Our love of all things furry has deep roots in human evolution and may have even shaped how our ancestors developed language and other tools of civilization.
This "animal connection" compelled humans to learn about and care for fellow creatures, said Pat Shipman, a paleoanthropologist at Penn State University. She added that the behavior seems highly abnormal for other animals on the rare occasions that, say, captive tigers nurture pigs or vice versa.
To read the complete LiveScience article, CLICK HERE
]]>To read the entire articile, CLICK HERE .
A recent article published on June 3rd by Live Science, reports that psychologically speaking, the BP oil spill may be among the worst disasters in U.S. history.
With no end in sight to the oil gusher in the Gulf of Mexico, attention is turning to the long-term consequences of the tragedy. While the ill effects on ecosystems, endangered wildlife and local economies are being extensively explored, one aspect is being dangerously overlooked: human mental health.
To read the complete article, CLICK HERE
Editor's Note: These effects are potentially being experienced by people thoughout the country, not just folks who live in the Gulf of Mexico region.
]]>Nearly every digital copier built since 2002 contains a hard drive - like the one on your personal computer - storing an image of every document copied, scanned, or emailed by the machine.
In the process, it's turned an office staple into a digital time-bomb packed with highly-personal or sensitive data.
If you're in the identity theft business it seems this would be a pot of gold.
To Read the rest of the article, CLICK HERE
Also, to watch the online video CLICK HERE
by James D. Baird, Ph.D., with Laurie Nadel, Ph.D.
"Being happy and staying positive may help ward off heart disease, a study suggests... Participants were given a rating on a five-point scale to score their level of positive emotions... For each rise in the happiness scale there was a 22% lower risk of developing heart disease." - BBC News 2/18/10
We Americans have a constitutional right to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" and every day, thousands of advertising images seduce us into believing that happiness can be bought. So, with all these guarantees, why is it that most of us are still searching for the key to contentment and joy?
An inventor-engineer, author and researcher who has studied the subject of happiness for more than 20 years, James D. Baird, Ph.D. with Laurie Nadel, Ph.D. prove in their new book, Happiness Genes Unlock the Positive Potential Hidden in Your DNA, that there are definitive links between science and well-being. In their book, they provide a 28- day program to natural happiness.
James Baird is an inventor-engineer, author and researcher who has studied the subject off happiness for more than 20 years. Laurie Nadel is a best-selling author, former New York Times columnist and a radio host.
By Judith E. Pearson, Ph.D., L.P.C.
"You are going deeper-deeper." How many times a day does a hypnotherapist say these words? Would you like to add some variety to your deepening methods? Here are 18 things to say to induce and deepen hypnotic trance. Each item on the list has a short script as an example. You will recognize several hypnotic language patterns. Keep in mind that some methods overlap. Read all the scripts in the entire list sequentially and you will have an effective trance induction for relaxation.
Begin by telling the client to close his or her eyes. Make yourself comfortable and close your eyes.
1. Ask the client to take a deep breath and relax. Ease back and take a deep breath, all the way in. As you slowly let it out, perhaps you can feel your muscles beginning to relax, at the same time that your mind is just beginning to pay attention in a different way.
2. Pace the client's current experience with truisms and lead into trance. You are listening to my voice, and the sounds in the room. You are aware of your surroundings. You are aware of the position of your arms and legs. You can feel the texture of your clothing. You can feel the support of the chair on which you are sitting. You notice your breathing, and you notice how much more relaxed and calm you feel, than just moments ago.
3. Reassure the client that trance is easy to attain and he or she is a good hypnotic subject. Going into trance is different for each person, and whatever way you experience it is just find. I am sure you can do this.
4. Compounding: The more you listen, the more you relax. The more you relax, the easier it is to go within and achieve that level of inner awareness where special learning takes place.
5. Fractionation: As you learn to go into trance, you can practice it for improvement. Open your eyes for a moment. Look around. Now close your eyes and go right back to an even more satisfying level of relaxation and concentration.
6. Establish Cause-Effect: As you wonder what hypnosis is all about, you understand more. Each breath you exhale can make it more satisfying. I hope each moment that passes brings you a greater sense of comfort. With each word I say, you can advance more completely into relaxation and concentration, as you please.
7. Progressive Relaxation: (Suggest that each part of the body is relaxing. Be sure to pause between each sentence, giving the client time to respond). Send the thought of relaxation all the way down to your feet and feel your feet relaxing. Allow that same relaxation to move gently upward through your body, into your ankles and calves. Let the relaxing feelings continue, so that now your knees and thighs can feel more relaxed, as the relaxation moves into your hips and abdomen. Now feel the muscles of your back beginning to relax and let go of all that tension. Even your shoulders relax as comforting sensations flow down into your chest and each exhale helps that sense of relaxation and letting go. Let the relaxation flow down your arms, into your elbows, down into your wrists, and all the way down to the tips of your fingers. Your entire body is relaxing more, while that soothing feeling moves into your neck, your scalp, and all the muscles of your face relax. Your entire body feels relaxed from head to toe. All the tension has melted away.
