Edited from Dr. Suzanne LaCombe, Ed.D, R. Psych.
Head Shrink and Editor,
MyShrink.com - Changing the way we see therapy!
"One of the fastest ways--possibly the only way--to engage the brain in changing any behavior or emotion is to stay in the present moment. Being present means being fully engaged in the moment with all your senses attuned to the here and now.
You are neither dreaming of the future nor regretting the past. You are in the moment.
You've probably had a "moment" in your life. You know, a moment of awareness, of being totally in the here and now. Well, you were in your right brain.
Our present moments are right brain based. That's because all our sensory information comes through the right brain.
Right brain-based therapy focuses on emotions and creativity. Left brain-based counseling, better known as "talk therapy" can be enhanced by bringing the emotions and body sensations into play. To optimize results, work from both the left and right sides of the brain.
It's the right brain that gives us that sense of being connected to one another. It's called the relational right brain for a good reason. The right brain regulates or influences many aspects of our behavior, often those aspects that we would like to change.
We use the terms "left brain" and "right brain" to refer to the two basic ways the brain processes information. Thus, when we say that someone is "in their right brain" it simply means that they are processing their experience in a holistic, "big picture" way.
There is no such thing as a right brain, separate and independent of a left one. They are not in conflict, nor is one "superior" to the other. For example, when you're having a conversation, your left brain will focus on the meaning of the words exchanged, while your right brain will observe whether the other person gets what you're saying.
Those things often have to do with our relations and connections with others:
• Self-awareness
• Empathy
• Identification with others
• Trust
• Emotion
• Non-conscious communication
• Attachment
• Recognition of emotions
Other right brain functioning includes visual-spatial recognition (imagery), autobiographical memory, stress modulation and holistic thinking.
The right side of the brain also has an integrative map of the body.
It is often useful to understand the role that the right brain plays. Because it's the center for processing emotion and of our sense of identity, it has a huge influence on how we feel about ourselves and how we manage our relationships.
Modifying the habitual patterns of feeling and behavior that are "encoded" in the right brain is the primary goal of all therapies, although many don't say this explicitly.
We use the term "right brain" to refer in a general way to those brain systems responsible for regulating our ability to interpret, navigate and thrive in the world.
In particular, these systems also determine the quality of our relationships with others, including the ability to form secure emotional attachments.
Technically speaking, the right brain encodes the implicit procedural memories which accumulated in the earliest years of life, well before the analytical left brain came online.
Not all areas of the brain are online when we are born.
What's significant is that areas in the right hemisphere become active in the first two years of life, whereas the left hemisphere doesn't come online fully until 18 months to two years.
Although the right brain develops first before any verbal or conceptual ability appears, an intense amount of learning happens in those first years.
We learn about ourselves and the world through direct experience, not through words.
Our experiences, especially with our caregivers, will be encoded in procedural memories that form the basis of our emotional life.
The right hemisphere is dominant in the first three years of life; it's the first to mature, before the left brain. Emotional experiences, especially those involving caregivers, are unconsciously stored and processed in the right brain during those first years.
What gets encoded is an ability to handle social relationships as well as knowledge and expectations about how others will react to our efforts to communicate and connect.
Perhaps the most important characteristic of procedural memories is their non-conscious operation.
Analysis, thought, and language are all conscious operations of the mind and are characteristic of "left brain" abilities, whereas the influence of the right brain occurs largely outside of our awareness.
The procedural memories that fundamentally condition our emotional lives are laid down long before the rational mind appears and are unaffected by intellectual efforts to change them."
Are you ready to create positive lasting change in your life, starting right now?
Monday, October 25, 2010
Procedural Memory
"Changing or replacing procedural memory is the key to changing your behaviors.
The procedural memory system stores the instructions for our habitual responses. It patterns how we do things. More profoundly, it is about who we are. Procedural memory is the basis of our character, those aspects of ourselves that make us unique.
When we learn a behavior or an emotional response it becomes part of our procedural memory. Once it's been "programmed" into the procedural memory system we don't need to decide how to respond to a specific situation because it has now become automatic--after all, that's the whole point.
