1. Generative Psychotherapy: The art of creating new realities
Stephen Gilligan Ph.D.

2. Generative Psychotherapy
Creativity is the most important issue in psychotherapy: How to create a positive and fulfilling life.
Psychotherapy has lost its original spirit as a creative, transformational force in society, is now often a part of the problem (and not the solution).
The error-correction error: Problems are an integral focus in psychotherapy, but they should not be the primary focus.
Generative psychotherapy is a framework and a practical step by step method for actualizing life creativity in psychotherapy

3. Three application domains for creativity
Professional life (future goal, work relationships, relationship to money/time/etc.)
Personal relationships (family, intimacy relationship, children, friends, etc.)
Relationship with self (body, future self, past self, cognitive pattern, “negative” self pattern, etc.)

4. Theoretical Overview

5. Premise 1: Reality is created from a conversation between different worlds
Reality is constructed by consciousness
This conversation is between the creative unconscious (quantum) and the conscious (classical) worlds
The creative unconscious is a holographic wave field containing “infinite possibilities”
The conscious mind “collapses the quantum wave” to create one reality
Creativity moves between these two worlds; each completes the other

6. Tercer Módulo - Cert. Int. Coaching Generativo
Third Module - Int. Cert. Generative Coaching
Premise 2: This reality construction is mediated by filters/brain maps
Filters translate quantum imagination into classical reality
Three general types of filters: Somatic, Cognitive, and Field
All we know is what our filters produce: Our maps are our reality
We can generatively work with our filters

7. Premise 3: Filters are held by human consciousness: “Mindless” or “Mindful”
1. When held mindlessly with neuromuscular lock-- fight, flight, freeze, or fold--problems develop and repeat themselves
2. When held mindfully with creative flow, solutions and new learnings are possible

8. The Underlying Context of Symptoms
The CRASH State
The Underlying Context of Symptoms
Contracted
Reactive
Analysis Paralysis
Separated
Hurting/Hating/Hitting

9. CRASH as “neuromuscular lock”
The Four F’s of Neuromuscular Lock
Fight Freeze
Flight Fold

10. The Basis for Creative Change
The COACH State
The Basis for Creative Change
Centered
Open
Aware
Connected
Holding

11. The dual levels of the COACH state: The mindful whole and the creative parts
The COACH state has two levels:
The performance self (the internal and external expressions of each moment)
The mindful self that can observe, sponsor, guide, and intentionally organize experience in each moment
The relational integration of these two selves gives a generative quality of “self-Coach” or “self- leadership”

12. This plays out as the two levels of generative trance
The trance experience and processes
The mindful observer self (the Erickson function) that holds, witnesses, and creatively guides the process.
This process integrates meditation and trance traditions.
The observer must develop a special state to mindfully guide

13. Premise 4: For sustainable creative change, develop and maintain a generative state
Create COACH field in Therapist, Client, and Therapeutic Connection.
Identify goals/intention.
Bring all relevant patterns into the COACH field to achieve creative goals.
Track dual levels (underlying state, performance activity) simultaneously, always giving priority to state.

14. Three Levels of Generative System
Generative Presence (limbic attunement, Coach field)
Generative State (Positive Intention, Centering, Resources)
Creative action (movement towards generative goal, transformation of negative states)

15. 6 Steps in Generative Change
Open a COACH field
Set Intention/Goals
Develop a generative state
Take action
Transform Obstacles
Deepening the Changes

16. Step 1
Open the COACH field: Relax, release, ground, center, open

17. Opening the Vertical Channel
Settle in, settle down
Relax and breathe
Inhalation: breathe up spine to “heaven”, sense positive energy (water, sun, energy)
Exhalation: Let “heaven energy” move through body, purifying and opening
Repeat until open state is developed

18. COACH state through “ki” principles
Attune to “one point” in center.
“Total relaxation”
Weight on the undersides
“Extend ki” (allow energy to open into field)
(Once done, add somatic model of intention and slowly move through it.)