8. Presuppose that deepening is occurring: I wonder how completely you are relaxing. You are discovering for yourself how satisfying trance can be. While you are relaxing, many subtle changes are occurring.
9. Describe some common aspects of trance: Your breathing might be slower now and more regular. Perhaps your muscles are more relaxed and your hands might feel loose and limp, while your heartbeat and pulse are slowing down. You may be finding it easier to concentrate on the things I say, although from time to time, you are thinking your own thoughts too.
10. Suggestions of all possibilities: People go into trance in a wide variety of ways and everyone's experience is unique. Some people relax quickly, and some relax more slowly and some vary the pace. Some people hear every word I say, and others tune my voice in and out. Or you might pay attention to your own thoughts and not really listen at all. For some, trance is a light, floating experience, and for some it is a deep heavy experience, and for some, it is a combination of sensations. How you create this experience for yourself is really up to you, or you can just relax and discover what happens naturally. It may be what you expect or something different, or some of each.
11. Arm Catalepsy: As you focus inward, you can notice how relax your arms are. Let them feel so relaxed that they feel heavy-so heavy that for now, they just don't want to move. They are so heavy and relaxed that it's just too much effort to move them. Try to lift your right arm and find you'd rather not lift it, or it is so heavy, it just doesn't want to lift. Stop trying and relax even more comfortably. This should give you an indication that you are now fully in hypnotic trance, and how pleasant and peaceful it can be for you.
12. Eye Closure: Now relax your eyelids and all the muscles around your eyes even more than before. Let your eyelids feel heavy and drowsy. Let your eyelids relax so much that they just don't feel like opening. They are so heavy, so relaxed that if you tried to open them, it would seem difficult. Now relax your eyelids so much more that they just want to stay shut. Later on, of course, they will open easily, but for now you can enjoy the feeling of allowing your subconscious to take part in this process, relaxing your eyelids so much they just want to stay closed. Now test your eyelids to be sure they want to stay shut. Very Good! Now stop testing and experience the satisfaction of realizing that your mind and body are fully cooperating with the process of hypnosis, as you relax more peacefully.
13. Revivify a memory of previous trance (if it was pleasant) or a similar experience of comfort and relaxation: (Note: Ask the client to describe the previous trance before you begin hypnosis. Then use the client's own words here, as you help the client access the memory). I trust you can remember that previous time when you were hypnotized. You might recall some of your thoughts and observations and the sensations you felt as your body relaxed and your mind seemed to "focus inward," as though you were "drifting effortlessly" while feeling comfortable and secure. You remember that it was "a soothing feeling to let go of all that stress." You can have those same satisfying feelings now.
14. Metaphor or Analogy: Some people say going into trance is as comfortable as going to bed at night, at the end of a long, productive day, with nothing else to do but close the eyes and let go and relax. There are no distractions and nothing to think about. You can just let the mind drift, feeling warm and comfortable, while enjoying the peaceful quiet.
15. Counting: I am going to count now from one to five. With each number, just let your mind and body relax more and more, so that by the time I reach the number five, you will be much more deeply relaxed, with a fuller sense of inner awareness. One, relaxing deeper and deeper. Two, relaxing more and completely. Three, a deeply comfortable feeling. Four, going within to find what is there to discover. Five, much more relaxed now.
Note: If you use counting to deepen the trance, reverse the count with you reorient the client. Example: Now I am going to count from five to one and with each number you'll become increasingly alert. Five, coming up now. Four, feeling more alert. Three, ready to return to conscious, wakeful awareness. Two, ready to move about again and open your eyes, and one, eyes open, fully alert now.
16. Splitting: (Pose to the client that he or she is aware of two opposite things at once. Use a different tone of voice for each one). You have a conscious mind...and you have an subconscious mind. Your conscious mind is aware of the external world...and your subconscious mind manages your inner awareness. The conscious mind deals with facts and logic...while the subconscious mind works with intuition and creativity. The conscious mind thinks about the problems...while the subconscious mind holds the solutions. Mere conversation speaks to the conscious mind...and hypnosis speaks to the subconscious mind.
17. Guided imagery: Imagine you are drifting down a quiet stream in a canoe, under a lovely blue sky. The current carries you along, so you can just sit back and relax and enjoy the scenery. Overhead, an occasional cloud floats slowly by, moving effortlessly with its own sense of direction, even though you don't know where it is going. It changes shape as it moves, sometimes resembling something recognizable, sometimes not. On either side of you there is a riverbank, with trees, grasses, shrubs and flowers. Butterflies flit among the colorful flowers, seeming to know just what to do to get at that sweet nectar deep inside each one. All is peaceful and tranquil, as you let the current carry you, and the gentle rocking of the canoe, under the warmth of the sun seems to lull you into a deeply restful state.