You see these "over learned" patterns are the "behind the scenes" kind of memory that frees up our attention for more important tasks.
For instance, I can drive my car and carry on a conversation at the same time. The 'driving' behavior is encoded in procedural memory. Since I've over learned the skills needed for driving I don't need to be conscious of every detail in order to keep my car on the road.
This kind of memory is called "procedural" because it pre-determines how we will react in a given situation. Once established in the nervous system, it is non-conscious and automatic."
Dr. Suzanne LaCombe, Ed.D, R. Psych.
Head Shrink and Editor,
MyShrink.com - Changing the way we see therapy!
The procedural memory system stores the instructions for our habitual responses. It patterns how we do things. More profoundly, it is about who we are. Procedural memory is the basis of our character, those aspects of ourselves that make us unique.
When we learn a behavior or an emotional response it becomes part of our procedural memory. Once it's been "programmed" into the procedural memory system we don't need to decide how to respond to a specific situation because it has now become automatic--after all, that's the whole point.
You see these "over learned" patterns are the "behind the scenes" kind of memory that frees up our attention for more important tasks.
For instance, I can drive my car and carry on a conversation at the same time. The 'driving' behavior is encoded in procedural memory. Since I've over learned the skills needed for driving I don't need to be conscious of every detail in order to keep my car on the road.
This kind of memory is called "procedural" because it pre-determines how we will react in a given situation. Once established in the nervous system, it is non-conscious and automatic."
Dr. Suzanne LaCombe, Ed.D, R. Psych.
Head Shrink and Editor,
MyShrink.com - Changing the way we see therapy!
THRIVING
Hypnosis promotes thriving, not merely surviving, and arriving at our fullest potential, as we create the most beneficial outcome possible in all situations.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Clinical Research and Development Background For The IBS Child's Program
From HelpforIBS.com
Michael Mahoney is one of the United Kingdom's leading Clinical Hypnotherapists in the treatment of IBS.
The hypnotherapy sessions in this program are unique to clinical hypnotherapist Michael Mahoney, who developed and used the protocol with many children with IBS over the years.
The at-home IBS audio program grew out of his clinical practice treatments of children with IBS. The program's initial formal clinical research began with in-person IBS treatments, involving 16 children (10 girls and 6 boys, ages 8 to 13). The children received IBS hypnotherapy sessions at the Guardian Medical Centre, Warrington, Cheshire. The children also listened to recordings of their sessions in their own home, under the supervision of their parents where applicable.
An initial consultation and evaluation was given to each child to determine the nature and their perception of their condition. Parents were interviewed separately and apprised of the treatment protocol and their need for involvement.
Each child was asked to rate their IBS symptoms and emotional/social areas of concern on a scale of 0 to 10 (10 being very severe and 0 being non-existent). They were also asked to rate their general happiness from 0 to 10. This was done to get a baseline of their condition, so that it could be evaluated with their rankings after the completion of the program.
For Parents
Parents were put at ease and given a private introductory session fully explaining the nature of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Functional Abdominal Pain, and related symptoms and emotional concerns. They were told how the clinical hypnotherapy sessions would help their child reduce or alleviate IBS symptoms. It was fully expected that the parent would take part in their child's therapy sessions by explaining any further questions, providing reassurance, and ensuring compliance in listening to the sessions. Each live session was recorded for the child to listen to, according to a specific schedule at home, until the next scheduled appointment for the subsequent live session. All live sessions were recorded in this way.
Parents were apprised that IBS is still a major concern for doctors, that it is a complex disorder, and there are still many more questions than answers. IBS may start with what seems a simple stomachache, but so often leads to the disruption of many parts of the child's life, and the lives of those around them. This adult session empathizes with the parents' experience of cancelled trips to school, their child curled up in pain, and refusing to move or go out. Often this has a social impact as well. The child may drop out of clubs, after school activities, and even lose contact with friends.
Despair is felt, and confidence and self-esteem are reduced as all attempts at reassurance falter. The parents are informed that once trust has been gained, the majority of children and teens are excellent to work with. They listen, they are honest, and they are willing to put in the time and effort to help themselves.
