Table Of ContentUsing Guided Imagery and
Hypnosis in Brief Therapy
and Palliative Care
Using Guided Imagery and Hypnosis in Brief Therapy and Palliative Care
presents a model for effective single- session therapy.
Chapters include more than a dozen case studies with transcripts and com-
mentary. Readers will learn how to use an adapted model of Remen’s healing
circle for preparing patients for surgery, and guided imagery and other
approaches are presented for enhancing palliative care. Extensive appendixes
provide a wide variety of valuable tools that psychotherapists can use with
clients concerned with end- of- life issues.
Rubin Battino, LPCC, has published ten books on psychotherapy.
Using Guided Imagery
and Hypnosis in
Brief Therapy and
Palliative Care
Rubin Battino
First published 2021
by Routledge
52 Vanderbilt Avenue, New York, NY 10017
and by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2021 Rubin Battino
The right of Rubin Battino to be identified as author of this work has been
asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs
and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized
in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or
hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information
storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered
trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without
intent to infringe.
Library of Congress Cataloging- in- Publication Data
A catalog record for this title has been requested
ISBN: 978- 0- 367- 53848- 4 (hbk)
ISBN: 978- 0- 367- 53846- 0 (pbk)
ISBN: 978- 1- 003- 08805- 9 (ebk)
Typeset in Times New Roman
by Newgen Publishing UK
Contents
Forewords xi
MICHAEL HOYT
TREVOR SILVESTER
Preface xv
1 Introduction: Expectation, the Placebo Effect,
and Chatting 1
1.1 Expectation 1
1.2 The Placebo Effect 3
1.3 Other and Related Expectational Phenomena 5
1.4 Comments on Disease/ Cure and Illness/ Heal 7
1.5 RB’s Model of Therapy, the Therapeutic Alliance, and Chatting 8
A RB’s Model of Therapy 8
B The Therapeutic Alliance 9
C Chatting 11
D The Fifty- Minute Hour 13
1.6 Brief Introduction to Two Approaches 16
A The Miracle Question and the Miracle Method 16
B Ambiguous Function Assignments (AFA) 18
2 The Charlie Brown Exceptional Patient
and Caregiver Group of Yellow Springs 21
2.1 Charlie Brown Group 21
2.2 Ira Byock’s Statements and End- of- Life Issues 24
2.3 Rabbi Hillel’s Wisdom 25
3 Preparation for Surgery: Two Approaches 27
3.1 Hypnosis and Preparation for Surgery 27
A Introductory Comments 27
B Five Parts to the Hypnotic Session 28
C Preparation for Surgery Script 29
D Letter to the Surgeon and Healing Statements 32
vi Contents
3.2 Remen’s Circle of Healing and Related Circles 34
A Remen’s Circle of Healing for Preparation for Surgery 34
B Variants on Remen’s Circle of Healing 35
C Rituals, Ceremonies, and the Navajo Talking Circle 37
3.3 Some Concluding Comments 39
4 Case Study 1: Mary and Anxiety and Insomnia and
Shit and Einstein and … 40
5 Case Study 2: Bobbi and Her Needy Knees 43
6 Guided Imagery for Healing and Psychotherapy 46
6.1 Introduction 46
6.2 Different Forms of Imagery 47
6.3 Duration of Guided Imagery Sessions 48
6.4 Information for a Guided Imagery Session 49
6.5 Other Factors: Connections to Metaphor, Hypnosis, and Psychotherapy 50
6.6 George’s Guided Imagery CD for Cancer 51
A George and Pyramid Mountain and Hashem 51
6.7 Anne’s Guided Imagery for Psychotherapy 53
A Anne and Anxiety and the Pine Forest and Jesus 53
6.8 Commentary 56
7 Case Study 3: Marvin, Weight Control, and the
Mighty M&Ms 57
7.1 Marvin and the Mighty M&Ms 60
8 Case Study 4: Carol and the Curious Cough 63
9 Rapport and the Therapeutic Alliance 70
9.1 Introduction 70
9.2 Pacing Body (Postural) Language 71
9.3 Verbal Pacing 72
9.4 Representational Systems and Eye Accessing Cues 72
9.5 Anchors and Anchoring 74
9.6 Anchoring and Remen’s Healing Circle 74
9.7 Some Closing Comments 76
10 Case Studies 5 and 6: Sammy and Self- Regard and
Normalizing Norman 77
10.1 Introducing Sammy and Norman 77
10.2 Case Study 5: Sammy and Self-Regard (9/2018) 78
Contents vii
10.3 February Man Script for Sammy 79
