Book Review-Training Trances: Multi-level Communication in Therapy and Training
By: John Overdurf and Julie Silverthorn, Metamorphosis Press, 1995
(3rd ed.), 232 pages.
Reviewed by: Avner Eisenberg
Training Trances is a marvelous book for the experienced, or semi-experienced practitioner. Like many NLP and hypnotherapy books it is based on transcripts of a workshop led by the authors. The theme of the book is learning to conduct a hypnotic interview/session as Erickson himself might have done.
The first two chapters cover pre-framing the trance experience and introduce the concept of conversational inductions. Chapters 3 and 4 describe and demonstrate several induction techniques using re-vivification, pacing current experience, and utilization of conscious/unconscious dissociation. Pacing current experience as an induction technique is covered especially well and in more useful detail than in other hypnotherapy books.
In Chapter 5 the authors demonstrate catalepsy and discuss its utility both as a convincer that trance is occurring and as an element of pacing change work.
Chapter 6 presents hypnotic phenomena such as catalepsy, time distortion, analgesia and anesthesia, positive and negative hallucinations, deep trance identification, and age regression in showing the many choices the hypnotherapist has for assisting change in clients.
In Chapter 7 the authors use several of Erickson's well-known cases to explore common patterns in his hypnotherapy sessions. The authors address the hypnotic interview/session from beginning to end. They provide insight into what they deduce and observe to be Erickson's thought process in preparing for, and conducting a hypnosis session "to assist the reader in understanding and beginning to replicate Erickson's work." (p. 127, Editor's Notes). This may sound arrogant in the telling, but the chapter is interesting, well done, and very useful.
On page 128 a template is offered for a hypnotherapy session:
1. Elicitation of problem state and outcome state.
2. Conscious-unconscious dissociation
3. Utilization of hypnotic phenomena
4. Change work
5. Post-hypnotic suggestion
6. Reorientation and distraction of conscious awareness
In chapters 9 and 10 the authors conclude with discussion and exercises for post-hypnotic suggestions, amnesia, and the development and use of metaphor.
Highly recommended.