Evoking the Skills and States They Need: Using Imagination, Hypnosis & Metaphor to Increase Resilience Shelly Lear & Mary Wake With slides by Michael Cammarata

 CCNY 2012 – intro to hypnotherapy and a request for more  NOT hypnosis training – you have to find your own workshops or training for that if you want to practice  Understand the ways most of us already do some trance work – guided imagery work; Context for today’s workshop 2

Introductions Who are we?  Experience with  Hypnosis  Training  Use in therapy Who are you?  Professional experience with hypnosis or hypnotherapy?  Personal experience with hypnosis or hypnotherapy?

What is hypnosis?  Definitions  Myths  Everyday examples  The phenomenology of trance  Time distortion  Suggestibility/openness  Common physiological aspects

“Hypnosis is a procedure during which a health professional or researcher suggests that a client, patient, or subject experience changes in sensations, perceptions, thoughts or behavior.”  APA, Div.30, Society of Psychological Hypnosis 2003 Definition of Hypnosis

People in hypnosis lose control and can be made to say or do whatever the hypnotist wants. People may not be able to come out of hypnosis. Hypnosis only affects weak-willed or gullible people. Hypnosis reliably enhances the accuracy of memory. Hypnosis enables people to re-experience a past life. Hypnosis depends primarily on the skill of the hypnotist. From 6 II. Common Myths about Hypnosis * From APA Div 30 slides on Hypnosis NONE OF THESE ARE TRUE

A few practice experiences for fun Some simple practice

Traditional models of therapy vs. hypnotherapy frame Old paradigm  “Pathology” oriented  Looking for historical causes – Dx  Insight or behavior change is the cure  Cure comes from “peeling back the onion” Solution-oriented paradigm Resources, resilience oriented - “it’s in there!” Focused on solutions not causes Doesn’t matter if you understand why it works Change comes through creating flexibility and options – Opening up possibilities

Example Proprioceptive anxiety symptoms – rapid heart beat 9

 Both/and (rather than either/or)  Creating possibilities (“and maybe you will decide to feel…”)  Dialectics/paradox – “you can be exactly where you should be and still need to change”  Story telling and metaphor as indirection techniques Trance language:

Hypnotherapy 11

Presenting Problem Intervention Link to Problem Context Class of solution Class of Problem The Tx Planning Model - Ericksonian - Bill O’Hanlon Opposite

 Hypnosis is great with the flight/fight/freeze symptoms  We can change the “unchangeable” if we can think of an example The Autonomic Nervous System 13

Autonomic nervous system and physiological arousal Sympathetic division (arousing) Pupils dilate Decreases Perspires Increases Accelerates Inhibits Secrete stress hormones Parasympathetic division (calming) Pupils contract Increases Dries Decreases Slows Activates Decreases secretion of stress hormones EYES SALIVATION SKIN RESPIRATION HEART DIGESTION ADRENAL GLANDS

Class of Problems Anxiety Class of Solutions Confidence Mastery Curiosity What is going on in your head - Bill O’Hanlon 15

 When does the problem NOT happen?  What would need to change in his/her attitudes & beliefs for things to improve?  What abilities do you want them to recognize that they have that they may not be aware of? What is the class of solution for anxiety problems? What are some interventions we could use? 16 Metaphors? Stories? Experiences we could evoke? “anchors”? Real life examples? Task assignments? Trance phenomena?

Try one together… 17

Presenting Problem Intervention Link to Problem Context Class of solution Class of Problem The Tx Planning Model - Ericksonian - Bill O’Hanlon Opposite STEP 1

Class of Problems Depression Class of Solutions ? What is going on in the your head? 19

Hypnotic methods stories Reminder of every day experiences Analogies & metaphors Trance phenomena Nonhypnotic methods stories Reminder of every day experiences Analogies & metaphors Task assignment Methods/interventions 20 STEP 2

 When does the problem NOT happen?  What would need to change in his/her attitudes & beliefs for things to improve?  What abilities do you want them to recognize that they have that they may not be aware of? What is the class of solution for anxiety problems? What are some interventions we could use? 21 Metaphors? Stories? Experiences we could evoke? “anchors”? Real life examples? Task assignments? Trance phenomena?

 Group experience with induction and trance – for anxiety or depression Invitation to trance experience

Pros/Cons of Hypnotherapy  Suggestions to the unconscious mind vs. the conscious mind  Ego-strengthening techniques with people who believe they can’t do something  Giving clients autonomic control they didn’t know they had – e.g., heart rate  Strengthening the belief in “regular” therapy through hypnotic experiments  Relaxation  It’s fun for the therapist, too  Resistant, defended clients Contraindications:  Very dissociative clients, or psychotic, those who have trouble with grasp on reality  Very cognitively, intellectually inclined if they aren’t willing to suspend their control a little  Those who are too afraid Pros:

Questions and discussion