The door metaphor in psychotherapy
(6 min read)

Helen McLucas

Doorways and openings are symbolic structures that have great significance in our daily lives. There are many expressions that use doors, providing transition point to change as we move through difficulties or challenges.

There are many expressions using doors:

• When one door closes, another opens.
• Check your ego at the door!
• Close the stable door after the horse has bolted.
• Get one’s foot in the door.
• Knocking on heaven’s door.
• Keep the wolf from the door.

Doors and openings provide the transition point to change. In daily life, we move through difficulties or challenges, enter new spaces and opportunities or leave sadness, loss or a broken heart behind.

Research shows that we are happiest when our attention is present. However, our attention loves to play indoors, getting lost in a world of worries, judgments, re-runs and fears, which robs our attention of present-moment awareness. Even wandering off with pleasant thoughts, although lovely, removes us from the present.

A great mindfulness exercise utilises doorways as a reminder of where to place attention. What better reminder to draw your attention back out of your mind than a doorway!

The Door Metaphor

The Door Metaphor is a powerful and versatile tool used in psychotherapy to help clients understand and navigate their emotions, thoughts, behaviours and circumstances.

Stepping through a door promotes mindfulness and can symbolise stepping into a new story and leaving behind an old story.

I use the door metaphor with most clients as a tool for transition or change. When they leave my office, they obviously exit via a doorway. I ask them to leave the past or problem behind in my office and step though the doorway to a new way of being. With most clients, we focus on stepping from pain into pleasure.

However, in talking with a person going through chemotherapy recently they said to me: ‘Every cell in my body was screaming at me not to open the door to the chemotherapy room.’ Doors may also be stepping from pleasure into pain. The ramifications of this are extraordinary, apply broadly, and are fear-based. Some examples include school refusal with children right through to enduring an unhealthy family or work environment.

Concept of the Door Metaphor

Doors are also associated with transitioning from one place or state to another. The Door Metaphor is often used to symbolise choices, opportunities, boundaries, transitions, and to promote mindfulness. The metaphor leverages the common experiences and symbolic meanings associated with doors, such as opening, closing, being locked, or being a barrier to facilitate deeper understanding and insight into a client’s inner world.

For example, I say to overworked clients:

1. As they leave the office at night, stop, take a breath, shut the door, and leave work behind.
2. Step into their car, close the door and enjoy a wind-down.
3. At home, open the front door to family time.

Applications of the Door Metaphor

1. Exploring choices and opportunities

• Opening new doors
  Therapists use this metaphor to discuss new opportunities or choices that a client may encounter. For example, ‘What new doors are you willing to open in your life?’ This can encourage clients to explore new experiences or make positive changes.
• Closing old doors
  Conversely, therapists may talk about closing doors as a way to signify the end of a particular chapter or the decision to leave behind certain behaviours or relationships that are no longer serving the client.
• Going through an unwanted door
  Where it is safe to do so, ask your client to visualise or imagine a place where they love being and feel safe, for example, a beach, mountains or even their bedroom or home. Exploring this image in great detail with your client helps them to feel safe and empowered. Use NLP sub-modalities to enhance the image by asking, for example, ‘What do you see, feel, hear? Who is with you?’ and so on. Enhance the colours and details of what they are seeing, feeling, hearing, etc. Children are excellent at imagining their safe place. When they need to go through an unwanted door, ask the client to do some breathing exercises to relax. As they enter the unwanted door, they enter their safe place. Distraction is the key for unwanted doors; breath work, safe place, a friend, a hobby or simply chatting. Any and all distractions will help.

2.Understanding boundaries and protection

• Closed or Locked Doors
  These can represent the boundaries that clients set to protect themselves. Discussing who or what is kept out by these doors can help clients understand their own need for safety and boundaries. For example, ‘Who are you keeping on the other side of your door?’
• Doors with locks
  The presence of a lock can symbolise control over who or what is allowed into one’s personal space, both physically and emotionally.

3. Navigating transitions and change

• Thresholds and doorways
  Standing at the threshold of a door can symbolise a moment of transition or the space between two different phases of life. Clients can be encouraged to discuss what it feels like to stand at this point of change and what might be holding them back or propelling them forward from stepping through.
• Opening or closing slowly
  Sometimes, therapists might use the metaphor of a door that opens or closes slowly to represent gradual change or the process of warming up to new ideas and experiences.

Addressing fears and anxiety

• Fear of the known or unknown behind the door
  The metaphor of not knowing what lies beyond or fear of what they think lies beyond a door can be used to explore fears and anxieties about the future or about confronting difficult emotions. Clients can be guided to visualise opening a door to see what is on the other side from a disassociated, safe place confronting and processing their fears in a controlled way.
• Imagining safe spaces
  Clients can be invited to imagine a door that leads to a safe and comforting place, which can be particularly helpful in managing anxiety and creating a mental safe place.

4. Facilitating self-reflection and insight

• Personal doors
  Clients may be asked to think about the doors in their own lives, — both literal and figurative — and what they represent. This can lead to rich discussions about personal history, significant life events, and internal states.
• Dream analysis
  Doors frequently appear in dreams, and therapists may use the Door Metaphor to help clients explore the meaning of these dreams and what they might reveal about the client’s stored emotions in the body and subconscious mind.

Techniques and exercises using the Door Metaphor

• Guided imagery
  Therapists can lead a client through a guided imagery exercise where they imagine themselves walking down a hallway with many doors. They can choose to open certain doors and explore what is behind them, discussing their feelings and thoughts during the process.
• Role playing
  Role-playing scenarios involving doors can help clients practice new behaviours, such as asserting boundaries (closing a door) or opening to new experiences (opening a door). For example, one client had separated from an abusive husband a few years ago. She had a wonderful relationship developing with a new person in her life, but her family was not supportive. We opened and stepped through the door to experience this new relationship, knowing she could step back through her door to her safe place at any time as a safety net. The relationship blossomed and the family, in time, supported her.
• Journaling
  Ask clients to look at and write about the doors they perceive in their lives, reflecting on which doors they want to open, which they want to close and perhaps lock, and what these doors represent.

Benefits of the Door Metaphor

• Simplifies complex concepts
  The metaphor provides a simple yet powerful way to understand complex emotional and psychological processes.
• Encourages exploration and insight
  It invites clients to explore their thoughts and feelings in a non-threatening way, often leading to greater self-awareness and insight.
• Facilitates communication
  It offers a common language for clients and therapists to discuss difficult topics.
• Empowers clients
  By visualising doors and making decisions about them, clients can feel more empowered and in control of their lives.

The Door Metaphor is a versatile and effective tool in psychotherapy, aiding clients in exploring choices, setting boundaries, navigating transitions, addressing fears, and gaining insight into their personal experiences. By leveraging the symbolic power of doors, therapists can help clients make meaningful connections, improve mindfulness, and progress their therapeutic journey.

A door we could all benefit from is stepping through the curiosity door, regularly.

Helen McLucas (JP, MBA, Dip Counselling, Dip Hypnotherapy and Psychotherapy, ASCH Board Member, Counselling Psychotherapist, Clinical Hypnotherapist | Community Leader | Mental Health & Disability Advocate), is passionate about unlocking the potential within individuals through the transformative power of a range of therapy tools, especially hypnotherapy. As a community leader and advocate, Helen actively engages in initiatives that promote community health and wellbeing and inclusivity. Helen’s advocacy extends to championing the rights of individuals with disabilities and mental health issues ensuring their voices are heard and respected.

5 Comments

Dr Amanda Ferguson

27 June 2025

While McLucas doesn’t support her article with research, it rings true in my practice of hypnosis as being effective: ‘what the mind perceives it believes’ – as I was taught in my first training. As McLucas says of a door: the metaphor leverages the common experiences and symbolic meanings associated with doors, such as opening, closing, being locked, or being a barrier to facilitate deeper understanding and insight into a client’s inner world. During Covid pandemic and since, I’ve used this analogy in hypnosis with clients for boundaries to clock on an off from work. It has been very effective. I used the door metaphor in my first book published by Harper Collins in 2002 as I said: fear is a room of doors, and the best way is to see which door opens first. McLucas says the Door Metaphor Simplifies complex concepts as a simple yet powerful way to understand complex emotional and psychological processes. It Encourages exploration and insight, as it invites clients to explore their thoughts and feelings in a non-threatening way, often leading to greater self-awareness and insight. It facilitates communication in offering a common language for clients and therapists to discuss difficult topics. As she says: by visualising doors and making decisions about them, clients can feel more empowered and in control of their lives. The Door Metaphor is an easy, versatile and effective tool to helping clients in choices, setting boundaries, navigating transitions, addressing fears, and gaining insight into their personal experiences. I find it very effective in my use in hypnotherapy.

Olivia Arkley

5 Dec 2024

This article was very informative. It outlined the purpose of using the door metaphor, applications and benefits of it and techniques/exercises that use the metaphor. I’ve always seen the door metaphor as a positive, however, this article highlighted that I need to be careful because some clients might see it as ‘stepping from pleasure to pain’. I really liked how examples were used in the article to consolidate key ideas. Something I learnt and will use in my practice is the idea of going through an unwanted door by getting clients to

Sergio Martins

15 Oct 2024

Very interesting article. I have been using doors for moving around timelines and different scenarios. Now I know that it can be used in a more rich ways. Thank you.

Andrea Berrell

14 Oct 2024

This is a fantastic article, Helen. Thank you for the excellent insight into how doors can serve as powerful metaphors for transitions, choices, and boundaries in our lives. Using doorways as a mindfulness tool is a creative way to remind ourselves to stay present, and I love that the door metaphor can help to navigate change, manage boundaries, and face fears. It’s inspiring to think about the potential for growth and self-discovery that can come from “opening new doors” and leaving past experiences behind. The reminder to step through the “curiosity door” regularly is a wonderful takeaway!

Amanda Dounis

28 Aug 2024

Thank you so much. What a wonderful metaphor with so many different uses. It can really benefit clients who are given the opportunity to allow it to make useful meaning for them and find their moments of change.

The post The door metaphor in psychotherapy appeared first on Australian Society of Clinical Hypnotherapists.

Understanding and Using Body Syndromes in Therapy
(13 min read)

Leonie O’Connell

As therapists, our ultimate goal is to help clients achieve a state of well-being that encompasses both their mental and physical health. One intriguing concept that bridges the gap between these two realms is ‘Body Syndromes.’

The concept of Body Syndromes, rooted in both historical teachings and modern psychological perspectives, suggests that unresolved emotional issues can manifest as physical symptoms. By understanding and addressing these connections, therapists can provide more holistic and effective care.

The term Body Syndromes is associated with hypnotherapy, Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), somatic experiencing, and other mind-body therapies. The medical profession refers to bodily symptoms without a diagnosable cause, as psychosomatic disorders.

Body Syndromes refers to the idea that specific physical symptoms or conditions are linked to underlying emotional or psychological issues. Emotional stress and unresolved psychological issues can manifest as physical symptoms in the body, with certain areas or organs of the body potentially storing specific emotional traumas or stress.

Knowledge that the body and mind are interconnected has been understood since ancient times. Historically, early records of Body Syndromes date back to Ancient Greece (4th century BCE) when Hippocrates, often considered the father of medicine, proposed that emotions influence physical health, laying the foundation for the mind-body connection in Western medicine. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) recognised the interconnectedness of the mind and body, using practices such as acupuncture and herbal medicine to balance the body’s energy (Qi).

In the 17th century, philosopher René Descartes introduced Cartesian dualism, separating the mind and body, which dominated Western thought but also laid the groundwork for future discussions on their interaction. In the 19th century, the field of psychosomatic medicine began to take shape, with early physicians exploring the influence of mental states on physical health.

In the 20th century, Sigmund Freud and other psychoanalysts explored the connection between unconscious conflicts and physical symptoms, contributing to early psychosomatic theories. Wilhelm Reich developed theories on character structure and muscular tension, proposing that emotional repression could lead to illness. His work, and the research of many others, laid the groundwork for somatic therapies and Body Syndrome. In the 1960s, Alexander Lowen developed Bioenergetic Analysis, focusing on the relationship between body and mind through physical exercises and emotional expression. In the 1970s, the field of behavioural medicine emerged, integrating psychological and physical approaches to health.

In recent decades, research began to include the use of modern medical technology to demonstrate the science behind the concept of Body Syndromes. Jon Kabat-Zinn developed Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), demonstrating the benefits of mindfulness meditation for reducing stress and improving physical health. The continued rise of integrative medicine promoted holistic approaches to health, combining conventional medicine with alternative mind-body therapies.

Peter Levine developed Somatic Experiencing, a body-focused therapy for trauma, emphasising the role of bodily sensations in processing and healing traumatic experiences. Advances in neuroscience, particularly in the study of neuroplasticity, provided scientific evidence for the mind-body connection, showing how mental practices can physically change the brain.

Research in Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) explored how psychological factors influence the immune system, further validating the mind-body connection. Dr John Sarno explored the psychological roots of chronic pain through his work on Tension Myositis Syndrome (TMS). Many other prominent researchers and scientists as well as people in the field of holistic healing have been instrumental in bringing mind-body knowledge into mainstream awareness. Bessel van der Kolk, Joe Dispenza, Gabor Maté, Bruce Lipton, Louise Hay, Dr John DeMartini, Candace Pert and Inna Segal are just a few of those who have made valuable contributions. The collective work of these and many others underscores the significance of the mind-body connection in achieving holistic health.

