| In order to thrive and grow into our potentials, we all | | | | Self to build trust and a loving inner relationship prior to |
| have basic needs that must be met consistently. The | | | | doing any childhood regression work. She has |
| most basic needs are for food, safety and shelter. | | | | homework between sessions to make on-going |
| Other important needs are for loving attention, a sense | | | | contact with her higher Self as a way to continue to |
| of belonging, stimulation through learning and play, | | | | build trust and familiarity with her inner wisdom. When |
| structure and boundaries, age appropriate | | | | she feels comfortable knowing that her higher Self will |
| responsibilities, respect, freedom to express oneself, to | | | | be with her, responsive, and consistently available, we |
| be heard, and creative outlets, As children if we do not | | | | begin the childhood regression work to support the |
| have these needs met, or they are met erratically or | | | | transformation and healing of her inner child. |
| inconsistently, we develop defenses and strategies to | | | | Commonly the hypnotic regression back to childhood |
| compensate. These strategies may help us cope and | | | | events is facilitated through a technique called the |
| survive when we are young, but as we get older, | | | | Affect Somatic Linguistic Bridge. In this technique the |
| these defenses, behaviors, perceptions and ways of | | | | client chooses a specific troubling issue that is current |
| being with ourselves and our world often become | | | | in her life and goes into the issue through body |
| liabilities. Many common issues that clients want to | | | | sensations, emotions and words that represent the |
| work on in hypnotherapy are linked to these childhood | | | | experience. By suggesting that these current life |
| patterns that limit. | | | | effects are amplified, they become the bridge back in |
| Karen's parents divorced when she was eight years | | | | time to the childhood events. |
| old. After her father moved out, her mother had care | | | | When using this technique, Karen feels an emptiness in |
| of three kids and took on a full time job to make ends | | | | her stomach and a heaviness in her shoulders. She |
| meet. Karen lost the full time attention of her mother | | | | expresses that the emotions are abandonment and |
| and her father at the same time. As the oldest child, | | | | feeling responsible for her siblings. Her words are, "It is |
| Karen took on the responsibility of caretaking of her | | | | up to me. I have to do it myself." She feels this huge |
| brother and baby sister and doing many chores | | | | burden and her tears begin to flow. |
| around the house when her mom was at work. Even | | | | Karen regresses to eight years of age. She is alone in |
| though there was the support of baby sitters and | | | | the house with her siblings after school when her |
| neighbors who provided after school child care, Karen | | | | newly divorced mom is at work. She is cooking |
| became the second parent to her siblings. Her time to | | | | popcorn for an after school snack. Smoke fills the |
| be a child was over. | | | | hallway and the fire alarm goes off. She pulls the pan |
| Karen was commended by all for being so grown up | | | | off the stove, grabs her baby sister and screams for |
| and responsible. She was such a good girl for helping | | | | her brother to get out of the house. After the smoke |
| her mom and for taking care of her brother and sister. | | | | clears, Karen discovers that the house is safe. She |
| And she was so dependable that by the time she | | | | scours the burnt pan and airs out the house. She |
| was thirteen, her mother allowed Karen to be the after | | | | doesn't tell her mother about the incident because she |
| school babysitter, prepare dinner and do the chores | | | | wants her mom to think she is responsible and a big |
| without much supervision. | | | | girl. Every time her mom comes home she tells Karen |
| The family maintained some stability. The basic needs | | | | what a big girl she is, how responsible she is, and how |
| were met. But Karen had many childhood needs that | | | | she can trust her to help with the house and the kids. |
| seemed to disappear when her father left: the need | | | | This special attention from her mom feels wonderful. |
| for age appropriate responsibilities and the freedom to | | | | Karen thinks that telling her mom about the smoke and |
| be a kid. | | | | burned popcorn may not only make her mom mad, but |
| At 32, Karen comes for hypnotherapy wanting to | | | | it may also stop her mom from giving her attention and |
| work on her symptoms of co-dependence that are | | | | praise that fills up the empty place inside. Karen covers |