18. Word play: As you trance-sition into hypnotic trance in your own way, getting out of your own way, you might trance-fer some previous learning to have it your own way, or it could be that you wait for the experience to trance-form your awareness of how you own the way you do it and trance-late what I say, into something you can use now or have discovered earlier on.
This piece appears in my book, The Weight, Hypnotherapy and You Weight Reduction Program: An NLP and Hypnotherapy Practitioners Manual (Crown House 2006). To find out more about this book go to www.engagethepower.com.
By George Gafner
Crown House Publishing Co. LLC, Wales
Copyright, 2009
Reviewed by Judith E. Pearson, Ph.D.
As a hypnotherapist, I was intrigued by this small book focusing solely on hypnotic inductions. In Techniques of Hypnotic Induction, psychotherapist George Gafner, brings over 30 years of experience teaching hypnotherapists how to communicate with the unconscious mind skillfully, through story-telling inductions.
Gafner begins with an overview of the applications and efficacy of clinical hypnosis, backed by research studies. The applications include gastro-intestinal disorders, skin disorders, anesthetic-free surgery, nausea associated with chemotherapy, asthma, gender identity disorders, cystic fibrosis, and of course, smoking and weight management, as well as pain management, insomnia, substance abuse, and anxiety and mood disorders.
Next, the author offers a metaphoric trance induction with helpful notes in the margin showing how he indirectly suggests various trance phenomena: time distortion, dissociation, hallucination, and catalepsy. Then he launches into a series of hypnotic story-telling scripts, which are whimsical, haunting, and amusing, --all designed to induce trance with indirect references to time distortion, opening the mind to discovery, considering options for problem-solving, acceptance, releasing, and dissociation. These scripts teach readers how to insert suggestions into fascinating stories that help clients experience the effects of hypnosis. The scripts obviously speak to the unconscious mind and the influence of Milton H. Erickson is evident. While the scripts are beautifully written, readers are reminded to adapt them to their own circumstances and the preferences and sensitivities of their clients.
Gafner includes a very nice chapter on the hypnotic voice-a subject I've not seen in other books on hypnotherapy. He follows with a chapter on guided imagery inductions, based on scenes from nature - mountain vistas, streams, and forests. He also presents inductions that utilize confusion for clients who are not easily hypnotized or who may be somewhat resistant to direct suggestions.
The main text ends with a few practical recommendations for educating clients about hypnotherapy, introducing colleagues to hypnotherapy in clinical settings, and additional practice guidelines. The two appendices cover a range of techniques (with references to other books where each may be found) and a glossary.
Techniques of Hypnotic Induction makes enjoyable reading for hypnotherapists who want to bring creativity and imagination to their inductions. The clever scripts are interspersed with instruction written with just enough hypnotic language to appeal to the conscious mind as well as the unconscious mind. The entire book makes for a truly entrancing learning experience.
Judith E. Pearson, Ph.D. is a licensed psychotherapist and life coach with a solo practice, Motivational Strategies, in Springfield, Virginia. She is a certified hypnotherapist and NLP Trainer as well as Executive Director of the National Board of Certified Clinical Hypnotherapists. She has written The Weight, Hypnotherapy and You Weight Reduction Program: An NLP and Hypnotherapy Practitioner's Manual. Her website is www.engagethepower.com. And her email is judy@engagethepower.com.
Copyright 2009, Published by Crown House Ltd., Wales
Reviewed by: Judith E. Pearson, Ph.D.
Ironically, I picked up The Hero's Journey just one day after reading Viktor Frankl's
Man's Search for Meaning -for the third time, in preparing a presentation on finding a
life purpose. As I sat with The Hero's Journey open in my hands, I saw the same
themes...our lives are about responding to a calling, living our gifts, and healing our
wounds...
Steve Gilligan and Robert Dilts, two of the finest trainers in Neuro-Linguistic
Programming (NLP), present The Hero's Journey in the transcript of a four-day
workshop. They begin with the premise that humans are manifestations of spirit.
Each life is a heroic journey in which spirit can unfold and reveal itself. To find meaning and fulfillment, each person's task is to heed a calling that shapes an ultimate purpose.
Illness, confusion, or dysfunctional relationships are signs that one has strayed from the journey or refused the calling. In the journey, we are aided by other beings--"sponsors" and "guardians"--who help us remember our true selves.
The authors draw from many cultural traditions that find their intersection in the mythological stories and archetypal symbols of the hero's journey. The book guides
readers in exploring the aspects of the journey:
· Hear the call
· Commit to the call
· Cross the threshold
· Find guardians
· Face and transform demons
· Develop an inner self and new resources
· The Transformation
· Return home with the gift
According to Dilts and Gilligan, the self consists of three minds: Somatic (physical),
Cognitive (intellectual), and The Field (expanded consciousness). Each mind operates
in one of three states: primitive, ego-based, or generative. Through lecture, poetry,
and verbatim demonstrations, the authors describe NLP-based processes for accessing
the generative state, in each level of mind.