Today, Body Syndromes is a conceptual framework rather than a formal medical diagnosis. It is used to help practitioners identify and address the potential emotional or psychological roots of physical symptoms. By understanding these connections, therapists can work with clients to release stored emotions and reduce physical discomfort through hypnosis, and other therapeutic interventions.

Evidence of the mind and body being a single, interconnected system is illustrated in the animal kingdom, where animals such as antelopes respond to danger by shaking vigorously to release the fear and stress they’ve experienced. This physical act helps the antelope return to a state of calm and balance, or homeostasis, allowing it to move on without lingering stress or stored trauma.

In contrast, humans do not always process distressing or traumatic events immediately. Sometimes, we are unable to release these emotions promptly, leading to unprocessed feelings being stored in our bodies. This unresolved emotional stress can manifest physically, contributing to various symptoms and health issues.

When working with Body Syndromes, therapists look at patterns of physical symptoms that are connected to emotional or psychological states. Certain emotional conflicts or psychological issues manifest in specific areas of the body. This concept is rooted in the knowledge that unresolved emotional issues influence physical health. Many of the physical symptoms that people seek medical attention for are connected to mental and emotional issues.

There are five primary areas where these syndromes are commonly observed.

1. The Musculoskeletal System, resulting in symptoms of chronic pain, tension, stiffness, and muscle spasms. Tension Myositis Syndrome (TMS), fibromyalgia, and chronic back pain are examples of musculoskeletal body syndromes.
2. The Gastrointestinal System, resulting in symptoms such as stomach aches, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), ulcers, and other digestive issues.
3. The Cardiovascular System, resulting in high blood pressure, heart palpitations, and other heart-related issues.
4. The Respiratory System, resulting in shortness of breath, hyperventilation, and asthma.
5. The Dermatological System, presenting as skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis, hives, and acne.

In addition to the primary areas, pain in the upper body (shoulders, neck, head) is often associated with stress, heavy responsibilities, and carrying emotional burdens.

Issues in the chest and heart area are linked to emotions of grief, sadness, and heartache.

Stomach and digestive system problems are associated with anxiety, worry, and feelings of being unable to ‘digest’ or process life events.

Pain in the lower back and pelvic area are connected to issues of support, financial stress, and feelings of insecurity.

As therapists delve deeper into this information, it becomes evident how the body reveals important information from the subconscious mind through symbolic metaphors. A Body Syndrome is identified because the presenting issue is in the body. Uncomfortable symptoms should not be viewed as solitary events or issues. The conscious mind communicates through thoughts. The unconscious mind communicates through the body, and the body communicates through physical sensations and symptoms. Often, those symptoms are connected to past experiences, stresses, and traumas.

Unprocessed negative emotions are not isolated events but are connected to past experiences, conditions, and traumas. If there is a conflict between what we feel, and what we do, that conflict may start manifesting itself in physical symptoms. Luckily, these symptoms often manifest themselves in minor ways at first, so it is best to deal with them before they become larger problems. Symptoms are a warning that something isn’t working and needs to be dealt with. Understanding this connection allows therapists to use this information effectively in hypnotherapy, significantly improving their ability to help clients deal with the causes of physical symptoms.

Significance of different parts of the body

HEAD
Control centre of the body, intelligence, processing information. Problems within the head and brain indicate feelings of being unable to control your own reality, loss of sense of self, stuckness, perfectionism. Source Psychology Today, WebMD.

FACE
Displays the emotional tone or mask we project to the world. We take care of our faces because it’s the part of the body that is usually not covered by clothing, The face often reveals what’s happening in the deeper emotions. Source Psychology Today

NECK
Represents flexibility in thinking and the willingness to see other sides of an issue. Stiffness can indicate stubbornness or inflexibility. The neck is the intermediary between the head and body. Conflicts are stored in the neck. Source Healthline

THROAT
Linked to communication and expressing oneself, the throat is also responsible for the intake of what gives us physical life: water, air, and food. Swallowing is the act of accepting that which sustains life. Problems in the throat arise from feeling shut down, stuck and fearful, and represents an inability to express ourselves and speak our mind. Sources Medical News Today

SKIN
Our protective layer from the external world. It represents protection and boundaries, and the separation of the external and internal worlds. Issues can reflect feelings of vulnerability and discomfort, either putting up barriers or having lack of boundaries between self and others.

SHOULDERS
Bear the weight of responsibilities and represent how we feel internally about our responsibilities. Issues can indicate feeling overwhelmed or burdened. The way we hold our shoulders displays to the outer world what’s occurring in the inner world. The shoulders provide a duct between our heart energy and our arms. Source WebMD

ARMS
Represent our ability to take action and embrace life and others. With our arms we reach out, hug, touch, fight, protect, give and receive. Weakness in the arm represents holding back. Stiff or painful arms indicate struggle, resistance or reluctance to take action. Source Verywell Health

WRISTS
Epitomise flexibility in actions and movements. They connect thought with activity. Problems represent feeling bound, stuck, overburdened, and an inability to let go. Can indicate resistance to change. Source Healthline

HANDS
Symbolise grasping and letting go. We also create with our hands. Problems may indicate how well we are handling life. Is our grasp weak or strong? Are we holding on too tight? Arthritic hands can represent criticism and worry. Stiff hands represent resistance. Sweaty hands indicate feeling anxious nervous, fearful. Source Mayo Clinic

THE BACK
Represents support, strength, and dignity. The back is the supporting structure of our mind-body. It is what distinguishes us as being human as we stand upright. Being hunched over represents feelings of self-protection, fear and lack of confidence. The upper back reflects the reverse side of the heart. Discomfort represents pain from the past, irritation, and emotional frustration. The middle back holds our balance in the centre of the body. Discomfort represents emotional instability, feeling unprotected, and feeling stuck between your needs and expectations. The lower back represents the weight and responsibilities of being human. Isolation, loneliness, lack of security and support, financial stress, burdens, guilt, sexual frustrations can manifest in lower back symptoms. Source American Chiropractic Association

BUTTOCKS AND BOWELS
Buttocks are associated with strength, stability, and our humanness. They represent our ability to stand on two legs. Issues signify power struggles or lack of support. Bowels are related to elimination and release. Issues can represent a need to take control. Source Healthline

CHEST
Represents public identity, our sense of self. It houses the heart and lungs symbolising love, grief and breath. It is our projection of strength and security, and also represents our ability to show our true self. Issues indicate emotional pain, conflict, passion, fear, and forgiveness. Source Harvard Health

BREASTS
Represent femininity mothering, and of being nurturing toward self and others. Issues can indicate conflicts about care, trust, nurturing, or self-care.

RIB CAGE
Protects vital organs and symbolises protection of the heart and emotions. Issues can signify feeling vulnerable within structures of fear, limitation and control. Source Mayo Clinic

ABDOMEN
Protects the front of the body. Problems can represent fear of intimacy, lack of self-care and self-respect, and a fear of getting older. The gut is the feeling centre of the mind-body. It is here that our emotions and passions, self-worth, self-esteem, and confidence originate. Weight gain in this area can be a form of self-protection.

PELVIS
Supports balance and foundation. Represents balance, creation, direction and movement. Problems can indicate issues with stability or sexual health, and may be related to security, survival, and relationships. This is the area of birth and could involve issues with mother. Source Healthline

HIPS
The supporting structure between the legs and the body that allow for movement and progress. Issues suggest fear of change or moving forward in life and feeling unsupported. Source WebMD

LEGS
Move us forward through the world and represent how strong we feel. Issues can indicate fear of progress or perceived obstacles, instability, and carrying unresolved issues. Sources Verywell Health

KNEES
Relate to flexibility, pride and expressing feelings. Problems can indicate confusion and a fear of moving forward, stubbornness or difficulty in admitting vulnerability. Source Mayo Clinic

ANKLES
Provide support and mobility. Problems can signify lack of support or resistance to change, feeling rejected, fear of the future or reluctance to move forward. Source Healthline

FEET
Provide our foundation and direction and keep us grounded. Our connection to the physical world. Problems can indicate fear of the future or reluctance to move forward. Source Source WebMD

TOES
Help with our balance and represent the details of life. Issues could indicate over concern with small details or problems with attention to detail of minor aspects of life. Source Healthline

BONES
Bones symbolise our support system and strength – our supporting structure. Bone issues can indicate feeling unsupported or weak, and internal conflict. Source Verywell Health

JOINTS
Represent flexibility and ease of movement. Issues can signify resistance to change, feeling stuck, inflexibility, pushing down pain from the past and being self-critical. Source Arthritis Foundation

THE MUSCLES
Muscles represent strength and the ability to move, and they hold tension. Problems could indicate stress or feeling overburdened with a need to gain control. Source Mayo Clinic

MOUTH
Represents communication and intake. Issues can indicate worry, difficulty taking in new ideas or expressing oneself, lack of understanding or overwhelm. Source WebMD

TONGUE
Embodies speech and taste – how we taste life and express feelings. Problems could indicate feeling uncomfortable, difficulty in expressing oneself or reluctance to speak up. Source Healthline

JAW
Symbolises determination and suppressed anger. Tension can indicate stress or unexpressed anger. Clenching and grinding indicate repressing tension, feeling locked in or stuck in a pattern.

TEETH
Represent decisions and how we bite into life. Issues could indicate frustration, unresolved decisions and inability to deal with presenting issues. Source Mayo Clinic

STOMACH
Represents digestion and digesting life experiences. Problems could indicate feeling stuck in a pattern of fear and limitation, anxiety and difficulty processing emotions. Source Harvard Health

LIVER
The liver detoxifies the body and is associated with anger. Liver issues can indicate suppressed anger or toxicity, self-sabotage, irritation and self-punishment. Source Johns Hopkins Medicine

GALLBLADDER
Stores bile and affects digestion and relates to bitterness. Issues could signify deep feelings of frustration, irritation and resentment, and holding onto past hurts. Source Mayo Clinic

KIDNEYS
Our filtering system for waste. Issues could represent difficulty processing emotions, fear or imbalance in life, and being stuck in the past. Source National Kidney Foundation

PANCREAS
Produces insulin to maintain blood sugar levels and makes enzymes to break down carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Issues represent an imbalance of receiving and giving, working and enjoying, loving and being fearful, feelings of guilt and difficulty enjoying life. Source Healthline. LUNGS
Taking in breath and processing. Lung issues could indicate feeling smothered, putting other people’s need first, and running out of breath helping others. Source American Lung Association HEART
Represents love, emotional wellbeing and relationships. Heart problems signify emotional pain, feeling blocked, pushing too hard or difficulty taking in life. Source American Heart Association IMMUNE SYSTEM
Defends the body and is responsible for protection. Problems suggest feelings of inner conflict and insecurity and feeling out of control, vulnerable or under attack. Sources Mayo Clinic

NOTE: If you are seeing a client with some type of body syndromes there is potentially a medical aetiology, so always be sure the client has had a full medical diagnosis and never give medical advice.

Hypnotherapy can be highly effective in addressing Body Syndromes. It allows therapists to bypass the conscious mind and work directly with the unconscious, where many of these emotional issues are stored. By reprogramming the unconscious mind, therapists can help clients release negative emotions and achieve a state of balance and well-being.

Guided imagery and visualisation are powerful techniques that can help clients process and release stored emotions. By guiding clients through mental images and scenarios, therapists can help them access and resolve deep-seated emotional issues. This process can alleviate physical symptoms by addressing their underlying emotional causes.

Parts therapy, also known as ego-state therapy, is a therapeutic approach that helps individuals address different ‘parts’ or aspects of their personality that may be in conflict. This can be particularly effective for Body Syndromes, which are physical manifestations of unresolved emotional issues. Somatic hypnotherapy can help clients become aware of and release physical manifestations of emotional stress. Regression Therapy involves guiding clients back to past events that may have triggered the emotional conflicts contributing to their body syndromes. By revisiting and reprocessing these events, clients can release stored emotions and reduce associated physical symptoms.

Working with past trauma can also be highly effective for addressing body syndromes that manifest due to unresolved emotional and psychological trauma. Various trauma therapy approaches can help alleviate these symptoms by addressing the underlying emotional distress.

Understanding and addressing Body Syndromes can make a tremendous difference in your ability to help clients deal with the causes of their physical symptoms. By recognising the interconnectedness of mind and body and employing techniques like guided imagery, visualisation, NLP, and hypnotherapy, as therapists we can help clients achieve lasting health and happiness.

Books and authors

Bruce Lipton, The Biology of Belief: Unleashing the Power of Consciousness, Matter & Miracles. Explores how beliefs and thoughts can influence cellular function and overall health.

Joe Dispenza, You Are the Placebo. Combines the latest research in neuroscience, biology, psychology, hypnosis, behavioural conditioning, and quantum physics to demystify the workings of the placebo effect.

John Sarno, The Divided Mind: The Epidemic of Mindbody Disorders. Explores the connection between emotional stress and physical symptoms.

Louise Hay, You Can Heal Your Life. Explores the power of affirmations and positive thinking in healing the body.

Bessel van der Kolk, The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma. A comprehensive look at how trauma affects the body and mind, and ways to heal.

Peter Levine. Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma. Introduces Somatic Experiencing and its role in healing trauma stored in the body.

Inna Segal The Secret Language of Your Body: The Essential Guide to Health and Wellness. Discusses the metaphysical meanings behind physical symptoms and provides healing techniques.

