A 17 year old girl told me that her doctor said i could cure her anorexia. When I was doubtful, she was adamant that her doctor had said I could. She then said she was moving to London in 6 weeks since her father was a diplomat and his work required yet another move.

So, even though I told her I didn’t have a lot of experience with anorexia, she insisted that I could help, and that we had 6 weeks!!!

I asked her about other places she’d lived in and how her eating had been there. She was thoughtful then said that when they lived in Italy, she had no problem, and this was because in Italy people didn’t worry about how you looked, they just accepted you how you are. This was news to me as I’ve never been to Italy, but she was adamant again.

So … we went to Italy in hypnosis, and she was able to recall her experience of Italian eating. I also invited her to experience catalepsy of both arms so she could explore the experience of trusting her body and letting it be.

The sessions were uneventful, but she was pleased, and after she shifted to London, I had a postcard from her telling me how well things were going.

It was such a relief for me to own my own uncertainty and witness her willingness and expectancy.