Last month we had Ines Simpson over from Canada training the Simpson Protocol at Hampshire School Of Hypnotherapy, Portsmouth. It was a two-day workshop and great fun. On Saturday we learnt theory, and on Sunday it was all practical.
What is Esdaile?
This is what I found very interesting as our friends from overseas, seem to talk a lot about the Esdaile State.
What do you think it is?
Well, I was under the impression that it is that state where you are so deep in hypnosis that you are unaware of your surroundings. You do not hear noises. You do not even remember what was being said. Or what happened while you were under hypnosis.
How wrong could I be?
Very wrong, as it turned out!
Actually, the Esdaile state is a straightforward state to go to. I think now that most of the clients I work with go to Esdaile. I also, expect it is the state that most of your clients go to too.
As you know hypnosis is very easy. We spend about 80% of our waking day in hypnosis. It is a hard state to break. Esdaile is also very easy and different for each one of us.
What I learnt at the Ines Simpson workshop was that you have to test to see if your client is at what is called the Esdaile state. By firstly, clicking your fingers in front of their eyes, that are closed. If there is no reaction from your client, you then clap very close to their face.
Again, if there is no response from the client, you can then move on and lift their arm in the air and stretch it out in front of them and make sure that it is straight and firm.
You can, of course, do the pinch on the back of the hand and because they are so relaxed, they will not feel it. I loved doing that bit. If you know me, that would not surprise you as you would know that I do like to play.
How do you take your client to Esdaile?
On the Simpson workshop, Ines used the Dave Elman inductions. Again this is very popular across the water and easy. You could use any inductions.
Once you have finished your induction, you then need to establish an IMR (ideo-motor response) Ines Simpson does this for the client. By asking you to choose a finger for yes and to raise it in the air. Then she asks you to choose a finger for no and to raise that in the air. That simple.
Having established a yes or no you then ask the subconscious if it understands that (you touch the yes finger) that this is for yes and the same for the no finger.
You then ask the subconscious if it is okay to take the client (obviously put your client’s name in here) to the Esdaile state?
When the yes finger raises. You then ask the subconscious to take them there now and when they are there to raise the yes finger.
You then proceed with the test. That simple.
I did experience what was allegedly the Esdaile state, but I know that I have been deeper on many occasions. What I learnt from the workshop is that although the Esdaile state is supposed to be a deep trance. It is not necessarily always the case.
One of the many reasons I enjoy seeing and learning from other trainees is that it can give you ideas on how you can improve your therapy sessions. It is also a great opportunity to meet other hypnotherapists.
It was a great weekend with other great hypnotherapists.
Our next guest trainer is Emma Armes who started her journey with the HSOH and is now a trainer for OldPain2Go.
We have seen a demo of how to facilitate OldPain2Go and Emma blends it with the training from the HSOH.
Later in October we also have the wonderful Bob Burns training the Swan Protocol. Bob makes hypnotherapy so much fun.
If you want to join us at either of these workshops, please click here. We would love to see you.
