NLP Coaching Business Blueprint

Ericksonian Hypnotherapy
Certification
By

Ashish Nagar NLP

NLP Transformation & Wellness Coach

Course Handouts
 Ericksonian Hypnotherapy

• Hypnosis is a natural Phenomenon.

• Everyday events that demand focused attention are hypnotic.
• All of us enter a hypnotic state several times a day.
• Focused attention is the key to Hypnosis.

CBB Ericksonian Hypnotherapy Certification by Ashish Nagar NLP

Brief History of
Hypnosis

CBB Ericksonian Hypnotherapy Certification by Ashish Nagar NLP

 Brief History of Hypnosis

• Wong Tai, father of Chinese medicine, made first reference of hypnosis in

2600 BC.
• Franz Anton Mesmer (1794-1815), worked with ‘Animal Magnetism’.
• James Braid (1795-1860) defined Hypnosis, he realised focus and
suggestion could induce ‘mesmerism’ in people.

CBB Ericksonian Hypnotherapy Certification by Ashish Nagar NLP

 Brief History of Hypnosis

• James Braid developed the term Neurohypnology, later shortened to

Neurypnology (the study of nervous sleep).
• Neuro Hypnotism was shortened to Hypnotism, as we know it today.
• “Rhythms, flickering lights, movement, dance, stillness, drugs, praying,
chants, mantras, touch, stories, suggestions… all induce trance”

CBB Ericksonian Hypnotherapy Certification by Ashish Nagar NLP

 Brief History of Hypnosis

• James Edaile (1808-1859) performed hundreds of surgical procedures

under ‘mesmerism’.
• Emile Coue (1857-1926) developed the use of
affirmations/autosuggestion for self-help.
• Effective auto-suggestion should be a full mind-body and spirit process,
notjust saying words.

CBB Ericksonian Hypnotherapy Certification by Ashish Nagar NLP

 Brief History of Hypnosis

• Hypnosis was the foundation of a wide range of psychotherapeutic

approaches, like, Free Association, Dream Interpretation, Mental
Rehearsal, etc.
• Medical model – if something is broken find out what, how and where so
that you can fix it. This works well with illnesses and injuries but not so
well with psychological problems.

CBB Ericksonian Hypnotherapy Certification by Ashish Nagar NLP

 Brief History of Hypnosis

• Milton Erickson (1901-1980) – Father of modern Hypnotherapy and

Psychotherapy.
• Observation & Utilisation are central to Erickson’s approach.
• We all have unconscious resources that can be tapped to overcome our
problems.

CBB Ericksonian Hypnotherapy Certification by Ashish Nagar NLP

 Brief History of Hypnosis

• From observation Erickson noticed that interrupting people’s patterns of

behaviour induces confusion which often leaves people omentarily in a
trance state.
• This trance state can be used and deepened.
• Every counsellor, motivational speaker, psychotherapist, life coach,
leader, politician everybody does hypnosis knowingly or unknowingly.

CBB Ericksonian Hypnotherapy Certification by Ashish Nagar NLP

Hypnosis EMPOWERS
people, it doesn’t give
someone POWER over
someone else

CBB Ericksonian Hypnotherapy Certification by Ashish Nagar NLP

 Brief History of Hypnosis

• In Hypnosis, we don’t control people, people control themselves.

• Small changes can make a big difference.
• A hypnotist gives choices to people by which they can go into their own
trance, rather people going into trance the hypnotist’s way.

CBB Ericksonian Hypnotherapy Certification by Ashish Nagar NLP

 Brief History of Hypnosis

Therapies Influenced by ‘Ericksonian Hypnotherapy’:

• Family Therapy
• Solution-focused Therapy
• Strategic Therapy
• Systemic Therapy
• Neuro-linguistic Programming

CBB Ericksonian Hypnotherapy Certification by Ashish Nagar NLP

 TRANCE
&
ATTENTION

CBB Ericksonian Hypnotherapy Certification by Ashish Nagar NLP

 Trance & Attention

• Hypnosis & Trance States involve narrowing of attention.