Further information is given on the frustrations of both child and parent, and how they can work together to help the situation not only on the level of obvious symptoms, but the emotional aspects as well.
For The Child
Each child was given a first introductory session that was not hypnotherapy, but that explained the nature of their treatment, asked them questions about their pain and other symptoms, explained the brain-gut connection underlying IBS in simple terms, and made them feel comfortable and cared for.
The second session with the child was also introductory in nature and provided simple exercises for defining pain and thinking about it from a different perspective. The child was encouraged to think about their symptoms and problems in a new way, and to take ownership of them, as well as to know that they would be given the tools to do so in an easy, structured way.
The following six sessions for the child were completed over several weeks, and consisted of gut-specific hypnotherapy:
1. The first hypnotherapy session helps the child learn to relax and become accustomed to the hypnotherapy process, and to feel good about themselves taking time to get better.
2. The second hypnotherapy session used a combination of gentle imagery as well as the child's own answers to questions asked in the introduction to help address the child's symptoms. They learn to let go of those things no longer needed, like the worry about their stomach, and any worries about going out or going to school, visiting people or doing new things, or any other areas of concern for the child.
3. The third hypnotherapy session assists the child in looking forward to the future without symptoms, feeling well and able to move forward in a whole and healthy way.
4. The child's fourth hypnotherapy session uses further gentle imagery to address concerns with digestive motility, so that the child uses their own natural abilities to balance the digestive system and reduce or eliminate unwanted digestive symptoms of IBS.
5. In the fifth hypnotherapy session the child learns to replace negative thoughts with positive ones. Processes and imagery are provided for the child to move even further into the future, removing any remaining areas of pain. They learn to look forward to taking part in life without worry or fear of any situation at home or school. They learn to see themselves in everyday life living it as they want to free of IBS.
6. The sixth and final hypnotherapy session encapsulates the previous sessions, embedding them further and helping to maintain the progress made through the program. This session provides a means to continue with improvements beyond the duration of the active sessions.
Participation for the child simply comprised attending the live sessions, then listening to the recording of that session according to a specific schedule in their own home until the next scheduled session.
Upon completion of the final session the child was again asked to rank their progress by rating the 27 symptoms and emotional/social areas of concern. They were again also asked to rate their general happiness. Improvement was shown on all levels.
In order to determine maintenance and continued improvement, additional rankings were provided by the children at several times in the year following their completion of the hypnotherapy program. These subsequent rankings indicated even further progress.
In addition to improvements ranked, further feedback indicated secondary outcomes. Parents became closer to their children, and the children received validation for their condition, which, in turn, further helped their progress. The children indicated that the sessions were pleasant and easy to do, and they were pleased that they were feeling better - and as indicated by feedback - much happier overall.
Michael Mahoney is one of the United Kingdom's leading Clinical Hypnotherapists in the treatment of IBS.
The hypnotherapy sessions in this program are unique to clinical hypnotherapist Michael Mahoney, who developed and used the protocol with many children with IBS over the years.
The at-home IBS audio program grew out of his clinical practice treatments of children with IBS. The program's initial formal clinical research began with in-person IBS treatments, involving 16 children (10 girls and 6 boys, ages 8 to 13). The children received IBS hypnotherapy sessions at the Guardian Medical Centre, Warrington, Cheshire. The children also listened to recordings of their sessions in their own home, under the supervision of their parents where applicable.
An initial consultation and evaluation was given to each child to determine the nature and their perception of their condition. Parents were interviewed separately and apprised of the treatment protocol and their need for involvement.
Each child was asked to rate their IBS symptoms and emotional/social areas of concern on a scale of 0 to 10 (10 being very severe and 0 being non-existent). They were also asked to rate their general happiness from 0 to 10. This was done to get a baseline of their condition, so that it could be evaluated with their rankings after the completion of the program.
