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Article
1
Article
submitted
in
the
Oxford
Times
Supplement
Magazine
March
2006
By
Abi
Strevens
MA,
SRAsT(M),
D.
Hyp
BSCH
"The
greatest
danger
for
most
of
us
is
not
that
our
aim
is
too
high
and
we
miss
it,
but
that
it
is
too
low
and
we
reach
it"
MICHELANGELO
Neuro-psychologists
have
discovered
that
because
our
brain
expects
something
to
happen
in a
certain
way,
we
often
achieve
exactly
what
we
anticipate
-we
get
what
we
expect!
This
is
called
expectancy
theory.
Psychologists
also
say
that
90%
of
our
behaviour
is
habitual.
So,
in
order
to
move
positively
forwards
in
our
lives
and
achieve
the
things
we
want,
adapting
our
thoughts
and
behaviour,
even
in
small
ways,
can
make
huge
positive
changes.
How
we
feel
and
think
about
ourselves,
and
others,
is
based
on
our
thoughts,
values
and
beliefs.
Strange
though
it
may
sound,
you
alone
are
responsible
and
in
control
of
your
thoughts
and
the
subsequent
feelings
that
these
generate.
Therefore
our
thoughts
create
our
reality.
This
can
be
good,
positive
and
empowering
or
it
can
be
negative,
limiting
and
frightening.
For
many
people
a
lack
of
confidence
can
cause
difficulties
in
some
or
all
areas
of
their
lives;
professional,
social
and
personal.
It
can
even
affect
our
auto-immune
and
central
nervous
system
causing
various
health
problems
Lack
of
confidence
can
be
caused
by
many
things,
such
as;
the
fear
of
not
being
good
enough,
negative
internalised
beliefs
and
comparison
to
others,
a
past
negative
situation,
event
or
experience
and
fear
of
the
future.
A
lack
of
confidence
is
fear
based
and
can
often
lead
to
anxiety,
depression
and
sometimes
the
development
of
phobias.
Whatever
the
cause
and
origin,
we
feel
a
lack
in
confidence
through
a
combination
of:
negative
self
talk
–
repeatedly
putting
ourselves
down
in
our
thoughts,
with
negative
and
limiting
beliefs.
negative
rehearsal
-
repeatedly
imagining
the
very
worst
that
can
happen
in a
situation,
event,
response
negative
over-generalisation
–
believing
that
because
you
have
had
one
unfortunate
experience
that
you
will
always
have
a
bad
experience
in
similar
circumstances
negative
over
dramatisation
–of
the
reality
of a
situation,
response
or
reaction.
negative
framing
–
looking
at
situations
in
life
as
the
glass
being
half
empty
rather
than
half
full
negative
filtering
–
removing
all
the
positive
and
only
seeing
and
hearing
the
negative
The
good
news
is
that
the
un-conscious
mind
believes
what
the
conscious
mind
tells
it,
and
the
brain
is
designed
to
solve
any
problem
and
reach
any
goal
that
you
give
it.
Just
as
we
can
programme
ourselves
to
feel,
amongst
many
other
things,
a
lack
in
confidence,
we
can
programme
ourselves
to
feel
good,
motivated
and
confident
in
our
abilities.
Tips
on
Improving
Self-Confidence
Develop
positive;
self-
talk,
thinking
patterns,
problem
solving
strategies,
affirmations
and
visualisations
of
the
future
Believe
in
yourself,
and
that
you
deserve
to
succeed
and
be
happy
Acknowledge
and
focus
on
your
many
strengths
and
skills
Have
dreams
and
short,
medium
and
long-term
goals.
Plan
and
take
positive
action
towards
achieving
these.
Clinical
hypnosis
is a
natural,
safe
and
effective
way
to
make
contact
and
work
with
the
unconscious
mind.
It
provides
powerful
help
in
accessing
the
root
of
any
inhibiting
beliefs,
and
re-frames
them
in a
positive
and
empowering
way.
Under
hypnosis
you
enter
a
trance
state,
similar
to
when
you
daydream
or
drift
off
to
sleep.
During
the
trance
you
are
encouraged
to
visualise
and
will
receive
positive
suggestions
for
change.
Whilst
in
this
deeply
relaxed,
receptive
and
aware
state
you
are
able
to
access
both
hemispheres
of
the
brain.
This
enables
your
unconscious
to
formulate
creative
solutions
that
can
then
lead
to
deep
and
long
lasting
positive
changes
in
your
everyday
life.
All
hypnosis
is
self-hypnosis
and
the
result
of
you
having
full
control
of
the
process.
Treatment
with
a
clinical
hypno-therapist
involves
working
in
hypnosis
with
the
unconscious
and
conscious
mind
to
recognise
and
change
negative
behaviours,
thought
patterns,
belief
structures,
feeling
and
habits.
Our
mind
is a
limitless
and
amazing
tool.
It
is
up
to
us
to
use
it
to
create
the
life
that
we
want. |
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Article 2
How can we stop
emotionally
disturbing and
distressing
ourselves?
