|
|
|
|
|
Whole Living Guide 2006 The Real HypnosisTapping Wellness and Personal Power By Lorrie Klosterman "I always leave Frayda's office feeling I did the work, with help, but never like anything's been imposed on me. It's very empowering." -Amy, hypnosis client Cable television currently is running a little segment that is doing no favors for the image of hypnosis as a helping modality. In that segment, a hypnotist on a public sidewalk appears to transform random passersby into slaves to his suggestions, who believe for a few minutes they are a famous celebrity, or see one walk by, or otherwise lose touch with reality. Then the hypnotist snaps them out of it to witness their antics on videotape. It's entertaining, but such "stage hypnosis" reinforces a decades-old misconception against which hypnotists in the healing arts constantly struggle. Sharon Slotnik, a hypnotist in private practice near New Paltz, explains, "It's from stage hypnosis [entertainment acts] that most of the myths come, where people bark like a dog, dance like Presley." She and other hypnotists agree that stage hypnotists prescreen volunteers to find the 10 percent of people who can go deeply into the subconscious from the awake state, and that people who volunteer want to perform or have been paid to play along. "You cannot be made to do something you don't want to do, or do things that go against you morals, ethics, and common sense," says Slotnik. So forget the notion of hypnosis turning you into a zombie. Instead, working with the mind at a level other than everyday, linear thinking can modify perceptions, behaviors, and feelings to one's advantage. "Consciousness is a continuum," Slotnik explains. Normal awake thought generates beta brainwaves, whereas "meditation, in which you clear your mind and brain patterns, creates alpha waves, and hypnosis is closer to the theta waves"-the realm of creative imagery. Kary Broffman, a registered nurse and certified hypnotist with a practice in Hyde Park, describes what she does this way: "I teach self-help. Hypnosis is just a word that describes a set of tools to help someone go into an inner-focused state of concentration. Hypnotists guide the process and teach people how to do it." In fact, she adds, "All hypnosis is self-hypnosis." "Hypnosis couldn't be more different from being out of control," agrees Frayda Kafka, a hypnotist with offices in Kingston and Pleasant Valley. "The process actually gives clients greater control, a tool they can use to change a pattern rather than succumb to it." Kafka likens the process to guided visualization, meditation, or daydreaming: "aiding the client in entering a relaxed state where imagination and subconscious are accessed, and logical thinking takes a back seat." A former three-pack-a-day Camels smoker who has been smoke-free since 1976, Kafka began her work as a hypnotist assisting clients with smoking cessation and now uses it for myriad conditions. Hypnosis clients report, as do professional medical and psychology journals (including the International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis), numerous and diverse benefits of hypnosis. It can alleviate emotional and psychological difficulties such as phobias (fear of flying, elevators, injections, etc.); anxiety and stress; anger; obsessive-compulsive disorder; post-traumatic stress disorder; sexual dysfunctions; eating disorders; and low self-esteem. Hypnosis can relieve symptoms of physical ailments directly or indirectly and was the first complementary modality to be approved in the US for pain treatment, such as chronic joint pain, phantom limb pain, and pain associated with multiple sclerosis, cancer, or cancer treatments. Hypnosis can also enhance personal endeavors, such as artistic expression, sports performance, sexual pleasure, and personal empowerment. What Happens in a Hypnosis Session A professional hypnotist will develop a strategy for each client to target specific needs. Unlike psychotherapy, hypnosis can achieve results in just a few sessions. Group hypnosis may work for some people, but often it does not. "I've never met one person who's been successful with that," Slotnik advises. Similarly, generic audiotapes available for purchase may induce relaxation, but do not address individualized needs as does one-on-one consultation with a professional. Sharon Slotnik structures the first meeting with a client to answer questions and dispel any myths or fears. "This is mandatory for rapport and trust between hypnotist and client. I give them an overview I've written about hypnosis, and information about what they want help with-anger management, anxiety, food choice, whatever it is. We also go over the homework I gave them over the phone before the first meeting." That homework includes writing down long- and short-term goals, and noticing what triggers the condition. Kary Broffman first helps the client identify core beliefs and fears-information she can use to the client's benefit during the hypnosis session. "Very rarely do I hypnotize someone at the first meeting. Instead I will teach breathing techniques and relaxation techniques, how to be more conscious of the body-mind connection in daily activities, and to be observant of behaviors." The client discusses what was discovered in the next meeting. Subconscious at Your Service With trust established and the client's goals defined, the hypnotist guides the client through a hypnosis session. It begins with relaxation ("induction"), achieved any number of ways. "As a hypnotist, you learn how the client sees the world-visual, auditory, kinesthetic-to find what works for each individual," says Broffman. "You can use staring in a certain direction, progressive relaxation, counting backwards-while reminding the client they are always in control and can open their eyes at any time." Kafka often uses color; Slotnik has used poetry for a client who was a poet, music for a musician. The heart of the hypnosis session is a combination of guided imagery and spoken ideas, phrases, and reassurances that is meaningful to the client. Kafka describes her process as a blend of intuition about what a client needs and the client's description of what he or she needs, to create a personalized, symbolic mental link for immediate gratification. She tells of a young woman who had fallen in love with her boss and moved in with him. After just a few weeks, he broke off the relationship, leaving her with no place to live, no income source, and no clue about her future. "She couldn't stop crying, literally. She would start to tremble and then not be able to stop the tears. She couldn't function. I asked her if there was something that she really liked. Her face brightened when she talked about a lime-green jogging suit. Yes, a jogging suit. So that's what we used. I