For Parents
Parents were put at ease and given a private introductory session fully explaining the nature of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Functional Abdominal Pain, and related symptoms and emotional concerns. They were told how the clinical hypnotherapy sessions would help their child reduce or alleviate IBS symptoms. It was fully expected that the parent would take part in their child's therapy sessions by explaining any further questions, providing reassurance, and ensuring compliance in listening to the sessions. Each live session was recorded for the child to listen to, according to a specific schedule at home, until the next scheduled appointment for the subsequent live session. All live sessions were recorded in this way.
Parents were apprised that IBS is still a major concern for doctors, that it is a complex disorder, and there are still many more questions than answers. IBS may start with what seems a simple stomachache, but so often leads to the disruption of many parts of the child's life, and the lives of those around them. This adult session empathizes with the parents' experience of cancelled trips to school, their child curled up in pain, and refusing to move or go out. Often this has a social impact as well. The child may drop out of clubs, after school activities, and even lose contact with friends.
Despair is felt, and confidence and self-esteem are reduced as all attempts at reassurance falter. The parents are informed that once trust has been gained, the majority of children and teens are excellent to work with. They listen, they are honest, and they are willing to put in the time and effort to help themselves.
Further information is given on the frustrations of both child and parent, and how they can work together to help the situation not only on the level of obvious symptoms, but the emotional aspects as well.
For The Child
Each child was given a first introductory session that was not hypnotherapy, but that explained the nature of their treatment, asked them questions about their pain and other symptoms, explained the brain-gut connection underlying IBS in simple terms, and made them feel comfortable and cared for.
The second session with the child was also introductory in nature and provided simple exercises for defining pain and thinking about it from a different perspective. The child was encouraged to think about their symptoms and problems in a new way, and to take ownership of them, as well as to know that they would be given the tools to do so in an easy, structured way.
The following six sessions for the child were completed over several weeks, and consisted of gut-specific hypnotherapy:
1. The first hypnotherapy session helps the child learn to relax and become accustomed to the hypnotherapy process, and to feel good about themselves taking time to get better.
2. The second hypnotherapy session used a combination of gentle imagery as well as the child's own answers to questions asked in the introduction to help address the child's symptoms. They learn to let go of those things no longer needed, like the worry about their stomach, and any worries about going out or going to school, visiting people or doing new things, or any other areas of concern for the child.
3. The third hypnotherapy session assists the child in looking forward to the future without symptoms, feeling well and able to move forward in a whole and healthy way.
4. The child's fourth hypnotherapy session uses further gentle imagery to address concerns with digestive motility, so that the child uses their own natural abilities to balance the digestive system and reduce or eliminate unwanted digestive symptoms of IBS.
5. In the fifth hypnotherapy session the child learns to replace negative thoughts with positive ones. Processes and imagery are provided for the child to move even further into the future, removing any remaining areas of pain. They learn to look forward to taking part in life without worry or fear of any situation at home or school. They learn to see themselves in everyday life living it as they want to free of IBS.
6. The sixth and final hypnotherapy session encapsulates the previous sessions, embedding them further and helping to maintain the progress made through the program. This session provides a means to continue with improvements beyond the duration of the active sessions.
Participation for the child simply comprised attending the live sessions, then listening to the recording of that session according to a specific schedule in their own home until the next scheduled session.
Upon completion of the final session the child was again asked to rank their progress by rating the 27 symptoms and emotional/social areas of concern. They were again also asked to rate their general happiness. Improvement was shown on all levels.
In order to determine maintenance and continued improvement, additional rankings were provided by the children at several times in the year following their completion of the hypnotherapy program. These subsequent rankings indicated even further progress.
In addition to improvements ranked, further feedback indicated secondary outcomes. Parents became closer to their children, and the children received validation for their condition, which, in turn, further helped their progress. The children indicated that the sessions were pleasant and easy to do, and they were pleased that they were feeling better - and as indicated by feedback - much happier overall.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Could you answer these questions for me?
I recently was asked to answer questions for a young student's Health and Wellness class project.
His E-mail said, "I am supposed to ask an expert about hypnosis. Could you answer these questions for me?"
What is hypnosis?
