Why Is the Initial Consultation So Important

"A personalised induction will always be more effective"

I believe that a personalised induction would be more effective in many ways and especially effective in 1-1 work, but I do feel that a personalised induction in some cases would not be effective. I believe that in group work e.g. smoking or weight loss it would be more difficult to personalise it as every person is unique and individual and has different needs and goals, and we all come from different cultures and backgrounds. Also in a one off meeting with a client there just wouldn't be the time to personalise it.

Up until this module we have worked together in our study groups but just with our PMR's and I feel that they too are better if they are personalised. As I found it very difficult to relax when you are told to start at your feet and work upwards. I also couldn't relax when I was told to tighten my muscles first and then to relax them, that didn't relax me at all as I felt I had to work rather than relax. And the same goes for this it would be impossible to personalise for group PMR but it would be possible for 1-1.

It also varies on the goal of the therapy. If the goal is to stop smoking in order to achieve success a more firm approach needs to be taken so if the assessment of the client shows that the permissive technique would generally be more effective for the client the permissive style alone for this goal may not prove successful. You may be required to adapt the permissive screed to perhaps include an authoritarian style as well so as to increase the chance of success in achieving the goal. You can further adapt the screed to include the client's modality. This will further help relax the client, increase success and co-operation as well as increasing the pleasure of the experience for the client.

When meeting a client for the first time it is very important to build a good rapport, because if you have a good rapport they are more likely to trust you, listen to you and communicate openly with you and if the client feels they can trust you, a relationship of warmth, trust and unconditional positive regard can be formed and is essential in a working relationship.

As a hypnotherapist it is important to try and find the most effective way to communicate with your client so they can get the most benefit from the session in order to achieve effective results and this can be done by active listening, observation and general discussion.

Active Listening

Active listening is one of the key ingredients in a helping relationship. Active listening means that you have to attend to all of the signals given off by a person, not only the sounds, but using your sight to pick up the non-verbal signals.

The reason active listening is so important is to pay attention to, and try to understand, the thoughts, feelings and behaviour of the other person.

When we actively listen to a client to personalise an induction it is important to listen to the voice quality. If it's soft, hard, confident, timid, strong or weak. If their breathing is deep, shallow, sobbing snatched or relaxed. If their facial expression is relaxed, tense, afraid, happy or disgust. Whether they are talking or silent, and the 'story' they are telling.

It is important to help the client relax mentally and physically and to draw his or her attention away from external realities and towards inner experiences such as feelings, memories and images. Everybody has an individual character and personality with different likes and dislikes. We may come from different cultural backgrounds or have been brought up with different values or perspectives and that is why I feel it would very useful to find out about their backgrounds and hobbies etc., in order to personalise an induction specifically for them and to try to incorporate the language that they use into the script. Clients can also be assessed on their appearance, behaviour and personality which can give us a clearer insight to them. It is also important to be aware of any topics that may repel your client as this could lead to a negative and ineffective induction.

It is essential that the client trusts you. Positive language should always be used as the mind does not respond to negatives very well.

Modality

Techniques which can be used to personalising induction are through their modalities. Everybody interprets the world, their experiences and memories in different ways using our five senses.

Ear (sounds, auditory), Eyes (sight, visual), Nose (smell, olfactory), Hands (touch, kinaesthetic) and Tongue (taste, gustatory).

These are what are known as our representational systems (modalities). Through past observers it has been established that every individual has a primary representational system which they use. If during assessment it is established, what the client's primary representational system then this can also be incorporated into the client's screeds, further personalising, increasing the clients experience and strengthening the outcome

Using modality is one way we have to personalise the screeds we use for our clients, and it is one of the best ways to achieve a deep hypnotic state in a person is to employ all the senses in your description. It is called compounding.

Hypnotic Techniques

There are two main techniques used for the induction process. The authoritarian technique and the permissive technique. The characteristics of each differ drastically, and each one tends to be more effective in different situations and with different subjects.

The Authoritarian Technique

This technique is commanding and direct. Its purpose is to establish control over the subject and alter behaviour through the use of repetitive commands.

The clients who are most responsive to the authoritarian technique are those who have great respect for and respond well to authoritarian figures in daily life. Such as teachers, parents, employers, community leaders, and police officers. People who are scientifically oriented will be more likely to fit into this category, as opposed to those who are highly imaginative or creative.

This technique works best in individual sessions and is difficult to use in a group situation.

The symptoms that may be treated using this technique are often related to a repressed emotion (e.g. obesity which started at a young age