What do you think about reading from a script....

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Permalink Reply by Doreen Cohanim C.Ht on July 19, 2008 at 8:06pm

Good question Kenda,

In the beginning I used to read from a script that I wrote for a client, until one day one of my clients opened his eyes as I was reading from the script.. and I lost it lol, I got so confused.. and I felt really unprofessional, but Immediately acted as I was only browsing the pages and taking notes...of course I kept talking losing my mind until my client closed his eyes again and believe me he went even deeper into a trance just from my confusion.. , since then I don't use scripts.. I write them, practice reading it before the session other wise I just bound with the client and use my creativity ... with time it will become a second nature to you... the more you worry the more you confuse yourself...
have fun with it...

Doreen

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Permalink Reply by Richard Nongard - HypnosisGurus.com on July 19, 2008 at 11:18pm

This is why I tell them in the pre-talk that I will be using notes, and even reading from them.

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Permalink Reply by Susan French on July 20, 2008 at 8:51am

Hi Kendra,

My experience has been that as I come to a deeper understanding of the "why" of the script and an even deeper understanding of how to communicate effectively with the SCM, I have been more able to let go of scripts.


The biggest problem with reading scripts is that it tells the client that you're a newcomer and it's very hard not to sound like you're reading from a script and the papers rattle, etc.

That said, however, we all start someplace. I found it helpful to type the scripts broken by the natural pauses of the voice (to the next line), to underline the important words and then to do a very brief outline of the script and work from your outline.

Knowing how to implant suggestions most effectively is a little more complicated. I haven't broken it down verbally. I think it would be helpful for you and other beginners though. Has anyone done that that they can share?

An important concept that just opened doors for me when I realized it was that I had to understand the function or purpose of the suggestion (or any part of the process).

For instance: induction is for the purpose of helping the client get into the most receptive state of mind and body to go deeper (at least I think so).

Deepeners (almost anything can be a deepener) serve to get the conscious mind out of the way and make the subconscious mind more accessible/suggestible (more and greater bypass)

Suggestions can help the client see something from a different perspective, they can help a person to switch from an unproductive response to the productive, desired response instead and things like that. Suggestions can help the mind/body respond in a different way (autonomic + perception). Suggestions can reinforce the new, more productive responses or behavior.

Those are just a few I've thought of. Anyone have anything to add?

Susan

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Permalink Reply by Katherine Zimmerman on July 20, 2008 at 9:09am

Kenda,

This is a concern I hear often from my students. When I was starting my private practice I would get enough information before their initial visit that I could write a script to meet their needs. That went well for awhile but then clients would come in with a new request. I'd hear, "I know I said that I wanted to work on "xxx" but I wonder if you could address this other issue instead?" So, of course, I'd throw away the script and learned to really listen to their story. And I learned to ask better questions so that I could be more effective. After they've stated their goal for the session I now ask, what keeps you from having that in your life now? You'll get a lot of information at that point. Of course, it also depends on the training that you've had. Have you been trained in regression and parts therapy, for example? Gestalt dialoguing? NLP? I pick a tool that best meets their needs and the script now comes from the client.

Having said all that, I do also write books of therapeutic scripts and on occasion I will use at least part of the script. I find them very useful for new ideas and approaches. And, once in awhile I'm just having an off day and need some back up. :) Or I'll have an intuitive flash that I need to read a paragraph from a particular script. The client feedback is always, "You know that thing that you read? It was exactly what I needed to hear."

Continue to read and take more training. Listen to your clients intently and trust your intuition. You'll find the perfect way to work that fits your personality and your clients' needs.

Katherine

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Permalink Reply by Susan French on July 20, 2008 at 9:31am

Hi Katherine,

Perfect! You also said the thing that has become part of my "Devotional" this year: ask questions.

I decided that I was going to devote myself to asking questions this year rather than making statements. Boy o boy is that hard!

Susan

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Permalink Reply by Katherine Zimmerman on July 20, 2008 at 10:11am

Hi Susan,

It's gets easier and easier... :) But it's great! The more they talk the easier it is to help them because something will finally slip out that is exactly what I needed to hear to help them be successful. When I teach the Level 1 hypnotherapy class I have my student do an exercise on passive listening. Fully listening and asking questions really draws people out.