The function of the brain is to set and fulfill goals. The brain is a goal setting mechanism. Safe and effective, hypnosis creates a special psychological state which allows you to make positive change happen quickly and easily. Hypnosis helps you gain control of responses that are normally controlled by unconscious mechanisms. With hypnosis you easily access the creative part of yourself at an unconscious level where learning and change take place.
The hypnotic state is very pleasant and has no harmful side effects. You already know how to reach hypnotic states because you have been doing it your entire life whether you knew it or not. For example, you reach a state of hypnosis, or trance state, when you daydream, remember an event that happened in the past, drive a car, read a book, watch a good movie, listen to music, or lie down to rest.
Stage hypnosis is for fun and entertainment. Hypnosis used for hypno-therapy involves a deliberate choice to enter this state of consciousness for a goal, focus your concentration, and use suggestion to make changes in your life or to promote healing. Whenever a suggestion is received in this state of suggestibility it tends to go deep into our subconscious and have a powerful effect on our behavior. Once the subconscious mind accepts an idea, it goes to work on making it come true.
Hypnosis may not feel any different than your normal waking state of awareness. During hypnosis, your conscious mind may remain focused on my words, or it may drift off, so you do not track what I am saying.
Hypnosis has many levels that range from light to deep. Depth is just a metaphor used when speaking about hypnosis, as in the suggestion to go "deeper and deeper" into hypnosis. Some people prefer the metaphor of drifting higher and higher. Hypnotic states are part of a continuum of regular consciousness, so you may reach many different hypnotic states during your session.
Some of the work I do with my clients is in an active trance state, engaged in guided imagery, where the client is accessing the Alpha and Theta brain wave states of trance AND is fully awake and aware.
The person in a hypnotic trance is always in control, just as someone who is daydreaming can decide to go on, or stop, at any time.
In my work, I tell my clients that it doesn’t matter what your conscious mind is doing during hypnosis, because your unconscious will be listening to everything I say and you can trust that you will go to the level of trance that is appropriate for you.
After your hypnosis session, you will feel calm, relaxed, refreshed, and ready to bring your full attention to the rest of your day.
Can everyone be hypnotized?
Everyone can be hypnotized, and most people go into a trance multiple times a day. The only difference with hypnosis/hypnotherapy is that you go into a trance state for the purpose of helping you achieve your goals.
What is it used for?
Hypnosis can be helpful in all areas of one’s life. Although it would be impossible for anyone to make a comprehensive list of what hypnosis is good for, here is a list of some of the most common problems that have successfully been addressed with hypnosis/hypnotherapy.
ACCOMPLISH GOALS
STOP SMOKING
LOSE WEIGHT
OVERCOME FEAR OF PUBLIC SPEAKING
STOP BITING FINGERNAILS
IMPROVE SPORTS PERFORMANCE
IMPROVE MOTIVATION, MEMORY AND LEARNING
MANAGE AND REDUCE PAIN
IMPROVE SLEEP
ACCELERATE HEALING
GET RID OF OLD HABITS, BEHAVIORS, FEARS, and PHOBIAS
MAKE POSITIVE CHANGES
REDUCE STRESS and ANXIETY
STRENGTHEN YOUR SELF-ESTEEM
RESOLVE GRIEF
STOP REPETITIVE THOUGHTS
GET THE RESULTS YOU WANT
CREATE POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS
ENHANCE PERSONAL GROWTH
RELEASE EMOTIONAL BLOCKS
BE WHO YOU WANT TO BE
HEAL YOUR EMOTIONS
Diagnosed Medical Conditions require a referral from a doctor.
What is your training? How long did it take?
The credentials to look for when choosing a hypnotherapist would be that the hypnosis training is certified and recognized by the major hypnosis organizations. The State of Washington requires all hypnotherapists to be registered but has no requirements or practice standards.
My master practitioner level work was done in 2001 through a private university specializing in Hypnosis and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), Bennett Stellar University, which is recognized by the Professional Board of Hypnotherapy, the National Guild of Hypnotists, and the Society of Neuro-Linguistic Programming. Training can take between 100 and 300 hours or more.
