Hi. This is Diane and I am so excited about having this new way for us to have two-way communication. It’s time to Welcome the Wellness Network to the “Blogosphere!”
I know that many therapists, psychologists, healers and other creative right-brained folks have been technologically challenged! We have resisted the computer generation as long as we can. It is now time for us to bring our left brain skills up to date and communicate!!! So we are now creating this blog for Wellness grads as an avenue to ask professional questions, have discussions and generally stay connected with you, our graduate base.
I am committed to pull myself out of my garden, away from my jewelry table, or up from my soap & candle-making factory to sit at my computer and speak with you. I hope you will join this forum to stay connected and keep the discussion lively, fun, informative and interesting.
I speak to so many people over the phone who have questions about Heart-Centered Hypnotherapy. I do love speaking with each of you individually, and I feel that many of these individual responses could have benefited others as well.
THE QUESTION OF THE DAY
How can I help clients get through their resistance or fear of expressing their feelings?
MY ANSWER
The first thing is to educate them as to why they would want to push through their comfort zone. Give them the motivation. You could show them the diagram which is toward the end of the codependency section of your Six-Day notebook or in my book Breaking Free from the Victim Trap. It is entitled “Expression or Repression” of feelings. Keep that handy in your office so that you can go through it with each client. The most important issue to discuss here is the mind/body concept that repressed feelings, especially anger, is stored in the body and can cause dis-ease if it remains there. Shame is another one that is stored very deep within us and must be released. The positive result of taking the risk to experience anger, shame and fear is that, in the end, you will also experience more love, joy, spiritual connection and excitement!
One other technique you can use is to ask them if they are willing to find out why expressing feelings is so “unpleasant” to them? What messages did they get as a child about expressing feelings? Perhaps they were told not to cry, “Don’t be a baby, or I’ll give you something to cry about!” Also many people have confused abuse with healthy release of anger. Yelling, screaming and shaming a person is not healthy expression of feelings. But releasing the energy from your body on a punching bag is a great way to release that destructive energy from your body so that it does not become body armor (Wilhelm Reich).
If you have a lot of clients who are uncomfortable expressing their feelings, you may want to ask yourself if you are uncomfortable in the presence of strong emotions. What do I feel when a client is hitting down with the hose? What do I feel when clients delve deep into their pain and/or grief?
PLEASE RESPOND
Add your suggestions or experiences. Let’s discuss this or any other questions you may have that you would like answers to. Together we can be a powerful resource for each other.
LOTS OF LOVE,
Diane Zimberoff & David Hartman
Filed under: Uncategorized
We have a good synopsis of the underlying research documenting how and why cathartic release is so vital in our healing work. We call it “Somatic Empowerment.”
You can find the 3 page paper at http://heartcenteredtherapies.org/go/docs/somatic%20empowerment.pdf.
This is a great idea!
This is a great way to keep in touch with us all. I know I have missed being able to attend trainings and also I miss the spiritual connection I found at Wellness. There are few graduates on the ground in Connecticut so this fills a gap for me. The best thing I ever did was to train with Wellness so thank you, Diane and David, for this reaching out to your graduate devotees!
with love
Liz
I love this idea, Diane and David, and I honor you both for your devotion to us all. My question is as follows: How affective is hypnotherapy with epilepsy? Are there any special considerations when working with these clients?
hey diane and david , great idea and tool. great way for us to maintain a connection with you guys and others in other classes and locations…
as for the mind body connection, i agree it is vital to help clients get the message . sometimes its a matter of giving examples like the stomach gitters or the tightness in their chest or perhaps sleep difficulty. these ideas often opens the dialogue and clients begin to present their own ideas/examples…jerome
I have been missing contact with other wellness graduates. Delighted to see a new way to have contact and get and give support. Thank you for the many ways you reach out, Diane and David. thanks also to the support staff like Desiree.
Thank you for this, Diane and David, it is beautiful! I love the connection with and learning from others in our community. And I am delighted to “meet” others through this medium.
For non-expressive clients, I will:
- Help them to make even the smallest of sounds (not words, necessarily, just sounds): If that feeling had a sound, what might it be? Sometimes I start that sound myself and gradually increase the tone & intensity.
- Take them into breathwork, to work through the energetic blocks
Building on Diane’s suggestion to review the Expression/Repression of Feelings chart, here are some things that I’ve said during their trance session:
- Let them know that “How you do anything is how you do everything” and ask them how they are holding back their feelings and words in their everyday lives. Do they want to continue that?
- Would they rather have these feelings inside of themselves or outside?
- Some essential oils will help to break through those blocks and open the throat chakra for expression.
I trust these suggestions will help and look forward to seeing more ideas by others!