• Attention goes from Diffuse to Focused.
• The focus can be External or Internal.
• Many Psychological Problems are Trance States!

CBB Ericksonian Hypnotherapy Certification by Ashish Nagar NLP

 Trance & Attention

The Hypnotherapist goes into an external

trance, focusing on the client or subject…
Allowing his attention to be focused completely
on the client at that very moment of
counselling.

CBB Ericksonian Hypnotherapy Certification by Ashish Nagar NLP

 Trance & Attention

• The Hypnosis can be done with internal or external focus.

• It involves guiding and narrowing of attention.
• Trance varies from internally focused as in Sleep; to externally
focused as ion a state of Flow.
• Trance behaviours happen in daily life, they are just
heightened in hypnosis.

CBB Ericksonian Hypnotherapy Certification by Ashish Nagar NLP

 Trance Behaviours

• Trance occurs when you focus attention.

• Guiding questions while probing induce trance.
• ‘Vague words’ i.e. words with no specific meanings leads to Trance
by making people ‘go inside’ their minds.
• Relaxation helps to reduce pain, as does focus on something else.
• These signs of trance happen in daily as well as hypnotic trance
too…

CBB Ericksonian Hypnotherapy Certification by Ashish Nagar NLP

 Trance Behaviours
• People go ‘inside’ their minds.
• Becoming very still and focused.
• Muscles relaxing and smoothing out.
• Rapid Blinking happens just before eye closing & entering
internally focused trance.
• In hypnotic trance people have more control over themselves
than in everyday trance.

CBB Ericksonian Hypnotherapy Certification by Ashish Nagar NLP

 Trance Behaviours

• There is Unconscious muscle movement triggered by thoughts

and in response to environmental & social cues.
• Any behaviour that just happens is being in trance states.
• Memories are ‘state-dependant’ this can lead to spontaneous
amnesia.
• The ‘REM’ state is the time you update patterns in brain.

CBB Ericksonian Hypnotherapy Certification by Ashish Nagar NLP

 INDUCING
HYPNOSIS

CBB Ericksonian Hypnotherapy Certification by Ashish Nagar NLP

 INDUCING HYPNOSIS

• Lasting change happens in Trance.

• Pattern updation causes change and its possible only in
Trance.
• Pattern interruption, shock, surprise, confusion all these can
trigger trance response.

CBB Ericksonian Hypnotherapy Certification by Ashish Nagar NLP

 INDUCING HYPNOSIS
The PROCESS:
• Breathing becomes deeper & calmer
• Muscles relax
• REM Occurs
• Body becomes still as muscle activity reduces

CBB Ericksonian Hypnotherapy Certification by Ashish Nagar NLP

 INDUCING HYPNOSIS
The PROCESS:
• Inducing REM with swinging objects, tired eyes and naturally
closing eyelids, staring on a fixed point
• Muscle relaxing with Muscle relaxation techniques
• Visualising with Guided Visualisation
• Muscle paralysis or immobility with stillness
• Deep breathing focusing on slowing & relaxed breathing

CBB Ericksonian Hypnotherapy Certification by Ashish Nagar NLP

 GUIDING
ATTENTION

CBB Ericksonian Hypnotherapy Certification by Ashish Nagar NLP

 Guiding Attention

• Hypnosis is done by narrowing focus of attention.

• Guide clients attention towards healing & wellbeing.
• You don’t have to use term ‘Hypnosis’ to do hypnosis.
• Narrow the client’s focus of attention towards what is
important to moving things forward.
• Hypnosis is the art of focusing attention in helpful directions.

CBB Ericksonian Hypnotherapy Certification by Ashish Nagar NLP

 Guiding Attention

• The analytical, critical part of the brain quietens down during

hypnosis, & the ‘pattern matching’ part becomes more
dominant.
• This part of brain is good at updating patterns, and noticing
patterns in how you do & say things, and patterns within
metaphors & stories you tell.

