Galaxy of the Stars | New Perspectives in Hypnosis & Therapy (Feb. 2024) | USB Card

Saturday 10AM: "New Developments In NLP: Insights from Dr. Will Horton's Work and Polyvagal Theory" with Will Horton

Human behavior and psychological therapy have continually evolved, bringing forth innovative approaches to understanding and addressing various aspects of human experience. Two such groundbreaking concepts are the Polyvagal Theory and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP). The synergy between these two theories offers a comprehensive framework for personal development and therapy.  This program will delve into what makes this combination so powerful.

Saturday 2PM: Leaving the 19^th Century: Contemporary Language and the Neuroscience of Hypnosis with Fredric Mau

Advancements in neuroscience have opened up entirely new ways of understanding the process of hypnosis. Much of the language we use to understand and describe hypnosis is not wrong but is imprecise and based on experiential observations before the advent of neuroimaging. Describing hypnosis using the latest findings and current terminology improves our understanding of our own process, increases our ability to be taken seriously by medical and mental health professionals, and makes our work more effective because it improves our client’s understanding of how our processes help them.

Sunday 10AM: Hypnotic Head/Trance Tales with Peter Blum

A “narrative” approach to working with people follows the acceptance of the premise that human beings think and process experiences in story form. When meeting another person for the first time, in most situations, we are exchanging our stories. Clients typically fill us in on their history during an initial session. This history is composed of a series of interlocking stories. As healers, therapists, guides, or helpers, part of our job is listening to these stories. We could start from the premise that “there are no bad people, just bad stories.” How can we compassionately listen while gently finding ways to challenge these stories?

One very good way is by telling stories back… one of the most magical phrases in English is "Once upon a time...” The listener immediately becomes an eager child, waiting for a story to unfold - waiting to be charmed and mesmerized by the adventures of other characters. And that is a key component to bypassing resistance - the adventures of "other characters." The client does not have to consciously decide whether or not the learnings in the story apply to him or her. After all, this is just a story... about someone or something else. Understanding stories and their relationship to how we encode and decipher the world of information and experience can deepen our ability to utilize them as therapeutic tools consciously. Dr. Milton Erickson, one of the most influential hypnosis practitioners, extensively used stories in his practice.

Sunday 2PM: Awareness and Improvisation: Essentials in Modern Hypnosis with Wes Rocki

Awareness and mastery of improvisation are essential for hypnotists and their clients.

The mind/body complex relies on self-healing for its survival and thriving. The self-healing process combines automatic routines (subconscious scripts) with creative improvisation while responding to ever-changing demands from the body’s inner and outer environments. In this class, we will playfully practice improvisational games and routines to strengthen the improvisational, creative, and original aspects of working with clients and self-healing care.