When we do something we like to do, we have all our resources at our fingertips ready to deal with any hiccups, and disruptions, and problems.
If someone likes riding their bicycle, they are ready to adapt to hills, rather, punctures, even falling off. These occurrences are treated as temporary interruptions, are taken care of, and the cycling continues. If such a person wasn’t able to manage these problems, they wouldn’t continue to like cycling.
If someone likes gardening, they will be ready to adapt to dirt under their fingernails, scratches from roses, pruning, plants dying. These occurrences again are simply temporary interruptions.
So … if we ask a client to recall or imagine that that are doing something that they like, then invite them to focus on some aspect of their experience then become more absorbed in whatever they are becoming absorbed in, then comment on the associated physiological changes … we have the makings of a hypnotic experience, one that is a function of the individual client, not imposed by us, and one that is full of resources.
If you’re interested, you could play with this with a client, friend or yourself. As an experience it may not be obviously therapeutic, although it may well be relevant as a rating point … more of this later.
Rob McNeilly
I suppose this concept is a little like offering a black and white drawing of an image. Like a colouring book.
The image is Somthing the client likes to do and you are offerring them the opportunity to color it in with the colors of their choice.
I wonder if the colors they chose would be different after their therapy.