Candace Pert, Molecules of Emotion: The Science Behind Mind-Body Medicine. Examines how emotions and physical health are interconnected at the molecular level.

Gabor Maté, When the Body Says No: Exploring the Stress-Disease Connection. Explores how stress and emotional repression contribute to chronic illnesses.

Babette Rothschild, The Body Remembers: The Psychophysiology of Trauma and Trauma Treatment. Discusses how trauma is stored in the body and how it can be released.

Journals and articles

American Psychological Association (APA). Various articles and studies on the mind-body connection and the psychological roots of physical symptoms.

Harvard Health Publishing. Articles and resources on how emotional and psychological factors affect physical health.

Journal of Trauma & Dissociation. Research articles on trauma and its effects on the body.

Leonie O’Connell is a clinical hypnotherapist who has been in practice for 15 years in Sydney, Australia. She specialises in medical hypnosis, specifically working with chronic pain, tinnitus, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). She is also the founder and principal of the Academy of Therapeutic Hypnosis.

2 Comments

Dr Amanda Ferguson

26 June 2025

O’Connell draws on world experts in this very comprehensive and well-referenced article. She explains the term ‘body syndrome’ as ‘unresolved emotional issues can manifest as physical symptoms.’ She cites the long history from Ancient Greece, ancient therapies and philosophies and how our understanding has evolved over time. O’Connell explains that while modern medicine labels such undiagnosable conditions as psychosomatic disorders, hypnotherapists and others use the body syndrome framework, of mind and body connection, to heal these conditions. She provides a comprehensive summary of the developments and leaders in this field and their various therapies and techniques. Her example of how ‘antelopes respond to danger by shaking vigorously to release the fear and stress they’ve experienced’ in contrast to how we humans carry fear and stress is compelling. The outline of five primary observable areas for this system is a highly useful catalogue, as is the significance of parts of the body. I have used Louise Hay’s catalogue for nearly 4 decades with great success in aiding my therapeutic practice and will now use this one instead. I am pleased to read the endorsement of ego-state and trauma hypnoses for this work, as I use these routinely with great results.

Olivia Arkley

7 Dec 2024

This article was very comprehensive and well-referenced. It started off describing the term ‘Body Syndrome’ and provides an informative description of how it has transformed from Ancient Greece to today. Today, ‘Body Syndrome’ is a framework that focuses on the mind and body connection to achieve holistic health. The article referred to different therapies and techniques that address body syndromes and I was particularly interested to read that Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction is a valuable tool, as I am completing this course next week. I also really liked the reference to different types of pain and the emotions associated with them. This will help me in my practice by asking more questions about body sensations in initial consults. Additionally, it was useful to note that the unconscious mind communicates through physical sensations, which can be addressed in hypnotherapy. Overall, a great article. Thank you Leonie.

The post Understanding and Using Body Syndromes in Therapy appeared first on Australian Society of Clinical Hypnotherapists.

The power of mantras: Silencing the ego and our mind by taking control of our thoughts
(6 min read)

Helen McLucas

In the hustle and bustle of modern life, our minds are often plagued by incessant chatter, self-doubt, and anxiety. This non-stop stream of thoughts is called the monkey mind, a term derived from Buddhism that refers to a mind that is restless, unsettled, and prone to incessant chatter. This metaphorical monkey leaps from one thought to another, often driven by anxiety, fear, and distraction.

The significance of controlling the monkey mind lies in its tendency to dwell on negative thoughts, which can lead to heightened stress, anxiety, and even depression. By mastering our thoughts and cultivating mental discipline, we can reduce the influence of these negative thought patterns, fostering a more peaceful, focused, and productive state of mind. This is crucial for our overall mental well-being and for navigating life’s challenges with clarity and resilience.

One powerful tool to combat our monkey mind is the use of mantras. A mantra is a word or phrase repeated during the day or in meditation, that helps to focus the mind and cultivate a sense of control and inner peace.

How mantras work

Mantras work by providing a focal point for the mind. When we repeat a mantra, we anchor our attention to the present moment, which helps to quiet our endless stream of thoughts. The rhythmic repetition of a mantra can also induce a state of relaxation, similar to the effects of deep breathing or other forms of meditation.

Mantras

Mantras are a simple, effective and zero-cost tool for silencing the mind. There are traditional mantras, such as Om or So Hum, which also produce an actual physical vibration corresponding to both a specific spiritual energy frequency and a state of consciousness.

Some of my favourite non-traditional mantras are:

• Breath and believe. Deep breathing is wonderful in calming the mind.
• I am ok with that, even when you are not. Repeating this slows the breathing and turns off stress.
• Let it out and let it go. Letting go of negative thoughts and emotions improves one’s health, however, we first need to let them out by acknowledging and expressing our feelings before letting them go.
• I am enough or I am good enough just the way I am. Most of us have the opposite running on repeatL ‘I am not good enough.’ A similarly powerful mantra that promotes a positive, peaceful state is I have enough, I do enough, I am enough.
• I will achieve great things through daily, small steps. This keeps our focus on the present, one day at a time.

The science and spirituality of mantras

Mantras have been used for centuries in various spiritual traditions, particularly in Hinduism and Buddhism. The word ‘mantra’ is derived from the Sanskrit words manas (mind) and tra (tool or instrument). Thus, a mantra is essentially a tool for the mind. The repetition of a mantra can create a meditative state, allowing the mind to transcend its habitual patterns of thought.

Scientifically, the practice of using mantras, particularly in meditation, has been shown to turn on the parasympathetic nervous system or the body’s rest/digest/relax response, which creates a state of deep rest that turns off the sympathetic nervous system or the body’s physical and emotional stress responses.

Studies have demonstrated that repeating a mantra during the day or in meditation can reduce anxiety, lower blood pressure, and improve overall mental health. By focusing on a specific word or phrase, individuals can divert their attention from negative thoughts and create a sense of calm and stability.

From stress reduction to improved mental health and cognitive function, the evidence overwhelmingly supports the efficacy of mantra meditation in alleviating stress, enhancing emotional resilience, and fostering inner peace among practitioners … emerging neuroscientific research sheds light on the underlying neural mechanisms, illuminating how mantra meditation exerts its beneficial effects on the brain.¹

The role of the observer self

Central to the practice of repeating mantras is the concept of the observer self. The observer self is the part of our consciousness that remains aware and detached from our thoughts and emotions. It is the silent witness to our internal experiences. Practising daily mantras helps to cultivate this observer self, allowing us to watch our thoughts without becoming entangled in them.

The observer self is crucial for silencing the monkey mind. By recognising that we are not our thoughts and our thoughts are not real, we can begin to distance ourselves from negative mental patterns, reducing their power over us. This detachment creates a space where we can respond to situations with greater clarity and calmness, rather than reacting impulsively.

The ego versus the observer self

Importantly, the observer self plays a crucial role in managing the ego, allowing us to gain more control over our reactions and behaviours. When we invoke the observer self, we essentially create a mental space that separates our true self from the ego-driven responses that often dominate our thinking. This process involves stepping back and witnessing our thoughts and emotions without attachment or judgment. By doing so, we reduce the power of the ego, which thrives on reactive, negative patterns.

When the ego is switched off or quietened, we are less likely to be driven by fear, pride or other self-centred motivations. This heightened state of awareness enables us to respond to situations more thoughtfully and calmly. Instead of being swept away by automatic reactions, we can choose our actions based on a clearer, more balanced perspective. This not only enhances our emotional regulation but also fosters a sense of inner peace and resilience. By regularly practising this mindful observation, we can cultivate a more stable, controlled, and positive approach to life.

Turning on the observer self

Invoking the observer self in a stressful situation involves taking a step back from the situation and observing your thoughts and emotions without becoming overwhelmed by them. Here are some steps to help you achieve this:

1. Pause. Take a few moments to pause and focus on your breathing. Deep, slow breaths can help calm your mind and create a space for observation.
2. Acknowledge your feelings. Recognise and accept your emotions without judgment. Acknowledge that it’s okay to feel stressed or anxious.
3. Shift perspective. Imagine stepping outside yourself and viewing the situation as an impartial observer. Notice your thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations as if you were watching someone else experience them.
4. Naming your thoughts and emotions. Mentally naming what you are experiencing creates a deep awareness and permission to accept your true feelings, for example, saying to yourself: ‘I am feeling anxious,’ or ‘I am having a stressful thought.’ This can create a sense of separation between you, your feeling and your immediate reactions.
5. Practise self-compassion. Be kind to yourself. Recognise that everyone experiences stress and that it’s a natural part of life. Offer yourself the same compassion you would offer a friend in a similar situation.
6. Reflect and respond. After observing your thoughts and emotions, consider how you want to respond. Choose actions that align with your values and long-term well-being rather than reacting impulsively.

By being aware of the role of the observer self and regularly practising these steps, you can strengthen your ability to invoke the observer self, leading to better personal emotional regulation and a greater sense of calm in stressful situations.

The sound vibrations of mantras can have a profound impact on our mental state. For instance, the mantra OM is believed to resonate with the frequency of the universe, promoting a sense of unity and harmony. Another mantra is So Hum, which means ‘I am that.’

Other therapeutic tools for silencing the mind

While mantras are powerful, they are not the only tools available for quieting the monkey mind. Tools such as mindfulness meditation, spiritual meditation, Yoga, Tai Chi, Qigong, journaling, and others are excellent in helping calm the monkey mind.

In a world where our minds are constantly bombarded with information and distractions, mantras offer a sanctuary of peace and clarity by empowering us to take control of our thoughts and foster mental well-being. Importantly, mantras reinforce a sense of connectedness with the larger reality, helping to dissolve the ego and its incessant demands.

Embracing these practices can lead to a more balanced, centred, and fulfilling life, unlocking a wealth of benefits for their mental and emotional well-being.

¹ Exploring the Multifaceted Benefits of Mantra Meditation for Enhancing Wellbeing in Young Adult Females: A Comprehensive Review.

Further reading

Scientific Evidence of Health Benefits by Practicing Mantra Meditation: Narrative Review (2022). Int J Yoga. NIH National Library of Medicine. This review discovers evidence that mantra meditation can provide various degrees of beneficial effects on stress, anxiety, hypertension, and immunity.

Dopamine Primer: How dopamine makes us human. Psychology Today.

Helen McLucas (JP, MBA, Dip Counselling, Dip Hypnotherapy and Psychotherapy, ASCH Board Member, Counselling Psychotherapist, Clinical Hypnotherapist | Community Leader | Mental Health & Disability Advocate), is passionate about unlocking the potential within individuals through the transformative power of a range of therapy tools, especially hypnotherapy. As a community leader and advocate, Helen actively engages in initiatives that promote community health and wellbeing and inclusivity. Helen’s advocacy extends to championing the rights of individuals with disabilities and mental health issues ensuring their voices are heard and respected.

1 Comment

Olivia Arkley

7 Dec 2024

I really enjoyed reading this article and had no idea that mantras were so powerful in addressing our ‘monkey minds’. Mantras can act as a form of mindfulness by enabling us to anchor our attention to the present moment. They can also provide a sense of relaxation, do not cost and turn on the parasympathetic nervous system, while turning off the sympathetic nervous system. As a result, anxiety is reduced and blood pressure is lowered. The use of mantras will certainly be something I will be encouraging my clients to develop, particularly those experiencing stress, anxiety and depression. A personal mantra of mine is, ‘I can do hard things because things that are easy are not worth doing’. Overall, a wonderful article. Thank you Helen.

The post The power of mantras: Silencing the ego and our mind by taking control of our thoughts appeared first on Australian Society of Clinical Hypnotherapists.

Pieces of Happiness
(14 min read)

George Owen

Happiness is a universal and complex topic. This article considers the paths to happiness, or at least, the paths away from misery from the perspective of Positive psychology, which is based on the belief that people are entitled to lead lives informed by meaning, purpose, and connection.

People are entitled to lead fulfilling lives underscored by connection to their strengths and free from pathologies of the mind wherever possible. Positive psychology is not pretentious. It is focused on evidence-based conclusions around personal improvement and growth. Join me on this journey of both exploration and practice. I explore some of the research conducted by Martin Seligman’s team and describe ‘PERMA’ while we’re at it. The difference between pleasure and joy or happiness is touched on briefly and I explore the notion of learned helplessness and learned optimism.

Evolution of positive psychology

What is so positive about positive psychology? The study of misery in all its forms has been around for a long time. Seeking to help people achieve ordinary misery instead of hysteria was probably a good idea in Sigmund Freud’s time. Seeking to help people move from mental illness to experience happy and fulfilled lives seems much better¹. At least the target seems more positive!

Moving from a medical model seemed like a good idea. The medical model sought to treat symptoms and signs. Signs are what the doctor can see clearly and treat according to their training and experience. Symptoms are what the patient describes. They’re sad, depressed, and even suicidal. Physical evidence is not so readily observable, and some sort of conversation with the patient is required.

Learned helplessness

Positive psychology as a discipline grew from the work primarily of Martin Seligman². Abraham Maslow has been credited with coining the term ‘positive psychology’ when describing his humanistic psychology³. Maslow has been famed and then criticised for his ‘Hierarchy of Needs’ as described in his book, Motivation and Personality and elsewhere⁴.

Seligman is renowned for his theory of ‘learned helplessness.’ When we (or other animals for that matter) are routinely subjected to experiences we believe we cannot control, we come to think, feel, and behave as if we are helpless. It is referred to by Seligman as ‘learned’ because there is no evidence that we are born with this as some form of inherent trait. It is learned through the conditioning as a consequence of repeated experience. If something is learned that is not innate, it can be unlearned!