A A Exorcism Part of Session 80
10.4 Script for Sammy’s Oceanic Buddhist Experience 82
11 Case Study 6: Normalizing Norman 84
12 Healing Language 87
12.1 Introduction 87
12.2 Reprise on Useful Definitions 88
12.3 Reframing 90
12.4 Transforming Negative Self- Talk 92
12.5 Andrea’s Exercises and Change Processes 93
A Changing Location of the Voice (Book One) 94
B Adding Music or a Song (Book One) 95
C Talking Positively to Yourself (Book One) 95
D Transforming a Message (Book One) 97
E Joining with a Voice (Book Two) 98
F Asking for the Positive Intent (Book Two) 99
G Using the Voice of a Trusted Friend (Book Two) 99
H Comments on Andreas’s “Transforming Negative Self- Talk” 100
12.6 Healing Language Scenarios 101
12.7 Reframing and Healing Language 103
12.8 Two Concluding Sets of Healing Activities 106
A Bernie Siegel’s Questions for People with Life- Challenging Diseases 106
B Bernie Siegel’s Four Drawings 106
13 Case Study 7: Jennifer, Anxiety, Manzanita Beach,
and Jesus 108
14 Case Study 8: Barbara and Stress and Hearing and a
Husband 117
15 Practical Matters 119
15.1 Introduction 119
15.2 Planning 119
A Financial and Legal Matters 120
B Planning Beyond Life 121
15.3 Physical Health Related Coping Skills 122
A How to Survive in a Hospital 122
B Milstein’s Comments and Coping Suggestions 123
C Communicating with Medical Personnel 125
D Helplessness, Hopelessness, and Control 128
E Hammerschlag’s Recommendations and Laughter 129
F Maintaining Mental and Physical Health 130
G Work Books and Distance Writing 131
viii Contents
H Diets 133
I Recordings and Autobiographies 134
J Some Final Comments 135
16 Case Study 9: Laura and Breaking Away 136
17 Case Study 10: George and Smoking 139
18 Case Study 11: Peter and His PA 142
19 Case Study 12: Gloria and the Oboe and Being
Adequate 147
20 Case Study 13: Nonagenarian Charlie with Anxiety
about Eye Problem 149
21 Chatting Revisited 151
21.1 Introduction 151
22 Case Study 14: Joe and the NLP Fast Allergy Cure 157
22.1 NLP Fast Allergy Cure with Joe 157
23 Case Study 15: Joan and the NLP VK Dissociation
Fast Phobia Cure 161
23.1 Joan and Fear of Flying 162
24 Healing Factors 165
24.1 Introduction 165
A Three Types of Clients 165
B Fundamental Three Rules for Doing Therapy 166
24.2 Acting As- If as a Healing Factor 167
25 Guided Imagery, Hypnosis, and Other Approaches
for Palliative Care 170
25.1 Palliative Care, Comfort Care, and Hospice Care 170
25.2 Guided Imagery and Palliative Care 171
A Script for Guided Imagery for Palliative Care 171
B Guided Imagery Script for Healing 173
25.3 Psychotherapy for Palliative Care 174
25.4 Variations of the Remen Healing Circle for Palliative Care
Patients and Related Groups 175
A Focused on One Member 175
B Focused on the Entire Group 176
Contents ix
25.5 Other Activities for Palliative Care Patients 176
A Videotaping 177
B Memoirs 177
C Pets, Stuffed Animals, and Special Belongings 177
D Music 177
25.6 Hypnosis for Palliative Care and Pain Control 178
25.7 Closing Comments 179
26 Extraordinary Sessions 180
27 Some Ending Thoughts and Comments 185
Appendix A: Ruminations on Turning 88 187
Some Concluding Thoughts 192
Appendix B: End- of- Life Issues 193
B.1 Introduction 193
B.2 Advanced Directives 195
A Living Will 195
B Health Care Power of Attorney 196
C Do Not Resuscitate (DNR) 196
D POLST and MOLST 196
E Five Wishes 197
F MyDirectives 197
B.3 Dying With Dignity Organizations and Information 198
A Compassion & Choices 198
B Final Exit Network (FEN) 199
C World Federation of Right to Die Societies (WFRtDS) 200
D Death Cafés 200
E Catholic Health Facilities 200
F Hospice Programs 201
G Questions to Ask Before Tests and Procedures 202
H Palliative Care 203
I Death With Dignity Acts: Legal Programs in the
United States 204
J Death With Dignity Acts: Legal Programs in
Other Countries 205
B.4 Self- Deliverance 205
A Suicide Data for the United States 206
B Inert Gases: Helium and Nitrogen 207
C Medications 207
D Voluntary Stopping Eating and Drinking (VSED) 208
E Compression Method 208
B.5 Pain Control and Ideomotor Signaling 208
B.6 Dying and Living Well 209
