“I had to do it myself first”

HYPNOSIS

• The hypnotic experience is characterized by an ability to sustain a state of attentive, receptive, intense focal concentration with diminished peripheral awareness in response to a signal. (Spiegel)

• What does that feel like?

EXPERIENCE

• Bringing all your attention to the toes on your right foot.

• Allow all your awareness to rest on your toes wriggling up and down, up and down, up and down, up and down.

• And noticing your breath rise and fall, rise and fall, rise and fall.

• What do you notice?

THREE MAIN COMPONENTS

• ABSORPTION deeply engrossed in experience

• DISSOCIATION not here, instead there

• SUGGESTIBILITY open, receptive and

responsive

PURPOSE OF PRACTICING SELF-HYPNOSIS

• DEVELOPING SENSE OF MASTERY

• HOLY COW!! THIS STUFF WORKS!!!

• And I can teach it others!

• ANXIETY REDUCTION

• MINDBODY CALMING, QUIETING

• LIKE FLOATING

• AROUSAL REDUCED

• PERFORMANCE ENHANCEMENT

• Mind Body experiencing the felt sense of knowing the skill of desired outcome, eg. public speaking, sports, test taking

• Focused, relaxed absorption confidently connected to inner, intuitive place of knowing

• Releasing the natural inner CREATIVITY

• PAIN MANAGEMENT

• Mind chatter quieted

• Selective coping strategy without the “extra” eg. distraction; displacement; mindfulness

• - REHEARSAL IN FANTASY

• Vividly seeing, feeling, tasting, touching, hearing, desired outcome in heightened state of alert relaxation, again and again and again

• Wide application eg. performance, interpersonal relating, intrapersonal relating, phobia elimination, habit elimination

HOW DO YOU GET TO CARNEGIE HALL?PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE

• Taking responsibility for the treatment outcome. “YES, I want to change.”

• Re: In the psychotherapy of trauma and attachment disorders, the practice of self-hypnosis strengthens the connection between patient and therapist, supporting stabilization and opening to change

PERSONAL USES

• Utilizing soothing imagery during dental and medical procedures

• Distraction eg. during an MRI

• Intensify focus in performance, by eg.”bearing down on the gas pedal”, challenging circumstances eg strenuous hike

• Flow states;in psychotherapy, deeply attuned and resonating

Typical clinical examples

• phobias eg. fear of flying

• habit changes eg. smoking cessation, nailbiting, overeating

• affect regulation techniques eg. affect dial to dial up or down the intensity of affect

Clinical examples

• containment strategies for traumatic, intrusive material; closed fist technique soothing imagery and objects, music

• parts work eg. ego-state therapy, IFS

RECORDING: THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING

• Encourage frequent listening to tape. Daily practice with tape

• 20 seconds, quick induction, state change, eg. floating, exit, for ratification and master

• Chicago Paradigm Study (Fromm & Kahn) found that recordings increase the utilization of home practice

HERE, THERE & EVERYWHERE

• Generalizing positive effects of hypnosis as life skill to strengthen self-agency, self-efficacy