How NLP Is Used In Hypnotherapy
So you may be wondering, what happens during a hypnotherapy session? This question depends on the goal of the session, but typically sessions will go 1 of 3 ways. The first being around releasing trauma that holding you in a specific feeling or behavior. Often times our seeming self sabotaging behavior is to protect us, which begs the question from what. When this appears, regressions are often used. Next the session could turn into a coaching session. This happens when the issue is a life style issue. Let’s say someone comes in with depression; if their whole life is a mess and they need to make some choices, hypnosis can only do so much. Hypnosis can help you develop the confidence and worthiness to make those choices, but releasing this issue will come down to the client. Lastly, the session could be an NLP session. This is where we are rewriting the language programming holding you in a specific pattern using techniques such as anchoring.
What is NLP?
Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) operates on the premise that there is an interconnection between neurological processes, language, and behavioral patterns, and it seeks to leverage this connection to effect positive behavioral change. NLP employs various techniques to modify habitual thought patterns and behaviors, often by restructuring the language and mental representations individuals use to interpret experiences. Techniques such as reframing, anchoring, and modeling are commonly employed in NLP to reshape perceptions and responses.
By encouraging individuals to examine and alter the language they use internally and externally, NLP aims to transform negative or limiting thought patterns into more constructive ones, fostering a shift in behavior. Additionally, NLP often incorporates strategies to enhance communication skills, enabling individuals to better understand and influence their own behaviors and those of others. Overall, NLP seeks to empower individuals to consciously and purposefully adapt their mental processes and linguistic expressions to bring about desired changes in behavior, which is what Mindset Mastery Hypnotherapy is all about.
What is Anchoring in NLP?
One of my favorite, and perhaps one of the most powerful NLP techniques is anchoring. anchoring is a technique used to associate a particular stimulus or trigger with a specific emotional or psychological state. The concept is rooted in the idea that experiences and emotions can be anchored to specific gestures, touches, sounds, or even words. The process involves creating a link between the anchor and a desired state so that, when the anchor is activated in the future, it elicits the associated state.
An example of this could be a smell. Perhaps your grandmother used to cook a specific dish or wear a specific kind of perfume and now, when you smell that smell you think of her. The smell has anchored in the thought of her. Or if you’re like me, smells have anchored in trauma. In the past, smelling cigarettes would make me feel relaxed because as a kid, I know my mother what in the best mood if she was smoking a cigarette. Any other time, she could be a nightmare. Anchoring doesn’t have to be physical, it can also be an idea. There are some ideas clients don’t care to explore because of their past experience associated with them, such as religion.
How does anchoring pertain to our sessions? That really depends on our goal, but it is most understood in the idea of developing a new habit. Perhaps you came to me because you have an unhealthy habit that helps you relieve stress. Relaxation has been anchored into your habit. So we must disassociate relaxation from your habit and anchor relaxation into something else that is going to help you.
When we work to anchor in productive feelings with our desired goals in a session, it’s going to consist of a couple of different kinds of anchors. The first could be a word you say out loud. This means I am going to help you train your mind to feel a certain way when you think of a certain word. Saying this word out loud further anchors in the feeling. This next technique you could consider like positive reinforcement. When you feel the feeling you need to help you accomplish your goal, I will typically touch our shoulder, knee, or hand. This physical sensation will anchor in the feeling with the idea we are working with.
Conclusion
I won’t bore you with all of the technicalities, but anchoring can include many layers and may take a couple of sessions to sort through the layers. Especially if there is an unresolved trauma that needs to be addressed before your body feels safe enough to develop this habit. I think it’s important to note that our unhealthy habits are not developed because we hate ourself. They are often protecting us or meeting an unmet need. So compassion is necessary when doing this work, even if we are unsure of exactly why we are doing what we are doing.
But that is all that I have for you in this section. I hope you found this helpful and if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out.
See you soon,
Jarisa
