Neha F 49 VAK:7/3/4 Eye Roll: 2/4 Hypnotizable Score :6/10 Fear of Cold Water
Theme: Phobia of cold water.
Neha has an unexplained phobia of cold water ever since her childhood and cannot take cold water showers nor does she ever venture into a swimming pool. She fears the festival of Holi especially as people throw balloons filled with water.
She is healthy with no report of any health conditions apart from Hyper-Thyroid and is the wife of a well to do businessman- Suresh. A mother to a teenaged daughter and her mother-in-law and her brother-in-law – Rajesh his wife and two children live separately.
Neha’s relationship with Rajesh had always been unhealthy, as Rajesh was into bad company, and she would always chide him, but he always took her as someone who was invading his privacy and restricting him and his freedom.
Over the years he developed a strong dislike, aversion towards Neha.
Rajesh joined Neha’s husband (elder brother) in his business and over the course of time tried to bad mouth Neha in a subtle way over family matters. Suresh knows but as an elder brother he doesn’t speak to Rajesh but rather says he cannot say anything to his brother for fear of the family breaking up.
This in turn upsets Neha time and again as she feels helpless as Rajesh would appear good to her in front of everyone but his behavior in person would be disrespectful.
All was fine until the fateful day of “Holi”.
The family went to a resort to enjoy the holidays and Rajesh on the pretext of “Holi” dragged Neha into the open-air Water Park where the tanker water was cold. He knew about Neha’s phobia and yet he forced her with a devilish smile. Neha could not bear that trauma, and she collapsed. A doctor was summoned, she was sedated before they returned home.
Ever since, she is distraught with what happened and since I came back from Amarantos, I thought that she could be an ideal client for PLRT.
I spoke to her husband who consented and after history taking, I was hopeful that she could benefit from the PLRT.I discussed the process with her and she agreed with a strong sense of suspicion. I assured her that although she would be under hypnosis, she would have the “power” and “free-will” to opt out at anytime during the process if she felt so.
I assured her the oath of confidentiality that whatever transpires, would stay between us and she consented and breathed a sigh of relief. It gave the impression that she wanted to keep it discreet and not reveal it to anyone.
We began with Induction- Dave Elman and continued with Progressive Relaxation, the Paradise of Peace – the Garden. I decided to take her to a Happy Memory since she was skeptical and hesitant.
Event: Fear of Cold Water in any perspective
Subjective Interpretation: Resistance to cold water
Conflict: Unhealthy relations with brother-in-law, is not heard, feels frustrated and helpless
Decision made to resolve the conflict: She will stand up to the truth. She will resolve with love.
Script: Dave Elman, Progressive Relation, Happy Memory, Ball of Light, Paradise of Peace, Tunnel of Light, Affect Bridge
Pain Assessment
Before Session : 9
After Session: 0
T- This is what the therapist said C- This is what the client said
T: As you stay in deeply relaxed, calm and peaceful state, let your deepest mind pick out a happy childhood memory. If you wish, you can float above the scenes and watch from a distance
C: (After a few seconds) Smiles…I am in a park with my parents
T: What would be your age?
C: I am 14/15 years old
T: Can you look around and tell me what comes to your awareness
C: Park is big, beautiful has a walking track and we are enjoying “Butta”. Mom and Dad are having a conversation. They want me to get good grades in school.
T: Allow yourself a few moments here remembering vividly, seeing and feeling the joy.
I bring her back to the garden and wake her up. She was happy, yet in disbelief and softly said that she must be daydreaming. I assured her that she accessed her childhood memory which was known only to her. We agreed to meet the next day for her PLRT.
As I saw her coming and sitting, I could see a distinct change in her body language. She seemed fresh and ready. I felt a change of acceptance from utter skepticism, and I assured her that we may get to learn about the unknown and she could benefit. With this positive affirmation we started the process with Dave Elman and continued with the progressive relaxation, the staircase technique was not done, and I took her to the paradise of peace, followed by the tunnel of light to her affect bridge carrying the weight of her phobia. She went into the delta state immediately and was breathing comfortably.
T: Continue breathing deeply from your abdomen
T: Allow yourself to cross the bridge of phobia to a significant time in your life that is the cause behind it.
T: Bring your awareness to where you are and look around.
Client is moving her head and gesticulating with her hands.
T: Focus on the moment, what is happening?
C: Am on a battleship, we are fighting a war.
T: Look upon yourself and describe how you look
C: I am a man a young man in British Navy
T: What is your name and rank
C: Olive… Olive… Oliver. My name is Oliver R (doesn’t share his rank)
T: How old are you, Oliver?
C: I am 26 …smiles …
T: Can you look around and tell me what is the year?
C: 1940-41 …1941.
T: Float above and describe what is happening at this moment
C: I am a seaman, and our ship is under attack at sea. Everyone is running and shouting
T: Do you mean torpedo? Or Aircraft?
C: Submarine attacking our ship. They will torpedo. Captain is over-confident, and he is not acting correctly. I am arguing as junior lieutenant. He did not care and said I could be in trouble in court later.
T: Look into the eyes of the captain. Do you recognize him from this life?
C: He is Rajesh, my brother-in-law from this life.
T: If you could look around further on the deck, do you notice any face from this life.
C: After a few seconds. Yes, my husband. Suresh is the one on the ship’s wheel. He knows the captain is wrong but is following his orders and not saying anything. Everyone is scared.
T: How do you feel?
C: I feel scared, helpless. We will all die. Cries
C: We are hit…cries … Shows stress ….
T: Please continue breathing from the abdomen. As you breathe in and out, allow yourself to relax your forehead, your neck, shoulders and back muscles.
T: Go back to a significant moment in your life
C: After some time – I am with my parents in our backyard enjoying “supper” a barbeque.
T: Can you look into your fathers’ eyes and recognize him in your current life?
C: He is my father (smiles)
T: Can you put a face to your mother?
C: She is my mother-in-law
T: Allow yourself the moment and go to the next significant moment of your life
C: We are sinking …. breathes heavily…is sad …our captain is arrogant and did not follow rules
Pauses – 2 torpedoes have hit us …. CRIES …
T: How do you feel now?
C: (Thinks) … Helpless… Shivering and Crying …. Ship is toppling …I am scared water is icy. I will freeze to death….
T: Please do not be scared. You are only looking at a past life. No harm will come to you now.
C: I am in the freezing waters with huge waves. Nobody to help me…. cries …. I die in the water.
T: Neha, what is coming to your awareness at this moment?
C: Our captain is the reason behind my painful death. I die in icy waters …not my mistake. I was fearful of cold waters.
T: What is it that you carried from that life for this life?
C: I must stand up for what is right. I will resolve with love.
T: OK. You fought bravely during the call of duty and dying in water was just one way.
T: Breathe deeply from your abdomen and allow yourself to release the pain, the fear of icy cold water from your life.
T: Float above and tell me what happens to you after you die.
C: A force sucks me a big ball of white light. Continues breathing shallow now. As if sleeping.
I awaken the client by bringing her to the bridge onto the garden and see the bridge crumbling prior.
Allow her a few moments in her paradise of peace and then wake her up by counting 1 to 10.
Neha wakes up. She is in disbelief as she recollects the entire memory.
Pain Level Before PLRT: 9/10 Pain Level After PLRT: 0/10.
It has been just 2 days, and she called me and told me that she feels much lighter. She said that she will discuss her brother-in-law with her husband and also will make him understand amicably. As for her Phobia she took a shower with tap water for the first time whereas she would always switch-on the geyser to adjust the heat.
Shall take feedback after a month or so.