When choosing a hypnotherapist, be sure they have training in NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) because that provides a critical level of expertise in both verbal and non-verbal communication.
On a regular basis, usually each month, I attend continuing education seminars and presentations provided by professional hypnosis trainers and other experts in the fields of energy medicine, natural health, accelerated learning and personal growth.
What are concerns people have about hypnosis?
Since hypnosis requires your full cooperation, you can never be compelled to do anything that violates your ethical standards, spiritual beliefs, sense of good taste, or personal preferences.
Will I Lose Control In Hypnosis? NO
Will I Get Stuck In A Trance? NO
Can You Make Me Do Something Against My Will? NO
How popular is it?
The use of hypnosis as a viable therapeutic method is becoming more accepted today than ever before. Hypnosis has been clinically proven to provide medical and therapeutic benefits.
How long does it take to help with a problem like smoking?
Most of my clients see improvement after one or two sessions. Although when there are more complex factors involved, it may take more sessions to address what comes up for each individual.
Three sessions are recommended to become a non-smoker for life. You become a "non-smoker" after the first session. You will become aware of your subconscious triggers to smoke before they become a conscious feeling. If you do run into a situation where you have the desire to smoke, we will use it to do specific work on that particular situation where you were "triggered". The follow up sessions work on dissolving the habits attached to smoking to be sure the emotional and physical "triggers" for smoking are all gone. Results are ultimately achieved through the client's own personal efforts at applying these techniques over time.
Do you have a story of someone who was helped by hypnosis?
At Hypnosis Seattle, I have helped hundreds of people solve their problems and achieve their goals. Because of privacy laws I cannot give you a specific example, but I can give you an example from a public testimonial.
“I did not think that giving up smoking could be so easy. One session was all that was needed. I would never have thought that this was possible, especially with me. I had smoked cigarettes for 20 years. I started when I was really young and did not really think hypnosis would work, but I had a new girlfriend that didn't like it that I smoked, so I really wanted to quit. My first hypnosis session was on a Friday afternoon. That weekend, I went out to all the places I usually smoke and it was amazing. I did not have to struggle not to smoke, I just didn't even want to."
His E-mail said, "I am supposed to ask an expert about hypnosis. Could you answer these questions for me?"
What is hypnosis?
The function of the brain is to set and fulfill goals. The brain is a goal setting mechanism. Safe and effective, hypnosis creates a special psychological state which allows you to make positive change happen quickly and easily. Hypnosis helps you gain control of responses that are normally controlled by unconscious mechanisms. With hypnosis you easily access the creative part of yourself at an unconscious level where learning and change take place.
The hypnotic state is very pleasant and has no harmful side effects. You already know how to reach hypnotic states because you have been doing it your entire life whether you knew it or not. For example, you reach a state of hypnosis, or trance state, when you daydream, remember an event that happened in the past, drive a car, read a book, watch a good movie, listen to music, or lie down to rest.
Stage hypnosis is for fun and entertainment. Hypnosis used for hypno-therapy involves a deliberate choice to enter this state of consciousness for a goal, focus your concentration, and use suggestion to make changes in your life or to promote healing. Whenever a suggestion is received in this state of suggestibility it tends to go deep into our subconscious and have a powerful effect on our behavior. Once the subconscious mind accepts an idea, it goes to work on making it come true.
Hypnosis may not feel any different than your normal waking state of awareness. During hypnosis, your conscious mind may remain focused on my words, or it may drift off, so you do not track what I am saying.
Hypnosis has many levels that range from light to deep. Depth is just a metaphor used when speaking about hypnosis, as in the suggestion to go "deeper and deeper" into hypnosis. Some people prefer the metaphor of drifting higher and higher. Hypnotic states are part of a continuum of regular consciousness, so you may reach many different hypnotic states during your session.
Some of the work I do with my clients is in an active trance state, engaged in guided imagery, where the client is accessing the Alpha and Theta brain wave states of trance AND is fully awake and aware.
The person in a hypnotic trance is always in control, just as someone who is daydreaming can decide to go on, or stop, at any time.