The experiments which underpinned or informed Seligman’s theory of learned helplessness were conducted on dogs first, then rats, and also observed in elephants.

Baby elephants are fettered, tied with rope, and trained to be obedient. When they grow up, they are clearly strong enough to break free, but remain passively subject to the instructions of their relatively puny masters. Habits formed through repeated experience often prove both limiting and enduring.

Surely not the humans

Humans were also subjected to experiments in this area. In the 1970s, three groups of humans were studied in similar but different conditions. One group was made to listen to obnoxious and loud noises but they could stop the noises by pressing a button a few times. Another group had to listen to the same kind of noise but when they pressed the button, nothing happened. The third group was subjected to no noise. Nothing. Nada!

Afterwards, all participants were made to listen to more loud noise but there was a box with a lever which was effectively the on-off switch for the noise. In the same way as in the animal experiments, the humans who did not have control over the sound in the first experiment usually did not even try to turn the off-switch lever. The others in the human experiment figured out how to get some peace from the racket fairly quickly.

Seligman and his team of researchers suggested that when people are in situations where they have no control, three things happen: thinking suffers, resignation sets in, and depression is experienced.

• Thinking suffers (cognitive deficit). People come to believe the situation is hopeless because past similar situations were hopeless in terms of the person’s capacity to change things.
• Resignation to current state happens (motivational deficit). Problem-solving suffers. People’s ability to utilise ways and means to get out of unresourceful circumstances is not used.
• Depression happens (emotional deficit). People experience sadness when they believe and come to feel their situation is hopeless and cannot be changed.

Dimensions of powerlessness

Clearly, the depth or severity of experience of a sense of powerlessness is different for each person. Some people are more or less resourceful in challenging situations. Within the context of felt helplessness, such as with the humans subjected to obnoxious sounds with no personal control over the experience, things are pretty clear.

The sense of absence of power or control leads to the learning of helplessness as Seligman suggested. As distinct from feeling powerless over situations there are dimensions of permanence, personalisation, and pervasiveness within the experience.

What may well be a temporary experience comes to be regarded as permanent. For example, I received a bad review at work and the meaning I attribute to this setback is: I am a poor worker, always was a poor worker, always will be, without any evidence to support my opting for such an extreme assessment.

Personalisation means that if something happens to me, it’s because of me! My friend becomes very ill and I blame myself for not seeing it coming and acting to prevent this tragedy. The fact that stuff happens independently of my actions is forgotten in favour of self-criticism and inappropriate blame.

Pervasiveness refers to a global attribution to particular experiences. My friend who was ill eventually dies. I decide that I cannot function at work, or in my other relationships, leisure has lost meaning, and so on. One part of my life pollutes all parts of my life. In learned helplessness there can be a failure to compartmentalise, to notice natural boundaries between various departments of life.

Together, these three dimensions of depressed mood and outlook can seem awful and daunting. Positive Psychology suggests, according to Martin Seligman, that optimism can be learned. It is possible to move from a sad stuck state to an optimistic one.

Learned optimism

Understanding of learned optimism⁵ grew out of Seligman’s work on helplessness. The emphasis on attitude and resource-building came as strong motivators for recovery in patients living with depression, for example. His departure from the more traditional ‘medical model’ formed the basis of early positive psychology as we know it today. Within the medical model, the patient presents with signs and symptoms and the physician follows a precise method to reach a diagnosis and prescribe appropriate treatment.

Happiness promised, the early days

The promise and the pursuit of happiness go way back. Religious and philosophical belief systems hold the promise of happiness. For many religions, the experience of happiness is promised if set prescriptions are adhered to. The very act of adherence to the rules attached to particular articles of faith can prove uplifting, fulfilling, even rewarding, with members of religions sometimes choosing to devote their lives to the promotion of their faith.

Following the declared will of a deity (as recorded by some fairly astute scholars) or embracing some philosophical path (advanced by some other fairly astute scholars) is seen as a way to the experience of sustained happiness. The ultimate rewards for a life dedicated to compliance with one’s particular brand of religion are ambiguously wonderful. The afterlife is profoundly, if unclearly happy, in most if not all religions.

All religions require adherence to some set of rules, laws, or commandments that set them apart. All, or nearly all, promise awesome afterlife rewards, if only to the right kind of people.

The God delusion

An alternative or polar opposite view that belief in a supreme being(s) is unjustified but historically dangerous. Richard Dawkins is among the most prolific and strident opponents of religion from a rational perspective. Dawkins favours the scientific explanations for life, the universe, and everything⁶. He argues against a creator, who actually requires creation presumably by a preceding creator. Dawkins is by no means alone here in rational atheism. Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens are other luminaries in this camp⁷. Harris is a neuroscientist, among other accomplishments, and clearly in rapport with Dawkins. Another member of this trinity is Christopher Hitchens, who published God is not great in 2007⁸. I will refrain from rehashing the theism/atheism debate as I am interested in happiness. Perpetuating that chestnut will serve little purpose, as you might read further and wider to draw your own conclusions about the relevance, benefit, or even dangers of religion for society.

What about the philosophers?

Ancient philosophers explored paths to happiness. Aristotle suggested happiness via insight, self-awareness, and functioning through personal virtues. Effectively, leading a balanced life, or maintaining the ‘mean’, and developing the whole person is a path to happiness. Happiness is regarded as contingent on one’s balanced life and full personal development⁹.

Maximising pleasure and minimising pain worked for the hedonists (from the Greek word for pleasure), however, assumptions about hedonists being solely dedicated to indulgence in pleasure (satisfaction of desires) in the extreme is a misunderstanding. Happy people enjoy pleasure, unhappy people often seek pleasure. Our brain is ‘wired’ to understanding the distinction between pleasure and pain. Very few of our population end up a complete mess due to their pursuit of pleasure and minimisation of their pain. Hedonism gets a pretty bad rap sometimes from those who misunderstand the reality of pleasure-seeking¹⁰. Furthermore, Epicurus, a hedonist, advocated for a simpler life through the elimination of physical and psychological pain, which supports the elimination of misery and anxiety¹¹. For Epicurus, a cautious pursuit of pleasure delivers happiness where excessive indulgence in pleasure ultimately produces the pain that we are so keen to avoid in the first place¹².

The spoilsport stoics

In contrast to the hedonists, the stoics advocated indifference to both pleasure and pain. Their focus was an unemotional route to stability in life. Stability was regarded as more important than pleasure. Passion, in any of its manifestations, is based on misunderstandings that are inherently unhelpful for the human condition and certainly hold no connection with practical wisdom. One of the later key influencers in stoicism is Epictetus who argued that we must come to understand what we can control and accept what we cannot¹³. It has been claimed that such consideration of locus of control informed psychologist Albert Ellis’s formulation of what was to become cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). Further, one of the neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) presuppositions, there is no failure, only feedback, was foreshadowed in stoic philosophy.

The stoics did not advocate victimhood in the face of adverse circumstances. Rather, they regarded adversity as inevitable and as a powerful source of learning and personal development¹⁴.

A second of Seneca

Another Roman stoic, essayist, prolific letter-writer, and dramatist, was Lucius Seneca. In political life he became a senior civil servant and successful playwright. He was also banished to exile on the island of Corsica by emperor Claudius. This was because of alleged adultery with Julia Livilla, the niece of Claudius and sister of future emperor, Caligula.

In experiencing the ups and downs of life (to put it mildly), Seneca, after eight years exile, was liberated thanks to the influence of Claudius’s wife, Agrippa. He managed to secure his position of influence and became tutor to the soon-to-be emperor Nero. Seneca became wealthy in the service of emperor Nero. Nero, who was notoriously paranoid, was to later instruct Seneca to commit suicide¹⁵.

I mention all of this simply to point out that life has its ups and downs for everyone, and Seneca appears to have kept a certain balance throughout. For example, while in exile, Seneca wrote letters of consolation to his mother. He seems to have been good at adaptation to the practicalities of circumstance. Challenging circumstances demand responses. Seneca delivered through flexible, pragmatic thinking¹⁶.

Here are some Seneca quotes, which for someone born over 2,000 years ago, have real, present-time resonance:

• We are more often frightened than hurt, and we suffer more from imagination than reality.
• Cruelty springs from weakness.
• The whole future lies in uncertainty.
• He suffers more than necessary who suffers before it is necessary¹⁷.

Seneca, a rather contradictory figure in his time, continues to influence his readers today¹⁸.

Moving on

Without lingering too much in the land of the spoilsport stoics, it is now time to move on to some modern ideas around what makes us happy. In the latter part of the 19th century and beyond, moral actions were regarded as supporting happiness for the greater good in preference to individual satisfactions. Romanticism promoted high passion as well as self-awareness as necessary for the betterment of humanity. In contrast, the discipline of psychology tended to focus on mental illness working within a ‘medical model.’ Freud sought to turn ‘hysterical misery into ordinary human unhappiness’¹⁹.

After World War II, there was significant growth in treatments for returning service personnel. However, it wasn’t until the 1960s that there was a shift in orientation from the medical model, referred to earlier, towards positive mental health and wellbeing. Here, Seligman encouraged challenging unhelpful thinking and the appreciation of personal strengths and resourcefulness.

More recently still, Dan Gilbert²⁰ explored how poor we are at predicting what will make us happy. The problem lies in the way we imagine the future. How we feel in the moment influences how we predict our future. As our brains have almost tripled in size in a mere 2 million years, this affords us the capacity to imagine outcomes well in advance of any event. Our pre-frontal cortex, a powerful evolutionary augmentation, gives the capacity to speculate without any risk. We can imagine what could go wrong, assess risk, without any danger. BUT! Our capacity to simulate experience can work badly sometimes.

Dan Gilbert’s oops!

Harvard Professor Gilbert did own up to a few errors in his reporting of research in the recorded Ted Talk²¹. Firstly, he compared lottery winners and paraplegics suggesting their reported levels of happiness were the same. They were in fact not as emphatically equal as implied. Secondly, Moreese Bickham, who spent over 35 years in jail for a crime of which he was exonerated, was not guilt-free and proven so based on DNA evidence, as Gilbert stated. Moreese was happy though, even after such lengthy jail time, declaring it a ‘glorious experience’, according to Gilbert.

Thirdly, Gilbert said the exact opposite of what he intended. He was referring to the challenges associated with more choice than less. He referred to irreversible choice when he intended to say reversible choice. His main message is more important in any case.

In concluding his talk, Gilbert states: ‘Our longings and our worries are both to some degree overblown because we have within us the capacity to manufacture the very commodity we are chasing when we choose experience.’ An expanded and strategic approach to happiness and a fulfilled life has been advanced by Seligman with his PERMA™ model.

PERMA

Seligman suggested a term, PERMA, to denote Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment. He regards these as the building blocks of a fulfilled life²² with these five core elements combining to make an enriched, happy, and fulfilled life. Below is a very brief summary.

Positive Emotion

Our capacity to hold positive expectations, accept the present, and unerstand the past. These contribute to a healthier, more resourceful state. Similarly, Eric Maisel in his Life Purpose Boot Camp points to the fact that usually optimism is a superior perspective to pessimism²³. Pleasure and joy are not identical. Pleasure involves need satisfaction whereas joy is more related to intellectual and creative activities.

Engagement

Engagement and absorption in activities are important for our happiness. Deeply focusing on some task or project, for example, supports our wellbeing and happiness. Focused attention targeted at some worthwhile project can engender an experience of timelessness. We may lose track of time. The past evaporates and the future disappears from current awareness, and all that remains in our attention is the dynamic, smooth flowing of the here and now. Calm serenity can be very productive indeed.

Relationships

The power of social connectedness cannot be overstated. We blossom in the satisfaction of our need for belonging, connection, intimacy and social engagement. From family units to networks of friendships we thrive in a context of healthy community. Conversely, we suffer greatly in experiences of isolation. To be ostracised, excluded from group interaction, can be a powerful punishment.

Meaning

Having life purposes and making meaning investments are important for happiness and fulfilment. Chasing pleasure and material excess can bring more discontent than happiness. In her book on the top five regrets of the dying, Bronnie Ware describes her experiences of caring for people nearing end of life. The significance of meaning for happiness is borne out by her experiences²⁴.

Accomplishments

Goal-directed activity and purpose-inspired directions are important for our experience of happiness. Even the expenditure of goal-directed effort can prove satisfying and motivating even before the goal is accomplished. Successful goal achievement also is a further powerful motivator to do more. Success breeds success and happiness!

A biology of happiness

Neuroscientists from the mid 20th century, with improved understanding of chemicals known as neurotransmitters as well as technological advances, identified the pleasure centre in the brain (the nucleus accumbens). When the nucleus accumbens is stimulated in humans they identify as experiencing pleasure and show this by, say, smiling and laughing and even report experiencing intense uplift such as euphoria²⁵.

One neurotransmitter, dopamine, apart from regulating movement, controls the brain’s reward and pleasure centres. This means it can assist with perceiving benefits and rewards as well as strategies to achieve those rewards.

Low dopamine is linked to addiction and a certain dopamine receptor is associated with risky behaviours. So, dopamine is associated with inducing the emotion we call happiness, compulsive behaviours, Parkinson’s Disease, risk-taking, and even ‘joggers’ high²⁶. Happiness, as an emotion, produces physical sensations as blood circulation changes.