CBB Ericksonian Hypnotherapy Certification by Ashish Nagar NLP

 TRANCE
INDICATORS

CBB Ericksonian Hypnotherapy Certification by Ashish Nagar NLP

 Trance Indicators
• Stillness / Reduced Movement • Facial Symmetry
• Short Sentences • Defocussed Eyes
• Decreased excitation • Fixed Gaze
• Economy of Movement • Decreased pulse rate
• Focused • Relaxed & Shallow Breathing
• Reduced Swallow Reflex • Literalism
• Slower Blinking

CBB Ericksonian Hypnotherapy Certification by Ashish Nagar NLP

 WHY USE
HYPNOSIS?

CBB Ericksonian Hypnotherapy Certification by Ashish Nagar NLP

 Why use Hypnosis?

• When different forms of therapies were observed, when

people got better they had naturally entered the REM state.
• Hypnosis used with other therapies enhances the
effectiveness of those therapies.
• People are drifting in and out of trance all day, change only
occurs when patterns are updated in the mind.
• Patterns update in Trance.

CBB Ericksonian Hypnotherapy Certification by Ashish Nagar NLP

 Why use Hypnosis?

• People update patterns with new information.

• Hypnosis gives people greater freewill & helps people change
from within themselves.
• Focusing on finer detail deepens trance.
• Thinking differently with new things lays down new patterns
which can become new instinctive responses.

CBB Ericksonian Hypnotherapy Certification by Ashish Nagar NLP

 Why use Hypnosis?
• With an understanding of Hypnosis you can help people to update
the instinctive mind positively now, rather than wait for it to
happen by chance.
• Hypnosis is how to help someone update patterns of behaviour.
• You can help change thinking, feelings, behaviour.
• Many problems are people’s own attempted solutions.
• With Hypnosis you can help people make changes in their life
quicker and more effectively.

CBB Ericksonian Hypnotherapy Certification by Ashish Nagar NLP

Trance Depth

CBB Ericksonian Hypnotherapy Certification by Ashish Nagar NLP

 Trance Depth
• If you can let someone get absorbed in their internal world deeper, they
will be in hypnosis.
• If you want people to go in a deeper trance, get them more absorbed in
what is going on.
• Guide and narrow their attention on what they are thinking about in all
sensory modalities.
• You enter a ’therapist’s trance’ the P2, position of empathy, joining
realities with the client.

CBB Ericksonian Hypnotherapy Certification by Ashish Nagar NLP

 Trance Depth

• Communicating meaningfully vague language helps client build their

inner experiences differently.
• State-dependant memories, learning and behaviour are easily forgotten
when not focused on.
• Be clear to explain what hypnosis is and what client should expect from
the hypnosis, if you are informing him that you might use hypnosis to
help the client out.

CBB Ericksonian Hypnotherapy Certification by Ashish Nagar NLP

Key Principles of
Ericksonian
Hypnotherapy
CBB Ericksonian Hypnotherapy Certification by Ashish Nagar NLP
OBSERVATION
The First Pillar

CBB Ericksonian Hypnotherapy Certification by Ashish Nagar NLP

 Observation
• Observations can lead to successful answers.
• Those successful answers seem unusual to others where they can’t see
how you came to your conclusions.
• To improve your Observation skills, learn as mush about people as
possible.
• Observations aren’t just about what you see in front of you, but also
about knowing about people with similar backgrounds.
• Practice and develop skills about noticing patterns, rather than just
listening to the content of the problem.

CBB Ericksonian Hypnotherapy Certification by Ashish Nagar NLP

 Observation
• Practice:
• Read the last page of a story and try to observe how the story reached
this end. The the previous page and check how much were you accurate
about what would have happened before this happened.
• Read the first page of a story and try to guess the consequence, then
read next page and check your presupposition about the progress of
story.
• These practices will teach you how to detect patterns.