Love, Susan
Hi Diane & David,
Glad this is happening! I tried to participate in the other group site you had set up, but never got a response. AND, Diane, the Question you have raised and answered is very similar to the question I had raised earlier. So Thank you!
In my small private practice people don’t seem to come for hypnotherapy (I know I need to advertise specifically to provide that service for those looking for it), but I try to introduce it anyhow. A few times people have agreed to go along……….. More often, people are very resistant, defensive, and afraid to give up control (close their eyes/release feelings, and to regress emotionally) and have gathered some notions of stage hypno that has little to do with the HC-hypno. However, I believe, I have only a certain amount of time to take on the salesman’s role, after which the focus needs to shift to be on them and their presenting problems. Sometimes, I mention, that HC hypnotherapy is cost efficient, saves time, and provides a means of healing more deeply. Still they resist. So, again, I feel I need to attract clients who come wanting precisely what I have to offer. I think I need to create an alternate website focused exclusively on HC Hypno and find at least one source for alternate treatments and advertise with them.
I hope I haven’t gone to far off topic…………any suggestions would be appreciated.
Blessings from the Denmark, what Danes refer to as the “sugar hole.”
Dennis, Shiva das
Hi again Y’all,
I forgot to thank susan for her specific suggestions which I will try to incorporate. I imagine, as well, as I recall from my own work, the little encouragements, the therapists comment that the client is doing very well/ “you’re doing great” I recall David saying a lot. I suspect it helps as reassuring reinforcement for those not accustomed to expressing their feelings. Each small encouragement helps us to overcome our fears of self/other condemnation, and guides us step by step to take another step forward toward expressiveness.
As it regards Diane’s suggestion about the therapist checking inward to see how they feel about clients releasing feelings, I don’t feel I have any problem with people expressing their feelings, but I notice that because I practice out of my home in an apartment complex, I detect that I am fearful of frightening my neighbors, or even being discovered as having a practice in a residential zone. I think having a space where freedom of expression is encouraged requires a special location or a least a location where such expression would not alarm anyone. Just a thought…..
Thanks again,
Dennis, Shiva das
Hi, I also thank Diane and David for initiating this form of communication. I enjoyed reading and learning from others already.
I have a question. I have a client whom I have seen off and on for the past 3-4 years. She has a hx of anxiety and panic attacks. She has had 3-4 hypnotherapy sessions about 2 years ago with me addressing childhood trauma from particularly her mother and sexual abuse from her grandfather of which family is in denial. She had been doing well with no medication and was relatively stable for 1-2 years.
She had a baby about 9 weeks ago. She is having intrusive thoughts about harming her baby in some way – or abandoning her. Thoughts such as – what if I smother her while I’m asleep. I could drive the car into the lake and the baby would be stuck in the car seat…I could leave her in the elevator – someone would probably find her…I decided to sleep on the couch because I was so afraid I would hurt her somehow.
I began seeing her again about a month ago.
These are the interventions to date: one hypno/rohun womb cleanse, lavendar on feet, aromatherapy spray for anxiety/depression, milk thistle, another herbal com addressing hormone imbalance, talk therapy.
She began a support group at the hospital where she had a caesarian delivery after training (not with me) for a hypno birthing. The nurse/social worker there are suggesting medications that they say are safe for breastfeeding babies. I say any psychophic meds are suspect for sometimes subtle, some not so subtle long lasting side effects for one so small. I told her I believed continued hypnos would be better choice (and now I am thinking possibly suggest a breath session) or to pump breast, save up to 6 months of breast milk and wean if decide to take meds.
Any advice, any knowledge with this type of case. Thanks so much,
Wendy
I am loving this. I don’t have anything to contribute…yet. But I love reading and learning from everyone (very helpful!) I am excited to be a part of something so awesome.
Thank you, Michelle
Dear Diane:
I recently did a 40mins didactic presentation on the Clearing process to some clinical colleagues here in Copenhagen. Beyond the use of Clearings to safeguard group and community trust, I mentioned that the clearing process also had utility when working with couples. It raised a lot of questions. In summary: it would appear one would have to have a buy-in from both parties and some understanding of areas of developmental arrest that get triggered in couple disputes.
I had to admit that I had only heard about using Clearings with couples and had not myself experienced first hand how the therapist would work out the expectable problems of transferring the Clearing process from having group utility to couple utility.
In the group one gets to first experience it from watching other brave souls benefit from going through the process. Not so, when working with a couple. I’m sure there are many simple and complex ways in which the process may differ when working with couples.
I am interested to hear of your experiences using the clearing process with couples and/or any references, articles I might be able to read as it regards this question.