But why do we operate this way?

One theory is that, as a species, our survival depends on finding sustenance and procreation. It’s much more useful if we like to do these things. If we like doing things such as eating, drinking, and having sex, we tend to repeat them. Neurotransmitters’ job done! Species survives. Awesome!

Since the 1990s, researchers have been using particular scanning technology called positron emission tomography (PET). These deliver three-dimensional images of the brain in action. It has been found that negative emotions are activated in different parts of the brain to positive ones. It has been suggested that meditative practices can promote an effective path to happiness. So, feelings of well-being (or distress) are related to changes in brain chemistry. Changes in brain chemistry can be influenced by meditative practices²⁷.

Conclusion

I’ve attempted a very brief walk through some aspects of this sometimes elusive emotion we call happiness. From religion to philosophy to the early days of psychology. From the lessons from learned helplessness to learned optimism and all the while having a PERMA!

I sketched some of the elements, the mechanics as I sometimes say, of what happens in our skull when we experience happiness or even pleasure. There is evidence, and plenty of it, that we can actually do things to experience happiness. We can alter chemical activity in the brain simply by engaging in meditative processes. The Harvard Medical School Special Health Report into Positive Psychology has in fact reported on the left prefrontal cortex being particularly active in a group of Tibetan monks. These people have considerable experience in meditation. If we do a little meditation, or a lot, we are able to change our experience.

¹ 1. https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/positive-psychology-harnessing-the-power-of-happiness-mindfulness-and-inner-strength
² https://positivepsychologyprogram.com/learned-helplessness-seligman-theory-depression-cure/#definition. See also https://positivepsychologyprogram.com/abraham-maslow/#pp and Seligman, M. PhD. Authentic Happiness. Random House Australia (2002).
³ https://positivepsychologyprogram.com/abraham-maslow/#pp
⁴ https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/hide-and-seek/201205/our-hierarchy-needs
⁵ For a very brief summary, http://www.butler-bowdon.com/martin-seligman—learned-optimism.html
⁶ Dawkins argues for the fundamental irrationality of religion as well as dangerous outcomes for society such as war, social division, and even deadly intolerance in The God Delusion, by Richard Dawkins. Random House UK (2016). https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-god-delusion-richard-dawkins/book/9781784161927.html
⁷ Harris penned the best-selling, award-winning End of Faith, WW Norton & Co, 2004. Here he lays out how religion is used to justify terrorism and how religion itself and not some religion is the problem https://samharris.org/books/the-end-of-faith/. This work generated a lot of critical feedback which led to his later work Letter to a Christian Nation, where he responds to the thousands of critical letters he received as a non-believer https://samharris.org/books/letter-to-a-christian-nation/
⁸ Christopher Hitchens is another notable atheist who has featured in numerous debates around the world arguing against religion. For example, you may be inclined to view one of his YouTube recordings where he introduced a debate seeking to defend the proposition that ‘We’d be better off without religion.’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpKmje75kZo
⁹ Here is a link to a very brief overview of Aristotle’s contributions https://www.pursuit-of-happiness.org/history-of-happiness/aristotle/. As my article is devoted to supporting greater happiness, I thought it sensible to include some of the contributors to the historical perspectives on happiness.
¹⁰ Here are some accessible articles which probe the variable interpretations of hedonism and the assessment of pleasure from the point of view of the experiencer or the watcher https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/hedonism/ and https://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/newsletters/authentichappiness/happiness.
¹¹ Epicurus and hedonism links from Internet Encyclopaedia of Philosophy https://iep.utm.edu/hedonism/#H2.
¹² https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/hedonism/
¹³ You may explore the very useful brief description of stoicism from the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
¹⁴ Here is a very concise YouTube video from Ryan Holiday on stoicism https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oVsLkPqXWo
¹⁵ Here is a link to a very brief blog from the Daily Stoic website https://dailystoic.com/seneca/
¹⁶ Here is a link to the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy’s section on Seneca, which I believe highlights the practical applications of his own stoicism to the vicissitudes of life https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/seneca/.
¹⁷ Quotes from Seneca https://fs.blog/intellectual-giants/seneca/
¹⁸ Here is a link to a YouTube video of an audio book Seneca of a happy life https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2A-hgYqQio.
¹⁹ http://freudquotes.blogspot.com.au/2016/11/freud-on-transforming-hysterical-misery.html
²⁰ https://positivepsychologyprogram.com/daniel-gilbert-research/ and a Ted Talk by Dan Gilbert on happiness https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_gilbert_asks_why_are_we_happy
²¹ Dan Gilbert’s corrections to his Ted Talk https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_gilbert_asks_why_are_we_happy/corrections
²² A brief but succinct description of Seligman’s PERMA model https://positivepsychologyprogram.com/perma-model/
²³ Eric Maisel’s Life Purpose Boot Camp is described in psychology today https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/rethinking-psychology/201409/life-purpose-boot-camp
²⁴ Bronnie Ware The top 5 regrets of the dying https://www.hayhouse.com/the-top-five-regrets-of-the-dying
²⁵Bronnie Ware on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAcQfn96yFk

Additional sources

George Owen is a hypnotherapist based in Sydney, Australia. With a long-standing passion for adult education, George has been lecturing within the behavioural science arena for over two decades.

2 Comments

Dr Amanda Ferguson

27 June 2025

Owen considers happiness from the perspective of the field of positive psychology that asserts that people are entitled to lead lives informed by meaning, purpose, and connection. He introduces a definition of happiness as ‘at least, the paths away from misery’. He draws on research from various disciplines: medicine, psychology, philosophy, and religion. He focuses on research by leading positive psychology founder and expert Martin Seligman, who wrote the book ‘Learned Optimism’. Owen uses a refreshingly light-hearted approach while still educating us. Owen describes pre-positive psychology as the study of misery and that Seligman countered the medical model of symptoms as illness. As a psychologist, I think he’s right to infer that positive psychology corrects an imbalance in perspective in my profession. Seligman also founded the theory of ‘learned helplessness’ and from this his ‘learned optimism’ concept. This develops when people and other animals are routinely subjected to experiences, they believe they cannot control, and they behave as if they are helpless. Seligman says there is no evidence that we are born with this as some form of inherent trait. It is learned through the conditioning as a consequence of repeated experience. He argues that it can also be unlearned and that we can also learn optimism. Owen explains that early religions promised happiness through devotion. Ancient philosophers via self-awareness. Seligman suggested a term, PERMA, to denote Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment. He regards these as the building blocks of a fulfilled life with these five core elements combining to make an enriched, happy, and fulfilled life.

Olivia Arkley

7 Dec 2024

This article explained the evolution of happiness over time and how it is achieved. It has a good balance of medical, evidence-based, philosophical, religious and psychological explanations. Something that resonated with me was the idea that if helplessness can be learnt, so can happiness. As hypnotherapists, we can help teach this skill set in hypnosis by utilising client resources. The PERMA model is something I will definitely use with my clients to assist them in setting goals that will make them happy in specific areas of their life. Overall, an informative and well-written article. Thank you George.

The post Pieces of Happiness appeared first on Australian Society of Clinical Hypnotherapists.

Stress and the nervous system
(5 min read)

Lyndall Briggs

Stress is a natural response of the nervous system to perceived threats or challenges. When an individual encounters a stressful situation, the brain, specifically the hypothalamus, activates the body’s stress response, signalling the release of stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol.

This activation triggers the sympathetic nervous system, preparing the body for a “fight/flight/freeze” stress response which increases heart rate, redirects blood flow to essential muscles, and heightens alertness.

While the stress response can be beneficial in short bursts, chronic stress can lead to detrimental effects on the body and mind, affecting various systems and our overall health.

What causes chronic stress?

Chronic stress is caused by a variety of factors, often stemming from prolonged exposure to stressful situations or environments. Some common causes include:

• Work-related pressures: High job demands, long hours, job insecurity, and conflicts with colleagues or supervisors.
• Financial problems: Persistent worries about money, debt, and economic instability.
• Relationship issues: Ongoing conflicts, lack of support, and unhealthy relationships with family, friends, or partners.
• Health problems: Chronic illness, pain, and the stress of managing long-term health conditions.
• Life changes: Major life events such as divorce, moving, the death of a loved one, or other significant transitions.
• Feelings of lack of control: Feeling unable to control or influence the events in one’s life can lead to a sense of helplessness and chronic stress.
• Unrealistic expectations: Setting unattainable goals or having perfectionist tendencies can create continuous stress.
• Poor work-life balance: Not having enough time for relaxation, hobbies, or social activities can lead to chronic stress.
• Negative thinking patterns: Persistent negative thoughts, worry, and pessimism can exacerbate stress.

Most of us deal with at least one or more of these stressors at any given time. By understanding these causes and how the nervous system handles stress, we can better identify, manage and mitigate stress-related impacts on the body and mind.

How does the nervous system work?

The nervous system is very much like a telephone system. Messages go back and forth and travel along existing cables that have relays and switchboards. The big difference between the two is that the telephone system simply transmits messages, while the nervous system’s main function is to interpret received message via receptors.

Receptors in the body and brain detect various forms of stimuli, such as touch, light, sound, and chemicals. These receptors convert the stimuli into electrical signals, which are transmitted to the brain through sensory neurons. The brain processes and sorts these incoming messages to make sense of the information.

Once processed, the brain sends out instructions through motor neurons to the effectors. Effectors are specific parts of the body, such as muscles, glands, and organs that carry out the brain’s commands. Muscles respond by contracting or relaxing, glands secrete hormones or other substances, and organs adjust their functions as necessary.

For example, if you touch a hot surface, receptors in your skin send a signal to your brain. The brain processes this information and quickly sends a command through motor neurons to your hand’s muscles to pull away. This coordinated effort between receptors, the brain, and effectors allows the body to respond effectively to various stimuli.

The impulses that are transmitted from the nervous system are voluntary or involuntary. An example of a voluntary response could be the turning of a page of a book when you get to the end of the print on the page or reaching to open a door.

Here, we are primarily focused on involuntary responses, such as those that cause us to breathe, blink, regulate our heart rate, and control digestion. These involuntary responses are crucial because they significantly impact our overall health.

The involuntary system consists of two parts:

The sympathetic nervous system, which we call the body’s Emergency Room, is crucial for preparing the body to handle emergencies or life-threatening situations. It activates the stress response, triggering several physiological changes:

• Pupils dilate
• Heart rate increases
• Blood flow to the muscles accelerates
• Non-essential activities, such as digestion, are temporarily suspended
• The body’s startle reaction is heightened

These changes help the body to react swiftly and effectively to potential dangers.

Thinking of the sympathetic nervous system as a rainy-day fund is beneficial. It’s intended use is only for life-saving moments, because it causes us to exist in a state of high alert, using the stress response. We should only live 2 to 5 percent of our lives in this Emergency Room.

On the other hand, the parasympathetic nervous system, often referred to as the Healing Room, is essential for keeping the body and mind in harmony and balance. It helps maintain a state of calm by:

• Slowing the heart rate
• Reducing stimulation
• Slowing the release of harmful neuropeptides
• Creating endorphins

Ideally, we should spend 95 to 98 percent of our lives in this Healing Room, allowing our bodies to restore and maintain normal functions. This system supports overall health and well-being by promoting relaxation and recovery.

Chronic stress

Let’s take a look at what happens when we spend an inordinate amount of time in the Emergency Room — it’s called chronic stress. When a person keeps dipping into the rainy-day fund, the body is constantly experiencing stress and the chemical balance of the body is compromised. The body’s energy is being depleted. When all the energy is depleted in the Emergency Room, the body begins to borrow from the Healing Room. Unable to meet the energy demand, the chemicals in the body become out of balance and the immune system begins to break down, often resulting in illness and disease.

Managing chronic stress can be effectively achieved through hypnotherapy, education, counselling, and learning self-hypnosis. These methods help you understand the impact of living in a constant state of alert by spending too long in the Emergency Room.

De-stressors

Here are some effective de-stressors you can incorporate into your daily life that will help manage stress:

• Journaling: Write about your thoughts and feelings to process and release stress.
• Gratitude Practice: Focus on things you are grateful for to shift your mindset to a more positive outlook.
• Healthy Eating: Maintain a balanced diet and avoid excessive caffeine and sugar.
• Adequate Sleep: Ensure you get enough restful sleep each night.
• Physical Activity: Engage in regular exercise such as walking, running, yoga, or dancing.
• Mindfulness and Meditation: Practise mindfulness, meditation, or deep breathing exercises.
• Social Connections: Connect with friends and family, engage in social activities, and seek support from loved ones.
• Nature: Spend time outdoors, go for a hike, visit a park, or simply sit in a garden.
• Music: Listen to calming or favourite music to relax and uplift your mood.
• Laughter: Watch a funny movie, read a humorous book, or spend time with people who make you laugh.

Incorporating these de-stressors into your daily routine can help you manage and reduce stress effectively.

Understanding de-stressors and self-healing is beneficial, however, if your stress continues and you struggle with worry, anxiety, panic attacks, or phobias, or you are preparing for surgery or coping with physical illnesses and other stressors, professional support from a hypnotherapist will guide you and give you the right tools, tailored to your specific needs. This will enable you to trust in your ability to stay calm, in control, and feel on top of life, having life happening for you and not having life happen to you.

Love living in the calm and tranquillity of the Healing Room. It’s yours for the asking.

