The Art of Hypnotic Regression Therapy
C Roy Hunter, Bruce Eimar
Paperback
248 pages
ISBN 13: 9781845908515
RRP £20
Reviewed by Susan Ritson
When I was first approached to review this publication I responded with complete trepidation. However, although I am an experienced hypnotherapist who primarily works with solution focused techniques or, where appropriate, CBT, the book has certainly given me a greater understanding of hypnotic regression techniques and their uses.
Despite my initial trepidation I did find the book surprisingly easy to read. The introduction by Roy Hunter and the overview by Bruce Eimer provides the reader with the authors’ backgrounds and approach to therapy and introduces the ‘Client Centred’ approach. The book is generally written as a collaboration, but some chapters and techniques are documented by both authors and I found that this added rather than detracted from the text. The authors are refreshingly very clear that this isn’t a ‘cure all’ for every presenting symptom, instead concentrating on where the approach is appropriate and illustrate this by providing detailed case studies, scripts and techniques.
They also identify the dangers of mishandled regressions and give case studies where they themselves have been exposed to mishandled regressions from ‘ill-trained’ (their words) therapists.
I found Chapter 2 a particularly valuable reminder on guiding versus leading and the risk of false memories. The following chapters (3 – 7) take us through a five step process of each phase of the hypnotic regression therapy, all clearly set out using examples, case studies and scripts.
The authors begin with the basics of the client preparation i.e. pre-induction phase, hypnotic inductions and continue to work through each subsequent phase providing examples of the techniques used to discover the cause of the problem; manage abreactions and release; facilitate subconscious relearning and finally to conclude the session.
No book on regression would be complete without a chapter on Past Life regression and the authors treat this subject with respect, introducing some possible explanations that may fit within the reader’s beliefs. There are also short chapters on unresolved past grief and PTSD.
The final chapter provides examples of the therapy applications and case summaries and a transcript of a therapy session and references are listed at the back.
I noted one of the reviews on the back cover of this book suggests that in reading the book it will encourage therapists to confidently return to a powerful and misunderstood technique.
Whilst I now understand more of this approach, reading this book alone hasn’t given me the confidence or encouraged me to use these techniques. As the authors write, ‘there is more than one way of travelling from Los Angeles to New York City, the destination is more important than the journey’.
