Abreaction

With the re-living of past memories also known as age regression, the emotions tied to the experience are also remembered. The client might then re-live the experience resulting in an emotional discharge, known as an abreaction. These abreactions taking place are the result of either real, or imagined (partially imagined) events, and may even result from distorted perceptions of real events.

It has been said that, the release of emotions long suppressed in the subconscious, can have a very therapeutic effect and lead to release and relearning, the valuable third and fourth therapeutic steps to change. This makes it very important to allow clients, to discharge emotions in their own way during an abreaction. And each client should be granted the right to visit those events which he/she believes significant during hypnosis.

Although at times therapeutic, the hypnotherapist should most definitely be aware that, some therapists seem so caught with the “inner child” concept that they try to force clients into remembering childhood traumas. A client forced to abreact pains from childhood could feel emotionally violated – or, worse, yet, could require additional hypnotherapy or psychotherapy as a result of such mishandling.

It is further suggested that when a client remembers the correct event, we should not force anger, but rather, allow him/her to express in whatever manner seems most appropriate, to help facilitate release, and create personal empowerment.

Charles Tebbetts taught that forcing excessive emotion(s) is unwise, and that it is equally unwise to stop an abreaction during a regression. He believed the release, to be essential for at least a partial resolution, or agreement, to resolve the situation later at the appropriate time and place. The hypnotherapist must simply be a good listener, and not offer his own advice or personal experiences.

For the purposes of release and relearning, it is considered appropriate to ask questions guiding the client (leading), to the desired outcome. It is suggested that the hypnotherapist provide the client with sufficient time, to experience the emotion(s) before interfering, and then, reduce the intensity of the abreaction as described below:

Let the scene fade away now. Clear your mind, and go deeper into relaxation, and enjoy this pleasant, relaxed feeling … deeper and deeper …

Now come forward (or backward) in time to a scene in which you are HAPPY and ENJOYING yourself thoroughly! (… or client’s peaceful place) I am going to count to three and snap my fingers. At the snap of my fingers you are there … a happy scene. One, two, three (snap) you’re THERE!

Now feel how wonderful life is at this moment.”
You can also use the peaceful place. After a minute or two, go back to the traumatic scene once again with words such as:

It is important to your future happiness that you go back to the scene you just experienced, but this time the feelings will be much less intense. For the sake of your happiness, are you willing to go back to that scene for just a short moment?

Desensitizing, re-learning and forgiving can be employed at this time with any number of hypnotic techniques ranging from the "Informed child” to “Gestalt role playing”. I myself like the Gestalt method due to my NLP training.
Richard Bandler developed a technique referred to as perceptual positions using self, other, and observer which appears to me to be fairly similar to Gestalt role playing. This isn’t surprising seeing as how Mr. Bandler openly admits to having a “Black belt in Gestalt Therapy”.

Described below is the Gestalt method of helping someone through an abreaction:

First: make it safe for the client to tell the other person(s) exactly how he/she feels about what has happened (as the informed child). Second: have the client role-play being the other party (or parties) in the experience. This may provide even greater insight to help facilitate release and clearing. This dialogue can be initiated with suggestions such as:

Your mother (or father, or the person or animal who caused the hurt) must now listen to you talk. Remember, you have all your present adult knowledge, wisdom, understanding, intelligence and experience. Tell her (him or them) EXACTLY how you FEEL about what has happened …
Wait for response, and allow the client to express. He/she may talk for several minutes!
Now, BE YOUR MOTHER (or father, or the person or animal who caused the hurt) and RESPOND!
If there is no intermediate response, you may repeat the phrase and then summarize what the client expressed as though you are talking to that person rather than the client. For example, assuming a client’s mother spanked too hard, say:
Now, BE YOUR MOTHER. Your daughter says you spanked her too hard (or whatever was done). She doesn’t know how you can love her and spank her so hard (or do whatever was done). RESPOND TO YOUR DAUGHTER!

Taking the role of the other person leads to understanding, which leads to forgiveness, which is usually necessary for release. Depending on the individual client, you may facilitate this part of the age regression in either a paternal or maternal manner. Do what you believe you would want if the roles were reversed.

The final release (Forgiveness and/or Understanding), provides for the importance that the client forgive him/herself as well as the person or situation involved for final clearing. If forgiveness of the other person seems impossible, the next best objective is to reach understanding, then still find a way of helping the client attain self-forgiveness. The process of understanding and/or forgiving empowers and protects the client from further hurt.

An emotion cannot be completely cleared as long as a client is holding onto a grudge. The anger or whatever emotion will remain an obstacle to change if not re-understood.

The confirmation of resolution, and relearning, is the final important step to facilitate change, and is demonstrated as follows using ideomotor signals:

Are you NOW RELEASED from the problem and its former causes? Please indicate by moving your YES finger …
If the “yes” finger moves, I take my client’s word for it unless subsequent backsliding indicates otherwise. If the “NO”, or “I don’t know” finger moves instead, then we may ask a question such as the following:
What else will it take for you to obtain TOTAL RELEASE from that problem?
Depending on the response, we may proceed accordingly, during the same session or during a future session.
Once we have obtained as much release as the subconscious seems to allow, we may confirm new understanding and relearning. This may be done after each event regressed to, and/or at the latter part of the hypnosis session.
We may ask the client to express how he/she NOW feels about the event(s) with the new awareness. One such self-empowering type of hypnotic suggestion might be:
Now that you have this NEW AWARENESS about the situation, how do you NOW feel?

email: dr_frank@hypnoticadvancements.com

Mailing address:
Dr. Frank Valente Ph.D.(c)
Hypnotic Advancements
3126 McCarthy Court
Mississauga , ON
Canada L4Y-3Z5

© 2004, Dr. Frank Valente Ph.D.(c)

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