had her relax and guided her through imagining this suit. I also added supportive, confidence-building comments and included 'lime-green jogging suit.' We tested it as she recalled the breakup, became upset, then silently repeated 'lime-green jogging suit'. She immediately grinned, accessing the positive image and feelings from the session. She was able to regroup and gain control, going on to rebuild her life productively instead of being incapacitated by her emotions." Amy, another client of Kafka, knew of the relaxing benefit of hypnosis from self-help techniques in books, but sought a hypnotist for deeper psychological changes. "At different times in people's lives, they need different things. The hypnotherapy cut through the talk [of traditional talk-based psychotherapy]. It has been one of the most rewarding things I've done," Amy says. "We focused on clues to help alleviate chronic depression. One was the color yellow. It's not a color I usually gravitate to, but now I notice it, like seeing yellow flowers, and I feel my spirits lift. I have been amazed. It has opened up a bridge that allowed the progression to feeling better." A client may return as needed for sessions and consultation with the practitioner, or replay at home an audiotape of a session (which many practitioners provide). Hypnotists teach the induction and hypnosis process, too. Some offer other support. "I truly empathize with the folks who are struggling to stop smoking," says Kafka, "and I make myself available to talk to them any time of the day or night after the sessions." A hypnotist also may accompany a client to medical procedures or other situations where on-the-spot support is desired. Subconscious Mind Over Body Hypnosis can aid wellness by replacing conscious awareness of physical distress with calming images that have detectable impact on the body. For example, a study at SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse found that over 80 percent of children who learned self-hypnosis to manage airway diseases had less anxiety, chest pain, habitual coughing, hyperventilation, breathing difficulty, or vocal cord dysfunction. Maryann Patterson of Lake Katrine, who has emphysema, turned to Frayda Kafka with wonderful results. "If you get out of breath, you have anxiety, and you think you can't breathe, which makes it worse. To help me learn how to relax, I picked a scene with a peaceful feeling-I had just come back from the ocean so I chose that." During the session the hypnotist spoke about the serenity of the ocean, the waves, and the beach, while repeating a key word, linking it subconsciously to the serenity. "Now when I say that word it makes me relax, so I'm not tense, and can breathe. It absolutely works." Colette Dowling, a pscyhotherapist in New York City, also turned to Frayda for hypnosis for help coping with surgery. "I was dealing with a lot of physical pain and anxiety. I really found hypnosis very helpful. You can bring yourself down from your anxiety. It's too bad more people don't know that they could use hypnosis and other light-trance techniques when they have anxiety-producing medical experiences coming up." Some medical doctors not only tolerate but encourage hypnosis to aid patients during hospital stays, pre- and post-operative periods, and even during medical procedures. Dr. Mehmet Oz is a cardiovascular surgeon and Director of the Complementary Care Center at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City. For years he has used complementary modalities like hypnosis for heart surgery patients, as recounted in his book Healing from the Heart. Clinical studies have found that self-hypnosis by awake patients during procedures (such as opening clogged blood vessels or kidney blockages) significantly reduced anxiety, pain, cardiorespiratory complications, need for pain-relieving drugs, and even the duration of the surgical procedure. Further, average patients (not just those preselected for hypnotizability) benefit from being guided through a generalized self-hypnosis script. More than just a pleasant assist for millions of procedures done on conscious patients, researchers of one ongoing study predict hypnosis could prevent thousands of cases of serious complications and deaths that result annually from adverse reactions to intravenous sedatives. Those sedatives moderate anxiety and pain, both of which can be diminished through subconscious suggestions. Hypnosis is also a valuable ally in childbirth. Kary Broffman is certified in "hypnobirthing," in which she teaches pregnant couples self-hypnosis along with breathing, visualization, and guided imagery techniques. "It helps with inner focus and relaxation for a more satisfying, calming birthing experience. It also gives the birth companion a set of tools that work with the body's own energy, and it doesn't preclude medical intervention." Growth and Guidance Hypnosis isn't just for overcoming problems. It can enhance creativity, solidify confidence, kindle enjoyment of work, and improve athletic performance. As applied to the latter, explains Slotnik, "you would bring in a list of skills you want to improve, and what it would take to do that. Then I would help you imagine yourself out there, and create imagery [spoken aloud] about how you feel, look, and perform." J.M. DeMatteis is a professional writer who regularly enjoys hypnosis as "a means of accessing a doorway between the conscious and unconscious mind. When I've felt really stuck, I've been able to go home [after a session] and get working again. I would liken it almost to shamanic journeying. Things come in that seem they've come from the gods." While hypnosis often feels like "play" to DeMatteis, he adds that it can empower one's self-concept and help with deep or difficult issues. "When you're in the hypnotic state, it doesn't feel traumatic, because you're being empowered to look at things a different way." Kary Broffman offers "hypnocoaching," a blend of hypnosis and neurolinguistic tools with personal coaching skills. "Regular personal coaching works with the conscious mind. But 90 percent of the mind is subconscious-habits, beliefs, behaviors, everything that's automatic. Hypnocoaching is very powerful because you're using the subconscious. It goes to core beliefs and goals, and you are going to have a happier life because you're living your truth." People who benefit from hypnosis describe a puzzlement that something so relaxing and, in some ways, ordinary, can usher in the changes it does-sometimes where numerous other strategies have failed. It deserves higher priority among helping modalities. Hypnosis is a bit mysterious, but such is the nature of the subconscious, the realm of unfettered imagining and power of intention. http://www.chronogram.com/issue/2006/02/wholeliving/index.php
|
|
|