In my work, I tell my clients that it doesn’t matter what your conscious mind is doing during hypnosis, because your unconscious will be listening to everything I say and you can trust that you will go to the level of trance that is appropriate for you.
After your hypnosis session, you will feel calm, relaxed, refreshed, and ready to bring your full attention to the rest of your day.
Can everyone be hypnotized?
Everyone can be hypnotized, and most people go into a trance multiple times a day. The only difference with hypnosis/hypnotherapy is that you go into a trance state for the purpose of helping you achieve your goals.
What is it used for?
Hypnosis can be helpful in all areas of one’s life. Although it would be impossible for anyone to make a comprehensive list of what hypnosis is good for, here is a list of some of the most common problems that have successfully been addressed with hypnosis/hypnotherapy.
ACCOMPLISH GOALS
STOP SMOKING
LOSE WEIGHT
OVERCOME FEAR OF PUBLIC SPEAKING
STOP BITING FINGERNAILS
IMPROVE SPORTS PERFORMANCE
IMPROVE MOTIVATION, MEMORY AND LEARNING
MANAGE AND REDUCE PAIN
IMPROVE SLEEP
ACCELERATE HEALING
GET RID OF OLD HABITS, BEHAVIORS, FEARS, and PHOBIAS
MAKE POSITIVE CHANGES
REDUCE STRESS and ANXIETY
STRENGTHEN YOUR SELF-ESTEEM
RESOLVE GRIEF
STOP REPETITIVE THOUGHTS
GET THE RESULTS YOU WANT
CREATE POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS
ENHANCE PERSONAL GROWTH
RELEASE EMOTIONAL BLOCKS
BE WHO YOU WANT TO BE
HEAL YOUR EMOTIONS
Diagnosed Medical Conditions require a referral from a doctor.
What is your training? How long did it take?
The credentials to look for when choosing a hypnotherapist would be that the hypnosis training is certified and recognized by the major hypnosis organizations. The State of Washington requires all hypnotherapists to be registered but has no requirements or practice standards.
My master practitioner level work was done in 2001 through a private university specializing in Hypnosis and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), Bennett Stellar University, which is recognized by the Professional Board of Hypnotherapy, the National Guild of Hypnotists, and the Society of Neuro-Linguistic Programming. Training can take between 100 and 300 hours or more.
When choosing a hypnotherapist, be sure they have training in NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) because that provides a critical level of expertise in both verbal and non-verbal communication.
On a regular basis, usually each month, I attend continuing education seminars and presentations provided by professional hypnosis trainers and other experts in the fields of energy medicine, natural health, accelerated learning and personal growth.
What are concerns people have about hypnosis?
Since hypnosis requires your full cooperation, you can never be compelled to do anything that violates your ethical standards, spiritual beliefs, sense of good taste, or personal preferences.
Will I Lose Control In Hypnosis? NO
Will I Get Stuck In A Trance? NO
Can You Make Me Do Something Against My Will? NO
How popular is it?
The use of hypnosis as a viable therapeutic method is becoming more accepted today than ever before. Hypnosis has been clinically proven to provide medical and therapeutic benefits.
How long does it take to help with a problem like smoking?
Most of my clients see improvement after one or two sessions. Although when there are more complex factors involved, it may take more sessions to address what comes up for each individual.
Three sessions are recommended to become a non-smoker for life. You become a "non-smoker" after the first session. You will become aware of your subconscious triggers to smoke before they become a conscious feeling. If you do run into a situation where you have the desire to smoke, we will use it to do specific work on that particular situation where you were "triggered". The follow up sessions work on dissolving the habits attached to smoking to be sure the emotional and physical "triggers" for smoking are all gone. Results are ultimately achieved through the client's own personal efforts at applying these techniques over time.
Do you have a story of someone who was helped by hypnosis?
At Hypnosis Seattle, I have helped hundreds of people solve their problems and achieve their goals. Because of privacy laws I cannot give you a specific example, but I can give you an example from a public testimonial.
