of Microsoft Bing

 

During a typical hypnotherapy session, I reinforce hypnotic suggestions in various ways during the hour or so I spend working with a client. An effective way to strengthen the message of the suggestion is to employ the Law of Reverse Action or misdirection.

You might already recognize a common, colloquial example of this law: someone tells you not to think about pink elephants anymore, at which point you can’t help yourself but think about that subject. This occurs because “pink elephants” is the stronger part of the command than “not to think about.” (How can you not think about a pink elephant when that image is suggested to the mind?)

In a therapeutic context, the hypnotherapist might suggest that someone who suffers from a fear of public speaking imagines being in a situation in which he or she must make a speech and try bring up that fear. Meanwhile, the hypnotherapist would repeat the suggestion that the harder the person tries to actually bring up that fear response, the more relaxed he or she actually feels. In this case, becoming relaxed is the more powerful suggestion than “trying to” bring up the negative response.

 

 

 

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

 

The Horse as Equine Teacher

(This blog was originally posted on April 23, 2011)

Photo by Rick Hustead

 

        No matter how long we have been riding or handling horses, each one has something to teach us. For many people, the first horse they ever ride is an old hand on the ranch. Whether he is a veteran trail horse—one of many in a riding string at camp—or a “schoolmaster” at a riding academy, he has been around. He knows his “stuff,” and his handlers expect him to give their clients a safe ride. The obstreperous pony that “ran away” with you is probably the one that taught you how to ride. He gave you the confidence to know that even a fast horse eventually stops—and sometimes it’s fun to ride fast. Many retired show horses have carried Grand Prix and Olympian riders over their first, small cross-rail.

        When I started riding (again) in 2003, I had not been on a horse for more than nineteen years. I took lessons on—and then bought—a schooling horse. Geeves was being used in jumping lessons; in fact, a friend recently told me that he was the horse that taught her “the finer points of jumping.” When he became my horse, we trained in dressage. This discipline was new to both of us, but he was a true professor when it came to teaching me how to ride. If I applied an aid incorrectly, my horse would not change his gait until I asked the right question. In the eight years or so that we were together, Geeves taught me a lot about caring for, handling, and riding a horse. He helped me to gain self-confidence and to become more assertive; he taught me to be a better rider and a more sensitive horsewoman.

        Horses teach people how to interact with them. For example, in his book, The Man Who Listens to Horses, Monty Roberts describes the long hours he spent observing wild horses in their natural environment. From these observations, he developed the Join-Up program, with which he has used to communicate, gentle and train thousands of horses.

        They have a lot to teach veterinarians, too. When champion race horse Barbaro broke down during the Preakness Stakes in 2006, Dr. Dean Richardson and his veterinary team at New Bolton Center worked hard to save the Kentucky Derby 132 champion. Ultimately, Barbaro developed laminitis in two of his hoofs and he was humanely euthanized. However, the time that the veterinary team spent treating his injuries and trying to rehabilitate the colt has provided new insights and knowledge about how to treat laminitis.

        All over the country, horses are being used in therapeutic settings to help children and adults with mental, physical, or emotional disabilities to gain self-confidence, increase motivation, and improve mobility. They are also employed to help injured military veterans overcome post-traumatic stress disorder. Without even “saying” a word, these majestic animals—often ten to twenty times bigger than their human partners—have something to teach us.

 

 

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

 

 

A Question of Suggestibility in Mutts© Cartoons

 

 

On December 27, 2014 I re-posted a blog in which I described different types of suggestibility: Physical (direct and literal) and Emotional (inference and reference). As I explained in that essay, one of the first questions I typically ask a new client is, “Would you please tell me your name?” as a way to get an idea of the person’s suggestibility. When Mutts© comic Patrick McDonnell posted a similar (theme) question in his March 1, 2015 comic strip, I quickly realized that the way the question was asked would influence the response. Furthermore, the potential for miscommunication and misunderstanding was rife on both sides of the dialog.

In the cartoon, a cat named “Mooch” asked his buddy, a dog called “Earl,” to tell him what day it is. Earl responds by saying “March First,” at which point Mooch is shown marching back and forth for several frames before stopping and telling his friend, “Now tell me.”

When I first read it I thought this was an excellent example of John Kappas, Ph.D.’s model of the Theory of Mind and suggestibility. After all, one character asks what seems to be a very simple and direct question and receives an equally simple and direct answer. But then it appears that he infers an instruction in the response—“March, first” (and then I’ll tell you)—rather than interpret his friend’s answer as the date.

But when I re-read the cartoon I started to wonder: What if Mooch was literally asking what day of the week it was and not the date? In that case, Earl would have been the emotional suggestible individual who (incorrectly) inferred that his friend wanted to know the date.

