Rob,
Adding a bit to what you said, I have sometimes found it helpful to suggest worrying about whether you are worrying about the right thing. It quickly gets confusing.
Gary

Rob I am contacting most of the people who try to sell me products and services to see what they think of a client I have. First, she has not been diagnosed with mental illness after seeing several Dr.s. She is hearing voices, several of them and they discuss a variety of topics one of which they want my client to protect them. Last session I had with her I inquired of her unconscious mind what it knew about these voices: the reason they pick my client, the cause, and several others question related to the voices. The clients unconscious mind had no answers for any of my questions, in fact it had no knowledge at all about these voices. I will look forward to your response to see if you have ever experience this with any client you have had and how you dealt with them.

I have looked through all my books by Erickson and have not found any similar cases. The last session I asked her unconscious mind to alter the frequency of these voices so that the client could not hear them. Like a dog whistle, we can hear them but dogs can. I thought if I could get her unconscious mind to alter the frequency so the client could not hear them it would relieve her suffering. I should note that I am not charging this client due to their low income status. I look forward to your incite as to what I should try next to get to the bottom of these voices.

The voices bother her and cause her not to be able to concentrate at work, keep her from sleeping, talk to her with vulgarity and because of the voices she pretty much keeps to herself. The thing that is hard to understand is that others have heard the voices and have responded to them not knowing where they came from. Others might say the same thing as the voices are saying. This client has suffered with these voices for 3 to 4 yrs. now. I will look into your free ebook. I have found nothing in my library of Erickson’s books that discuss auditory hallucinations. If other people have heard this voices without knowing the source and just reacted to what they said, can I still call these voices hallucinations?

I am learning everytime I talk with the client. I communicate with her as often as they want. I learn more every time I talk to the client. I have yet gotten her unconscious mind to acknowledge these voices. I too believe we all have the answer to any problem in the resources of our mind. I will continue to try and uncover with the help of her unconscious how to stop her suffering. Thanks. Would you ask your followers if any have experience this phenomena in their service to others?

Hi Jeffrey and Rob,
How interesting the case with the voices.
Reading about it, reminded me if one of my favourite series “the ghost whisperer” where a woman starts to hear voices of dead people needing help to bringing out the truth about their deaths.
It was very interesting to watch -I was very intrigued as a teenager – how she fought the voices of the dead people pleading her to help, being scared and trying to ignore them… And the learning to work with them… Knowing that she can help and developing her unique way of how to… Just a story but I loved the idea of it

Very interested to hear how you are progressing. I wonder what the voices would need to feel protected and safe. And what would happen if they did. Hm…

Just thinking loud here, hope that is ok. It is not fascinating, how unique we all are. Special minds, special skills everywhere… a matter of perception … What makes something a special unique skill or a problem? Maybe another very special soul out there who picks up on things most of us don’t know exists… Looking forward to your exploration

Rob, would you concentrate on sleeping or ways of relaxing to be able to sleep better? Would you agree on the idea that sleeping is a natural progress when you are relaxed and tied enough?

Thanks Rob, I agree relaxation is just a word which will mean different things for each person. You answered my question in that the focus is not on sleep as a tailored approach rather than back to basics: what is missing/ what is helpful. :-) thank you.

The client wants the voices gone.

Hi Jeffrey, I’m glad you’re caring about helping this client. I’m moved to share some thoughts that came up…of course, do always as you see fit: you are there!

—I’m seeing a broad plain in a hot country. Perhaps invoke/consult with the wise elders Council? Is client interested in this?
—Something to do with her liver? (You might ask her if that has any resource for her).
—a la Gestalt dream work: we invite the client to speak from each (or any) voice, as if they were speaking for an aspect of her…this may not represent safety in this case, on the other hand.
—I thought of her holding a rock in her outstretched hand, flat on her palm, & inviting the voices to go in the rock…respectfully…

Best to all

P.S. You might, in preparation, ward yourself for best results (you may already do some such): an intention, a designation, a declaration: All in this space & time, only for healing, & for the highest & best of all concerned… Thanks

This is intriguing Jeffrey – though doubtless that’s not a word your client would use!
I wonder if there’s any value in asking if you can talk with the voices and find out what’s missing for them that if they had it they’d be quiet and leave your client alone?

I am not sure how sustainable it is to suggest taking one inconvenient thing out of an equation.

We have tried and tested through the history and we are seeing the results. Taking one dictator out of a picture might have been "successful" but guess what we are having to see as a result?

Taking one specie out of nature also resulted in a lot of disturbances, only that people who lived away from nature hardly acknowledged the aftermath of it.

Here is a short (4:34) video of a case study from Sustainable Human about what happened at Yellowstone National park when they included wolves back in nature after some 70 years.

Wolves are gifts. It's not funny when you are afraid of them. Wolves are also annoying when you are blaming them for eating your cattle. But personally, I would prefer to share the planet with wolves, elephants, some minor species of frogs, and all else that deserves to be here. I would choose to learn to discipline myself accordingly, and learn a more appropriate way of living with the wolves than making them wrong. But this is just me.

Hi Jeffrey, someone who has done some great work with clients who are hearing voices is prof. Marius Romme. Two good books of him are, "accepting voices" and "living with voices 50 stories of recovery". He also has some good videos on you tube. I found his work fascinating as he doesn't look at the "mental illness" of it all but focusses on the symptoms instead of the illness. Maybe this can add to your work with your client. Wish you all the best.