The Art of Hypnotic Regression Therapy

A clinical guide

C Roy Hunter, Bruce N Eimer

• Publisher: Crown House Publishing
• Year: 2012
• ISBN:
  9781845908539
• Topic: Medizin
• Subtopic: Medizinische Theorie, Praxis & Referenz

Hypnotic Regression Therapy, or HRT, is a type of hypnotherapy in which, following the induction of a good trance state, specialized suggestions are given to guide the client in reviewing and emotionally reframing earlier experiences that have either caused or contributed to the client's current symptoms. HRT is considered one of the most valuable hypnotherapy techniques available today, yet it remains controversial, partly due to inadequate training of psychotherapists and hypnotherapists which has contributed to numerous cases of false memory syndrome.

CHAPTER 1

Important Background Information

During the 19th century, our hypnotic pioneers primarily used prestige suggestion to obtain results (Quimby, mentioned in the Introduction, was an exception). As the 20th century approached, it became apparent that suggestion alone was usually insufficient to provide permanent benefit to many of the clients of that time; however, the scientific approaches of the era fitted the client to the technique rather than vice versa.

One of the reasons Freud discarded hypnosis was because he grew tired of the monotonous sleep suggestions (Zanuso, 1986). Additionally, he did not believe that deep hypnotic states were necessary in order to achieve results. This might have been a rationalization as Freud had difficulty inducing deep hypnosis in his clients. Perhaps if he had mastered the art of hypnosis, or learned to fit the technique to the client instead of fitting the client to the technique, we would have a very different history of both hypnosis and psychology … but let us deal with the status of hypnosis today.

First, a hypnotherapist must master basic hypnotic techniques. An outstanding therapist could easily miss an opportunity to help someone make an empowering life change if the client is an analytical resister emerging from trance too soon.

Second, we now have a foundation for hypnotherapists to build a multimodal approach for their clients that incorporates four essential hypnotherapy objectives, discussed later in this chapter.

Third, a professional hypnotherapist should understand how to competently facilitate regression therapy, because some clients spontaneously enter regression when talking about a problem. The important difference between leading and guiding is too important to omit, so an entire chapter is devoted to that topic (see Chapter 2).

Additionally, there are a few other hypnotic techniques, such as ideomotor signaling and responding, that may often be quite useful in hypnotic regression therapy, which are presented in depth in other books (Cheek, 1993; Ewin & Eimer, 2006; Hunter, 2005). These techniques are mentioned where applicable in this book.

Let us begin with the four essential, or primary, hypnotherapy objectives, which Roy also calls the four cornerstones of successful hypnotherapy. He has discussed them in two of his hypnosis texts (Hunter, 2005, 2010b).

The Four Primary Hypnotherapy Objectives

Certainly hypnotic suggestion and imagery have proven their ability to help some of the people some of the time, but the authors believe that a competent hypnotherapist can help most of the people most of the time. We can accomplish this by building our therapeutic approach on a foundation of four primary hypnotherapy objectives:

1. Suggestion and imagery
2. Discover the cause
3. Release (emotional attachment to the cause)
4. Subconscious relearning

We consider these four therapeutic objectives to be the cornerstones of client centered hypnotherapy (see Figure 1), whether accomplished within one hypnotherapy session or across several sessions, especially where subconscious blocking beliefs bound by strong emotions are present. Effective results often require fulfilling all four objectives. Both of Hunter’s books which mention these cornerstones label them as “the four hypnotherapeutic steps to facilitate change” because Charles Tebbetts (1985) originally used that term.

Now we will discuss each objective individually.

Figure 1. The four primary objectives of hypnotherapy

Suggestion and Imagery

Every behavior, thought and habit is motivated (i.e., moved, energized or activated) by something. As Freud pointed out in his theory of multiple determinants, there is usually more than one motivator; and often, these motivational determinants are conflicting. Emotion is the experience of these motivators or activators, and is the motivating power (or motion activating energy) of the inner mind.

With a strong motivating desire to change, direct suggestions, imagery and post‑hypnotic suggestions (direct or indirect) may be sufficient to provide lasting benefit to some of the clients some of the time (Tebbetts, 1985). Marketers of hotel hypnosis seminars take advantage of this fact and gather enough testimonials to attract thousands more to their traveling seminars. Without a strong desire to change, however, either subconscious or conscious beliefs may block suggestions for positive change. An investigative journalist told one of the authors that he discovered that, on average, only 20% of hotel hypnosis seminar attendees for smokers were able to go more than one week without backsliding into the smoking habit. The problem is that most clients have conflicting motivations about making changes. Therefore, most people need more than just direct suggestion and imagery to create lasting success.

How many people do you know who have been to a hypnotist to stop smoking, only to start up again, often just hours or days after their session? Many smokers backslide even after two or three sessions. This fact validates the theory that all hypnosis is really self-hypnosis. It also demonstrates that the real power to change (or not change) lies within the client.

When subconscious resistance exists (and these blockages to change pop up frequently), Objectives 2, 3 and 4 must all be addressed and used. The first objective then also becomes the last one—the installation of change facilitating and reinforcing suggestions and images. This is why Roy Hunter considers these objectives to be the four cornerstones of successful hypnotherapy. They form the foundation for building long lasting success for your clients (Hunter, 2005).

Even when we know that all four objectives are necessary, it is still advisable to start with the first one. By using suggestions to increase the motivating desire to change, the client is more likely to show up for any necessary subsequent sessions. Additionally, positive suggestion and imagery will usually leave a good impression of hypnosis, and first impressions are lasting.

