Is_a_Personalised_Screed_More_Effective_

In this essay I will be looking at the techniques and methods used in personalising a screed to suit working with individual clients. In doing this I will explore the reasoning behind personalising a screed, and in my conclusion consider whether this type of screed is the most affected. I feel that the more personal a screed is the more effective it will be because although humans are similar in a lot of ways there are many differences such as cultural background, age, likes or dislikes and the different environments people are brought up in. During hypnosis we are working with the subconscious mind so, in order to achieve a successful outcome, we need to assist the client into the most beneficial state possible. When we communicate with others there are several techniques that can be used to alter the language we use to suit the needs of the client, body language, tone, and volume are far more important than the words used. Words only make up 7% of our communication, tone and volume 38%, and body language 55%, so it is very important to choose carefully the wording used in your hypnotic scripts when trying to bring about change in the client. When communicating with clients under hypnosis we don’t have the ability to use body language and it is not always appropriate to use altered tones of voice. In order to achieve a change as much information needs to be gathered from the client before hypnosis starts such as the personality, likes and dislikes, any misconceptions they have about hypnotherapy and whether they have undergone hypnosis in the past or if they have an experience of hypnosis. To do this “a relationship of warmth, trust, and mutual positive regard is essential” (Heap and Dryden 1991) between the client and therapist. As a starting point we need to work with the clients’ brain to get the best out of them. Firstly if the brain is given a little description it will manage to create a mental picture of the information. The brain also picks up information quickly and it never stops processing, it also stores all our past experiences. Brains create our mental state and how we react with a physical response .Body and mind are inseparable. Part of the brain, called the Cortex, has been designated to our senses so as the brain receives the information it represents it internally in a way that can allow us to assess or store it for future reference this is known as “modality.” The senses referred to are, sight, hearing, feeling, smell, and taste, although the last two are often considered a secondary senses to the feeling category. A client will find one of the senses easier to imagine and therefore by building up a positive rapport and working closely with the client you can establish their dominant modality and it will become possible to talk to them in a way that they feel most comfortable. Some examples of the speech patterns in the different modality are as follows: Kinaesthetic (feeling); “I know how you feel.” “Hold on a moment.” When using this modality some of the better words to use when talking to the client or personalising a screed would be; touch, smooth, gentle. Visual (sight); “I see how you feel” “It looks good to me Some good words to use for this client would be; look, imagine or bright. Auditory (hearing); “I hear what you’re saying” “Sounds good to me” The best words to use with this client would be; say, remark or discuss. The use of modality is only one way in which a screed can be personalised. The best way to achieve an effective hypnotic state in a client is to use all the senses in your description. This is known as “compounding” According to Hadley and Staudacher “the more vivid and clearly defined an image is the more effective it will be” (2001) You can intensify a positive image by incorporating all of your senses into it. The more you can use your senses the more real the image will seem to your subconscious. Another way to allow you to assess someone’s modality is “eye assessing cues” which can be used during initial assessment with a client. Subconsciously a person’s eyes move to a specific area depending on the way they’re thinking. If you’re a predominantly visual you tend to look up, trying to construct a visual image. With auditory modality the eyes tend to move left, when they are remembering a sound, right when constructing a sound. Just as there are specific eye movements that relate to visual and auditory thought modalities Kinaesthetic thinkers tend to look down and to the right which is easily recognised in depressed clients. Hall(2011). Inductions differ in style and manner. There are two types of hypnotic induction which are generally recognised permissive and authoritarian. The permissive style can be described as “nurturing” and “maternal” as the words used are caring and include the use of metaphors leaving the client with a choice, phrases like, “you might like to move around a little” or “you may like to close your eyes” This style gives clients a sense of safety by not bossing them or not making them feel trapped. This style is most suited to clients who are caring, imaginative, and eager to please. The authoritarian style of induction is more direct, logical, and paternal, with no choice. The script will be to the point and does not include metaphors. Using this method the therapist shows control and knows exactly what they are doing. Some examples of phrases used in this induction would be, “I want you to imagine yourself” or “start by concentrating on your breathing”. These screeds can contain imagery but the words are more directional, sometimes this style may appear a little severe but can be very effective especially when the aim of the hypnosis is habit changing e.g. stopping smoking. As far back as 1916, Sandor Ferenczi commented on two different styles of hypnotic suggestion, “maternal” and “paternal.” Ferenczi was born in 1873 in Hungary studying medicine at the age of 17. He went on to nurture an interest in hypnosis developing relaxation therapy. He identified that the style of hypnosis referred to as “maternal” was warm and permissive and the “paternal” style was the direct, aggressive and authoritarian. Two others who have helped shape modern-day hypnosis are Dave Elman renowned for his authoritarian and direct approach and Milton Erickson famous for his permissive and indirect approach. David Elman - Dakota 1900, his