The somatic mind becomes generative through alignment and centering. The cognitive mind becomes generative through self-acceptance, personal transformation, and by sponsoring others. We open to The Field when we expand our model of the world beyond the self and the moment. We realize ourselves as generative spirit, (you might say we achieve "enlightenment") by integrating the three minds, each at the generative level.
The text contains various exercises for recognizing one's calling and bringing it into
reality; reframing problems and limitations, holding a "sacred conversation,"
expressing the inner spirit, working through internal resistance, and unfolding the
journey. The exercises incorporate trance (centering and mindfulness), archetypes,
symbols, body awareness and movement, submodalities, and timelines. Gilligan and Dilts teach skills to honor, bless, and discover the calling in one's wounds and challenges, and to move through life transitions by transforming one's energies.
The book invites readers to occasionally enter The Field, to be present in it, going
meta to individual experience and connecting with "intelligences beyond the local
self." Obviously, this is not a book for light reading. The authors speak about creating time for "practices" that nurture the spirit, so that one might operate more effectively in the world. I thought about how and why I could be more consistent about exercising. Such practices allow an ongoing transformation of identity. From this perspective, our habits become statements about personal integrity.
This book provides a format for groups who want to explore new dimensions of personhood. For me, it crystallized concepts that I had wondered about, yet had never
known how to discuss. Gilligan and Dilts establish a vocabulary for spirituality for
goes beyond the philosophical, into the experiential. They are teaching what mystics
have always known and done.
Perhaps one of our greatest fears is that life has no meaning and no purpose, and that
suffering is an end in itself. Yet many people plod along in daily tedium, seeking
only to satisfy basic needs. Frankl wrote, "We had to learn...that it did not really
matter what we expected from life, but rather what life expected from us. We needed to
stop asking about the meaning of life and instead to think of ourselves as though we
were being questioned by life." Gilligan and Dilts take the search for meaning one
step farther, by inviting those who are willing, to embrace life as the hero's journey.
Purchase The Hero's Journey through Crown House Publications Ltd. at www.chpus.com
Judith E. Pearson, Ph.D. is an NLP Trainer, hypnotherapist, licensed professional
counselor, speaker, free-lance writer, and life coach. Her practice, Motivational
Strategies, is located in Springfield, Virginia.
Her web site is www.engagethepower.com.
Copyright: 2009
Reviewed by Judith E. Pearson, Ph.D.
No matter what business you're in, it's a sure bet: You have customers. It's also a sure bet that customers will bother you, or someone on your staff, with their problems and complaints. This book teaches how to transform unhappy customers into loyal customers, and customer complaints into customer satisfaction. Customer satisfaction means repeat sales, more referrals, and higher profit---oh yes, and fewer frustrations for customer service staff!
Shelle Rose Charvet's new book (November 2009), The Customer is Bothering Me, is all about navigating the communication challenges of customer service. The book's principal tool is the LAB Profile, an easy-to-use questionnaire developed and tested by Roger Bailey in the 1990's. With this tool, customer service reps can:
* Identify what motivates people just by asking a few questions and listening to key elements of the conversation.
* Communicate with words and phrases (Influencing Language) that match each customer's thinking processes and decision-making style.
* Inspire the customer to think differently and or take action.
* Create positive customer relationships.
The Customer is Bothering Me is the long-awaited follow-on to Rose Charvet's highly successful Words that Change Minds. With the latter, you can learn to interpret the LAB Profile, and apply the conversational guidelines in a number of business situations, such as teambuilding. With the former, you can apply the same principles to assuaging the ire of upset customers.
Rose Charvet first contrasts typical customer service philosophies, and how these philosophies influence the customer experience. She then examines customer rage, from the customer's point of view, and discusses "The Great Customer Attitude Shift" of the last decade. Additionally, readers get a good look at the problems faced by understaffed and overworked customer service employees. Want to find our how companies reward bad customer service? Read chapter 4.
This book tells corporate managers how to revamp their customer service philosophies at every operational level. The author provides specific tactics for every step of the customer service transaction, from greeting the customer, determining the customer's need, offering knowledge and solutions, to nurturing the relationship.
With short case studies, sample dialog, scripts, tables, and templates, Rose Charvet teaches readers exactly how to respond to customer emotions, stay in rapport with the customer, ask the right questions, understand customer expectations, clarify what the customer wants, make amends, and create a positive image in the customer's mind. The text even goes so far as to recommend the voice tone for the customer service rep to use at each point in the process.
If your company relies on mass marketing, chapter 12 gives language guidelines for ad campaigns with optimum customer appeal. Additional topics include recruitment considerations, branding, staff morale, how to handle adverse publicity, and customer feedback mechanisms.