In Kappasinian hypnotherapy, there are two basic kinds of suggestibility:

·         Physical:   Literal and direct. “Yes”/ “No” ([It’s] March First.)

·         Emotional:            Inference and metaphor (looking for the meaning behind the words). You want me to march around for a little while and then you will tell me what day it is.

However, suggestibility also runs along a spectrum that is not determined by gender or sexuality. While you may possess more “physical” than “emotional” suggestibility traits, you will still retain some characteristics of the subdominant suggestibility types, the Hypnosis Motivation Institute founder explained. That is why, whenever I create hypnotic scripts for my clients, I always use their words to describe their goals, motivations for achieving that goal, emotions surrounding it, etc. Your suggestibility will determine which words/phrases I use during your hypnotherapy session. For example, if you are a Physical Suggestible, and you are working with me to help you relax I will tailor the hypnotic script to include direct and literal suggestions/imagery: “relaxing.” If you are an Emotional Suggestible, I will use the metaphors and inferential imagery that represents relaxation to you: e.g., “calm, comfort” or even a nature scene that represents relaxation to you.

Now I just want to figure out what Mooch really wanted to know: The day of the week or the calendar date!

 

 

 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/.

 

 

Body, Mind, Wellness Fair

 

Other using hypnosis and therapeutic guided imagery to help individuals achieve their self-improvement goals, my next-favorite thing is to explain to people how and why these modalities work. If you are in the neighborhood tomorrow, please stop by my table at College of the Canyons’ Third Annual Body Mind Wellness Healthy Lifestyle’s Resource Fair between 11.30 a.m.-1.30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 5, 2015.

In addition to explaining the many benefits of hypnotherapy to improve well-being, I will also do a mini-handwriting analysis for everyone who stops by to say hi.

The Wellness Fair is being held in the Outdoors Honor Grove at the Valencia campus. For directions and more information about the event, click on this URL: http://www.canyons.edu/Offices/Health/BMW/Documents/SpringFair2015.pdf

I look forward to seeing you there!

 

Sara

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

Hypnosis and PTSD: An Overview

(This blog was originally posted on July 6, 2014)

 

 

Photo courtesy of Microsoft

                Some people become very traumatized by their experiences in a war or while fighting a war, Hypnosis Motivation Institute founder John Kappas, Ph.D. observed. “Any time a person goes into an extremely stressful situation, you start to anticipate the stress or danger,” he said. Even though soldiers receive specific combat skills, their survival depends on their ability to fight and kill as well as to deal with the horrors that they have experienced or witnessed on the battlefield: i.e., the fight/flight/freeze response.

Dr. Kappas warned that whenever a person represses the stress and emotions (e.g., fear, sadness, anger) experienced during combat, he or she is vulnerable to suffering “post-war depression” or, as post-traumaticstress disorder. The Diagnostics and Statistics Manual IV defines PTSD as an extremely complex disorder that includes psychological as well as physical symptoms of distress. These include: insomnia, bad dreams or flashbacks of the war experience, explosive anger, survivor’s guilt and difficulties integrating with or back into society. Job performance at work may and personal relationships with the spouse/lover, friends and family may also be negatively affected. Even if the stress is repressed when the traumatic event occurs, eventually these symptoms surface and must be dealt with, he warned. “Some guys 20 years out of the Service are fine and then suddenly break,” the late hypnotherapist warned. “After you survive in the military/war, if it’s the only thing you know, it can be a shock to face the real world,” Dr. Kappas said. Treatment for PTSD entails desensitizing the client to the stress of war and reintegrating the person back into his or her “old” life, including relationships and work.

On January 1, 2013, I earned a certification to use hypnosis to help people who are experiencing PTSD to reduce stress and symptoms in order to improve their quality of life. I use hypnosis, relaxation/breathing and therapeutic guided-imagery techniques to teach these clients how to manage stress. I also employ cognitive behavioral-therapy techniques and exposure therapy to help the person separate (un-pair) the association between triggers of fear about the previous traumatic event and what is going on in their current environment. Because PTSD is such a complex disorder, I require a referral* from both a licensed medical doctor and a licensed psychotherapist for me to provide hypnotherapy as a complementary therapy to alleviate, manage and control these symptoms.

                I would like to thank each of the men and women who have risked and continue to risk their lives—and those who have sacrificed their lives—to protect and defend our country. I will not forget you.

