Before hypnosis can happen, on a profound level, the hypnotist and client must have rapport. From the time my clients walk in the door, I assess their body language, the language they use during conversation, to discover their primary representational system (visual, auditory or kinesthetic, VAK) and the way they bring in information. By learning how they communicate best, I can alter my communication to build rapport much faster.
I have never been one to use scripts in my office, from day one. The use of scripts limits the hypnotist’s awareness of what is happening to the client. If you are focused on reading from a piece of paper, you cannot be in tune with the subtle changes happening in your client. Can you notice the changes in breathing, facial muscles relaxing or that one little blink that just ‘says it all’, when you are staring at a piece of paper?
Throughout my visit with my clients, I utilize their experience to lead them into a waking trance. I tend to allow my clients to put themselves ‘there’ by altering their experience. If a person is a highly visual learner and I begin to change their experience by leading them into an auditory experience, they will slide right into a nice light trance. It is fun when a client realizes something is happening while they are ‘awake’.
As far my preferred induction, during the first session, I tend to utilize a VAK overload. During the process of overload I introduce suggestions of trance and relaxation and allow the client to go down at their own pace. Typically, my clients ‘let go’ in less than minute.
For the second, and subsequent sessions, after we have established really good rapport, I use rapid inductions, with great success. If you are not using rapid inductions in your practice, you should try them. It is really fun to watch a client just melt. Beautiful!
I feel that for true and profound trance to happen in the client, the hypnotist must go into trance as well. Real learning happens on the subconscious level. The conscious mind is very limited in what it can do. When you utilize the power of subconscious communication, trance can happen on a much deeper level and learning can happen much faster.
As I am teaching my clients they can create flexibility in their lives, I feel I need to offer the same in my work. What I do with my clients is my art, my way of expressing myself through my subconscious mind. When my clients are liberated from their self-imposed constraints, I feel much more alive.
I am a big fan of Tad James, Richard Bandler, Christopher Howard and the Essential Skills Group. I don’t necessarily like the way that seduction science is used, but there is a tremendous amount of information on building rapport in those courses. Get Jonathon Altfeld’s courses on how to use you voice, amazing stuff.
I will be offering a class on Mastering Rapport, July 26 in Nashville, TN. For information go to www.masteringrapport.com.
Steve Roehm, CHt