“I did not think that giving up smoking could be so easy. One session was all that was needed. I would never have thought that this was possible, especially with me. I had smoked cigarettes for 20 years. I started when I was really young and did not really think hypnosis would work, but I had a new girlfriend that didn't like it that I smoked, so I really wanted to quit. My first hypnosis session was on a Friday afternoon. That weekend, I went out to all the places I usually smoke and it was amazing. I did not have to struggle not to smoke, I just didn't even want to."
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Robin Shapiro
"Intimate relationship is the best source of resilience and growth and hope for the future."
Trauma & Attachment Therapy BLOG
Robin Shapiro's musing about trauma, attachment, and affect-based therapies,
and her book: Trauma Treatment Handbook: Protocols Across the Spectrum
Robin shares notes from UCLA conference speaker Daniel Siegel: A System's View of Disintegration & Integration
P.A.R.T.T.T.T
when fully
Present we can
Attune to the client or others and
Resonate with others and develop
Trust which is important because it activates the smart ventral vagus so the social engagement system turns on so that we can
Track what's going on in moment to moment experience which allows the
Truth to come out and creates
Transformation/healing.
We help clients become open systems: self-organized: chaotic moving toward complexity, flexibility and adaptable: energized and coherent.
Coherence comes from integration.
When not integrated we move toward rigidity (avoidance), chaos (flooding) or both. It's all about the mind regulating the energy and information flow.
Calming exercise: Put one hand on your heart, the other on your abdomen. Hold them there for a while. Try switching hands to see if you prefer one over the other. Most people do.
"There's a distinction between awareness and mental activity: Awareness is the infinite possibility of neural firings."
In trauma, mental activies get locked into rigidity and chaos and pull humans into limited possibility. With unresolved trauma, rigidity and chaos imprison the person's possibilities. Good therapy transforms the brain of the the client to totally shift their center of attention and stay present to the self and watch self and make sense of it. The labeling of the internal state downregulates the limbic system. The client knows that "this" is not "that". Integration is the capacity to sit with core awareness and sit with anything that comes in.
You can use mindfulness practice to help people distinguish between mental activity and true awareness. Ventral integration--being in touch with the bodily state: Track it and you transform. Supress it and it screws you up.
We are designed to be interdependent and interconnected. There's hope for we as humans to move from chaotic & rigid states to integration, kindness, and peace.
Trauma & Attachment Therapy BLOG
Robin Shapiro's musing about trauma, attachment, and affect-based therapies,
and her book: Trauma Treatment Handbook: Protocols Across the Spectrum
Robin shares notes from UCLA conference speaker Daniel Siegel: A System's View of Disintegration & Integration
P.A.R.T.T.T.T
when fully
Present we can
Attune to the client or others and
Resonate with others and develop
Trust which is important because it activates the smart ventral vagus so the social engagement system turns on so that we can
Track what's going on in moment to moment experience which allows the
Truth to come out and creates
Transformation/healing.
We help clients become open systems: self-organized: chaotic moving toward complexity, flexibility and adaptable: energized and coherent.
Coherence comes from integration.
When not integrated we move toward rigidity (avoidance), chaos (flooding) or both. It's all about the mind regulating the energy and information flow.
Calming exercise: Put one hand on your heart, the other on your abdomen. Hold them there for a while. Try switching hands to see if you prefer one over the other. Most people do.
"There's a distinction between awareness and mental activity: Awareness is the infinite possibility of neural firings."
In trauma, mental activies get locked into rigidity and chaos and pull humans into limited possibility. With unresolved trauma, rigidity and chaos imprison the person's possibilities. Good therapy transforms the brain of the the client to totally shift their center of attention and stay present to the self and watch self and make sense of it. The labeling of the internal state downregulates the limbic system. The client knows that "this" is not "that". Integration is the capacity to sit with core awareness and sit with anything that comes in.
You can use mindfulness practice to help people distinguish between mental activity and true awareness. Ventral integration--being in touch with the bodily state: Track it and you transform. Supress it and it screws you up.
We are designed to be interdependent and interconnected. There's hope for we as humans to move from chaotic & rigid states to integration, kindness, and peace.
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