A Manual for Hypnotherapists and NLP Practitioners

Author: Judith E. Pearson, Ph.D.

Reviewed by: NBCCH Staff

Until now, hypnotherapists and NLP practitioners have had to contend with a hodge-podge of methods for addressing the ever-growing epidemic of obesity. Now, Dr. Judith Pearson has put forth the first and only complete program for practitioners who want a complete model for working with overweight clients: The Weight, Hypnotherapy and YOU Weight Reduction Program, coming in November 2006, via Crown House Ltd.

In the making for over five years, the book describes Dr. Pearson's WHY eight session model program for weight reduction. The sessions consist of 1) introduction and goal setting, 2) reframing overeating, 3) self-hypnosis training, 4) stress management, 5) a hypnotic script for food selection, 6) a hypnotic script for improved eating patterns, 7) a hypnotic script for motivation to exercise, and 8) a hypnotic script for self-acceptance and lasting results. Practitioners are encouraged to adapt the program to their own clientele and their own preferences, using the program as a starting point. The program is administered to each client on a one-on-one basis, and each client can work through the program at an individual pace.

Dr. Pearson gives the rationale behind the program, the language patterns, and the criteria she used in developing her program. The factors that went into program design include safety, ethics, practicality, a result orientation, marketability, and client accountability. She sites research studies on the efficacy of hypnotherapy for weight reduction. No detail is overlooked. She provides office forms and tells practitioners how to administer and market the program and even how to record the scripted sessions. The manual comes with a CD containing a workbook of take-home assignments for clients.

The book also shows how numerous NLP patterns can be easily adapted for working with the problem of overeating. There are chapters discussing advanced NLP language patterns, meta-programs, sleight of mouth, and metaphors and analogies. There are also chapters on how to work with "stuck" client, how to conduct follow-up sessions with clients who have attained target weight, and how to market the program.

Judy Pearson's book is the first of its kind and she has done what no other practitioner has done, in publishing a complete program for hypnotherapists working with obese clients. The book is thorough and thoughtful, and the logic is impeccable. With this book, you will no longer rely on guess-work and ad hoc methods. With The Weight, Hypnotherapy and YOU Weight Reduction Program, you will have a viable program to offer overweight clients, and that program may very well prove an asset to your practice.

To order this book click here. Dr. Judith E. Pearson is the Executive Director for Certification for the National Board for Clinical Hypnotherapists. She is a licensed psychotherapist in Springfield, Virginia. Her website is www.engagethepower.com.