Lyndall Briggs FACA, HMASCH has been in full-time private practice for over 25 years. She has been the president of the Australian Society of Clinical Hypnotherapists (ASCH) since 2002 and was on the board of the Australian Counselling Association (ACA) for 10 years, since its incorporation. She is an experienced registered supervisor with both associations plus trainer for the Step Up Supervision Training Course.

3 Comments

Dr Amanda Ferguson

26 June 2025

This article explains how the stress response can be effective as a response in short bursts to some situations and detrimental if it continues longer than optimum (more than 2-5% of our involuntary response time) and becomes chronic. Briggs outlines the important hormonal, heart rate, blood flow, neural pathways and physical responses. She describes some of the many life situations that can cause chronic stress. Briggs notes the importance of understanding how our nervous system responds to stress and the impacts to our mind and body in how we deal with stress and mitigate stress-related problems. Briggs uses the analogy of the telephone system to explain how the nervous system works. She explains the response of the sympathetic nervous system in its crucial reaction to dangerous situations, likening it to the emergency room. She outlines the parasympathetic nervous system function and importance, likening it to the healing room. Briggs provides a comprehensive list of de-stress strategies. She encourages readers to consult a hypnotherapist to help in providing strategies so that we are in charge of our lives, rather than feeling life is happening to us.

Olivia Arkley

6 Dec 2024

This article provides comprehensive details about how the nervous system works, but at the same time, it is written in a clear, concise and digestible manner that is easy to understand. It defines stress as a natural response to a perceived threat. This response causes the activation of the hypothalamus and as a result, the release of stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol. When this happens, the sympathetic nervous system prepares the body for a ‘fight, flight or freeze’ response. Chronic stress occurs when there is prolonged exposure to a stressful situation or environment, resulting in the sympathetic nervous system being activated more than usual. The article discusses various social, cultural, economic, environmental and political factors that can cause chronic stress. It also discusses physiological changes when the sympathetic nervous system is activated and self-healing strategies that people can use to de-stress. However, it empathises the importance of professional support, particularly from a hypnotherapist, who will give people tools tailored to their individual needs. Thank you Lyndall.

Andrea Berrell

14 Oct 2024

This article provides an insightful breakdown of how stress affects the body and mind, explaining the roles of both the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems in balancing our responses to daily challenges. I appreciate the analogy of the “Emergency Room” versus the “Healing Room” — it makes understanding these complex processes more accessible. Chronic stress, as described, is truly taxing on our mental and physical well-being, and it’s valuable to have practical de-stressing techniques highlighted, like journaling, gratitude practice, and connecting with nature. Embracing these practices to stay in the “Healing Room” can support a more balanced, fulfilling life. Thanks Lyndall!

The post Stress and the nervous system appeared first on Australian Society of Clinical Hypnotherapists.

Understanding and Addressing Unconscious Bias in Psychotherapy: Strategies for Personal Growth and Professional Development in the Australian Context
(4 min read)

Amanda Dounis

In Australia, a nation celebrated for its cultural diversity, the fields of psychotherapy, hypnotherapy and counselling face unique challenges and opportunities in fostering mental well-being across a spectrum of communities. This includes Indigenous populations, immigrants, and a variety of ethnic groups, each with distinct cultural backgrounds and experiences.

Unconscious bias—subtle, automatic assumptions and stereotypes—can significantly impact the therapeutic relationship and the effectiveness of interventions. Acknowledging and addressing these biases is critical for creating an inclusive therapeutic environment, which is crucial for effective psychotherapy.

The Australian Context

Australia’s multicultural landscape offers a rich backdrop against which the therapeutic process unfolds. Psychotherapists and counsellors work with clients from a variety of cultural, linguistic, and socio-economic backgrounds, necessitating a nuanced understanding of unconscious bias and its implications. Indigenous Australians, in particular, represent a unique cultural group with specific health needs and historical contexts that influence their interaction with healthcare systems, including psychotherapy and counselling.

Unconscious Bias: An Overview

Unconscious biases are informed by our societal, cultural, and personal experiences, affecting perceptions and interactions without conscious awareness. These biases can manifest in numerous ways, including but not limited to, racial, gender, age, and cultural biases. For therapists in Australia, recognising these biases is the first step towards mitigating their impact on therapeutic relationships.

Strategies for Addressing Unconscious Bias

1. Cultivating Self-Reflection and Awareness
Self-reflection is foundational for understanding one’s own biases. For therapists, regular self-assessment practices can illuminate personal beliefs and values that may influence client perceptions. Tools such as reflective journaling, mindfulness practices, and participation in supervision or peer discussion groups are invaluable for fostering self-awareness.

2. Engaging in Education and Training
Continuing education on cultural competence and unconscious bias is essential. Australian therapists should seek out workshops, seminars, and courses that specifically address these topics within the Australian context, including training programs that focus on Indigenous cultural competencies and multicultural therapy techniques.

3. Practising Empathy and Open-mindedness
Empathy and open-mindedness are crucial for transcending personal biases. Therapists should strive to understand clients’ unique perspectives and life experiences, fostering an empathetic therapeutic environment. This includes actively listening to client stories and validating their experiences, regardless of the therapist’s own cultural background.

4. Challenging Assumptions and Stereotypes
Therapists must be vigilant in identifying and challenging their own assumptions and stereotypes. This involves critically examining initial reactions and interpretations, seeking evidence to support or refute them, and considering alternative viewpoints. Such reflective practice encourages more objective and less biased clinical decision-making.

5. Creating a Culturally Responsive Practice
Developing a practice that is responsive to the cultural needs of clients involves several practical steps. This includes using culturally sensitive language, incorporating culturally appropriate assessment tools, and tailoring therapeutic interventions to suit the cultural contexts of clients. For Australian therapists, this might mean integrating Indigenous healing practices or understanding the specific cultural nuances of immigrant populations.

6. Seeking Feedback and Engaging in Supervision
Feedback from colleagues, supervisors, and clients can provide valuable insights into potential biases. Regularly engaging in supervision and seeking feedback facilitates continuous learning and growth, allowing therapists to address and adjust their practices accordingly.

7. Facilitating Discussions About Bias
Creating spaces for open dialogue about unconscious bias within the professional community is vital. This can be achieved through case consultations, peer support groups, and professional development workshops focused on cultural competence and bias. Such discussions encourage collective awareness and accountability among therapists.

8. Advocating for Social Justice and Equity
Therapists have a role to play in advocating for social justice and equity, both within their practice and in broader society. This involves staying informed about social issues and inequalities affecting clients and using their platform to advocate for changes that promote equity and inclusiveness.

9. Committing to Continued Learning and Growth
The landscape of cultural competence and unconscious bias is ever evolving. Therapists must commit to ongoing education and self-improvement, staying abreast of the latest research, theories, and best practices in the field.

10. Modelling Vulnerability and Humility
Acknowledging one’s limitations and areas for improvement is a sign of professional maturity. Therapists should embrace feedback, model humility, and demonstrate a willingness to engage in continuous self-reflection and development.

Integrating Indigenous Perspectives and Healing Practices

In Australia, integrating Indigenous perspectives and healing practices into therapy is not just beneficial but necessary for culturally sensitive care. Understanding the historical context, trauma, and healing practices of Indigenous Australians can significantly enhance therapeutic outcomes. Collaboration with Indigenous healers and community leaders can provide valuable insights into culturally appropriate care.

Research and Evidence in the Australian Context

Australian research on unconscious bias in psychotherapy highlights the importance of tailored strategies that address the specific cultural dynamics of the Australian population. Studies suggest that therapists who engage in cultural competence training demonstrate improved therapeutic outcomes with culturally diverse clients. Furthermore, literature underscores the value of Indigenous knowledge and practices in enriching the therapeutic process, advocating for a more integrative approach to mental health care.

Case Studies and Practical Applications

Illustrative case studies from Australian psychotherapy practices offer practical insights into addressing unconscious bias. These include examples of therapists who have successfully navigated cultural misunderstandings, incorporated Indigenous healing techniques, and developed innovative approaches to therapy that respect and honour cultural diversity.

Conclusion

For counsellors and hypnotherapists in Australia, recognising and addressing unconscious bias is crucial for fostering an inclusive, empathetic, and effective therapeutic environment. By committing to personal growth, continuous learning, and the integration of culturally responsive practices, therapists can better serve the diverse Australian population. Together, we can move towards a more equitable and compassionate future in mental health care, where every client feels understood, respected, and valued.

Further reading

Improving cultural sensitivity to Indigenous people in Australian hospitals: A continuous quality improvement approach
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/John-Willis/publication/…Improving-cultural-sensitivity-to-Indigenous-people-in-Australian-hospitals-A-continuous-quality-improvement-approach.pdf
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Protocols
https://www.oxfam.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/2015-74-ATSI-Cultural-Protocols-update_WEB.pdf
Face the facts: Cultural and Racial Diversity
https://humanrights.gov.au/our-work/education/face-facts-cultural-and-racial-diversity
Cultural Sensitivity and Awareness Training
https://www.diversityaustralia.com.au/training/cultural-sensitivity-awareness/

Amanda Dounis is a dedicated professional counsellor, strategic psychotherapist, and clinical hypnotherapist based in Sydney, where she leads a thriving private practice. With a strong commitment to advancing the field, Amanda is passionate about offering essential supervision to her supervisees, emphasising the importance of continual learning and professional development.

1 Comment

Olivia Arkley

7 Dec 2024

This was a well-structured and insightful article. Whilst I was aware that Australia is a culturally diverse country and that unconscious biases impact therapeutic relationships and the effectiveness of interventions, I gained more of an understanding of how unconscious biases form. That is through societal, cultural and personal experiences. I also knew that as therapists, we need to recognise our unconscious biases in order to mitigate them, but this article discussed a wider variety of strategies that could be used to do this than I was aware of. Moving forward in my practice, I will definitely use some of these strategies and will refer to the case studies the article directs readers to. Overall, a very informative article. Thank you Amanda.

The post Understanding and Addressing Unconscious Bias in Psychotherapy: Strategies for Personal Growth and Professional Development in the Australian Context appeared first on Australian Society of Clinical Hypnotherapists.

The Goulding Method: Unleashing Sweet Dreams and Sanity for Parents and Kids
(8 min read)

Nicolas Gerey

We are working on a better future, one child at a time. Parenthood is an exhilarating rollercoaster ride filled with laughter, tears, and the occasional sleepless night. As parents, our goal is to nurture contentment, health, and success in our children by fostering a positive perspective, instilling self-control, and promoting overall well-being.

I started looking for a solution to help children with behavioural issues more than 10 years ago. I thought the key was to give a tool to the parents! A tool that was simple, safe and ethical for parents to help their children that wouldn’t take much time to learn or apply. Importantly, its effects would last for life, ensuring the child, and later the adult, would have a positive outlook on life as a well-balanced, resilient person.

Well, I found it, and I’ve been teaching parents the process for over 10 years now. It’s not my invention. It is called the Goulding Method. Its previous, less sophisticated version, used to be known as the SleepTalk Process and was developed by Joane and Jim Goulding more than 50 years ago.

The Goulding Method is a simple process aimed at enhancing children’s self-esteem and confidence, while at the same time addressing any behavioural challenges the child may have. Importantly, it is easy-to-learn, requiring only a few minutes each night at bedtime. The process focuses on providing reassurance to the child, expressing the parent’s love in a unique manner during their sleep, rather than through conventional displays of affection, such as hugs and kisses.

A certified Goulding Method Consultant guides parents in how to access their child’s subconscious while they sleep. In this state, the parents repeat specific positive affirmations. These affirmations, which have been carefully designed and tested for over 50 years, reinforce the child’s belief in their parents’ unconditional love.

The Method is based on the principles of hypnosis. Research has shown it to be astonishingly effective. Joane Goulding, creator of The Goulding Method, and her associates offered their help to the highly traumatised families as part of the recovery after the 2009 ‘Black Saturday’ bush fires in Victoria, Australia.

The research report, Sleep Talk™ for Children: Promoting emotional resilience following the Black Saturday bushfires¹, stated:

Case histories demonstrated a positive response with improvement reported in 100% of the children involved in this process in one or more of the physical, academic, behavioural, emotional and home domains.

I believe, the secret to the Goulding Method’s gentle power lies partly in the beautiful, loving affirmations that the parents share with their child during their nightly natural hypnosis-like sleeping phase and partly in the fact that it is the parent who is speaking to the child. Parents report that the whole family energy shifts to being more positive as the parents are empowered to help their children by repeating beautiful loving affirmations, which unavoidably influences the parents as well.

A German study, exclusively using the Goulding Method, is due to be published in 2024 on treating children with Selective Mutism, which has no agreed treatment. The results reported are 100 per cent positive. All children improved within the six-month period, with some children starting to speak without displaying their previous problems.

I would describe the Goulding Method as both a standalone process and an integrative modality to other approaches.

As a standalone process, a specialist Goulding Method Consultant works with the parents to teach them the Goulding Method and is available for consultation during the minimum three-month period of the process. The Goulding Method Consultant offers professional therapy for the parent and/or child as required.

