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When Traditional
Hypnosis And Ericksonian Hypnotherapy Meet:
As a hypnotherapist, experienced in practicing both traditional and
Ericksonian hypnotherapeutic approaches, I offer the following perspective
for an integral and
comprehensive and comprehensive approach for hypnotherapy.
Traditional hypnotherapy, typically incorporates a hypnotist and
patient in a scenario in which suggestions are offered by the
therapist, in a trance state, for the sub-conscious mind of the
patient. These suggestions, are typically artificial in terms of
the existing worldview held by the patient; pre-written scripts are
sometimes used by therapists.
Unfortunately, some hypnotherapists today still favour a narrow and
traditional methodology of authoritarian hypnosis as taught by the
educational bodies which do short courses but fail to be integral and
end up giving such a
misunderstood tradition a staggeringly bad name..
Sometimes this approach is helpful. But the changes don’t always
last. It’s a bit like a new organ being rejected by the body –
something just doesn’t fit. This approach certainly has its value,
sometimes, but it is definitely not integral or comprehensive.
Integral hypnosis however, involves considerable epistemological
flexibility from the therapist, so much so that as he or she enters
into the existing worldview of the patient, whereby the I and You
boundary dissolves into a relational trance connection of We. This
entrance isn’t like acting, or “being as if”, rather, I’m referring
to really embodying the experiential awareness of the patient,
thereby joining him or her for the purpose of moving from a
symptomatic trance to a therapeutic trance.
This is achieved in a few ways, one being the recognition from the
therapist that trance is naturalistic rather than artificial.
Another is that a persons socially constructed identities are not
who they are (the real self), or even the “whole ego” for that
matter. The latter understanding is crucial to avoid identifying
and fixating with the egoic identity structures that keep the
patient stuck in the first place.
This is, however, achieved by the therapist joining with the
patient in their model of the world, taking on his or her worldview
without judgement, and exploring a relational trance together
through a hypnotically tailored social ritual. Given the
epistemological flexibility of the therapist, there is no fear
necessary of getting “stuck, lost or taking on limiting states,
traits, or identities” permanently because by definition
epistemological flexibility involves pliability of who you are,
moment to moment.
This approach demands multiple perspectives, multiple logical levels
in language and the
ability to shift through multiple timeframes without
being attached to
any one or fixated on an identity.
Filtering language/suggestions during a relational
trance perfectly into the patients existing frame happens freely. After
a connection is felt and trust develops, the therapist may propose
different perspectives, choice points or value structures for
consideration – how is this done? Usually through metaphor, story
telling isomorphically in connection to a patients problem.
Another effect of the relational trance is integration, or
wholeness, of previously dissociated “parts”, sub-personalities or
identity descriptions. A non-dualistic presupposition is
continuously proposed seamlessly with courage to experience
whatever arises and even be curious about its intention or purpose.
So, on the surface, relational trances can help to honour the
“skills” that a person is already using to dissociate… and at the
same time help them to use those same skills in different ways so
that they can come back into connection with the world.
On a deeper level, perhaps the isolated, dissociated parts
commence to find their home, welcomed back into a holistic unified
field of unlimited potentiality – as these notions are frequently
explored in detail during relational trances.
For example, a young man saw me for grief and loss issues. Part of
my approach, while in a relational trance of joining with him in
his worldview, was to offer multiple perspectives through a
metaphor of letting go in the story of another patient who found it
hard to sort out his baggage from what was really needed with what
was not, getting two boxes, spending time, deciding what really
belonged in which box. I told this same story from the perspective
of the patient, mine and a handful of other “key people” in the
patients life.
This is the opposite to “putting people in categories or boxes”.
This approach helps you out of the limiting categories that you
became stuck with in the first place.
From within this relational field, inter-subjectivity is explored
freely and safely. The various “I Am” identity descriptions as held
by the patient become held in a new, relational, flexible space, in
which multiple perspectives are offered (not
imposed) to the patient. – I am referring to therapist and patient
for purposes of language and communication although the depth of
the experience is beyond language. As Dr Gilligan points out,
hypnosis, like poetry, in one way to attempt to use language to go
beyond language. For this reason, trance is often very helpful to
achieve a deep connection with the felt sense behind what is
troubling.
People often report that even if their “problem” hasn’t
disappeared, that it doesn’t bother them as much anymore. After
all, the goal in an integral hypnotherapeutic approach isn’t to
“remove” problem states but rather to create wholeness,
differentiation, integration – transcend and include.
Adam Szmerling is a Clinical Hypnotherapies and Psychotherapist
from the Bayside area of Brighton, Melbourne,
Victoria.
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