by Calvin D. Banyan
One of the great challenges for the new hypnotist besides doing a good job of hypnotizing her client is knowing what to do after they are hypnotized, exactly what kind of hypnotic suggestions to provide. In this article, I am going to tackle one of the simplest and yet most important aspects of being a good hypnosis service provider, how to quickly come up with great customized hypnotic suggestion for your clients, or how to write scripts “on the fly.”
It is best when you are starting off to make sure that the hypnosis training that you are considering is going to provide you with the necessary hypnosis scripts you will need. You should come away from your initial hypnosis training with scripts for inducing hypnosis, deepening hypnosis, testing the level of hypnosis that your client has obtained, including both overt and covert testing techniques, scripts for different types of convincers, and emerging your client. In addition to these scripts, you need to have as a minimum, a time tested hypnosis script for smoking cessation and weight loss at the very least.
Now all of that being said, you know that hypnosis is useful for much more than those two popular areas. So as you continue to build your professional practice, you should also collect scripts from well respected authorities in the field for services that you are interested in providing, such as, sports improvement, stress management, anger management, and so on.
As you continue to gain experience and as your referral base begins to build, you will find that you are going to have potential clients contact you, wanting to see you for things for which you do not have a script. Or, she may come in to see you wanting to work on one thing, or at least that is what she told you, and then changes her mind and wants to work on a totally different issue after she comes into your office.
What do you do then, if you don’t have a hypnosis script for that problem? Do you say, “I’m sorry I can’t help you,” and lose the potential client. Or would you say, “Excuse me for a minute” and run off to a secluded computer to see what kind of scripts that you can find on the Internet? Neither one of these options are really quite acceptable.
First, let me recommend my universal script, entitled The Ultimate And Virtually Universal Hypnosis Script For Change, which is also located on this site. I think you will find that it will handle about 90% of all the issues that “walk through your door.” Secondly, let me give you some pointers for writing a script “on the fly” as they say.
First of all remember, your client has a pretty good idea about why she wants to make the change that is bringing her into your office. So, I suggest that you make up a form that has two parts. The first part is where she writes down in her own words what that change is that she would like to make by coming in to see you. The second part of the form should ask her to list all of the benefits that she expects to experience from making the change. The form should be set up so that she is encouraged to give you at least 7 benefits. The form might look like this.
The Excellent Hypnosis Center, Inc.
Benefits Form
Client’s Name ___________________________________
Please explain to us in the space below what kind of change you want to make using hypnosis. Be as clear and detailed as you can.
_________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
Now we would like you to take a few minutes and tell us all about the benefits that you would like to receive by making this important change in your life. For example, you might think about how this change may affect your work life, home life, relationship with others, your spiritual life, how you can be a better role model for others and so on. Please give us at least seven benefits. Your hypnotist will find this information very useful in making positive suggestions to you while in hypnosis.
1. _______________________________________________
2. __________________________________________________
3. __________________________________________________
And, so on.
Now, if you are thinking ahead, you have discovered that I have just provided you with a way to have your client do most of the work for you! She has practically written the script that you will deliver during the hypnosis session.
If you have a few minutes before the session, you can read through this by yourself and become familiar with it. You can also go through it with the client during the first part of the session, the pre-hypnosis interview. During that time, you can ask her about the change that she wants to make, and maybe get her to come up with some more benefits. The more benefits the better.
Then, when you have your client in the proper level of hypnosis, usually somnambulism, you can basically read this information back to her in a positive form. Depending on the time you have for the session, you can repeat it to her in many different ways. Keep in mind that when someone is in hypnosis, they tend to not get bored with receiving the suggestions which they came in for.
The structure of this approach basically goes like this: “Now that you settled into this wonderful state of hypnosis, your mind is ready to accept these powerful suggestions that will move you powerfully toward your goal of _________________ (insert statement indicating that she is reaching goal stated in the form). This is why you are here. This is why you are now in hypnosis, so that you can fully and completely accept the suggestion that you __________ (again insert statement that she is now reaching her goal as indicated in the form). Your subconscious mind is now accepting these suggestions because you want them. Now that you have accepted these suggestions and they begin working immediately. As these suggestions work in your life, you will find ________. (Insert paraphrase of the benefits listed on the form).
For example, let’s say that you have a client coming in for habitual hair pulling. She comes in and states that the change that she wants to make is that she will stop pulling out the hair in her eyebrows. This comes up more frequently than you might think, in the form of either pulling eyebrows, eyelashes or the hair on the head.
So she wants to stop pulling hair, and that is what you are going to suggest to her in the hypnosis. However I want to give you a quick tip, it is better if we suggest that the client do some alternative behavior than just have her stop doing something. I’ll exemplify that later. Next, she writes on her benefits form that: 1) Be less stressed out about her appearance, 2) Be able to look right when she applies makeup, 3) Be more attractive, 4) not worry about her mother noticing and worrying about her, and 5) not have to worry about the rashes that sometimes erupt after she does a lot of hair pulling. We will just use 5 benefits in this example.
Once you have your client in hypnosis you could proceed as follows. “Now that you settled into this wonderful state of hypnosis, your mind is ready to accept these powerful suggestions that will move you powerfully toward your goal of normal eyebrows that look wonderful. Every time one of your hands begins to move toward one of your eyebrows with the intent, consciously or unconsciously to pull on them, you will instantly become aware of it and feel a sense of relief as you place that hand on your lap. Each and every time one of your hands moves toward your eyebrows, you will instantly become aware of it, and feel a sense of relief as you place your hand on your lap. Each time that you do this, your sense of being in control becomes stronger and stronger, and the old habit will fade away to nothing, nothing, nothing. (This is an example of the kind of statements/suggestion she needs to reach the goal stated in the form). This is why you are here. This is why you are now in hypnosis, so that you can fully and completely accept the suggestion that you are now completely free from the old bad habit of hair pulling. You take back control instantly by simply becoming aware of the movement of a hand toward your eyebrows, and simply place it somewhere else, like on your lap, or beside you. (Again we are inserting statement/suggestions that she is now reaching her goal as indicated in the form). Your subconscious mind is now accepting these suggestions because you want them. This is why you are in hypnosis. Now that you have accepted these suggestions and they begin working immediately. As these suggestions work in your life, you will find that you feel more confident and relaxed in every situation, you look much better to yourself when you are applying makeup, you find that you are more attractive, and you are relieved that you will no longer worry your mother about this old habit that has now faded away to nothing, nothing, nothing. (Here you will find that I have inserted paraphrase of the benefits listed on the form).
Depending on the time that I have, I might repeat that two or three times, saying it differently each time, perhaps emphasizing a different part each time.
The benefits of using this approach are that you can be confident, that you can create customized scripts that are exactly what your clients want and need to overcome their problems. They will also appreciate that the suggestions were customized for them. This will lead to confidence in doing additional work with you in the future, should you decide to go after the cause of the problem using age regression or other advanced hypnotic techniques.