This book stands out for the clarity of the instruction, its structured approach to a common and difficult problem, and a proven, cost-effective solution. As an author, business consultant, corporate trainer, and business owner, Shelle Rose Charvet is the consummate expert on business communication skills. The Customer is Bothering Me is sure to prove an indispensible manual for customer service training.
To purchase this book go to www.TheCustomerisBotheringMe.com
Dr. Judith E. Pearson is an NLP Trainer/Master Practitioner and licensed psychotherapist practicing in Springfield, Virginia, specializing in solution-oriented counseling and coaching She is also a trainer, writer, and speaker, and has published The Weight, Hypnotherapy and You Weight Reduction Program. Her website is www.engagethepower.com.
Reviewed by Judith E. Pearson, Ph.D., L.P.C.
Jill Cody's superb skills as an NLP Trainer and Master Practitioner are evident in Win the Weight War, destined to become a popular, worthwhile book/CD package, offering NLP-based solutions for weight control. The book focuses on ten strategies designed to change dysfunctional perspectives about eating and emotional attachments to food. In the accompanying CD, Jill provides a hypnosis session to reinforce the main concepts in the book.
The author advises readers to approach their eating habits from the head, heart, and gut, to understand and resolve the psychological and emotional issues that drive overeating. With case examples, self-assessment questionnaires, and a solid grounding in NLP, she guides readers to set realistic and compelling outcomes, and to develop workable thought patterns for self-motivation and sensible choices. Readers learn how to end self-sabotage and find emotional balance.
Jill teaches people to understand the difference between eating for hunger and eating for emotional comfort. She shows them how to avoid the common pitfalls of dieting and addresses the major psychological barriers to weight management: limiting beliefs, self-criticism, self-sabotage, and faulty decision-making.
With guest author and personal trainer, Kip Jawish, readers can rev up their motivation to exercise. Guest author and nutritional consultant, Jane Mercado, contributes her knowledge on healthy cooking, basic nutrition, shopping tips, and low-fat food choices.
Jill skillfully combines training in self-hypnosis, visualization, and practical behavioral tips that can transform any reader from frustrated to successful and from overweight to slim and trim. With Win the Weight War, you can go beyond the drudgery of mere dieting to reshaping your thinking about the interrelationships of food, exercise, emotions, motivation, and weight. Jill Cody is your Brigadier General for winning the "battle of the bulge."
The hypnosis CD, with the same title, demonstrates Jill's mastery of hypnotic language patterns, sure to help listeners create changes at deep cognitive levels. The trance-work is engaging and relaxing, with appealing phrasing, voice tone, word selection, and pacing of suggestions for resourcefulness and learning. Her use of embedded commands, double entendre, visualization, implied cause-effect, compounding, and time distortion would make Milton H. Erickson proud! Her "conversation with the future self" is the best I've ever heard!
Jill Cody is an NLP Practitioner and licensed psychotherapist practicing in Frederick, MD. She also gives talks and seminars on solution-based methods for healthy living. Her book is available at Amazon.com and other online bookstores.
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Dr. Judith E. Pearson is an NLP Trainer/Master Practitioner and licensed psychotherapist practicing in Springfield, Virginia. Through her practice, Motivational Strategies, she offers solution-oriented counseling, coaching, and hypnotherapy. She has written a book for therapists; The Weight, Hypnotherapy and You Weight Reduction Program and recently released a CD: Discover Your Learning Genius. Her website is www.engagethepower.com.
2009, Crown House Publishing, Ltd., Wales
When I first picked up Foundations of Clinical Hypnosis, by Edwin Yager, I did not feel enthusiastic. First, the title sounds like the dry, dull textbooks I waded through as an undergrad. Second, as a hypnotherapist of 20 years, I thought I'd find the subject matter too basic. I am happy to say I was wrong on both counts. Yager's book provides stimulating reading. It is written in a straightforward way and holds basic information for beginners, as well as innovative methods for seasoned practitioners.
Yager covers much of what many would consider "standard fare" for books about hypnosis: hypnosis-related terminology, hypnotic phenomena, hypnotic language, the risks of hypnosis, common applications, and hypnotic tools and methods. He gives a decent review of the research on hypnosis for memory enhancement, touching on the controversial topics of confabulation and false memory. I especially liked his chapter on brief inductions. He also addresses two topics seldom found in books or journals on hypnosis: 1) Hypnosis during sleep and 2) hypnotic language in giving informed consent in medical settings (with guest author, Stephen Bierman).
The author differentiates two basic approaches to hypnotherapy: direct suggestion and hypnoanalysis. He writes that direct suggestion aims for the alleviation of symptoms, while hypnoanalysis, on the other hand, goes to the root cause of symptoms. Hypnoanalysis regresses the client to a seminal event and allows the client to reframe the meaning of that event. Yager advocates hypnoanalysis when the client is "resistant" (i.e., non-responsive) to direct suggestion. He notes that the seminal event should be viewed in a dissociated manner to avoid abreaction and re-traumatizing the client. He also writes that knowledge of the event is not enough; the client must also derive a belief change or a new cognition, such as "you survived that." I found this discussion extremely helpful as a guide in selecting hypnotic interventions and strategies.