The Goulding Method, and in particular, the parent-delivered process, rests on three strong pillars:

1. Unconditional parental love
   The foundation of the Method is to plant in the child’s subconscious mind the unquestionable belief in their parents’ unconditional and eternal love towards them. This is crucial because it forms the basis of a secure attachment between parents and their children. Unconditional parental love means that parents accept and support their children regardless of their actions, behaviours, or achievements. Conditional love e.g. “I love you if you perform well on a test” is proven to be harmful to children.
2. Sleep science
   There are four stages of sleep, divided into two categories. The first three stages are non-REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. The fourth stage is REM sleep. The Method accesses the child’s subconscious in the N2 sleep phase. The N2 sleep stage is when the brain is about to slow down to Theta state, which is the state present during hypnosis, deep meditation and light sleep, including the all-important REM dream state. Theta is the realm of your subconscious² and is open to suggestions/affirmations.
3. The power of suggestions or positive affirmations
   Suggestions serve as the cornerstone of hypnosis, guiding individuals toward positive change, healing, and personal growth by tapping into the transformative potential of the subconscious mind. Suggestions in hypnosis directly influence the subconscious mind, which is highly receptive to the messages it receives. Positive suggestions are more likely to be accepted and acted upon by the subconscious, leading to desired changes in behaviour, thoughts, and emotions. The suggestions given to the child are recommended to be under the supervision of a Goulding Method Consultant. For example, with school refusal problems, a suggestion such as: ‘You love to go to school’ is incorrect. When the subconscious takes this suggestion to heart, the child may love school so much they may be distressed when not at school. A more balanced suggestion would be ‘You love learning’. The latter suggestion is a life-long benefit.

These three pillars are supported by the concept of neuroplasticity, the science responsible for the study of the brain’s ability to ‘re-wire’ itself. In this case, the input is the sound of the parent’s loving voice, repeating positive affirmations each night, during the appropriate sleeping phase, thereby helping the child to develop a more positive and resilient outlook on life.

The ethics of the Goulding Method

Any form of therapy or intervention involving children must meet certain criteria including positive intentions, methods, and potential impact on the child’s well-being.

Informed consent is essential to ensure that the parents fully understand the Goulding Method, its purpose, and potential outcomes before engaging in it with their children. Informed consent implies that parents are aware of what they are doing, why they are doing it, and how it may affect their child. Without informed consent, there is a risk of unintended consequences or discomfort for the child.

Parents play a crucial role in the Goulding Method as they are responsible for delivering the suggestions to their child’s subconscious mind. Parental responsibility covers adequate training and preparedness to conduct the process responsibly and effectively. Training and supervision by qualified professionals are essential to ensure that parents understand their role and use the Goulding Method appropriately.

Ultimately, the ethics of the Goulding Method hinges on its responsible and conscientious implementation, with a primary focus on promoting the child’s emotional well-being, resilience, and positive development. When conducted with care, informed consent, and attention to the child’s needs, the Method is a valuable tool for supporting children’s growth and self-esteem.

As parents embark on this whimsical journey of whispered affirmations and bedtime banter, remember that a well-rested family is a happy family. So, tuck in your little ones, put on your wizard hat, and let the bedtime magic begin!

Here are some reviews and endorsements from https://gouldingconsultants.com/solutions-for-your-child/:

Since I have begun working with families using the Goulding SleepTalk Method, I have seen incredible positive results for not only the children, but for their parents as well.

Speaking messages of positive self-esteem and unconditional love and acceptance to their children aids in their children’s positive behavioural and emotional changes and builds their emotional strength and resilience.

It also helps parents to learn how to better communicate with their children, reduces their anxiety and stress levels, thereby creating a calmer environment in the home, and strengthening the familial bonds.

Disclaimer

Specialised therapists are trained in the Goulding Method. All registered Goulding Method Consultants are accredited by the founder, Joane Goulding, and listed at https://gouldingconsultants.com/category/consultant/.

¹https://gouldingconsultants.com/wp-content/uploads/Karin-Plummer-ST-Bushfires-Research.pdf
²https://m1psychology.com/brain-waves-and-hypnosis/

Recommended reading

The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman
The SleepTalk (*Goulding) Process by Joane Goulding
Joane goulding’s website https://gouldingconsultants.com/
The author’s page at https://gouldingconsultants.com/nicolas-miklos-gerey

Nicolas Gerey is a Goulding Method Consultant, trainer and mentor. He is also a clinical and medical hypnotherapist and NLP Master practitioner with more than 20 years’ experience. He trained in Europe, Australia and the USA. Presently he is living in Europe. When he lived in Melbourne, Australia, he taught body language and emotions for actors at the Australian Film and TV Academy (TAFTA).

1 Comment

Olivia Arkley

7 Dec 2024

I had not heard of The Goulding Method before reading this article, so I loved having the experience of learning something new. The article clearly outlined the aim of the method and how it works. It included data from a German Study, which supported the effectiveness of The Goulding Method. Additionally, the article gave a detailed description of the pillars that underlie the method and discussed ethical considerations, such as informed consent and training/supervision. As a former teacher and now clinical hypnotherapist, I really see the benefits of this method on child development. Thank you Nicolas.

The post The Goulding Method: Unleashing Sweet Dreams and Sanity for Parents and Kids appeared first on Australian Society of Clinical Hypnotherapists.

Choir + People = Community & Well-being
(5 min read)

Alan Forsyth Silcock

If you were one of over ten million folks to click on Pop Choir Australia on Tik Tok, you might have sought out the website www.popchoir.com.au and discovered director, Sharon Stokes, who declared: ‘It is a great way to meet friends and be part of a thriving community. Oh, did we forget to mention that singing is proven to be great for your health?’

Sharon is accurate on all counts; choirs do improve people’s connection with community, and they enhance our well-being. It is proven.

As an avid choir participant and supporter, I will share my own story about the rich experience and unquestionable benefit of being part of a choir. I will also share some of the research that validates the value of choirs and singing in people’s lives and experiences.

Living as an Australian in Scotland for about six years, it took me some time to adjust, and similarly, for the Scots to adjust to me. I had a few failed attempts with voluntary organisations where I felt unwelcome, but this all changed when I happened upon Rock Choir, Edinburgh.

Rock Choir is a huge network of choirs across the UK, with outlets in all the major towns. In my back yard, for example, there were four choirs stretching between Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Pleased that I did not have to audition in any formal way, I arrived at the Surgeons Hall Theatre in Edinburgh and was invited to join in as best I could. I did so, and left the theatre on a high. I was moved by the power of a collective voice and my own confidence in belting out the lyrics to Don’t Leave Me This Way by the Communards. I floated home across the Meadows, already feeling the positive impact of this experience on my well-being.

Two years later, I was fully subscribed and warmly embraced by Rock Choir. A special group of six emerged and took me on board, all good mates who had serendipitously formed a group within the larger choir. I sang my way around Paris with them, performing at Euro Disney and The Eiffel Tower. We even belted out Crowded House numbers in perfect harmony along la Seine. It was impromptu and delightful.

I performed at major theatres in Glasgow, nightly at the Edinburgh Festival, and in several impressive churches in Edinburgh, including Greyfriars… all shared with a small and caring group of folks, my new Scottish community.

I was grateful to be welcomed into the hearts and souls of these good people, and were it not for the Rock Choir, I would still be harbouring resentment at my earlier treatment. I was grateful for the wider Rock Choir community, and the several support groups within that community. The choir delivered; the choir supported.

This support was again evident not long before I returned to Australia, when the Rock Choir agreed to be involved in a gig for my charity, The Men of Leith Men’s Shed. It was the first major fund-raising event for the Men’s Shed, and Rock Choir performed beautifully in an equally beautiful church in Leith. Many of those present that evening were moved by the performances, again contributing to community, health and well-being.

Moving on to evidence, McDonald, Druetz & Mitchell in Music Health & Wellbeing identify several psychological impacts of music. According to them, music is:

• Easy to access
• Emotional
• Engaging
• Distracting
• Physical
• Social
• Communicative.

Music affects our behaviour and our identity. These two areas are a comprehensive part of our way of being, and the many studies referred to in Music Health & Wellbeing demonstrate the considerable impact music has on health and well-being.

Similarly, Clift & Hancox in their 2002 research studied members of the University College Choir. Results indicated that singing enhanced health and well-being, as well as physical, emotional, social, and spiritual domains.

Additionally, the Sidney de Haan Research Centre in Australia, Germany and the UK found singing contributed significantly to improved physical emotional and social health and well-being in healthy, regular choir singers (Clift & Hancox, 2010).

There are an increasing number of recent studies and many more underway to validate and extend these findings.

In the meantime, back to my experience.

Upon returning to Australia, I was looking for a new choir to join when I came across videos on YouTube of Pop Choir and Pub Choir. Both were appealing, but we were in a time of deep uncertainty… the pandemic. I know it was never Pop Choir’s intention to run sessions via Zoom, yet they did what they could to keep the choir going, and many craved the participation.

When life returned to some semblance of normality, Pop Choir started to thrive. One key dimension, not mentioned in the research I have seen, is that of performance. Director of Pop Choir, Sharon Stokes, in Melbourne, Australia, went out of her way to find opportunities for the choir to perform regularly in a variety of different venues and settings. Similarly, performance opportunities were available in the UK for Rock Choir.

A shared sense of expectation and nervousness was often present prior to a performances here and in the UK, but it is that shared sense of stepping beyond the known and embracing the unknown together that enhances the experience of performing in a choir.

As we marched in a line across the stage, the eight men from Rock Choir looked resplendent, if slightly anxious yet excited to perform to a full house in Glasgow. We sang on stage together for the first time and powerfully delivered Hold Back the River by James Bay. It was a great performance, and the audience agreed, delivering the second standing ovation I have experienced in my life.

Similarly, in St Kilda, Melbourne, at the iconic Palais Theatre, over 300 of us in the Pop Choir were on stage with a full band and backing singers, ready to delight the audience.

It is rare in life to have such opportunities as these, but it is these chances to step up and shine that inspire a sense of camaraderie and contribute so deeply to well-being and meaning.

I am not proposing that you cannot achieve such feelings elsewhere; I am sure it is possible. But, I am proposing that if you would like to contribute to your sense of community and friendship and your capacity to perform and enhance your well-being, then joining a choir is a wonderful option.

It is evident from my earlier story of the Rock Choir partnering with The Men of Leith Men’s Shed in Scotland that another benefit of singing in a choir is the opportunity to perform and help charitible organisations raise funds, adding to a sense of giving and meaning.

Pop Choir has actively supported charities such as Connors’s Run and the Lighthouse Foundation. The single, Windows with Smiles, written by fellow Pop Choir leader, Darryl Moulton, and sung by the choir, is such a powerful indication of this glue between choir and community. All proceeds from the sale of this record and donations at the Palais performance go direct to the Lighthouse Foundation.

In February 2024, the Pop Choir performed at Carmen’s Fun Run to raise funds for Breast Cancer Network Australia.

Do you want to be moved by a performance of the Pop Choir? Go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3A2UM4-tpU and hear the choir sing Windows with Smiles.

If you are seeking to improve your voice, connect with your community, or expand your sense of well-being, a simple Google request will reveal a choir near you.

References

MacDonald, Raymond, Gunter Kreutz, and Laura Mitchell (eds), Music, Health, and Wellbeing (Oxford, 2012; online edn, Oxford Academic, 24 May 2012 https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199586974.001.0001).

Clift, Stephen & Hancox, G. (2002). The perceived benefits of singing. The journal of the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health. 121. 248-56. 10.1177/146642400112100409.

Clift, Stephen and Grenville Hancox. The significance of choral singing for sustaining psychological wellbeing: findings from a survey of choristers in England, Australia and Germany. (2010) https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/The-significance-of-choral-singing-for-sustaining-a-Clift-Hancox/3c853852843a28267643b41b331a07f957852dfa

Alan Forsyth Silcock is a facilitator, successful coach, and author. He has received excellent results for leading companies worldwide, as well as for community groups, charities, and people of all ages. Visit Alan’s website at https://www.followingforsyth.com/ for more information.

1 Comment

Olivia Arkley

7 Dec 2024

I really loved this article! It not only described the subjective experiences of the author’s participation in a choir, but also presented data from several studies to support them. Some benefits of being involved in a choir include community connections, building self-confidence, creating a sense of identity and purpose and the ability to raise money for charities. All of these things promote good health and wellbeing. Thank you for sharing, Alan. Joining a choir will be something I suggest to my clients who I know would enjoy the experience.

The post Choir + People = Community & Well-being appeared first on Australian Society of Clinical Hypnotherapists.

The Gifts of Elder-ing
(7 min read)

Andrew Solomon

I wonder how often in our interactions with others of a ‘certain age’ we consider their experience of ageing, and what do we make of our own ageing? Although we see nothing in the natural world living forever, the western mindset seems to hold a subtle denial of physical death that is perhaps more prevalent than in other cultures.

We outsource the meaning of life to religious systems. We outsource responsibility for physical death to hospitals, funeral homes, and the custodians of our wills. Many of us in our younger days tend to live in denial of this happening any day soon and might even admit to a faint, unconscious hope that somehow, we will prove to be an exception!

Physical death, and even poor health tend to be unspoken taboos in ordinary conversation, as if these were a contagion, best avoided unless one gets infected! Many experiencing the trauma of a life-threatening condition attest to the added stress of a diminishing intimacy and connection with friends or family that only adds to their anxiety. It seems many loved ones are often unwilling or unprepared to feel the depth of emotion that being close to someone going through such a journey elicits.

Yet, those cultures more attuned to making peace with death during life and not as a last-breath confession, realise the correlations as a seed takes root, sprouts, flowers and eventually fades away in a time cycle unique to its species. How could humans be an exception to this natural process when even the circadian rhythm of the physical body keeps time with the rhythm (Schuman resonance) of Earth herself?

