User:Gypsygirl Pang

Background to Cognitive Hypnotherapy

Cognitive Hypnotherapy is a form of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy that emphasises the importance of people’s subjective perceptions and the role that naturally occurring mental states, generally called trance states, have in the formation of such perceptions, and the behaviours that can result from such perceptions.

The term was first seen in print in November 1999 with the publication of Cognitive Hypnotherapy by Professor E Thomas Dowd in the USA, while in the UK Trevor Silvester has pioneered this approach for many years and his work, training program and contributions largely form the methodology for this approach.

Similarl to Aaron Beck, who originated Cognitive Therapy, Silvester’s approach focuses on the fundamental underlying ways in which people process information. In his model of Cognitive Hypnotherapy the label given to the individual’s problem is less important than the mental processes that create it. These mental processes are grouped under the term problem pattern, and are divided into four categories: context, structure, process and consequence.

The Cognitive Hypnotherapy Method

Pattern Hunting

Cognitive Hypnotherapist’s will hunt for the pattern of their client’s problem state and in turn their solution state. It is vital that the therapist not only knows the detail and extent of their client’s problem but also the exact detail of how the client will know when they don’t have it anymore. The problem state and solution state must come from the clients own view of their world and be their very own version of their problem.

When looking for the pattern of the client’s problem the therapist may ask a lot of different types of questions to find out three different elements of information, these are the context, the structure and the process of the problem. The answers to these questions will direct the course of treatment the therapist will choose to take the client on and the techniques they will use. They will tell the therapist the exact areas within the clients mind and thinking where they need to tap to resolve the problem.

The Algorithms of the mind

Questions to find out the context of the clients problem are searching to find out when the client’s brain has a pattern match with something in the past and when it does not. The unconscious mind questions a new environment or circumstance by looking at past experience and using the three algorithms of the mind to conclude; is this the same as that (A=B), this is because of that (C>E) and this is different to that (A=not B). Context questions are also looking to find the confines and breadth of the problem or how broad the context is. The therapist needs to find out how many areas of the client’s life the problem has generalised into and where the edge of it is and to define when the brain is making a match with past experience and when it is not, this is context and exception mapping.

Problem Structure and Submodalities

The structure of the client’s problem is the trance phenomena the client is utilising in their problems makeup and the individual submodalities of the problem. This is because individuals all think and experience in different ways. The therapist must search to find out how they are aware of their problem. The difference in the way we experience our thoughts are known as submodalities and are the way a client sees, hears, feels and thinks about a problem within their minds. This technique was first identified by NLP and it’s pioneers found that not all submodalities are equal, some are actually the key in the meaning of the thought so changing them will cause a shift in the effect of the thought in the individual. This is why they are such a powerful tool for the therapist and they may use a list of submodality questions to find the key drivers behind the client’s problem.

'''The Matrix Model'''

The therapist will also discover the process of the client’s problem and this is the discovery of the pattern of sequence that the client’s problem takes according to the Matrix Model, or ‘how they do’ their problem. The Matrix Model is a model of mental functioning that underpins and is at the core of cognitive hypnotherapy. The therapist finds out the process of the client’s problem by asking questions that allow them to map it out through each stage of the Matrix Model. The stages are the stimulus that starts the problem, the memory that the client matches the stimulus to, the emotion that this match generates, the behavioural response to the emotion, the termination of the resulting behaviour and the individual’s conscious evaluation of the event after termination.

The Solution state and Neurological Levels'''

Before the therapist can begin the therapeutic practice they also need to understand the client’s solution state. The client and the therapist must both have a clear understanding of the details of the outcome the client wants to achieve from the therapy. The agreed solution state can be found by the therapist by asking a range of different types of questions. Firstly, when finding out the submodalities of the problem state they can also ask their client what the submodalities of their solution state would be. They can also find out what the client may want to achieve by asking: ‘If I could wave a magic wand and you had what you wanted from coming here today how would you know? What would be different?’ (Trevor Silvester, 2006 ). Another way to discover the solution state is to ask the client about how they will be different when they have solved their problem in terms of each of the Neurological Levels. The Neurological Level questions ask the client what would be different about their environment, their behaviour and their beliefs, values and identity once they have reached their solution state and what capabilities they have that will help them to achieve these differences.

Techniques to help the client towards change

A Cognitive Hypnotherapist will use techniques from many different disaplines and schools of thought to enable the client to reach their solution state. Techniques can include, Timeline methods of reframing, NLP techniques to bring about changes in belief and in turn behaviour and Gestalt techniques to enable a client to move away from negative emotions that may have been holding onto. The Cognitive Hypnotherapist may then use a hypnotic language called Wordweaving formulated by Trevor Silvester to help to cement and reinforce the reframed change within client so that it may be lasting and continue to move the client in a positive direction.

Key thinking behind the Methodolgy of Cognitive Hypnotherapy

Trevor Silvester drew thinking from many different schools of thought and disciplines in order to formulate the basis of the Cognitive Hypnotherapy approach, these include, Psychodynamic therory, Neuro Science, Humanistic Psychology, Evolutionary Psychology, Neuro Linguistic Programming and Behaviourist Therapy. The approach is constantly evolving as new information, models and techniques are formed and produced, but its core beliefs are underpinned by the following points:

1. The Conscious mind experiences itself as unique and the sole driver of behaviour.

2. The mind seeks meaning in all events and actions. Nothing is allowed to be meaningless. Although research indicates the Conscious only directs behaviour 10% of the time , it will give plausible reasons for all behaviour and create the illusion of our identity being consistent over time - our feeling of self (the 'I')

3.The prime purpose of the unconscious is the protection of the organism. All behaviour it generates is calculated on the pleasure principle (we move towards pleasure and away from pain)

4. The unconscious uses past experience to give context to present situations.

5. Trance is an everyday occurance in all individuals and is not a special state created by the hypnotherapist

6. Depth of trance is not a significant factor in the success of a suggestion or technique

7. The therapist's role is not to come up with the answers, only the questions that guide the client to finding their own answers.