 

 

*California law allows access by California residents to complementary and alternative health care practitioners who are not providing services that require medical training and credentials. The purpose of a program of hypnotherapy is for vocational and avocational self-improvement (Business and Professions Code 2908) and as an alternative or complementary treatment to healing arts services licensed by the state. A hypnotherapist is not a licensed physician or psychologist, and hypnotherapy services are not licensed by the state of California. Services are non-diagnostic and do not include the practice of medicine, neither should they be considered as a substitute for licensed medical or psychological services or procedures.

 

 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/.

© 2015

 

Hypnotherapy for Children and Teenagers

(This blog was originally posted on February 27, 2014)

 

                 

                Over the years, many of my clients have wanted to work on similar self-improvement issues: increase self-confidence/self-esteem, improve sport performance, increase focus/memory, manage fears and phobias, or to overcome social anxiety. The majority of these clients have been adults. However, I can and do work with children and teenagers. For the most part, a child’s hypnotherapy session is very similar to the grown-up’s: I discuss what behavior(s) the person would like to change, and I use the context of John Kappas, Ph.D.’s Theory of Mind to explain how the current, unwanted behavior was established—and how it will be replaced by a more effective, desired strategy. During hypnosis, I provide general suggestions for relaxation and guided imagery that is specifically tailored for my client. Following are some of the major differences between my hypnotherapy work with children (under 18 years old) and adults:

1.       I must have a signed consent document from the child’s parents in order to work with anyone under 18 years old. If the parents are divorced and share custody of the child, both parents must still sign a consent-release form which I provide. If only one parent or has custody of the child, the legal guardian must sign the document.

2.       The parents and legal guardians have a legal right to know some details about the hypnotherapy that their child or teenager is receiving. They also have a right to know whether the minor is using drugs or engaging in underage sex or dangerous behavior, or is threatening to harm him- or herself or others.

3.       I respect the youngster’s right to privacy and confidentiality whenever possible, but I also encourage the individual to confide in his or her parents, if/when it is appropriate.

4.       When I work with minors, I always invite my client’s parents or guardian to be present during the hypnosis.

5.       The amount of time a young child will spend in hypnosis during the hypnotherapy session will be much shorter than what an adult or even a teenager will spend. While I typically use breathing/relaxation exercises to induce hypnosis in all of my clients, I also employ some kind of eye-fascination technique to hypnotize a child under age 14. (I usually do not use eye-fascination techniques to induce hypnosis in an adult).

 

As a certified hypnotherapist, California law allows me to provide hypnotherapy as a complementary or alternative treatment to help my clients to achieve vocational and avocational self-improvement goals (Business and Professions Code 2908). If your child or teenager’s issues are, or become, beyond my scope of expertise as a hypnotherapist, I will refer you to a licensed medical doctor or psychologist for further evaluation and/or treatment.

 

 

 

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

 

Sensory-Based Language

(This blog was originally posted on January 22, 2014)

 

Photo courtesy of Microsoft

 

                 No pun intended, but the way we use words to share thoughts and ideas is so expressive of who we are and how we take in our world. We communicate what we perceive, and we use specific words and terms to illustrate how we perceive the information we are sharing. According to Neurolinguistic Programming, we all have a preferred way to express or represent ourselves when we communicate. Following are descriptions of the different sensory representational systems.

·         Visual: This person primarily takes in information by seeing and how something looks. He or she looks up and is comfortable establishing eye contact. He or she needs to see written information or instructions to something and will use metaphors such as, “I see what you mean” to convey understanding during a conversation.

·         Auditory: This individual processes information via auditory cues and can learn by hearing and listening to instruction. He or she will use expressions like, “The message is loud and clear” or “another way to say that.” This person is comfortable memorizing sequences and is very sensitive to the speaker’s tone of voice and the words the other person uses. However, this individual can become overwhelmed by stimuli and may avoid eye contact (focusing on another stimuli) in order to listen to and understand what is being said. This person will use metaphors like, “I hear what you’re saying” to convey understanding during a conversation.

·         Kinesthetic: A kinesthetic person learns and memorizes something by rehearsing or “walking through” a scenario. This person tends to make physical contact with the object of discussion or another person in the conversation as a way of reinforcing what he or she is learning. He or she will use metaphors like, “That meeting completely slipped my mind.”

·         Auditory Digital: An auditory-digital individual focuses on whether something makes sense in order to learn and understand a concept. This person will use language like, “That’s logical” to indicate that he or she understands (or not) the principle being discussed.

During each hypnotherapy session, I pay careful attention to the words my clients use and which metaphors they choose when they speak. I know that the way they use language paints a picture of how they perceive their lives and where they are in the process of replacing an unwanted behavior. This information helps me to create the ideal hypnotic script by which I can communicate with their subconscious mind and help them achieve their goals.

 

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