CBB Ericksonian Hypnotherapy Certification by Ashish Nagar NLP

 Observation

• No fixed Script will match every client, people are unique individuals and
must be treated as individuals.
• The better your observation skills the more effective you will be in
tailoring your approach for individual clients.

CBB Ericksonian Hypnotherapy Certification by Ashish Nagar NLP

 Visualization
The Second Pillar

CBB Ericksonian Hypnotherapy Certification by Ashish Nagar NLP

 Visualization

• Utilization is the art of using the information that is being gained during
therapy.
• Utilization directs strengths, skills and limitations towards helping
clients to overcome their problems.
• Utilize the patterns that exist in everyone.
• Treat people as ‘holistic beings’, as being more than the sums of their
parts.

CBB Ericksonian Hypnotherapy Certification by Ashish Nagar NLP

 Visualization

• You have to learn to utilize more than just those things you see in front
of you, Always use your observations to notice that patterns are
definitely there before you, then utilize your observations.
• Observation and Utilization should be about ‘feedback between the
client and therapist’.

CBB Ericksonian Hypnotherapy Certification by Ashish Nagar NLP

USING CLIENT
FEEDBACK

CBB Ericksonian Hypnotherapy Certification by Ashish Nagar NLP

 Using Client Feedback
• There is no RESISTANCE, you only have Interaction and Feedback.
• Utilize FEEDBACK.
• The most flexible person in a situation is likely to be the most successful
person.
• When you don’t get the response you want, go with the flow and use the
response you get.
• When you Utilize the Observation, observe the response to your
Utilization and use this Observation to guide your next move.

CBB Ericksonian Hypnotherapy Certification by Ashish Nagar NLP

 Using Client Feedback

• There is no such thing as failure, only feedback.

• If you are willing to be flexible and assume that any response that
occurs, can be utilized you will be successful.
• Work with where people are, rather than trying to make people be where
you are.

CBB Ericksonian Hypnotherapy Certification by Ashish Nagar NLP

 Using Client Feedback

• Practice:
• Practice hypnotising someone using observation & utilization.
• Ask questions and use the answers to guide your responses.

• A Therapist tries to connect all the information that is provided by the

client and collected by the therapist’s observation and utilization.

CBB Ericksonian Hypnotherapy Certification by Ashish Nagar NLP

GOAL SETTING
The Third Pillar

CBB Ericksonian Hypnotherapy Certification by Ashish Nagar NLP

 The Goal Setting
• Setting a Goal or an outcome gives a direction to hypnosis.
• You can utilize clients’ problems.
• Re-frame the problem and help client think differently.
• It is easier to get someone do something they alreadyndo, rather than to
get someone to do something new.
• Respond to what you see, what you know, what the client says…
• Link client responses to what you are trying to achieve using words like
‘that’s right’ to emphasize they are doing something correct towads
outcome.

CBB Ericksonian Hypnotherapy Certification by Ashish Nagar NLP

 The Goal Setting
• You can do therapy without knowing about the problem, and just
responding to observations and utilizing when you notice transitions.
• ‘Content free’ therapy can be highly respectful to clients because they
don’t have to tell you about their problem.
• Hypnotherapy done by using observation & utilization can be
empowering to clients because they feel they are doing things correct.
• Hypnotherapy should be done with a goal for giving clarity, options and
break patterns with with observation and utilising client feedback.

CBB Ericksonian Hypnotherapy Certification by Ashish Nagar NLP

 INDUCTION

CBB Ericksonian Hypnotherapy Certification by Ashish Nagar NLP

 Inductions

• Recreate Dream like (REM) state or to the re-orientation response.

• Use relaxation, guided imagery, helping someone focus internally.
• Interrupt habitual patterns of behaviours.
• Use confusion, shock or surprise.

