A Trip Into The Subconscious Mind
By:
Sheri Abercrombie, Ph.D.
©1995 The Florida Hypnotist
I have been working as a clinical psychologist for the past 6 years in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. I currently work within a large medical center that specializes in orthopedic surgery and rehabilitation. I work with people who are living with chronic pain and degenerative disorders. I also work with people recovering from stroke, sports injuries or injuries resulting from a violent assault. My job is to make them feel better both physically and emotionally. Easy work--right? I have studied mind-body medicine and psychology for many years but most of the techniques that we use only appeared to "scratch the surface" for many patients. One of the more difficult challenges has been to help someone who has suffered with pain for years to feel better in 5-10 sessions. I now know that this sounds like a long time for seasoned hypnotherapists, but utilizing traditional psychotherapeutic methods, this can be just a beginning for many people.
I recently attended a fantastic training at the Omni Hypnosis Center in DeLand, Florida and have found a whole new world has opened to me. I love to learn new things, especially if it can be used to ease a person's suffering. I consider myself well educated and fairly open minded. However, when I began learning about all of the amazing capabilities of the subconscious mind, I felt like I was in preschool again. I was so accustom to working, speaking and creating objectives for the conscious mind that when I began to witness and use hypnosis, it seemed like treatment was suddenly moving at the "speed of light". The subconscious doesn't fool around when it decides to accomplish something!
When I returned to work following my training, I was appropriately intimidated and somewhat skeptical, despite having witnessed wonderful healings throughout my course in hypnosis. So I did what every new student does. I jumped in head first, certain that it wouldn't work, given my inexperience with such a powerful tool. But much to my surprise and joy, it worked beautifully. The patient loved it. And I was elated. I could actually hypnotize someone--excellent! Next patient! And sure enough it kept on working exactly as my instructors had described. Sure, there have been bumps and obstacles but nothing that hasn't been predictable in many cases. In Dave Elman's book he states that it is his hope that his students encounter some failure early on, so as to enhance their learning. I have found that blocks in the work have made me rise to the challenge by seeking more and more information. I now consider any frustration with hypnosis an opportunity to seek out new information, thereby making me a more effective hypnotherapist.
I have truly found a treasure in hypnosis. This work opens up so many possibilities for me and my patients. I would have never found such opportunities working only with the conscious mind, or "staying on the surface" as I now fondly refer to it. I find that people can heal so much faster and that they feel really good while they are at it. I, myself, have been using self-hypnosis and my patients love to learn these techniques as well. I have also found that in my work with biofeedback patients, hypnosis is a great adjunct. Hypnosis speeds the patient's abilities to communicate with muscles and organs that they are attempting to heal.
It should be obvious by now that I am a huge fan of hypnosis. I find it fascinating and would love to see more formal studies being conducted on the efficacy of the interventions in the future. One of my favorite aspects about hypnosis is that there always seems to be more to learn, making it a fluid and dynamic field of study. Hypnosis has taught me to appreciate the human mind far more than before (which is saying quite a bit for a psychologist). I am convinced that there is no end to what can be accomplished and healed once we learn how to relate to the wonder of the subconscious. I am thoroughly enjoying the journey as I continue to explore the power of the human spirit every day in my work. Thanks to hypnosis, the road is that much smoother.
