Client’s name: Anita (name changed to protect privacy)
Age: 39
Gender: Female
Hypnotizability score: 7/10
Dominant sense (V/A/K): V5, A4, K6 (Kinesthetic)
Eye roll score: 3
Distress level before the guided work: Approximately 8/10 for the theme of struggle
Distress level after the guided work: Approximately 4/10, estimated by Anita in a later conversation
Background and presenting concern
Anita described growing up in a family where women were expected to marry and have children, while their education and ambitions received little encouragement. She was a quiet, introverted child, but she had big dreams and wanted to build a life beyond those expectations. She felt that her aspirations were not taken seriously. She also described one sibling as repeatedly undermining her while appearing to be supportive.
As an adult, Anita has pursued her goals but has experienced several painful setbacks. She feels that she has had to struggle more than others and that, whenever she faces something new, there is no one to support her. When we first discussed the focus for the work, we chose her sense of helplessness—the feeling that no one is there to help her. She rated its intensity at above 8.
Session 1 — Preparation and discussion
18 September 2026,
Because Anita is my friend, I already knew much of her background. We completed the initial stages of discussion and preparation in approximately one hour. I explained the process to her and played “The Great Bell Chant” before beginning the guided work.
Session 2 — First guided session
18 September 2026
I began with a Dave Elman induction, progressive relaxation, a ball of light visualization, a garden visualization, and an invitation to recall happy moments. Anita identified getting her new job as a recent happy moment, but she did not bring up earlier happy memories.
I then guided her through a cliff visualization. I invited her to imagine placing difficulties from her past and present in a steel box and throwing it off the cliff. She did not report feeling a significant shift afterward, so I brought her back and closed the session.
My reflection: This was my first time facilitating a session. I felt self-conscious, uncomfortable, and less grounded than I wanted to be. I had not meditated or prayed beforehand, which are part of how I prepare myself. I had the impression that Anita was not engaging deeply with the guided work, although I cannot determine her trance depth from that impression alone. We decided to rest and try again the next day.
Session 3 — Revisiting helplessness
19 September 2026
I began with a prayer to the higher forces and the Masters. I felt more grounded and confident as I started. We continued with helplessness as the focus, using induction, progressive relaxation, and guided imagery. I again invited Anita to recall happy moments, but she did not bring up earlier memories.
During this session, Anita mentioned seeing someone she could not identify in the garden visualisation. The person did not speak. I had the impression that she was finding it difficult to engage further with the exercise, so I brought her back and ended the guided portion.
Afterward, I spoke with Anita again about what she was experiencing. Through that discussion, I felt that helplessness might not be the most useful starting theme. We identified another recurring feeling: that she has to struggle more than other people, along with anger about that struggle. Anita said this felt less intense than helplessness, though she gave it a rating of approximately 8. We agreed to explore that theme in the fourth session.
Session 4
19 September 2026
For this session, Anita asked for imagery involving water because she did not feel drawn to gardens. I guided her through relaxation and into a place I called the Water Sanctuary. She appeared more at ease there.
With the feeling of struggle and the anger connected to it as our focus, I invited Anita to cross a bridge. She crossed it, but could not see anything. I then guided her back to the Water Sanctuary and asked whether she could see anyone there. She described a masculine presence who seemed helpful. She later identified this presence as her guide.
I invited Anita to cross the bridge again, but she said she did not want to. I remembered Dr. Venu’s guidance to avoid asking “why,” as it might bring a client out of trance. At that moment, however, I felt I needed to understand what had happened, so I asked her why. Anita explained that crossing the bridge had been difficult and that her shoulders had hurt.
I suggested that she ask the presence in the Water Sanctuary for help. Anita initially refused. When I asked why, she said, “I don’t want to be a burden.” I invited her to ask and see whether he was willing to help. In her visualization, she asked, and he said yes.
They then crossed the bridge together. Anita later described being carried by the guide and enjoying the crossing. With his help, she was able to look around and take in the scenery.
On the other side, Anita saw rocky terrain. She did not describe moving further. During the guided portion, she quietly said “trust” and then said that nobody had trusted her in her past. I guided her back to the Water Sanctuary and brought the session to a close.
My reflection: Asking “why” twice differed from the guidance I had received in training by Dr. Venu. However, in this session, the questions helped me understand what Anita was experiencing: first the physical difficulty she associated with the bridge, and then her reluctance to burden someone by asking for help. Going forward, I would use a more open invitation, such as “What makes it difficult to cross?” or “What comes up when you think about asking him?”
Integration after Session 4
In our conversation afterward, Anita explained that the rocky terrain had seemed to keep moving while I asked questions, which left her feeling unbalanced. She also recalled hugging the guide and hearing him tell her that no one had trusted her when she was a child, and that this was connected to her sense of struggle. She said this felt true to her, although she had not recognised the connection before.
We discussed the moment when she did not want to ask the guide for help because she feared being a burden. Anita reflected that she often tries to do everything on her own and does not readily ask for help, including the divine help she believes may be available to her. She said she wanted to practise asking for help when she felt stuck.
Anita could not give a distress rating immediately after the session. She said she felt better and that the experience had helped her understand something about herself. She also said she had enjoyed the session.
This first case taught me the value of revisiting the focus when the initial theme does not seem to help the client engage. Anita’s preference for the Water Sanctuary also appeared to make the imagery more accessible to her. The most meaningful moment for both of us was her hesitation to ask for help, followed by her experience of crossing the bridge with support.
Integration and follow-up
After the session, Anita and I discussed her reluctance to ask the guide for help because she did not want to be a burden. We connected this with the times in her life when she has felt alone and believed she had to manage everything herself.
I suggested that, when she feels stuck, she could ask the divine for help. I had offered her similar advice as a friend before the session, but this time it seemed to resonate more deeply with her. Anita reflected on moments when she had felt alone and said she now felt she could ask for divine help and be open to receiving it. I felt that experiencing help during the visualization had made this message more meaningful to her than hearing the advice alone.
When I spoke with Anita a few days later, she rated her sense of struggle at 4 out of 10, compared with approximately 8 out of 10 before Session 4. She said she felt better and wanted me to help her friends and cousin as well. Her response left me feeling that the session had been valuable to her.
I know she wasn’t able to view any past life but perhaps the lessons were embedded in this lifetime. Or perhaps I need more practice (this is for certain). Looking forward to taking up more cases soon! All the best to me!
you are doing better than you think, you got this 
motivation first, solution later