19. Revivifying client’s COACH experiences
Settle in, settle down
Set intention to open COACH field
Ask Client to identify COACH experiences in personal life (e.g., peaceful place, deep connection), or an imaginary place.
Ask client to slowly describe sensory elements of experience, alternating with silence/breathing through body. Coach limbically attunes and uses/feeds back Client’s description to unfold parallel state
Use self-rating (1-10) to identify when deep Coach state has been developed

20. Step 2: Goals/Intention
What is it that you most want to create in your life?

21. Three ways to represent intention
Verbal statement (positive, succinct, five words or less, resonant)
Visual image (color, literal or symbolic)
Somatic model (posture and movement)

22. Exercise: Speaking intention
Client: What I most want to create in my life is (verbal statement)
--The image that goes with that is _____
--And the somatic model of that is (show movement)
Coach: feedback 3 statements and adds: And I send you much support for making that real!!
(Partners switch back and forth, 3-4 times)

23. Step 3: Develop a Generative State
“Your reality is a function of your state”

24. The three positive connections: The platform for creative systems
Positive intention/goal (succinct: 5 words or less; resonant) What do you most want to create in your life?
Mindbody center (experiences of well-being) Where do you most deeply feel the connection in your body?
Positive resources (people, places, things, skills, ancestors, etc.) What connections would best help you achieve your goal

25. The relation of the 3 positive connections to trance experience
When the positive connections are at high levels, trances are positive and generative
When the positive connections are at low levels, creativity is low and negative experiences are more likely

26. Preparation Step: Attuning to 3 positive connections
Settle in, COACH state.
Set general intention for session (Verbal statement, visual images, somatic model): This is what I want to create....
Attune to somatic center (heart, belly) and touch with resonance: To do so, I stay connected with my center....
Attune to general resources (guides, protectors, friends, nature places, etc.)
...and also to all that supports me...
Find slow, graceful movement between three connections to develop generative trance.
Maintain and renew these connections throughout trance work.

27. “A goal without a date is just a dream.”
Step 4: Take Action
“A goal without a date is just a dream.”
Milton Erickson, M.D.

28. Developing and maintaining the generative state with the 3 positive connections
Develop COACH field, open timeline to future.
Identify goal and somatically model towards future. Scale to optimal level.
Holding goal, sense somatic center. Scale to optimal level.
Identify and situate resources in spatial field. Scale to optimal level.
Walk slowly on timeline toward goal, tracing and maintaining optimal level of 3 connections.
Review, note learnings, vows, notes.

29. Step 5: Transform Obstacles: Change problems into resources

30. Core experiences as problems or solutions: Two level theory of reality construction
At the primary (quantum) level of the creative unconscious, patterns are archetypal deep structures that have infinite possible forms/meanings/values
At the secondary (classical) level of the conscious world, these deep structures “collapse” into a particular “surface structure” with specific forms, values, and meanings
A pattern become negative or positive, depending on the human presence connecting with it. (COACH vs. CRASH)
Thus, a negative experience is an archetypal resource that has been held with negative human presence.
To transform a negative experience into a positive resource, bring skillful, positive human presence (COACH/ generative trance) to it

31. Problem or Resource: Depends on Human Connection/Context
Archetypal (core) pattern + CRASH = Problem (“negative trance”)
Archetypal (core) pattern + COACH = Resource (“generative trance”)
Problem + COACH = Resource

32. Problems as parts of solution paths: When I move towards X, Y shows up
I want to complete this important project, but I end up procrastinating
I want to live a healthy life, but I end up drinking alcohol every night.
I want to be a good father, but I lose my temper with my children
I want to present my ideas to others, but I end up feeling scared and panicky

33. Trance-formation of conflicting parts via somatic centering in generative trance
Develop COACH, generative state.
Identify conflict: I want X, but Y stops me
Attune to X: Sense center, sponsor, self-scale
Attune to Y: Sense center, sponsor, self-scale
Optimize X and Y intensity levels, then move into generative trance to develop energy flow between them
Elaborate and deepen in generative trance.
Future orient: See positive changes, note learnings, vows, gratitude.

34. Step 6: Homework and Generative Practices
Feedback to Therapist
Negotiated homework
Mindfulness Practices

35. Thank You..... And May the Force be with you!
Stephen Gilligan, Ph.D.
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