One of the key tools that I often use to facilitate opening a dialogue between my clients and myself is determining the way THEY want to share their story. These important elements contained within their story are often buried deep within them. Sometimes excavating someone's “story” requires working within what’s called a “representation system” of how they learn and process best.
Hold on, before you turn the page. Maybe this is a new concept for you, why not give this idea a chance to be understood.
We learn, we process, we turn over to the details of how we live our lives from a few ingrained vantage points called our senses.
I, personally, use my visual senses to “see” situations as they are unfolding. Some might have a keen sense of being able to “hear” messages clearly from around them. Maybe they detect a tone in someone's voice that alerts them to something that might be wrong. I have worked with those who get a sense of what works best by using both methods, their sense of sight and sound.
Here’s an example. The window of your car is rolled up, the radio is on and you see two people on the sidewalk talking. You can’t hear what they’re saying but you can get an idea that a heated argument may be taking place by the visual cues they’re giving off. Or, they are holding hands and you can see that there’s an amicable relationship present. See, you’re getting it now.
Here's another example. You’re at the grocers and in the next aisle you hear a conversation that’s louder than what you might expect in a public place. You don’t have to “see” the parties involved to determine if it’s a chat between friends that’s amicable or a dispute. That’s your personal radar or what is known as your representation system. We all have a means of tapping in this. Ok, I hope at this point you are starting to understand the value I place on working with someone to resolve an issue that might be getting in the way of their happiness. We don’t all come with a playbook on how to fix our problems. Why not ask for some help?
Now if you imagine that you’re the client, you’re frustrated, or uncertain about a direction to take and you can’t figure out what your next move is? That’s where a one on one ‘session” might be helpful. Here’s how it works. You’ve experienced a setback from an injury or an illness. You want very much to get back on track, but you’re so stuck in the story surrounding the issue, you can’t even garner the motivation to move forward. Oftentimes, in just 1 or 2 sessions, you are able to tell your story, to be heard from your perspective, and to be helped to move forward in a way that makes you comfortable. Sometimes, you might even realize that the direction or the problem wasn’t as impactful as you thought. As Glinda, the good witch reminded us from the Wizard of OZ, “you’ve always had the power my dear.”
On occasion, it takes a bit more work on the part of the one who’s seeking a solution. That’s where a solid trusting relationship comes into play with the professional you have chosen to work with.
Some of the tools that are used for this purpose by professionals can include hypnotherapy, a simple quieting of the conscious over- thinking mind, that opens the doorway to the answers that lie within the subconscious state. In a relaxed state, we tend to open up more quickly. Doing so with some simple guidance can help you achieve your goals and overcome what you might perceive to be your limitations. All hypnosis is “self-hypnosis” led by a certified professional who arms you with the tools to access your own answers.
In conjunction with a tool like hypnosis, I might add writing in a journal to help with opening up. Doing so on paper in a private notebook, tends to allow that doorway to open up a bit more. The person can then see in writing how their feelings match up to an understanding of where a solution could lie.
I sometimes will use visual images to help someone conjure up solutions that are familiar. Think about the messages of fairy tales as they are played out in a movie. It’s the same principles as with the visual cards that help with a message that can be applied to your issues. Feeling, Seeing and Hearing can all be the very key to opening you up to a better understanding of living your best life.
Pat Larsen, lives, works and plays in Greene County NY
As a nationally certified hypnotherapist in practice for over 10 years,
Contact Pat @ 518-275-8686 to chat.
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