It's almost impossible to talk about myself after 19 years of asking questions. I now have this insatiable curiosity about others. LOL

Katherine

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Permalink Reply by Richard Craig on July 20, 2008 at 4:11pm

Katherine,

You're so right about asking questions first, and listening to their story.

The consultation time is so important.

To best serve the client, one needs to understand and appreciate their world.

Find out what drives them. What are their top needs?
What is holding them back?
What motivates them, pleasure or pain?
What is their current identity and what do they want it to be?
What are their values, beliefs and rules?
What are their fears?
What habitual patterns do they run?
What strategies are they running? How do they do it?
What are their coping mechanisms?
What is their personality type?
What are they focussing on?
What language patterns do they use?
What is physiology like?
What influences them; self, relationships, work?

It's really easy for the therapist to simply read from a script and hope for the best, and oftentimes it works.

When you adapt for the client, using their language, and coming from their model of the world, then there is less resistence from the client to accept the new suggestions and strategies. This also allows you to do the least amount of changework for the most effective result.

Rich.

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Permalink Reply by SUSAN FOX on July 21, 2008 at 7:09am

Hi all,

If you understand that a client comes in and is speaking from opinionated views in the brain, you can understand that each brain quadrant NEEDS to hear specific dialog to feel motivated to cooperate.

If you look here http://www.yoursecretwishes.com/Success-Strategies.html, you can get a pretty good idea of the way each individual brain thinks. Once you generally know how that quadrant views a situation, you can begin to think in "chunked" dialog. You can repeatably and predictably say the same "code" to the quadrant needing to hear that kind of patter.

When you think in little language pattern chunks that make sense to that client's situation, you can begin to recite knowledge keys that work repeatably, predictably. The brain is very organized in it's thinking processes. That's why knowing the brain's 4 basic ways of knowing is how you can unlock a lot of mystery for your clients.

If at first you need to read from a script, in my opinion, that's okay until you learn the patterns. I've said a lot of this same thing in my NGH column Hypnotherapy Scripting. I explain some of these same concepts in my scriptwriting and scriptediting book. Once you know the steps to scriptwriting, the brain cooperates instead of competes. That's how we help our clients "negotiate" a solution to resolve mental/emotional conflict.

Please visit my site and see what's there you can use in your business. Or contact me via my site address if I can help you in your business. And pleasejoin us on the Wednesday night teleseminar. While you're visit my site, look at the teleseminar page for details. See you later.

Susan Fox
www.yoursecretwishes.com

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Permalink Reply by James Hazlerig on July 21, 2008 at 1:13pm

Kenda--this is a great question, and it's been very illuminating to read the different responses.

I've heard of teachers who tell students to always have scripts handy and others who forbid their students to ever use scripts. It kind of reminds me of the issue of fine-tuners on violins--I've met a lot of classical violinists who would rather play out of tune than have a fine-tuner on every string.

Here's my take on it: A script is a tool.

Sometime it's the right tool for the job. Sometimes it isn't.

As with any tool, you can use it well or use it poorly. If you are getting the results you desire, then you are using it well.

Different hypnotists prefer different tools--it's a matter of personal style. When I started doing hypnosis, I had years of experience as a champion storyteller, public speaker, and improvisational performer. (I didn't know it, but I'd been hypnotising groups of people for years without using scripts.) So I my best work involves writing down the main points of the session and then winging it. It's what works best for me--but that doesn't mean that reading from scripts might not be the best technique for other hypnotists. (And there are situations when I'll pull out a script and read it word for word.)

Ultimately, if you are getting the job done, that's what matters!

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Permalink Reply by Kenda McCaskill on July 22, 2008 at 2:45am

Thank you James, I like your take on the discussion.

Kenda.

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Permalink Reply by Susan French on July 23, 2008 at 5:03am

James,

You made me laugh with your story about violinists. O the mighty Ego!

Wonderful point (from someone who could NEVER tune her guitar sweetly enough by ear and was SO-O-O-O-O grateful when tuners became available.)

Susan

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Permalink Reply by James Hazlerig on July 23, 2008 at 6:23am

I always took great pride in using my ear to tune my fiddle, and then I got a mandola. Electronic tuners are now my friend!

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