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Product reviews for Sports Hypnosis in Practice
David Slater BA, DHyp, MHA(RegHyp), MASC, DCS, MGSCT Clinical Hypnotherapist and Counsellor
Where were you Dr Tramontana when I needed you about 15 years ago?
The telephone rang and, on answering, I heard a very cultured female voice telling me that she needed my help to improve her golf!
I needed patients but had to admit to her, in all honesty, that I hardly knew one end of a golf club from the other. If she was happy with that then I was happy to do all that I could.
She came and, for a couple of sessions we used the first half of the session for her to explain the mechanics of her need - the smooth swing, etc., and the second half introducing all of this hypnotically.
She was happy. I wasnt. As we progressed I broached the idea that her problem was more her own self belief and confidence than any physical malfunction. Greater belief in her own abilities and a more relaxed outlook on her game would lead to its own steady improvement.
To begin with I think she was rather offended by me inferring that she was uptight, lacking in confidence, angry with herself, but was prepared to go along with me and let me drop thegolf coaching and concentrate on what I knew best as a hypnotherapist.
The results were terrific. She went from strength to strength and in a short time started to feature regularly on theroll of honour at her club.
Other club members asked her what she was doing to bring about this improvement. Was she having private lessons? She did admit to visiting her man in Tewkesbury. It was assumed I was a golf pro who had taken up coaching. They asked for my details as they wished to be able to see the same improvement in their own games. My phone never rang though. As soon as they realised I was a hypnotherapist and not a golfer they rapidly lost interest and added - We dont need that sort of man thank you!
Times have changed - fortunately - and it is now common place to hear of sports psychologists, etc, working with our leading sportsmen and women. Joseph Tramontanas new book, Sports Hypnosis in Practice is a groundbreaking book explaining how hypnosis can best be used to the benefit of those who are in sport and are seeking to achieve their peak performance.
In my own experience the client had in her mind that I could, through hypnosis, teach her how better to play golf. As Joseph Tramontana says in his book, this is not the job of the therapist but is the job of the coach. It is for them to develop and extend the mechanical side of the situation which is going to boost physical performance.
The hypnotherapist, sports counsellor or sports psychologists are there to work on all mental aspects of sport. Importantly, and a great relief to a sports illiterate such as myself, the therapist does not need to be familiar with the sport or the physical activity to be able to be effective and efficient in the role ofmental coach to the sports people who come to him/her.
This fact is, indeed, one of the main focuses of the book. The author refers to his own experience and says I have had successful outcomes in working with athletes across many sports that I have never played.
The book is an excellent mix of strategies and scripts. We are given detailed outlines and in depth explanations of how to work with a client and the scripts are extensive and excellent. We are taught how to help the subject relax, concentrate and become more focussed so that s/he is more able to achieve maximum potential.
We see that the hypnosis road can lead the sportsperson to achieve a better balance in life. For so many the effort to achieve becomes a struggle between achieving physical prowess and improving skill and achievement, often at the risk of allowing mental fragility to threaten to wreck the path of progress. Many of the prima donnas we see on our football pitches would see their game improve if only they had more skill to manage their mental body. Hypnosis is an excellent medium for changing behaviour, for improving focus, concentration, calm, anger management and much more. Fear and lack of confidence or self belief can also be enhanced. The coach can deal with the physical.
Put the two together and we stand the chance of producing the balanced sportsman who is able to produce the goods in all areas.
The book is of great interest in that it gives a wide variety of case studies where the author has worked successfully with sportsmen during his career. Very insightful and fascinating. In particular I liked the fact that many of the sportsmen and women would talk to him, perhaps years down the line, and be able to recount to him in great detail their hypnotic experiences and techniques. The value was seen clearly and was very well received and , as a result, became part of the everyday tool bag for success for countless athletes. They acknowledged, without reservation, the enormous benefit it had brought them.
The author leaves no stone unturned. We hear constantly of sports injury and also, sadly, of drug abuse in sport. Both of these are given time and space within the book and we are given insight and help into how best to help an athlete returning from injury or addiction. Inspirational and very illuminating.
There is also a section on Affirmations which I just loved.
Life is 10% what happens to you, and 90% how you respond to it.!
Put you heart, mind, intellect and soul even to your smallest acts. This is the secret of success.
When being given this book to review I thought Oh dear, sport!
I need not have worried.
The book is an excellent reference book and handbook for any therapist to dip into and find the tools and techniques, the strategies for success when dealing with clients who seek help in relation to their sporting life.
It is a book I am delighted to recommend and I feel that it has the potential of becoming a best seller in this age where sport is so pressurised yet, a far cry from my early experience, where its participants are far more open minded and aware that so much of their success stems from their thoughts not just from their raw physical talent.