| the result of her childhood family dynamics. Her | | | | up her fear and the feelings of pressure to do things |
| symptoms are burnout, compulsive dependability, an | | | | responsibly and correctly so she can continue to get |
| excessive need to take care of others, anger, stress, | | | | approval from her mom. Getting approval for what |
| and many unsatisfying relationships where she gives | | | | she does is the main way Karen feels love from her |
| and gives and still doesn't have her needs met. She | | | | mother. Karen's developing co-dependent patterns are |
| yearns for change. | | | | reinforced each time she denies her feelings or her |
| In Karen's hypnotherapy, inner child work is the focus. | | | | needs and takes care of the house or her siblings for |
| It is imperative that the client has access to a positive | | | | her mother's approval. Because Karen's needs aren't |
| inner resource that can function as a inner parent | | | | met freely and directly for her efforts, she begins to |
| before the client engages in inner child work because | | | | resent her siblings. |
| in a regressed state the client's inner child needs to | | | | In the hypnotic re-parenting of the eight year old, |
| have an appropriate and loving re-parenting | | | | Karen's higher Self takes charge of the popcorn |
| experience that will restructure the past events and | | | | incident and gets the three kids to safety and then, as |
| create new inner child responses. There are several | | | | the adult, she accesses the problem and deals with it. |
| ways to gather resources. A client can meet her | | | | Her higher Self talks to Karen and tells her that she is |
| higher Self in hypnosis and cultivate a relationship with | | | | lovable for simply being who she is, not for what she |
| this inner wisdom as a re-parenting resource, or the | | | | does. Her higher Self attends to Karen's needs to be a |
| client may do some inner family work where the | | | | child and have free time and play time. Time to be a |
| client's actual parents are transformed into more | | | | kid. The higher Self spends time with Karen nurturing |
| self-actualized, consistent, appropriate and resourceful | | | | her, and being present with her. Karen begins to relax |
| "inner parents" who can support the inner child. Another | | | | and let go of the compulsion to have to do to be |
| option, especially for a client who has had severe | | | | worthy and lovable. |
| childhood trauma and neglect, is to access a positive | | | | After several inner child sessions Karen notices that |
| archetype of a parent. With the inner parent in place | | | | she is beginning to set boundaries for herself and |
| and available in these hypnotic restructuring processes | | | | nurture herself more. She begins to practice meeting |
| the inner child finally has her needs met intrapsychically; | | | | her own needs first. And when she gives to others, |
| it is as if the inner child is freed from the frozen | | | | she begins to give from a place of fullness rather than |
| patterns and childhood perceptions so that she can | | | | from a place of needing approval or |
| finally begin to feel whole and free again. | | | | acknowledgement from others. She feels more |
| The state of consciousness accessed in hypnosis is | | | | relaxed and more energy and joy. Her transformation |
| elastic: there is no limitation to linear lime or space. The | | | | continues as she learns how to attend to, love and |
| hypnotic re-patterning can lighten or undo the energetic | | | | support her inner child. |
| patterns of childhood that are creating the present life | | | | By accessing holographic consciousness in hypnosis |
| difficulties and the hypnotic re-parenting and corrective | | | | and working with the inner child, we can heal places |
| emotional experiences can create new inner patterns | | | | where our psychological development was arrested |
| and responses that are accessed in present time. And | | | | because of unmet needs. By accessing the beyond |
| because hypnotic consciousness is holographic, with | | | | time and space elasticity of hypnotic consciousness, |
| ongoing work, the new patterns and experiences | | | | and engaging in inner child work, it is not too late to |
| eventually generalize and replace the old perceptions, | | | | have a happy childhood. |
| patterns, and behaviors. Inner child work creates lasting | | | | Note: The client Karen is fictional, but an accurate |
| change. | | | | representation of what a typical co-dependent client |
| In Karen's inner child work she accesses her higher | | | | would go through in hypnotherapy focusing on inner |
| Self as a resource for an available, wise and | | | | child work. |
| responsive inner parent. She dialogues with the higher | | | | |