During the initial consultation and the workings of the mind presentation, we discuss why the clients may be feeling as they do. We discuss how our minds produce chemicals or neurotransmitters depending on the situation we are in or our thoughts at the time. Our ancestors are used as a metaphor to describe what we have to do to produce the “happy” chemicals that we need a constant flow of, to lead a more intellectually controlled life.
Solution Focused Hypnotherapists do not tell the client what they should be doing, but we can question in a way that may encourage the clients to do what they need to do, or of course suggest that our other clients find certain things beneficial. In the same way we would encourage the listening of our MP3 each night before bed, as “most of my clients feel this is beneficial and speeds up the therapy process”
We have to ensure, that right from the start, we tell the client that they will be the ones solving their own problems and they have to do all the hard work outside of the therapy sessions. The work that the client puts in between the sessions is what will help their situation the most and if they act on the advice from our ancestors, their progress will be far more effective. If we develop a good working relationship, the therapy will also be far more beneficial as we can be far more honest with clients and we should ask them, if at times they are resisting therapy by not putting in the effort needed between sessions.
As we do not normally set homework, with the exception of suggesting that the MP3 is listened to, it is difficult to set a task that we may feel is beneficial. But we can listen for the client to suggest something that we may feel is beneficial and proceed to question it until the client then thinks it’s a good idea, at this stage we could gain commitment and invite the client into trance, to process what they have just committed to. Active listening and seeing great opportunities is the key.