Yager is an adherent of Dave Elman, who defined hypnosis as "bypassing the critical factor," to communicate with the unconscious mind. Yager states that "all clinicians use hypnosis, knowingly or unknowingly," because the clinician-patient relationship is structured with three factors that increase the client's suggestibility; 1) the clinician is regarded as an authority, 2) the client is often in confusion or emotional distress, and 3) the client expects the clinician to do something to alleviate the confusion or distress. Thus, we have the perfect formula for hypnosis (authority, emotion, and expectation).
Yager's chapter on Subliminal Therapy, by itself, makes this book worthwhile reading. Subliminal Therapy is a protocol for communicating with the unconscious mind to review memories, extract relevant data, relate cause and effect, derive solutions, and execute decisions. This communication is accomplished via a pendulum, ideomotor signals, visualization, or having the client report on subjectively perceived physical sensations. While no formal induction is required, clients often go into trance during this process.
Yager has chosen the unusual name of Centrum (also the commercial name of a multi-vitamin) to indicate the part of the mind with which the therapist communicates. He characterizes Centrum as a part of the client's consciousness that is wise and helpful-a part that can communicate with all other parts of consciousness. Astute readers will note that Subliminal Therapy draws from Ego State Therapy and the "parts model" of Neuro-Linguistic Programming. Yager gives ample description, a flow chart, and a case transcript to show how to conduct Subliminal Therapy; the instructions to give, the questions to ask, and how to work with the information received.
Foundations of Clinical Hypnosis concludes with brief discussions of various applications of clinical hypnosis, and the considerations unique to each. These include the commonplace, such as smoking cessation, weight loss, insomnia, and pain management, as well as the atypical: asthma treatment, childbirth, breast enlargement, wart removal, stuttering, and ocular correction.
Among his other achievements, Robert Yager, Ph.D. is a Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, and a Staff Psychologist of the UCSD Medical Group. He is certified as a Consultant in Hypnosis by the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis. He also maintains a private practice in San Diego, California.
I recommend his book to other hypnotherapists because it makes for an excellent desk reference. I also recommend it as an introductory textbook for those in hypnosis training programs. It can be purchased through the Crown House Ltd online catalog in the U.S. and the U.K.
_______
Judith E. Pearson, Ph.D. is a Clinical Hypnotherapist and Master Practitioner/Trainer in NLP. She is Executive Director of the National Board of Certified Clinical Hypnotherapists and has a private practice in Springfield, VA. She has published
The Weight, Hypnotherapy and You Weight Reduction Program: An NLP and Hypnotherapy Practitioner's Manual and has recently released a hypnosis CD entitled Discover Your Learning Genius. Her website is www.engagethepower.com.
2009, Crown House Publishing, Ltd., Wales
Reviewed by Judith E. Pearson, Ph.D.
For mental health practitioners trained in hypnotherapeutic approaches to addictions, compulsions, and habit control, Joseph Tramontana's new book will make an excellent library addition. Hypnotically Enhanced Treatment for Addictions provides strategies and scripts for alcohol abuse, drug addiction, gambling addiction, smoking cessation, and weight loss. The methods in this book can be extended to other compulsions and impulse control disorders as well.
This book packs a wealth of practical information into just 144 pages. Readers get advice on client interviews, assessment questionnaires, tests of hypnotizability, and explaining hypnotherapy to clients. The author trains readers in hypnotic processes such as trance induction, trance ratification, deepening, affect-bridge, ego-strengthening, reframing, ideomotor signaling, and reorientation---specifically for addictions. He includes therapeutic metaphors, tips on assessing motivation, and methods for preventing relapse.
He recommends "packaged programs" which I, too, have found useful in working with these client populations. Such programs consist of a specific number of sessions, contracted between the therapist and the client, with each session focusing on a unique aspect of the presenting issue.
This highly readable book is thorough and straightforward with excellent examples and case studies. Solid gold instruction for hypnotherapists!
______________________
Judith E. Pearson, Ph.D. is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Clinical Hypnotherapist, and Master NLP Practitioner/Trainer. She is Executive Director of the National Board of Certified Clinical Hypnotherapists and has a private practice in Springfield, VA, under the name Motivational Strategies. She has published The Weight, Hypnotherapy and You Weight Reduction Program: An NLP and Hypnotherapy Practitioner's Manual and has recently released a hypnosis CD entitled Discover Your Learning Genius. Her website is www.engagethepower.com.
Presenter: Ron Klein, M.C.S., NBCCH
Fee: $199.00 including lunch both days.
To read the online brochure for this EMI Workshop, and to register on line, by mail or by phone, click the following link: CLICK HERE
EYE MOVEMENT INTEGRATION (TM), EMI, is a brief, very effective approach which produces lasting therapeutic outcomes. Learn to treat PTSD, phobia, the anxiety associated with addictions, and to deal successfully with fear resulting from recent crises--- often in a single session.
