Anyone can go into a trance but sometimes, we experience unconsciously-triggered resistance in the presence of a hypnotist.
Sometimes the client doesn’t feel comfortable with the therapist, or has fears of being out of control during the process. And sometimes, a client fears unintended consequences of the hypnotic trance.
This happened to Jim who was 10 minutes into a trance when he said. “This isn’t going to work!’. He couldn’t relax so he just chatted about his situation.
He came looking for help with his digestive problems which had caused him to miss work on more days than not. Sadly, he was originally hired at about the same time his marriage broke up. It overwhelmed him with grief and anger which impacted his ability to do his job. Luckily the company had excellent insurance but a year later, he was demoted to a more clerical role which he found humiliating and made him feel even worse.
As it turned out, if we had focused on his physical problem, we would have overlooked the source of it. He had lost his confidence and dreaded the prospect of returning to work. It was easier to remain sick than to return to that work environment.
Thus, the reason for his resistance came to light and it changed his attitude and his goals for hypnotherapy.
We focused instead on rebuilding his confidence and self-esteem. By returning to a state of calm, his health recovered, and he was ready to rebuild his life.
Resistance is present for a reason in the hypnosis process and should be respected. Our unconscious mind is always protective of us even when we don’t consciously know why.
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