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Product reviews for Sports Hypnosis in Practice
Dr. Nicole Ruysschaert MD President ESH European Society of Hypnosis
Over the years, the applications and usefulness of hypnosis has been demonstrated and worked out, mainly in the field of psychopathology and medical problems. The field of -˜sports hypnosis' remained less studied, unknown, under developed. The work to inform and motivate people in the field of sports, culminated in this book, filling a gap. As reader you learn how and where hypnosis can be integrated in working with athletes, practicing different sports. Like the author, maybe you as a therapist can discover how working with athletes can be “fun and an exciting sub-area of general psychological practice” and that “progress, gains and successes are often quick, dramatic, and measurable”. Working with athletes turns out to be very rewarding as “they are highly motivated to improve and used to repetition in practicing their sport, so usually accepting the need to practice self-hypnosis.”(p.7)
Psychotherapists and sports psychologists who are familiar with hypnosis easily can get ideas from this book to creatively working with athletes in their own practice. As the author states “working with athletes can bring a healthy balance for psychotherapists, not only working with patients suffering from pathology, but also to see how they can help, assist sportsman to enhance performances. “
Work with athletes as presented here, starts in a very structured way: motivational techniques to discover the impact of their mindset, let them experience different induction and deepening techniques, and imagery preparing the further work. The techniques are described in detail, with full scripts as one would expect in a basic textbook for hypnosis.
I particularly like the wood scene where the reader gets a first idea of what creativity and metaphorical work can do. The athlete is invited to experience by imagery his reflection as a younger one, his path through life with setbacks, minor frustrations, blockages he can encounter and imagery or projective to methods to uncovering obstacles. The metaphor stimulates the athlete to take matters in his own hands, and find his way in life, free himself from obstacles. Another uncovering method is illustrated with a clinical example of a girl suffering from low self-esteem. She comes up with a memory of her mother shouting -˜shame on you', and it's surprising how fast the issue can be resolved: an inviting and motivating example for newcomers to work with hypnosis.
Other specific techniques useful in different sports are described in detail: the -˜World Class Visualizer' helps not only to see things with your own eyes, but from the expert's perspective, indirectly being helpful in finding advice and answers. You find examples of this in working with golfers, sprinters, equestrians and tennis players.
The “Space Travel Mediation” invites the athlete to take a fantasy trip into the outer space to meet an all-wise being -” getting information from the clients own subconscious mind through their conscious mind.
The “Time Continuum-future success” technique invites the client to imagine a trip into the clouds, from where to review past-present and future and projecting future success.
After the overview of hypnotic approaches chapters are dedicated to different sports: from golfers to field athletes, gymnastics and equestrians, football, tennis, volleyball, cycling and more.
A special chapter focuses on recovery from injury and returning to training and competition.
The book is written in a nice conversational style, with plenty of references telling where the author found his ideas. He is not pretending that he -˜invented the wheel' but integrates methods from the clinical area of working in helping athletes to enhance performances. He adopts a traditional, structured hypnotic approach enriched with Ericksonian principles and methods, like language patterns, embedded suggestions, creating a yes-set, indirect work by telling stories of success by others.
Some scripts or approaches are repeated several times: you find them in the general approach and also in the case examples. Is it boring or can it be considered as learning by repeating, in a way that the therapist gets the content and the scripts in his own mind to easily adopt it in his clinical work.
The author states that you don't need to know all the details of a particular sport or skills to generate a successful outcome in helping athletes -” often an interview with the athlete and / or coach gives information about what needs to be improved or conveyed in hypnosis.
In working with athletes or other people who need to perform it's an advantage and sometimes a necessity of having clinical insight to detect anxiety disorders, previous (traumatic) experiences, educational issues or imprints which might interfere with developing one's full potential. Experience as a clinical psychologist, like the author has is very helpful.
I appreciate the efforts and active approach he did to open up the field, making contact with coaches and give them information, offering help to the athletes, often for free.
The book reflects the experiences of years of practice of the author in this area and his efforts to get more professional people interested in the field. His enthusiasm works motivational. The book is recommended reading for therapists who are interested in applying hypnosis in performance enhancement in general, test anxiety and sports.
