Product reviews for The Art of Therapeutic Communication

This volume of the collected works of Kay F. Thompson is a treasure chest of superbly crafted combinations of words by a master of language. As I read through it, and studied Thompson's statements, inductions, suggestions, and words of encouragement, I was overwhelmed by her artistry. I had heard her say at one of her workshops that she goes into an altered state of time when she lectures, so that she consciously considers what she is going to say next, and has sufficient time to pick the most appropriate words. The audience never notices this, and the words come out like a completed symphony, with all of the parts connected and harmonized. Reading this volume is the closest thing I know to a private session with Thompson, her warmth and passion and sincerity bubble through. She states congruently, "I firmly feel that motivation is the most critical factor in the utilization of hypnosis." and "I have an obligation to go in believing that everyone can go into trance.

She loved to play with words and the potential variations of their meanings. In a workshop she would ask the audience to suggest some words, and then build an induction or a metaphor with just playing with that one word. Certainly, her variations on the word "know" with knew and new and known and no, and her mesmerizing variations on "forgetting to remember" and "remembering to forget" are masterpieces that can be studied endlessly. This book is chock full of such examples, and an inspiration for the reader.

Perhaps Thompson's work with pain control is her major contribution to the field. She writes that two sentences describe her philosophy, and they reverberate throughout the sections on working with patients in pain: "Pain is a danger or warning signal, period. When everything that can be done and should be done, has been done, there is no longer any reason to have that pain." Thompson not only helped others with pain control, but was an exemplar in using it for herself.

The personal vignettes and stories incorporated at the end of the book add many dimensions to what I knew about Thompson. They are a tribute to her.