Hypnosis scripts are a written transcription of what a hypnotherapist says for a certain therapy. They detail everything that needs to be said, just like a script for a play. Hypnosis scripts are very useful for showing hypnotherapists how to treat more ailments and deal with more problems. A hypnosis script also gives a therapist a valuable insight into how other therapists deal with certain issues.
Scripts can also be used by people who are keen on using self hypnosis. Although they can’t read out the script at the same time as hypnotising themselves (because their eyes will usually be closed), they can gain valuable insight into what strategies to use for certain therapies they wish to benefit from.
Different people use hypnosis scripts in different ways. Some will read them verbatim. Some will follow them but change them a little to more suit the patient and their own style of delivery. Others will simply use them to get a general gist of how to treat a certain problem but opt use their own words.
There is no right or wrong. A well written hypnosis script should be able to cater for most patients and most therapists. However it is usual for a therapist, once they become more experienced and confident and have developed their own therapeutic style, to use more of their own words, just using the script as a framework for their session.
Traditionally there are 5 parts to a hypnotic therapy session. These are as follows:
- Introduction
- Induction
- Deepener
- Therapy
- Awakening
The first phase, the introduction, is simply about gaining rapport with the subject. You can’t really script for this, although there are some rules that can be followed, such as making good eye contact, smiling, and talking about topics that they are interested in...usually themselves!.
The induction is really just a way of gaining eyes closure. There are many method to achieve this, such as asking them to stare at a watch until their eyes get tired. Many therapists these days bypass this stage and simply ask the subject to close their eyes.
A deepener then follows eye closure. This is an almost meditative phase, where the subject is deepened into a trance. There are almost an infinite number of ways to deepen a subject. Common methods include asking them to imagine walking down a set of stairs, feeling deeper relaxed with each step down. There are a number of scripts available for this stage of a therapeutic session in order to provide more variety in the hypnotherapists arsenal.
Once a subject is in a trance, you can then administer the therapy. The therapeutic possibilities of hypnosis are almost endless, and there are almost an endless amount of scripts available to show hypnotherapists how to do them. The scope of hypnotherapy over the past few years has dramatically increased, and this is probably in part down to the number of high quality scripts available.
After the therapy there is the wakening phase. This is simply a way of gently reorientating the subject. Often practitioners simply count from 1 to 10, giving suggestions of becoming more awake with each number. Or they may simply ask the subject to open their eyes once they are ready to do so. There are some scripts available for this phase, but most therapists don’t feel the need to use them for this part.
Most commonly hypnotherapists will use scripts for deepening and the actual therapy. A knowledge of about 6 deepeners is usually enough for most therapists, but the more hypnotherapy scripts they have access to the better. The more different therapies a hypnotherapist can administer the more people they can help.
Hypnosis scripts should normally be read in a slow, calm, and clear way. The subconscious mind is not great at processing words, so a nice slow pace is good. Actors like Morgan Freeman often talk with a slow hypnotic voice that can literally mesmerise the audience. If you listen to his narration in movies such as ‘The Shawshank Redemption’, this will give you an idea of the sort of pace and feeling that they need to be read at. You can also gain more of an understanding by listening to other therapists hypnosis audio sessions.
A hypnosis script should also be read with confidence and conviction. They must be read with some passion. If they are read with disinterest, the subject will easily pick up on this in their heightened trance state, and the therapy will not work. You must also believe in the script you are reading. If the subjects gets a slight hint that you do not believe that it will work, then they are also unlikely to believe in the therapy, and reject the suggestions you give. If you believe in the script, then so will the patient, and the therapy will work.
Hypnosis scripts are very useful for the beginning hypnotherapist who wants to learn how to treat commonly presented problems. They are also useful for the more experienced therapists as a means to expand their ‘therapeutic tool bag‘. The best hypnotherapists are always constantly on the look out to expand their knowledge base. A good hypnosis script book can be a very valuable asset to most hypnotherapists in helping them to know how to treat more people, which can help them gain a better reputation and expand their practice.