In my opinion the last parts of the book deserves special attention: you find an appendix with proverbs related to performance as “A smooth sea never made a skillful sailor” and “When you lose, don't lose the lesson” and many other citations from anonymous people. Other proverbs mentioned come from famous people as Einstein's “In the middle of a difficulty lies opportunity.” These are useful ideas to offer as stuff for reflection, to sustain motivation, to give support in dealing with setbacks or frustration. A list of dvd's and movies related to sports is a valuable tool for experiential or indirect learning or learning from models by identification with their overcoming adversity and finding ways to success.
Psychotherapists and sports psychologists who are familiar with hypnosis easily can get ideas from this book to creatively working with athletes in their own practice. As the author states “working with athletes can bring a healthy balance for psychotherapists, not only working with patients suffering from pathology, but also to see how they can help, assist sportsman to enhance performances. “
Work with athletes as presented here, starts in a very structured way: motivational techniques to discover the impact of their mindset, let them experience different induction and deepening techniques, and imagery preparing the further work. The techniques are described in detail, with full scripts as one would expect in a basic textbook for hypnosis.
I particularly like the wood scene where the reader gets a first idea of what creativity and metaphorical work can do. The athlete is invited to experience by imagery his reflection as a younger one, his path through life with setbacks, minor frustrations, blockages he can encounter and imagery or projective to methods to uncovering obstacles. The metaphor stimulates the athlete to take matters in his own hands, and find his way in life, free himself from obstacles. Another uncovering method is illustrated with a clinical example of a girl suffering from low self-esteem. She comes up with a memory of her mother shouting -˜shame on you', and it's surprising how fast the issue can be resolved: an inviting and motivating example for newcomers to work with hypnosis.
Other specific techniques useful in different sports are described in detail: the -˜World Class Visualizer' helps not only to see things with your own eyes, but from the expert's perspective, indirectly being helpful in finding advice and answers. You find examples of this in working with golfers, sprinters, equestrians and tennis players.
The “Space Travel Mediation” invites the athlete to take a fantasy trip into the outer space to meet an all-wise being -” getting information from the clients own subconscious mind through their conscious mind.
The “Time Continuum-future success” technique invites the client to imagine a trip into the clouds, from where to review past-present and future and projecting future success.
After the overview of hypnotic approaches chapters are dedicated to different sports: from golfers to field athletes, gymnastics and equestrians, football, tennis, volleyball, cycling and more.
A special chapter focuses on recovery from injury and returning to training and competition.
The book is written in a nice conversational style, with plenty of references telling where the author found his ideas. He is not pretending that he -˜invented the wheel' but integrates methods from the clinical area of working in helping athletes to enhance performances. He adopts a traditional, structured hypnotic approach enriched with Ericksonian principles and methods, like language patterns, embedded suggestions, creating a yes-set, indirect work by telling stories of success by others.
Some scripts or approaches are repeated several times: you find them in the general approach and also in the case examples. Is it boring or can it be considered as learning by repeating, in a way that the therapist gets the content and the scripts in his own mind to easily adopt it in his clinical work.
The author states that you don't need to know all the details of a particular sport or skills to generate a successful outcome in helping athletes -” often an interview with the athlete and / or coach gives information about what needs to be improved or conveyed in hypnosis.
In working with athletes or other people who need to perform it's an advantage and sometimes a necessity of having clinical insight to detect anxiety disorders, previous (traumatic) experiences, educational issues or imprints which might interfere with developing one's full potential. Experience as a clinical psychologist, like the author has is very helpful.
I appreciate the efforts and active approach he did to open up the field, making contact with coaches and give them information, offering help to the athletes, often for free.
The book reflects the experiences of years of practice of the author in this area and his efforts to get more professional people interested in the field. His enthusiasm works motivational. The book is recommended reading for therapists who are interested in applying hypnosis in performance enhancement in general, test anxiety and sports.
In my opinion the last parts of the book deserves special attention: you find an appendix with proverbs related to performance as “A smooth sea never made a skillful sailor” and “When you lose, don't lose the lesson” and many other citations from anonymous people. Other proverbs mentioned come from famous people as Einstein's “In the middle of a difficulty lies opportunity.” These are useful ideas to offer as stuff for reflection, to sustain motivation, to give support in dealing with setbacks or frustration. A list of dvd's and movies related to sports is a valuable tool for experiential or indirect learning or learning from models by identification with their overcoming adversity and finding ways to success.
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23/01/2012 00:00
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