Emotional eating client and bearvement.

Comment

Comment by Kenda Summers on February 27, 2009 at 5:27am

Oh my goodness Michael, what a wonderful thing for you to share.
Big tears in my eyes !!!

Thank you for shareing.

Kenda.

Comment by Michael Ellner on February 26, 2009 at 8:47pm

Hi,

My clients pay me to guide them and I work within their mythologies -- In this case - we are told the client wants to stop his emotional eating and start his life anew.

I CAN IMAGINE HIS UNWANTED POUNDS MELTING AWAY LIKE ...

FYI- I would trust the awesome power of your clients unfolding hero's journey! I would do everything in my persuasive powers to support and amplify his impulse to give himself a new lease on life!

Example, I would quickly help him discharge the "emotions" that drive his unwanted eating and I would help him install a post hypnotic feel-good, resource state that promotes feeling better, healing faster and living fully.

PS-
Michael Ellner's Blog: Remembering Kathy,
http://www.therapytimes.com/blog/MichaelEllner/index.cfm/2008/3/10/Remembering-Kathy

KK Remembering Kathy Kalish
http://web.mac.com/quantumfocusing/Kathy_Kalish/Remembering_KK.html

Comment by Eric G. Schneider on February 26, 2009 at 9:59am

Your concerne about him and his bereavement journey is a good one...that said, The answer to your question is yes he could be at this point...who knows what will emerge in the future...leave it be for now and
focus on what your client wants and help your client form clear, well formed out come goals.

Find out exactly what he means by emotional eating.
Find out if he has a sugar problem
Find out if he eats often enough through out the day
Find out when the last time he was examined by a physician and get permission to speak with him/her and find out if all systems are go.
Help him get really clear about what "anew" is...help him form really clear milestones that will help him know that he is on the path to life anew.

let your client be your guide....

As far as methods and techniques...I am a strong advocate as less is more.

Very best,
Dr. E

Comment by Katin Imes on February 26, 2009 at 8:03am

Of course, this all depends on the client, but I would bet that there is a lot to process here on several fronts: core issues around weight and self-esteem, his own long past, his recent past managing life with an in-pain and terminally ill partner, and the death. I'm betting there is a lot to unwind there.

Of course, the client's request is king, and so changes around emotional eating are the mission, the gateway. *How* those changes are accomplished is where you can get some real openings to big work.

Processing many things at many levels is where techniques like past life regression, time-line therapy and parts-integration really shine. An induction with simple suggestions around eating would be a weak approach here, I would think.

Of course, you can't really undertake an effective past life regression without the client being interested and wanting that kind of journey. If this is the client's first time using hypnotherapy, maybe the first session is about learning relaxation techniques, a connection & check-in with the body, and asking the subconscious for preferences on approach - after having mentioned fascinating techniques like PLR in the pre-induction chat. The second session could begin where his creative inner-mind recommended. Maybe he'll pick PLR, and if not, the good old parts-integration can get you far, fast.

That's just what comes to mind for me; it also depends on what's comfortable for you in your bag of tools and methods.