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Listen to thisHi everyone,
I recently started training in hypnotherapy, and our trainer (Dr Kobus
Maree) spoke about the “informal use of hypnosis”. Now there are
many misconceptions about hypnotherapy, and I don’t want to get into
that per se. I found it very interesting that Dr Maree says that
educators actually need some training in the use of hypnosis, because it
is something they do anyway, without being aware of it. Hypnosis
is in fact a very natural state, and hypnotherapists just use the
client’s natural hypnotic abilities to aid in the therapeutic process.
Especially metaphors and stories are used very often in this regard.
When a teacher tells a story in a skillfull way that captures the
attention and imagination of the learners listening, are they not
actually entering a light trance? And they would then be more
receptive to the “message” embedded in the story. Now I am
wondering to what extent child care workers make use of “informal”
hypnosis? Anything a worker does really, that interrupts a child
normal pattern, and introduces an altered state of consciousness, is
really a form of hypnosis, is it not? So when child care workers use
metaphors and stories in their everyday interactions with children to
“give the child a message” in a somewhat disguised form, would that not
be “informal” hypnosis? I mean when you really think about it –
you tell a child a story or anecdote to bring across some message, while
you actually want the child to “hear” the message subconsciously.
Because you know if you come out straight and just say it, you may
encounter resistance, lose rapport and the message will be rejected in
that format. Can you think of ways that child care workers make
use of “informal hypnosis”? I would be very interested in your
thoughts about this.
Kind regards everyone,
Werner van der Westhuizen
Port Elizabeth, South Africa
...
Hi Werner,
Thanks for your comments.
I do agree you with that hypnosis is misunderstood by the general public
and its seen as something 'magical'. I've spent some time studying
both Transpersonal Art Therapy and Transpersonal Counselling
(Diploma's). In this course – hypnosis is referred to as SEEL – State Enhanced Exploration and Learning. In a 'very small' nut
shell – as therapists we can facilitate relaxed states in our clients – just like you would do if you went to a meditation class. There
are many ways to do this and many people do this at home, use CD's,
gentle movement and yoga. When the client is in this state,
exploration can begin. In a relaxed (altered) state we have access
to resources that are not available to us when we are busy and task
focussed (ie at work, or at home busy with chores etc) – i.e. reaching
into our subconscious material is much easier in an altered state.
And how this happens is often random, illogical – this is our creative,
irrational side, there is no order here.
The thing I would like to add is that knowing this we need to be very
clear of our intentions – are we seeking therapeutic outcomes and are we
trained or equipped to deal with a repressed memory if it comes up when
working in this way?
So be informed, be prepared and I'm very interested and enthusiastic
about people accessing their own tools for healing.
Have a great day,
Deanna Rohrsheim
South Australia
...
Hi Deanna,
I absolutely love the term SEEL – State Enhanced Exploration and
Learning – its the first time I've heard that and it is so much more
accurate than the term hypnosis, which carries a very negative
connotation for many people as "unscientific" and magical.
I think it is important that all practitioners know their scope of
practice and remain within it, and I don't think hypnosis – as in the
formal use of hypnosis – is necessarily something that child care
workers should be practicing. I do think however there so much to
learn there. Hypnotherapy is essentially for me just a very
advanced form of communication. There are so many concepts for
that overlap with child care work (hope I'm not the only one who notices
that), that I was just wondering how aware child care workers are of the
extent to which they use "hypnotic" communication. Because to some
extent everybody does – its really just the skill level that is
different.
A very useful concept in Ericksonian hypnotherapy is that of utilisation, and I think that is actually so relevent to child care work, because it is something that child care workers – especially the "really good ones", also use. Utilisation is essentially taking whatever the client brings into the therapeutic relationship, and whatever is in the environment at the time, and utilising it for the benefit of the therapeutic relationship. While this has a specific meaning in hypnotherapy, it reminds me very much of working "in the moment" and finding "teachable moments".
I think the term "hypnosis" may actually elicit
resistance in some practitioners, because of its many historical
and mythical associations. But the "informal use of hypnosis" – the
everyday use – for which I do not have a better term right now – is
something that all helping professionals do. They may just not be
aware of it. And so I am still wondering – to what extent do child
care workers use interventions that have a similar effect?
Interventions that alter the child's "state", or interrupt the child's
current active "pattern"? What are the interventions or skills
child care workers use (and they will be very individualised) that
capture a child's attention and imagination? That shift a child's
thinking or emotional state? That "bypasses" active resistance and
gets a child to want to participate? That gives the child a
"message" on a more symbolic or metaphorical level – the kind of food
for thought that kicks in a later later?
I am sure there are many creative skills and methods that child care
workers use, things you may not necessarily find in the books – real
"practice knowledge" – and I was hoping some would share some of their
secrets with the rest of us? How about it?
Werner van der Westhuizen
