Aha Experiences
“Aha” experiences from cognitive therapy are a very useful technique to heighten the persons awareness of them about to indulge in the self-defeating behaviour. In hypnotherapy I ask the client to imagine themselves in the problematic area i.e. going into the cupboard in the kitchen looking for chocolate and then to stop and ask themselves this very important question: “Do I really, really need this and on many occasions maybe far more than you think possible you will have significantly less need reason and desire to eat the chocolate as you move your thinking towards healthy options.
Later in the hypnotherapy session I will use a positive self-imagery technique (psi) and ask them to imagine themselves in their own private cinema reclining in a large comfortable seat (ratifying the trance experience they are already sitting in a large comfortable seat in my consulting room) lazily looking ahead at a cinema screen. On the screen emerging is (pre-agreed suggestions) a slimmer, trimmer, healthier more mobile you. If it is difficult to imagine you may wish to pretend that you have a remote control so that you can turn up the colour, the brightness the good feeling, if it is difficult to imagine allow my voice to convey the same meaning, and if at any time in the future you require a powerful reminder of this slimmer, trimmer, healthier you, simply by taking 2 slow deep breaths and gently pressing the index finger and thumb of your left hand together (APHS) you can rapidly recall this powerful image and all the feeling that go with it. I repeat this about three times in the session with direct suggestions of “comfortably full sooner, less need reason desire”- to do whatever the behaviour the client wishes to reduce.