I have a good friend that is a contractor. One of his mantras is this: make sure you have the right tool for the job. He says that having the right tool will save you time, money and frustration. I feel the same way.
I approach each client understanding that he or she is unique. Therefore, I use different tools with different clients. This is one reason that I never do my hypnosis work from a pre-written script or as part of a fixed program. This “pre-packaging” is a limitation I see in most hypnosis programs and non-personalized, mass-produced hypnosis or success recordings. Don’t misunderstand me: these programs have their place, but no one should expect them to replace personalized interaction from a skilled hypnotist.
The biggest part of my job is to discover what makes my clients tick. What is the root of the issue at hand? Is there a pattern in its expression? What prevents someone from taking the action they already know they need to take to solve the problem? What are the internal imagery and self-talk that a client is using to represent the problem in their mind? What needs to happen to motivate a client take all-out, massive action to make powerful personal change?
Why won’t the same approach work for everyone? Consider three imaginary people who are trying to lose weight. The first one is a runner, eats well most of the time, but is a compulsive late-night snacker. The second one is a stay-at-home mom with three kids, who eats when she gets stressed out with the kids or the day: she might lock herself in the bathroom with a chocolate bar or a small container of ice cream, just to get a break. The third is a mid-level manager who “doesn’t have time” to think about eating, so ends up eating junk food or fast food on the fly just to stay alive. Can you see why a generic approach will fail?
I believe in matching the right tool for the client, not forcing the client to fit into a program or script for success. To achieve this end, I study a variety of approaches for personal success and change. One of those approaches is a hypnotic modality called Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP). While I don’t use NLP with every client, NLP has powerful tools to help uncover how unconscious patterns work and then change or interrupt those patterns.
The founders of NLP—Bandler, Grinder and Diltz—studied several contemporary masters of personal change: Milton Erickson, Virgina Satir and Fritz Perls. While they studied thousands of hours of video and live sessions watching these masters at work helping people change, they asked the question: how do these masters help others produce powerful change? Then they observed what these masters did and modeled their behavior and techniques.
NLP can be defined as the study of internal (communication with self) and external communication to produce powerful results. NLP has also been defined as “an attitude and a methodology that leaves behind a trail of techniques” (Richard Bandler). Finally, NLP has been defined as “the study of excellence.”
If you would like to learn more about how hypnosis and NLP can help you make powerful changes in your personal life, call or email me to schedule a session in my office in Ogden, UT, or via we conferencing.
William Wood
Certified Master Hypnotist
I wrote this article as part of a continuing education course on NLP at www.ModernJedi.com