Ancient wisdom tells of human life occurring in two chapters. The first is the exploration of our outer world, orientated towards ‘becoming’. The second is the exploration of our inner world, orientated toward ‘being’. The transition from first to second is marked by an alchemical process we know as the menopause, which occurs in all genders in different ways. We experience the second chapter through what we call ‘ageing’. There is no ‘right way’ of ageing for everyone. As a neuro-diverse species, each one is unique. No two bodies and capabilities are the same. No two mindsets are the same. There is no one in the entire world configured in bio-physical, psycho-emotional and spiritual terms exactly the same way as you! This means there is a ‘right way’ through the second chapter that is unique to you! The catch is, each of us must discover it for ourselves.

For me, becoming an elder has been very different to my earlier years. Yet, beyond niggles and wrinkles it is proving to be a fascinating and growth-filled time in hitherto unimaginable ways. My biggest challenges thus far have not been not so much about physical changes, but my rusted-on old beliefs about what ageing should and should not look like. As I contemplated my beliefs, I was amazed to discover the extent to which my sense of ageing was tainted with societal perceptions, more so than how I was genuinely feeling inwardly about myself. As I passed 60, I began to have a faintly discomfiting sense of somehow becoming less visible to others. So began my first-hand experience of how the societal extolling of youth and body image at the expense of other human qualities is what fuels the age discrimination that any fortunate person to reach elder years are sure to be aware of.

I began to see how our perception about what we should (or should not) be doing in the second chapter tends to be locked into meaning given by others. We outsource the meaning of life to the cultural and religious traditions that are formative of our individual beliefs. We outsource responsibility for physical death to doctors, healthcare systems, priests, funeral homes, and the custodians of our wills. Societal ideas of a ‘normal lifespan’ are deeply enmeshed in finance, business, healthcare, insurance systems: “You must plan for financing your old age. At this age you are at risk of this, you must be tested for that. Over 60? Get a ‘seniors’ card. Retire at the designated ‘old age’ of 60-something, and as best you can, enjoy your remaining years.”

Whilst individual exceptions are bursting out all over, generally accepted norms change far more slowly. This can be very confusing for anyone in mid-life wired into what others are doing. Reinforcers of societal norms are everywhere. Will this or that supplement/exercise/dietary plan make me feel better/live longer? Is there an elixir of immortality on the cusp of discovery? Should I be training to run my first marathon at 70 like that person in the morning news? Should I be trying to reprise the karma sutra at 80?

There is important inner work to do during the second chapter, particularly as it brings a closer proximity to our own mortality. As I approached 70, I caught myself thinking of death quite negatively. A fleeting memory of my father’s philosophy provided an ‘ah-ha’ moment! He firmly believed that we live for three score years and ten; anything more is a bonus. A belief that proved sadly prophetic. It was a big wake-up call to discover that although his belief had germinated through a lifetime that included two world wars, this self-limiting belief was still lodged like a virus in my inner software several decades later, diminishing my zest for life. Somehow I had unconsciously absorbed it into my core belief system!

This led me to discover that changing feelings and beliefs about ageing is not as easy as I might have imagined. All of us start to form beliefs about ageing (at least subconsciously) well before we are capable of maturely examining their validity. To a child, a parent is an omniscient being. Even in later life, we can still have an unshakeable loyalty to what our parents taught us. Our elders modelled to us what ageing looked like. We might even have witnessed or been more directly involved in their life and death experiences. To stay out of negative programming requires constant vigilance. My wake-up call inspired me to search for other self-limiting beliefs and attitudes about life and death that might be sitting in my subconscious that I was unaware of. It made me more aware of what I might be modelling about ageing to others, such as my children and grandchildren.

The second chapter is designed for integrating the growth and expansion accrued during the first and becoming the full embodiment of it. To try to sustain the outward momentum of the first chapter beyond its natural transit point inevitably precipitates a midlife crisis. Beyond any reasoned justification this is simply because it reflects a futile resistance to the natural flow of life.

More important than getting outer worldly affairs in order, this requires us to get our inner affairs in order, which can only happen through compassionate self enquiry. The second chapter calls us to accept that we have been the only common denominator throughout our lives. It calls us to become accountable for our life choices; to stop blaming outer factors and others for the way our lives have turned out. It calls us to let go of self-sabotaging beliefs and behaviours that diminish our capacity to live our best life. It calls us to acknowledge and resolve past trauma. It calls for honest self-appraisal of our relationships, to own where we are holding resentment and judgment of others, and the extent to which we are judging ourselves. It calls us to stop comparing ourselves to others and to stop should-ing on ourselves. It calls us to resolve conflicts and heal relationship co-dependencies, in particular the need for approval from others, which arises from the perceived failure to receive the approval of early caregivers. By purposefully examining the choices we have made and are making in response to life, much growth can be had. In this way, the second chapter can be a time of sage-ing, of becoming a wise elder and mentor to others.

Tomorrow is promised to no one, not even the very young. It we can’t make peace with death during life, how can we expect a peaceful death? Nothing can be taken to (or controlled from) the grave. It is time to release attachments to earthly achievements, ambitions and legacy, as no one ever truly completes a ‘bucket list’ by the end of life. Rarely can these be anything but an out-picturing of what is secretly believed to be lacking in oneself.

Every incarnation is what it is and ends how and when it ends. Increasing proximity to physical death calls us to abandon any beliefs about physical death as ‘losing out’ or ‘loss’. Whilst we can receive much in the way of support along the way of ageing, physical death is ultimately a solitary journey. What if ageing is an opportunity to contemplate reframing physical death as the natural completion of one chapter of existence and the beginning of another? Science has long evidenced that the energy that underpins every aspect and level of our physical frame cannot be created, controlled or destroyed. From any particular state it simply shifts into another state. Indeed, the leading edge of quantum physics increasingly points to an incarnation as but one experience of existence in a universe that is an ever-expanding continuum.

If you are still breathing, there is a purpose for you being here: something to heal, something to learn, something to share. My wise elder yoga teacher taught me that its purpose is not about becoming able to perform life perfectly, rather, it is about achieving peaceful self-acceptance throughout our life experience, whether it is perceived positively or otherwise.

Every moment and every day brings the opportunity to learn the importance of gratitude for being alive and discovering ways to fall more deeply in love with ‘you’ in every possible way. That is the whole point. Only by appreciating our lives as they are right now can we tap into the ever-present potential of ‘now’ and recreate our experience of life anew at any age.

Andrew Solomon is an Honorary member of the Australian Society of Clinical Hypnotherapists (ASCH). He is based in Sydney, Austalia, and is an existential counsellor and mentor. Visit his website at https://andrewsolomonhealing.com/.

1 Comment

Olivia Arkley

7 Dec 2024

This is a very informative article that offers a new perspective around the idea of ageing. It discusses societal expectations and norms relating to this process, however, offers a valuable reframe around how it can be a time for growth and expansion. I particularly like reference to the point where it is a time for inner work, rather than the outer world that people are so caught up in during their younger years. Some of the messages I took from the article will definitely be shared with appropriate clients who are finding the idea of ageing a challenge. Thank you Andrew.

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Book Review: The Chimp Paradox, by Prof Steve Peters
(5 min read)

George Owen

Consultant psychiatrist and lecturer, Steve Peters, has enjoyed an illustrious career. This includes credits for the turnaround of the UK cycling team’s fortunes (eight gold medals at London Olympic Games), and other elite sports and corporate coaching. His ‘Chimp Model’ explains why we think and act as we do and assists with improving all departments of life. The Chimp Paradox is a mind management system written in accessible, easy, sometimes humorous language.

The structure of the book has 18 chapters and three appendices, and is divided into three parts:

• Your inner mind explored.
• Day-to-day functioning.
• Your health, success and happiness.

Using an astrological metaphor, Steve posits our psychological universe as made up of seven planets and orbiting moons. The first, most important, is the Divided Planet and Guiding Moon. The divided planet is home to your powerful, emotional, limbic Chimp and, rational, well-balanced Human. Both Chimp and Human are driven by different needs and instincts, hence the uneasy relationship. The Guiding Moon is the brain’s ‘Computer’ and functions as a stabilising force. The Computer runs programmes automatically. The Computer stores information of all kinds (beliefs, values, and genetics). The Computer gets us through our day. How well this proceeds is contingent upon how well it is maintained. Some programmes are hard-wired, difficult to shift (‘Goblins’), and some, soft-wired, changeable/removable (‘Gremlins’). The Computer houses values and life purposes within, what Steve refers to as The Stone of Life.

There are more elements offered for consideration, but the essential deal with The Chimp Paradox is that the Chimp is more powerful than the Human; the Chimp runs on reactionary emotional reasoning, and the Human cannot beat it, but the Human can learn to nurture and manage the Chimp. We know insight is the precursor for change and this book provides excellent, simple tools to achieve this. It espouses sensible realism with truths such as ‘life is not fair’, ‘goalposts move’, and ‘in life, there are no guarantees’.

In Part Two, The Guiding Moon, Steve teaches how to maintain the Computer (replacing ‘Gremlins’ with ‘Autopilots’). The Autopilot is the constructive, helpful, behaviour – the resourceful programme. For example, he suggests we can replace a Gremlin strategy: ‘I have to make a good impression’, with an Autopilot strategy: ‘I can only be myself, and what they make of that is up to them’.

Overall, the ideal is to have the authentic Human, and a managed, contained Chimp, being served by an Autopilot-laden Computer. The Computer, Chimp and Human are presented as three brains with different operating speeds. The Computer thinks 20 times faster than the Human, and four times faster than the Chimp. All three have the potential to be constructive or destructive.

Moving to engagement in the wider world, Steve brings us to the ‘planet of others’. This deals with relationships with others in different contexts. Here, within the various descriptions of types of different personalities and mindsets (including personality disorders), the injunction is to move beyond self-referencing and seek to understand the variety, the differences out there. Steve says it’s important to not make assumptions about others, to try not to have preconceived expectations of others and to beware of prejudice.

When it comes to networking, there is a dedicated chapter: The Troop Moon. This planet represents the people who support you. Both Chimp and Human benefit from Troop membership. The Chimp needs it, the Human wants it. In selecting the Troop, there are differing priorities with the Human recruiting for collaborative alliances, while the Chimp is recruiting for strength and resources. The Human uses logic and humanity and the Chimp relies on emotions and feelings. The risk of imbalance is evident, so pre-defining your Troop is as important as ensuring the Human does the choosing.

In terms of communication between people, the ideal is clearly identified here as Human to Human. Clearly, Chimp to Chimp communication means emotionally charged engagement. In practice, we can move between Human and Chimp within the same interaction. Tempers flare and reason diminishes. Steve offers a ‘square of communication’, which includes the right time, the right place, the right agenda, the right way, with the right person in the centre of his square. The person in the centre is critical. Engaging with someone who is not the appropriate one to discuss matters with only makes things worse.

He then describes useful skills for difficult situations such as the use of ‘I’ statements, assertive communication, win-win interaction strategies, as well as considerations of tone, volume, cadence of voice. There is also consideration of body language and its impact on the communication experience.

In the latter part of the book, there is general guidance on ‘How to look after your health’. Within his continuing astrological metaphors, this is called ‘The Planet of Shadows and the Asteroid Belt’. This planetary system addresses physical and mental wellness. Interestingly, in this section, Steve distinguishes between malfunction and dysfunction where malfunction means you are ill and will need medical attention to treat the illness. Managing the Chimp, while medically unwell, is simply very difficult to achieve until recovery is secured. The Asteroid Belt represents malfunction, illness. Dysfunction refers to the ’machine’ working just fine but being poorly used. This is what is meant by ‘Planet of Shadows’, and it is acknowledged that we are all dysfunctional to some extent.

The Planet of Success and its Three Moons is the title of chapter 14. This encourages defining what success actually means and understanding that the Human and Chimp will define success differently. The Chimp will focus on material acquisitions while the Human will most likely focus on developing personal qualities. Chasing Chimp success can lead to ultimate disappointment when one realises that this was not really desired by the rational Human.

In considering success, interestingly Steve points to possible ‘levels of success’. Partially succeeding in attempting to achieve a goal can serve as the reality check around what is realistically achievable. If we choose the Human’s definition of success, then, as long as we try, we cannot fail to be successful, as long as we do our best at the time. One of the moons of the planet of success is the ‘CORE Moon’. C.O.R.E stands for Commitment, Ownership, Responsibility, and Excellence.

The ‘Planet of Happiness’ explores what is meant by happiness and briefly explains how different chemicals are released in the brain within the experience of happiness as distinct from, say, anxiety. There is consideration of the larger project of regularly managing all planets to support happiness. Steve indicates that the thoughts in our head and our approach to life are outcomes of choices made. Getting troublesome things out (‘letting the Chimp have a quiet scream’) can be helpful in part, but practical solutions are needed. Happy people find and address the cause of problems when possible.

Throughout the book, Steve alludes to the important roles of choice and skill. It is useful to realise how much choice most of us really have in doing life. The skill lies in how we use these choices. Although it has been around for some time now, The Chimp Paradox remains as a useful addition for the therapist interested in helping clients build personal resourcefulness.

George Owen is a hypnotherapist based in Sydney, Australia. With a long-standing passion for adult education, George has been lecturing within the behavioural science arena for over two decades.

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