Discover the Cause

Note the word “discover” rather than diagnose. First, a hypnotherapist does not diagnose unless licensed to do so. Second, when facilitating client centered hypnosis, the client centered approach is based on the concept that the client’s inner mind can reveal the core cause of a problem when we employ appropriate hypnotic techniques. Third, “diagnosis” is often a process of labeling, not analyzing and understanding client centered psychodynamics.

If subconscious resistance exists, there is a reason. We may choose from among a variety of techniques that enable the subconscious to reveal the cause of a problem. Numerous books discuss various techniques for discovering the cause(s) of a client’s problem, including (but not limited to) ideomotor responding, hypnotic regression therapy, parts therapy, ego state therapy, voice dialogue, verbalizing and other techniques.

The hypnotherapist employing client centered hypnosis does not attempt to determine the cause himself or herself; instead, the therapist asks the client’s subconscious for permission to reveal the cause(s). If a therapist reaches a prior conclusion regarding the cause of a client’s problem, and then employs direct suggestion hypnosis or other hypnotic techniques such as regression therapy to validate that conclusion, there is a risk of subconscious confabulation and/or false memories. This would be inappropriate leading.

For example, if we employ hypnotic regression to “prove” that a client was abused, false memories may easily occur. Whether the therapist forms an opinion about the cause from analytical logic, professional conclusions, intuition, so-called “psychic gifts” and/or religious beliefs, what happens to the client if that opinion is incorrect?

Gordon Emmerson, author of Ego State Therapy, states that if either the therapist or the client has a preconceived opinion regarding the cause of a problem, that opinion would be incorrect 50% of the time (Emmerson, 2003). Are you willing to gamble on those odds? In addition, Randal Churchill warns the clinician about the risk of producing false memories when the therapist operates from a position of certitude about the cause of a client’s problem (Churchill, 2002).

Preconceived opinions implanted by the therapist can taint the trance and take the client down the wrong path. Even if the conclusion is a correct one, some other important cause might never emerge during the session. Unfortunately, such inappropriate leading happens in the offices of many mental health counselors and licensed health professionals who use hypnosis, and in some offices of hypnotherapists whose training in regression and hypnotherapy is inadequate. This can result in false memory syndrome, creating emotional hurt as well as legal consequences for family members and/or the therapist (Loftus & Ketcham, 1996). The client centered approach is to find a way to get the client’s own mind to disclose the cause.

Once we discover the cause(s) of a client’s concern, we must complete the next objective in order to reduce the risk of the client “buying back” the problem.

Release

Awareness of the cause is not enough for everyone. Many clients will not be able to spontaneously release their bound up emotions which connect them to the problem at a subconscious level, unless asked to do so while experiencing deep hypnosis. During the hypnotic state, the relationship of the cause and its bound up influence to the symptom is more easily established emotionally as well as intellectually. We may then use one or more hypnotherapy techniques to facilitate release.

This often involves forgiveness of self and/or releasing others. Note that we must accomplish the release at a subconscious level and not simply at the conscious level alone. Forgiving does not mean condoning. The words “let it go” or “release it” are often more comfortable than “forgive.” Thus, regardless of the wording, it is usually very important that clients also forgive themselves; that is, let themselves off the hook that has been crippling them emotionally and/or physically. These words are in fact consistent with the etymology or origins of the term “to forgive.” To forgive means “to give up for.” We are referring to giving up the emotional attachment to the perceived cause(s) of the current problem for the sake of what is most important to the client—what he holds most dear, including (hopefully!) himself or herself.

Even if not disclosed to the therapist, the subconscious still must discover and identify the cause of the problem in order to release it and have lasting results. In rare instances, the client’s conscious mind might not be aware of the cause discovered by the subconscious with very effective indirect suggestions and metaphors; but finger responses can indicate when the inner mind discovers and releases the cause.

Numerous techniques can be used to facilitate release, including (but not limited to) hypnotic regression therapy, Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), NLP and hypnotic parts therapy or its variations. However, some NLP and EFT practitioners attempt to release a problem while the cause remains buried in the subconscious, unrecognized and hence unresolved. Note that if the problem is released through any of the above techniques without the cause being discovered, understood on an appropriate level and released, the subconscious is fully capable of returning the same problem or another one that is worse (Hunter, 2010b). In the psychodynamic literature, just treating the symptom without addressing the cause is discussed as insufficient and frequently iatrogenic, as it can lead to unconscious substitution of a worse symptom.

Some mental health counselors employ hypnosis to discover causes; but instead of completing the vital third and fourth hypnotherapeutic objectives with a cli...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Praise
• Title Page
• Dedication
• Acknowledgements
• Foreword
• Table of Contents
• List of Abbreviations
• Introduction and Overview
• CHAPTER 1 : Important Background Information
• CHAPTER 2 : Guiding vs. Leading: The Risk of False Memories
• CHAPTER 3 : Phase 1: Client Preparation
• CHAPTER 4 : Phase 2: Regression Techniques to Discover the Cause
• CHAPTER 5 : Phase 3: Abreactions and Release
• CHAPTER 6 : Phase 4: Subconscious Relearning
• CHAPTER 7 : Phase 5: Concluding the Session
• CHAPTER 8 : Past Life Regressions: Fact or Fantasy?
• CHAPTER 9 : Unresolved Past Grief
• CHAPTER 10 : Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
• CHAPTER 11 : Hypnotic Regression Therapy Applications and Case Summaries
• Epilogue
• Appendix: Transcript of Regression Therapy Session
• References
• Index
• Copyright