Thanks for hearing me out and I hope your can shine a light on this issue,
Dennis/Shiva das
Thank You so much for opening this forum. I look forward to participating and learning and growing even more! I look forward to networking, discussing questions, and gaining the support from being part of a group again. thank you. Loren
Wow it is really great to benefit from seasoned Therapists in this way.
I am already learning and implementing what is being shared by everyone. Thank you so much David and Diane for opening up this round table discussion!
Melissa
The dr. can only temp. treat my dysponia with botox shots in the muscles around the voice box. Have yu had any experience using hypnosis to treat dysponia?
Catching up with everyone ~
You can take the girl away from Wellness – but you can’t take Wellness out of the girl….that’s me! For those of you grads who haven’t heard, this is Sue from the office – and I’m now living in Kentucky. I miss working at Wellness and seeing you all, but it’s nice to read about your continuing work and growth. I’ll continue to read your posts and maybe add my two cents from time to time. In the meantime, I’m busy working at a nonprofit here and teaching money management skills – something most everyone needs. Good Luck and God Bless in all your continuing healing work. Perhaps we will cross paths again soon.
Sue
Good luck Sue on your new ventures. I’ll miss seeing you on my Issaquah journeys. From across the oceans,
Love, light and luck always,
Minda
I want to thank you Diane and David for this wonderful new way of communicating, sharing and getting input. I received a referral today from a reflexologist, who had been working with a wheelchair-bound young woman with an undiagnosed seizure disorder and who is losing her ability to speak. While working on her she found herself dealing with a lot of negative energy which by her description sounded like elementals. She felt out of her depth and she and the young woman were both quite shaken by the experience. I have agreed to meet with the young woman and perhaps to do some energy work with her. Because of the verbal limitations, it seems that the best approach would be to work through the energetic issues by using guided visualization. I was wondering if anyone out there had experience with a client with similar issues. Any input would be appreciated. Minda
Hi Diane and David – thank you so much for doing this. As I am reading the responses and questions I can see how valuable a tool this will be.
I have a friend with a relative with disponia who is also getting botox injections monthly. Do you have any experience with this. I am also interested.
I have a client who was severely traumatized by situations which would not let her say her truth. When she came to me she was in such shock she could not speak. I have been patient, reassuring, supportive, and loving with her as her husband divorces her. After one year of therapy and about 6 Heart Centered session she finally cried while in hypnosis. And last session she hit the bag with a vengence and was able to say quietly “I hate you” This took a long time and a lot of patience to get to – so do not give up if you have a client who cannot co the release work right away like we do.
Love to you all – can’t wait to see you at Convention in Chicago.
Diane and David I want to add my thanks for doing this. I’ve been missing the connection with Wellness, particularly the last several days and when I got back to town and opened my email there was the newsletter and blog info. I’ve read through several of the posts and find it informational as well as bringing a feeling of connection to the Wellness family. Thanks again.
Hi,
This is a great resource. Thank for putting in the time and effort to bring it about.
I believe in the power of cathartic release. I’d be interested to know what you thought of “content free” techniques like Richard Bandler’s so called “fast phobia cure”
Warm regards
Mike E
Missed my newsletters for a while as I change my email so I was very pleasantly surprised to see this Blog. Thanks for offering the opportunity to share. My work with HC hypnotherapy continues … I am ever more impressed with the results the process can take. I am however working with a client (in residence at the Isaiah Center) who is dealing with Alcoholism. I am gathering any information and techniques that are helpful to augment the release-work being done in the sessions. I would love to hear from anyone with success in this area.
Diane, you might be interested to know that my herd of Dexter cattle is growing bigger and bigger. I may have to have another auction and return for further training.
Our Master mind group survives after many life-changing events for all thanks to the fortitude of Susan, Carolyn, Dory and myself. It is a gift we all treasure. I think of the Wellness Center often with love, Joytima
Hi Diane,
I sure appreciated your phone call when I got back from my training. I have had a lot of clients that have been working through issues through hypnotherapy. I am having some difficulty getting them to release the energy in a strong way. In other words they are very quiet while expressing their emotios. I join with them and and try to use my voice to encourage them to express louder and/or stronger. Any suggestions? We still are in Montana. Still trying to get to CO. They put a freeze on transfering postal workers. This is great stuff! Connie
I’m wondering if there is a way a list could be created to contact others in SC who are graduates of Wellness training. I would like to start a support group for others that have not taken the internship, encouraging them to partake so when SC is ready, we will be able to be the keystone of the “new” treatment modality. I am sure this will happen, and I see this as a great thing…
Glad to be joining.
Rebecca
I certainly enjoy the good information, feedbacks and a well set up site ! I hope I will be able to shake loose long enough to get to some workshops.