connection with hypnosis came early in life as his father held an interest in the subject. His father having obtained help from a friend used hypnosis to develop pain relief for himself while dying of cancer. Years after his father’s death he had success himself with hypnosis which resulted in a group of doctors asking Elman to teach his skills to use in their practice and from then on Elman taught and practised hypnosis till his death in 1967. Milton H Erickson was born in 1901 in Nevada. From childhood Erickson suffered from deafness, colour blindness, dyslexia, and heart arrhythmias, at the age of 17 he contracted polio and a further bout occurred in 1952 which confined him to a wheelchair. During his studies at the state psychopathic hospital he obtained a special residency, in 1948 Erickson moved with his family to Arizona where he worked in a clinic before setting up in a private practice. Erickson died in 1980 and was still practising in a therapeutic setting till then. He will be remembered as one of the greatest and most natural hypnotherapist ever lived. One of Erickson’s legacies was his understanding that people must participate in their therapy, they must be willing to understand and then utilise what is necessary for them to accomplish their goals. (Chrysalis notes 2010) To help achieve this “waking” hypnosis can be used. A technique used by having a conversation before the main hypnosis session between client and therapist, this allows the client to become open and accepting of the process. During hypnosis there are two different types of suggestion which can be used, direct and indirect suggestion. Erickson was best known for his use of indirect suggestion as he and many others felt this method had a deeper meaningful outcome for the client. Direct suggestions are designed to guide or instruct the client to respond in a certain way, questions are usually simple and to the point. They are often used in an induction that does not require you to use imagination to any significant degree as direct suggestions are given, the client responds to the words rather than the images. The suggestions may be one word or several sentences that trigger an immediate response. Some examples of direct suggestions are “Now close your eyes” or “Now you can imagine a peaceful and special place” Authoritarian screeds are often more direct which allows them to be concise athough this type of induction can sometimes be quite damaging by being associated with stage hypnosis it can become valuable when working with clients with addictions. Indirect suggestion is used by many therapists when trying to overcome “resistance” in clients, (resistance is a process by which a client blocks either the course of that therapy or the hypnosis due to some form of anxiety.) A desired emotional state such as happiness is achieved by using indirect suggestion. On interviewing a client an experience is identified and once the client is motivated by way of the P.M.R. to relive the experience in a more positive way. Another type of indirect suggestion is often associated with the work of Erickson, the use of metaphors and analogies within the screeds creating suggestion. He was noted for his ability to utilise anything about the patient to help them change including their beliefs, favourite words, cultural background, or their personal history. The permissive screed lends itself to the use of indirect suggestion and metaphors. Examples of this type of suggestion are ”Maybe a moment or two, whenever you’re ready, you may wish to close your eyes” or “You could easily start to imagine your own special place”. By using this method there is an opportunity for the client to accept the suggestions they are most comfortable with, at their own pace and with an awareness of the benefits so the client can participate in their own transformation. The unconscious mind responds to openings and metaphors. Effective hypnosis should be “Artfully Vague” leaving space for the client to fill in gaps with their own conscious understanding, even if they do not consciously grasp what is happening. The skilful hypnotherapist constructs the suggestions in a way more suited to the individual which is most likely to produce the desired change, for example if a client is told “you can become a non-smoker” this is an opening a beginning of a lasting change without pressure and less likely to raise resistance. Whereas the more authoritarian method would suggest “you will stop smoking” which is a direct command to be obeyed or ignored. There is no choice in the statement and puts place more pressure on the client. Words and statements work both ways, to build or destroy. It is the way we use them that determines whether they are going to bring good or harmful results. More often than not people repeat negative words and thoughts in their minds concerning situations and events in the lives leading the client into an undesirable place in their lives, as the subconscious mind believes their thoughts to be true. Language is crucial during a hypnotic trance, the therapist may switch from using direct to indirect suggestion because they realise that perhaps the client is not responding to authoritarian approach or they may feel using a two-pronged approach will bring about more positive results. By using direct suggestion the therapist is stating what you want to hear at the same time the unconscious mind is allowed to explore a variety of possibilities and options stimulated by the use of indirect suggestion. Skilled hypnotherapist are able to change the mind-set of a client to positive suggestion such as; “the more relaxed you are more confident you become” or “you may be pleasantly surprised how easily you make changes” My conclusion of this essay is, I believe that by spending time getting to know the client and understanding their preferred modality prior to commencing any therapy can only serve to be beneficial and to have a positive outcome. By personalising a P.M.R. it will be easier to provide an effective treatment for the client as they will respond more positively to this. The alternative would be to use a standardised P.M.R. which, although would be less time-consuming, the therapist would have to hope that by using all the modalities this would somehow, by chance, connect with the client. So, will a personalised induction always be more effective' Yes, I believe it would.