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Del Morrill, M.S. C.C.H

Transitions

A Center for Counseling & Hypnosis
Tacoma, Washington, USA
(253) 752-1506

Sexual Abuse

Question
I want to ask a question I am a little embarrassed to ask. When you are dealing with sexual abuse in a patient's background, which induction do you use? How deep do you put someone? I know that some do not need a real deep induction, but some of my more "mental" clients seem to need to go deeper. How else do you proceed with someone who's had traumatic experiences in their past?

Answer
First, you shouldn't be embarrassed about asking the questions - it's perfectly reasonable. I can understand why someone dealing with such serious issues might need to go deeper--it's a way of not having to remember, consciously. So, if a client is nervous, or concerned about the past, then getting someone into a somnambulistic state is probably helpful. When something like abuse is involved, I'm in no hurry to rush things. There is enough fear within that person without jumping into hypnosis with "snap-your-fingers & sleep" type of inductions. If the person is ready to deal with the issue, then you'll want to be able to dialogue, verbally, with them, you'd want to ask them to go only into the depth that will allow that part of their mind that knows all about this issue to talk to you (the Higher Consciousness, the Wise Part, etc.). I would then begin my questioning by using ideomotor signalling before having them speak aloud. You sometimes may not get a verbal response at all--in that case you would simply go ahead with any further ideomotor signalling that can clarify what's going on, and then give whatever suggestions can assure them and release them. About the type of induction, that is a hard one to say. I have found that the one's in my GREAT ESCAPES Volume II most likely to take someone quite deeply. The one called First Induction is especially helpful because it includes explanation of what's going on throughout - In other words, it's including the usual pre-talk at a subconscious level. Another that helps with depth is the Eye Fixation induction. Sometimes, if I don't get a good response, I'll move into the Relax in Nature induction, which meanders through various nature settings, becoming less of a logical-step process. Don't be in a hurry with people who have post-traumatic stress syndrome of one kind or another, especially related to sexual abuse. You'll want to ask the "deeper self" if it's okay to proceed to release this problem. If you get a "No" or if time becomes a problem, then simply ask your client's subconscious/unconscious or higher consciousness whether it's okay to pursue this issue in the next session (using ideomotor response). You'll almost always get a "yes." You can prepare your client in a positive way that will release her/him from the hold of the past during the time between and the next visit. At the next visit you can ask (ideomotor) whether the problem has already been resolved. If not, then proceed to go to the source, and find a way to release it. Another approach (which I use most frequently) would be to move from the induction into the problem & solution finding script (in both GREAT ESCAPES II and III), and then wait until your next session with the client to do anything else. I hope this is helpful and not confusing. Let me know how it all goes.

 
 

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