=^..^= Are REGRESSIVE and/or ABREACTIVE THERAPIES Sacred Cows? =^..^=

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Permalink Reply by John Bittner - Ocotillo Hypnosis on November 1, 2009 at 6:15am

Michael,

Interesting discussion.

You wrote:
"The world has changed dramatically in the last 50 years and the regressionists seem unaware that all of the regressive-abreactive approaches to healing are based on Freud's theories and psychotherapeutic practices. Most licensed health care professionals stopped using Regressive and Abreactive therapies 20 years ago... Modern day Cognitive and Behavioral Therapists focus on developing their patient's coping skills and abilities and changing their beliefs.

1. Should I take from this that you believe that we as hypnotists should follow the lead of "licensed health care professionals" in the approach we take with our clients?

2. Do you believe there is any distinction between the practice of regression and its effectiveness in and out of the context of hypnosis?

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Permalink Reply by Michael Ellner on November 1, 2009 at 6:38am

Great questions John,

1) My comment about major changes in therapuetic thinking was meant to point out that there has been a paradigm shift that some hypnosis trainers and their students don't seem to be aware of...This shift is reflected in popular culture and I believe that we should use this awareness inform rather dictate how we practice hypnosis.

I believe that all of us empower the techniques that we use and I started this discussion because I wanted to respectfully challenge those who repeatedly claim that RTC is the only way to achieve long-term benefits...

2) I believe that all regression involves some level of entrancement - The trance is the process...

Best,
me


John Bittner - Ocotillo Hypnosis said:

Michael,

Interesting discussion.

You wrote:
"The world has changed dramatically in the last 50 years and the regressionists seem unaware that all of the regressive-abreactive approaches to healing are based on Freud's theories and psychotherapeutic practices. Most licensed health care professionals stopped using Regressive and Abreactive therapies 20 years ago... Modern day Cognitive and Behavioral Therapists focus on developing their patient's coping skills and abilities and changing their beliefs.

1. Should I take from this that you believe that we as hypnotists should follow the lead of "licensed health care professionals" in the approach we take with our clients?

2. Do you believe there is any distinction between the practice of regression and its effectiveness in and out of the context of hypnosis?

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Permalink Reply by James Malone on November 1, 2009 at 7:38am

Michael, although I do believe RTC can be a useful technique and I do use it on occasion, especially when the client has an expectation that regression will be used. However, I do agree that it has become a sacred cow in some quarters and I too resent the stance some trainers/practitioners take any intervention that doesn't involve RTC and abreaction is somehow an inferior "band aid." I still run into clients that I worked with over 10 years ago, with whom RTC and abreaction were not used, and they are still doing fine. If the techniques were a "band aid" then maybe there is something to be said for band-aids!

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Permalink Reply by Susan French on November 1, 2009 at 8:29am

I totally and completely 1000% agree with you Michael. After all, psychotherapy itself has developed a lot since the days of Jung, Freud and Fritz Perls.

In the wrong hands, it resembles voo-doo to me. I think you have to be careful, for one thing, not to retraumatize the client. Having them beat on a damned pillow is not enough but for the moment, perhaps....unless the client totally buys into it. But there is not enough follow-up to know.

The Benny Hinn's of the world can probably create hysterical wellness a good part of the time but there's not enough follow-up and most of us are not well-enough trained in psychological theory and dynamics to take chances with other people's trauma's.

I think regression has tons of value but it's a slippery slope.

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Permalink Reply by Robert Aurbach on November 16, 2009 at 3:21pm

Hey Michael
Just got around to seeing this (it came in during a busy time in Oz)
I think it's spot-on, and wondered what kind of reaction you got to it.....
Bob

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Permalink Reply by Paul Rieker on January 13, 2010 at 2:09pm

Prior to landing on Mars, there were clearly canals. Today, there are no canals.

To say how something works for the "non-tangible" behaviors which are clearly broken... Neither we nor the Main Stream Psychology or Medical world can clearly describe how the broken behavior becomes broken. It is this intangible which makes it difficult- We can easily see a flat tire, with a hole perhaps in the valve stem- this a tangible break. But, we do not see the tangible break causing complicated grief or depression, This intangible is so slippery, the assignment of chemical receptors and AGCT (DNA) is invoked, speculated and depending on the credential of the expert, the discussion is compelling as to what causes these breakdowns.

The model of Freud, or Jung or BCT are the model of some.

My model was learned from my personal experience, from being a happy child, moving through Mother's Suicide and then the therapy associated with Hypnosis. My model is of what worked, for me...and what I've debriefed of my clients.

Regardless of what model or theory anyone puts on this, I believe the emotional memory of an experience, and how that emotion is reflected upon, either in a positive or negative way is the basis of the behavior: good behavior from good emotional memory or bad behavior based on bad emotional memory. This too, an assertion difficult to document and prove. (anyone with a $5,000,000 Grant?)

The positive suggestion process, that also includes emotional assignment.

I believe it is not the Abreaction that does the healing, nor regression. I believe there is a "break" which occurs from the past emotional sorting process, where a NEW and more healthy emotional assignment to the past occurs, even if the abreaction occurs or doesn't occur.

I've never walked on mars or the moon I don't believe the moon is made of green cheese, but in October 1984 I was suicidal and in 2 weeks that behavior and emotional idealization changed, almost instantaneously!

I have to ask; Are we compelled to debrief the client? Is it only because we are smarter, or more educated, or that the client is not educated, so their comments are dismissed, as they don't use the similar vernacular? I used to be a client, occasionally I engage as a client, and I test and review the client position to further understand how/why/what is being the experience of a client.

We should be compelled to create our theory from client debriefing, rather than listen to a credentialed expert who has probably never tasted their own cooking. (I feel compelled to say it this way), I feel- we are asking the wrong people to say what actually worked - my opinion: we need to talk to the customer, just as Tom Peters who wrote In Search of Excellence.

This is no different than giving 3 candy bars to a child and ask, which one would you want? or- would you ask the Financial Department based on profit, which candy bar makes us most money? So, why don't we ask the person who is most qualified to answer the question of theory... the client who received the benefit? I hope no candy company or car manufacturer is so full of themselves to not ask the customer, what worked, and why- not even hypnotherapists.

If you're open to hearing, I'm willing to share how I believe the Multiple Compounded Emotional Fixations were changed to another and more healthy emotional assignment to the past horrors, even to feel safe even in the memory of mom's suicide.

To quote Henry Ford, Whether you believe you can, or believe you cannot... THAT, which you believe is true. (Ford stated this without psychology credential)

I believe we can look through the past and make an assignment of love, joy, happiness and optimism to anything. It's too bad that the concept of "regression and abreaction" is not perceived as the breaking of past emotional learning for a new choice of emotional assignment, perhaps even JOY.

So, whether you apply abreaction or not to abreact, that which you believe can have JOY. That joy of emotional assignment can create -no longer a need for therapy, but new and beneficial behaviors, perhaps careers, perhaps increased longevity, perhaps giving and receiving love. The smile which previously was impossible, lives.

The new becomes- because, and in conjunction with joy, regardless of the tool.

Paul Rieker Bless Your Thoughts

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