CBB Ericksonian Hypnotherapy Certification by Ashish Nagar NLP

 Inductions

Types of Induction:
• Conversational (Overt & Covert)
• Pattern Interrupt
• Embedded Meaning or Metaphorical
• Confusion
• Directive

CBB Ericksonian Hypnotherapy Certification by Ashish Nagar NLP

 Inductions

Conversational Hypnosis:
• Doing Hypnosis without calling it Hypnosis.
• Talk about hypnosis as doing mental rehearsal.
• People use hypnosis on themselves all the time.
• Worrying is negative mental rehearsal or self-hypnosis.
• Conversational Hypnosis can help people who are anxious or nervous.

CBB Ericksonian Hypnotherapy Certification by Ashish Nagar NLP

 Inductions

Pattern Interrupt Inductions

• You are interrupting patterns that are prevailing, leaving people inert.
• When the client starts searching for new pattern, ‘trance’ is induced.
• Interrupt Natural Trance – behaviours on auto-pilot.
• Create situations that will give you a pattern, that you can interrupt.

CBB Ericksonian Hypnotherapy Certification by Ashish Nagar NLP

 Inductions
Embedded Meaning or Metaphorical:
• Use of story or alternative meaning.

Directive Inductions:
• Giving directions telling people that you want them to do and to
experience.

Confusion Inductions:
• Use of confusion in getting more information.
• Using reverse body movements to cause confusion.
CBB Ericksonian Hypnotherapy Certification by Ashish Nagar NLP
 Inductions

Naturalistic Induction:
• Naturalistic is also conversational, about everyday trance states.
• Use sensory specific language.
• Find out what people do to relax, or focus, and have them talk about
that… use feedback to guide their attention around the experience they
are talking about.

CBB Ericksonian Hypnotherapy Certification by Ashish Nagar NLP

 HYPNOTIC
LANGUAGE

CBB Ericksonian Hypnotherapy Certification by Ashish Nagar NLP

 Hypnotic Language
How to guide Someone’s Thinking:
• Focus client’s attention in what the client is interested in.
• Thinking about Problem might induce trance for client.
• Use activities of interest, reading, writing, trance, anything.
• Recalling a memory can induce trance.
• Deepen trance by asking for details.
• Use day to day examples of what you are trying to elicit or achieve.
• Be congruent to what you are saying & behaving.

CBB Ericksonian Hypnotherapy Certification by Ashish Nagar NLP

 Hypnotic Language
Making the Client Always Correct:
• Utilise everything – nothing is failure.
• Ask for metaphorical explanation.
• Use re-framing.
• The response you get is the meaning of the communication.
Hypnotic Rhythm:
• Get client in agreement.
• Pace & Lead Client’s breathing and pace questions accordingly.
• Remember to be future-oriented and positive.
CBB Ericksonian Hypnotherapy Certification by Ashish Nagar NLP
 Hypnotic Language

• Use Universal Truths – truisms.

• Cause & Effects
• Linking Suggestions – Link one thing to another, fit with the flow, be
acceptable & respectful, goal oriented, link point to point.
• Presuppositions – presuppose cause & effect, presuppose positive and
beneficial expectations, act ‘As if’, link success or completion of tasks
with future events.

CBB Ericksonian Hypnotherapy Certification by Ashish Nagar NLP

 Hypnotic Language

• Vague Language – being non-specific, contextual meaning, let client

find it’s own meaning, words with multiple meanings.
• Binds – two or more choices both with the same outcome, Binds are
conscious, double binds are answered unconsciously.
• Commands & Suggestions – must be contextual, convert commands or
suggestions in embedded form, in a conversation or stories, last longer
in mind, client feels he/she has the control.

CBB Ericksonian Hypnotherapy Certification by Ashish Nagar NLP

THERAPEUTIC
MODEL

CBB Ericksonian Hypnotherapy Certification by Ashish Nagar NLP

 RIGAAR MODEL

• R – Rapport
• I – Information Gathering
• G – Goal Setting
• A – Accessing Resources
• A – Agreeing A Strategy
• R - Rehearsal

CBB Ericksonian Hypnotherapy Certification by Ashish Nagar NLP