Hypnotic Anchor Overview

Sheffield Hypnotherapy

One of the more commonly used hypnotic methods is the anchor. The idea is to attach the emotion of a memory to a conscious action, such as pinching the thumb and forefinger together, which acts as a trigger for re-experiencing that emotion. This can be very useful when the client has specific moment or situations in which feeling positive and capable are highly desireable to override negative thoughts and behaviours.

Before beginning an Ideomotor Signal (IMS) needs to be established, usually the raising of their index finger on the dominant hand, and the trigger action of the anchor defined. The client is then placed into trance. We begin by asking the client to search through their memory for an event, or experience in which they felt the desired emotions; usually feelings of control, confidence or calm. When they have located the memory, they give the IMS. As a rule of thumb, the younger a client was when the memory was formed, the more powerful it is likely to be The client is then asked to travel back to the time of that experience, this can be encouraged by talking about time related symbology moving backwards, when they arrive the IMS is given. The client is then asked to begin re-enacting the experience in the first person, with all the stimuli being acknowledged. Once this has begun the IMS is given once again.

At this point, while the client is re-enacting the memory, we ask them to envisage a dial ranging from one to ten. As the dial is slowly increased the intensity of the stimuli also increases, with colours sounds and actions all gaining in intensity. It is at this moment that the anchor is installed. Of great importance is the necessity of asking the client to perform the action when their feelings are gaining in intensity and reaching a crescendo. The client pinches their thumb and forefinger together, and is asked; when you feel the feelings of control, calmness (etc) increasing the firmer you press your fingers together, simply nod your head (the IMS no longer being available to the finger pinch). The client holds the anchor for a while, then the process is repeated to reinforce the anchor's installation.

The anchor should then be continued to be fired outside the therapy room so that its positive effects can be ratified, preparing its use for the situation for which it was designed. As the client repeats the anchor's trigger action the feelings of the memory will flood back allowing themm to cope and functioning in a much more effective fashion without the old negative thinking that was causing them difficulties in the first place.

The collapse anchor technique is a method leading on from the installation of an anchor and allows individuals to replace negative feelings with the positive ones to which they already have access in the form of the original anchored emotions. We will have a look at this in teh next post.

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