The telephone rang and, on answering, I heard a very cultured female voice telling me that she needed my help to improve her golf!
I needed patients but had to admit to her, in all honesty, that I hardly knew one end of a golf club from the other. If she was happy with that then I was happy to do all that I could.
She came and, for a couple of sessions we used the first half of the session for her to explain the mechanics of her need - the smooth swing, etc., and the second half introducing all of this hypnotically.
She was happy. I wasnt. As we progressed I broached the idea that her problem was more her own self belief and confidence than any physical malfunction. Greater belief in her own abilities and a more relaxed outlook on her game would lead to its own steady improvement.
To begin with I think she was rather offended by me inferring that she was uptight, lacking in confidence, angry with herself, but was prepared to go along with me and let me drop thegolf coaching and concentrate on what I knew best as a hypnotherapist.
The results were terrific. She went from strength to strength and in a short time started to feature regularly on theroll of honour at her club.
Other club members asked her what she was doing to bring about this improvement. Was she having private lessons? She did admit to visiting her man in Tewkesbury. It was assumed I was a golf pro who had taken up coaching. They asked for my details as they wished to be able to see the same improvement in their own games. My phone never rang though. As soon as they realised I was a hypnotherapist and not a golfer they rapidly lost interest and added - We dont need that sort of man thank you!
Times have changed - fortunately - and it is now common place to hear of sports psychologists, etc, working with our leading sportsmen and women. Joseph Tramontanas new book, Sports Hypnosis in Practice is a groundbreaking book explaining how hypnosis can best be used to the benefit of those who are in sport and are seeking to achieve their peak performance.
In my own experience the client had in her mind that I could, through hypnosis, teach her how better to play golf. As Joseph Tramontana says in his book, this is not the job of the therapist but is the job of the coach. It is for them to develop and extend the mechanical side of the situation which is going to boost physical performance.
The hypnotherapist, sports counsellor or sports psychologists are there to work on all mental aspects of sport. Importantly, and a great relief to a sports illiterate such as myself, the therapist does not need to be familiar with the sport or the physical activity to be able to be effective and efficient in the role ofmental coach to the sports people who come to him/her.
This fact is, indeed, one of the main focuses of the book. The author refers to his own experience and says I have had successful outcomes in working with athletes across many sports that I have never played.
The book is an excellent mix of strategies and scripts. We are given detailed outlines and in depth explanations of how to work with a client and the scripts are extensive and excellent. We are taught how to help the subject relax, concentrate and become more focussed so that s/he is more able to achieve maximum potential.
We see that the hypnosis road can lead the sportsperson to achieve a better balance in life. For so many the effort to achieve becomes a struggle between achieving physical prowess and improving skill and achievement, often at the risk of allowing mental fragility to threaten to wreck the path of progress. Many of the prima donnas we see on our football pitches would see their game improve if only they had more skill to manage their mental body. Hypnosis is an excellent medium for changing behaviour, for improving focus, concentration, calm, anger management and much more. Fear and lack of confidence or self belief can also be enhanced. The coach can deal with the physical.
Put the two together and we stand the chance of producing the balanced sportsman who is able to produce the goods in all areas.
The book is of great interest in that it gives a wide variety of case studies where the author has worked successfully with sportsmen during his career. Very insightful and fascinating. In particular I liked the fact that many of the sportsmen and women would talk to him, perhaps years down the line, and be able to recount to him in great detail their hypnotic experiences and techniques. The value was seen clearly and was very well received and , as a result, became part of the everyday tool bag for success for countless athletes. They acknowledged, without reservation, the enormous benefit it had brought them.
The author leaves no stone unturned. We hear constantly of sports injury and also, sadly, of drug abuse in sport. Both of these are given time and space within the book and we are given insight and help into how best to help an athlete returning from injury or addiction. Inspirational and very illuminating.
There is also a section on Affirmations which I just loved.
Life is 10% what happens to you, and 90% how you respond to it.!
Put you heart, mind, intellect and soul even to your smallest acts. This is the secret of success.
When being given this book to review I thought Oh dear, sport!
I need not have worried.
The book is an excellent reference book and handbook for any therapist to dip into and find the tools and techniques, the strategies for success when dealing with clients who seek help in relation to their sporting life.
It is a book I am delighted to recommend and I feel that it has the potential of becoming a best seller in this age where sport is so pressurised yet, a far cry from my early experience, where its participants are far more open minded and aware that so much of their success stems from their thoughts not just from their raw physical talent.
Guest
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28/03/2011 01:00
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