EMI, is an uncomplicated, yet highly effective eye movement desensitization technique. Unlike other methods, EMI is considerate of the client’s integrity and does not require regression. Therefore, it is designed to avoid the concerns of false memory and/or the possibility of re-traumatizing the client.
COMMENTS:
"I was troubled by PTSD that was causing me increasing distress despite years of psychotherapy. I volunteered to be a demonstration subject and after the EMI intervention, the response is gone. It has been two months since the seminar and I have had no recurrence. It is wonderful!"
L. Merl, LICSW
"I have training in both EMDR and EMI. What I discovered when I attended the EMI seminar, is that EMI is easier on the client and preferable in my opinion. I, myself was paired with another student during the work shop. During that practice session, I went from having a dread of public speaking to a feeling of pleasant anticipation. I am now comfortable when speaking to groups and respond to the audience and the situation appropriately."
Nancy Montagna, Ph.D.
To read the online brochure for this EMI Workshop, and to register on line, by mail or by phone, click the following link: CLICK HERE
To print a hard copy of the brochure on 81/2 X 14 paper, CLICK HERE
To read an article about Eye Movement Integration, CLICK HERE
Register early as the last time this workshop was offered it sold out.
]]>A White House report from an expert panel suggests that from 30% to half the population could catch swine flu during the course of this pandemic and that from 30,000 to 90,000 could die. Since it first emerged in April, the global swine flu epidemic has sickened more than 1 million Americans and killed about 500.
So who is most at risk and how do you prepare?
Here are 3 things you need to know…Swine flu is more of a threat to certain groups — children under 2, pregnant women, people with health problems like asthma, diabetes and heart disease. Also, teens and young adults also seem more vulnerable to swine flu.
What to do to lessen the chance of contracting the flu... Wash your hands often and long. Swine flu spreads through the coughs and sneezes of people who are sick. Cough or sneese into you sleeve, not you hand. Wash your hands with soap and water long enough to finish singing the alphabet song, "Now I know my ABC's..." Also use alcohol-based hand sanitizers.
If you have other health problems or are pregnant and develop flu-like symptoms, call your doctor right away. You may be prescribed Tamiflu or Releza. These drugs can reduce the severity of swine flu if taken right after symptoms start. If you develop breathing problems (rapid breathing for kids), pain in your chest, constant vomiting or a fever that keeps rising, go to an emergency room.
Here is the problem...70 million Americans have no prescription coverage at all. 1/6th of everyone in the U.S. right now, don’t even have a basic health insurance that covers doctor visits or lab work so they avoid going to the doctor all together.
They just try to stick it out. NOT GOOD ! ! !
]]>Crown House Publishing Co. LLC, Wales
Copyright, 2009
By Judith E. Pearson, Ph.D.
Followers of Bill O'Hanlon will delight in the recent release of his six new CDs, all influenced by the work of Milton H. Erickson. If you don't know much about Milton Erickson, this set of CDs will serve as a good introduction to Ericksonian hypnosis.
The recordings demonstrate O'Hanlon's versatility with hypnosis, rapport, and story-telling. In each 40- to 60-minute presentation, his voice is friendly and comforting to listen to, with excellent inflection and pacing. Bill tells his stories in such a relaxed and casual manner that they seem spontaneous and fresh, as though you were hearing them over a mug of beer or a cup of coffee. Here is a brief review on each CD.
Meetings with a Remarkable Man: Personal Tales of Milton Erickson
O'Hanlon begins this recording with an engaging story about how he came to meet and study with Milton Erickson. While in graduate school, O'Hanlon came across a fascinating story about Erickson in Life magazine and became determined to meet the man. He devised a plan to exchange gardening services for the opportunity to talk with Erickson and observe his work. Bill shares his own observations about Erickson's amazingly intuitive approach to therapy and teaching.
Next, Bill goes on to tell Erickson's story, describing several life-changing events in Erickson's life, in which Erickson coped with physical disabilities, pain, and hardship, to become a physician and legendary hypnotherapist. These stories show the shaping of Erickson's personality, as well as his brilliant mind and uncanny skills of communication and observation. These stories will touch listeners at both the conscious and the unconscious levels, with examples of individual strength and resilience.
Calm beneath the Waves: Help Relieve Panic, Anxiety and Desperation
In the tradition of Milton Erickson, O'Hanlon crafts a series of stories about people facing anxiety and fear, and their ability to move beyond those experiences. Bill gets into rapport with listeners by telling of times in his own life when he felt anxious or panicked or hopeless. The admission is humanizing and levels the playing field between speaker and listener.
Bill then tells entrancing and uplifting stories about people who managed to confront and reframe debilitating fears and do something different to interrupt illogical patterns of thinking and behavior. Each story is engaging and easy to imagine, and all are ideal for anyone immobilized by irrational fear.