Abi Strevens,
“People are
disturbed not by
things but the views
they take of them”…
(Epictetus)
At the core of human
emotional
disturbance is our
tendency to
transform desires,
wants and
preferences into
rigid, unhealthy
beliefs, rules and
demands. These
demands might be: I
must…; I should…; I
have to… I’ve got
to; and … it HAS to
be!
Often these beliefs
are unconscious.
Cognitive
Behavioural
Hypnotherapy works
towards making our
operating beliefs
conscious and
identifying whether
they are healthy and
helpful, or
unhealthy and
unhelpful.
Think of your mind
as a computer. Just
as you wouldn’t want
a corrupt computer
operating system –
so you don’t want
unhealthy beliefs to
be underlying and
negatively
influencing and
informing every
action, thought,
feeling and
behaviour.
An unhealthy and
self-defeating
belief is:
Unrealistic,
irrational,
illogical, unhelpful
and creates
psychological
disturbance.
This is what it
looks like: “This is
absolutely AWFUL and
the end of my
world”! - negative
events are viewed as
being exaggeratedly
and unrealistically
101% bad.
“I can’t BEAR it”!
“I’ll NEVER survive
this”! – a perceived
inability to
tolerate discomfort
or frustration.
“I’m useless –
that’s why I wasn’t
promoted” – putting
the self down and
negatively rating
the self based on
perceived failures
and inadequacies.
Unhealthy
beliefs create:
· distorted,
unhelpful thinking
· unconstructive
behaviour
· living life in a
negatively limiting
and destructive way
A healthy belief is:
Logical, realistic,
helpful and promotes
psychological
well-being.
This is what it
looks like:
“ This is really
difficult and
painful but I know
that I will get
through this somehow
and that life will
go on, at least I
still have xyz” –
where 100% bad does
not exist as it
possible to think of
something worse.
“This is really
challenging and I
don’t like it but I
can cope with it and
work towards it
changing for the
better”– the ability
to tolerate
frustration and
discomfort despite
having a desire or
preference blocked.
“I’m really
disappointed about
not getting that
promotion but accept
that I am a fallible
human being and that
my self worth does
not depend on
getting that job”. –
accepting that all
humans are fallible
but intrinsically
worthy, regardless
of their successes
and disappointments.
Healthy beliefs
accept the fact that
we don’t always get
what we want and
that although this
may be very
difficult it is not
the end of the
world!
Healthy beliefs
create:
· clear, focused and
helpful thinking
constructive
behaviour
· living life in an
empowered, self
responsible and
positive way
We have a common
misperception that
an event, person or
situation causes us
to feel a certain
way – that something
outside of ourselves
or out of our
control determines
how we are going to
feel at any given
time, eg. “That
massive traffic jam
really made me angry
and ****** off!”
Rational Emotive
Behavioural Therapy
(REBT) developed by
psychologist Albert
Ellis, and Cognitive
Behavioural Therapy
(CBT), developed by
psychiatrist Aaron
Beck fundamentally
contest this
misperception.
They represent this
using the ABC model:
A: (Activating
event) represents
the trigger
B: Represents the
belief about the
trigger/event. This
can be healthy or
unhealthy
C: Represents the
emotional,
behavioural and
psychological
consequence that
follow from the
beliefs about A.
This model promotes
that unhealthy
beliefs will lead to
unhealthy
consequences and
that healthy beliefs
will lead to healthy
consequences.
Cognitive
Behavioural
Hypnotherapy works
with this model and
helps the client to
understand that
emotions and beliefs
are caused by
beliefs and
thinking. The ABC
model also includes
disputing irrational
beliefs (D); and
enabling the client
to implement new
effective ways of
feeling and behaving
(E).
This is done
consciously through
discussion and
various tasks, and
working directly
with the unconscious
mind in hypnosis.
Hypnosis is a
relaxed state of
altered
consciousness that
allows for creative
helpful problem
solving, negotiation
and suggestion for
implementing new
helpful and healthy
beliefs and
psychological
change.
Our thoughts truly
do create our
reality and we can
choose to create a
potentially
devastating and
negative reality, or
a potentially
hopeful and positive
reality. However
this often takes
work and self
discipline! It can
be easy to indulge
in negative, victim
self talk and create
feelings of
emotional
disturbance.
We need to listen
and watch out for
the ways in which we
disturb ourselves.
This might be by
distorting reality,
demanding, seeing
events as awful,
discomfort
intolerance and
detrimentally
judging ourselves
and others. We can
then choose to
practise healthy and
helpful ways of
thinking and
subsequently
feeling.
Through conscious
practice and
awareness positive
change is always
possible!
Unhealthy negative
emotions Healthy
negative Emotions
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Unhealthy
anger
|
Healthy
anger |
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Anxiety |
Concern |
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Depression
|
Sadness |
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Guilt
|
Remorse |
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Shame |
Regret |
|
Hurt
|
Disappointment |
|
Unhealthy
jealousy |
Healthy
jealousy |
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Unhealthy
envy
|
Healthy envy |
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