Moving On: Two Healing Trances for Resolving Sexual Abuse
On the first track of this two-track recording, O'Hanlon creates a hypnotic induction that suggests flexibility and choice. He models Erickson's gentle permissiveness and application of metaphor. The themes in the trance-work explore how survival and reframing of a trauma can lead to a sense of life purpose, and to realizing a spiritual, core self. These stories speak about changing the meaning of one's life story, maintaining boundaries, and reaching self-acceptance and validation.
In the second track, O'Hanlon makes the point that recovery is a step-by-step process. He encourages listeners to take their own next step. He reframes the experience of sexual abuse so that listeners feel encouraged to reclaim a sense of self, redefine identity, and see a future of possibilities. The themes include suffering and recovery, perfection and imperfection, and redemption, all beautifully explored in Bill's kind and nurturing voice. I would definitely recommend this CD for survivors of sexual abuse.
Beside Yourself with Comfort: Hypnotic Help for Chronic or Acute Pain Relief
On this CD, O'Hanlon hypnotically suggests and describes many methods for reducing pain. He invites readers to consider each one and choose those that work best. First, Bill discusses acute awareness of sensations, then distraction, and then reframing pain as a body signal that has served its purpose. He tells stories of people, such as Milton Erickson, who demonstrated nontraditional methods for overcoming pain.
O'Hanlon also helps listeners to alter pain's visual submodalities and dissociate from pain. He speaks of analogies that suggest habituation to pain. He tells of how people develop calluses, for example, to reduce skin sensitivity. He also recommends that listeners shift the habits that pain has brought into their daily living. He tells listeners to challenge their pain-related habits and find one small method to "win back some of your life from pain." Bill's message suggests imagination and flexibility in coping with pain, guiding people to find untapped resources within.
Keep Your Feet Moving: Favorite Teaching and Healing Tales
Listen to this CD and you might feel the "narrative imperative" to document and record your own favorite teaching and healing tales. Here is a small collection of entertaining and heart-warming stories that showcase O'Hanlon's story-telling talents. Like a series of audio Rorschach inkblots, Bill lets listeners derive their own meanings and reach their own conclusions. In these stories I found themes of resilience in adversity, refusal to be overwhelmed by fear, and making progress in small incremental steps.
What I like about this CD is Bill's easy-going way of relating tales of mythology, magic, personal experience, gifted people, and ordinary people doing extraordinary things. I was mesmerized by the story of how couples can remember how they fell in love. Bill tells the story of how Roger Bannister broke the four-minute-mile barrier. In the story of the African Violet Queen of Milwaukee, Bill relates how Milton Erickson helped a depressed woman find purpose and meaning. Each story is delivered skillfully, with a forceful ending.
Bill concludes with a stunning account of psychiatrist Viktor Frankl, who survived the German concentration camps and took his message of life and meaning to the world. The message is that a compelling vision of the future gives one a reason to go on living, despite pain and tragedy. If you want to be amused, astonished, riveted, and emotionally moved, listen to this CD!
Let Your Soul be Your Pilot: Finding Your Direction in Life
This CD takes a philosophical turn. Bill tells his listeners that they can find life purpose in three ways: through their wounds, through their anger, and through their bliss. Wounds, anger and bliss can be life's way of grabbing people by the lapels and shouting, "This is what you are supposed to do!"
Bill tells stories about people who found meaning in life by surviving suffering and tragedy. "Your wound is your opening to the world...You can close down, or you can go out and change the world."
What makes you angry? Bill reminds us that out of anger, people can acknowledge inequity and injustice. They can then transform their anger into energy, which provides the impetus to speak out, support a cause, and find a calling.
Bliss makes the heart pound and compels us to action. Bill asks us to examine our own sources of inspiration and happiness. Our soul's path can also be found in the friendship, love, and mentoring of others who have seen and admired our talents and potentials. To make the point, he includes his own stories of how he became fascinated with psychotherapy and solution-oriented therapy. For people who want to discover their life purpose, this CD is perfect!
Conclusion
These CDs make for well-spent listening time. Throughout these teaching tales, O'Hanlon's warmth and charm shine through. Additionally, the CDs touch on themes that psychotherapists and coaches often encounter in their work: fear, pain, recovery, meeting a life challenge, and finding purpose. As a mental health therapist, I will certainly be recommending these recordings to my clients.
Judith E. Pearson, Ph.D. is a licensed psychotherapist and life coach with a solo practice, Motivational Strategies, in Springfield, Virginia. She is a certified hypnotherapist and NLP Trainer as well as Executive Director of the National Board of Certified Clinical Hypnotherapists. Her recently-published book is The Weight, Hypnotherapy and You Weight Reduction Program: An NLP and Hypnotherapy Practitioner's Manual.
Her website is: www.engagethepower.com
Her email is: judy@engagethepower.com
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