Starting with induction (Dave Elman—progressive relaxation)
Visualization (stairs—garden)
After relaxing the client for a while in the garden.
T: maybe now you can find a way out to this garden leading to a road.
C: (IMR)
T: start walking on this road… and this road may lead you to a mountain. You can start climbing up on this mountain……(IMR) It’s completely safe for you to walk upward. The mountain is not very steep and thus you can climb it easily and comfortably…. And as you climb up, you can imagine the surrounding. Maybe some beautiful trees, grass. Maybe you can feel the soft breeze on your cheeks, the freshness around or maybe you can hear the soothing sound of soft rustling of leaves, the birds chirping… (suggestions as per VAK test. In case the client is not K, we can directly suggest to reach to mountain cliff instead of much visualization and imagination.)
As I count from 5-1, allow yourself to reach at the top of the mountain to the cliff. It is completely safe here, there you may imagine a railing around this cliff to keep you safer, having enough space for you to stand comfortably. (IMR)
Now you can imagine a beautiful ocean beyond this cliff. You may look around, maybe you can imagine some beautiful mountain ranges around, maybe a boat in the ocean and maybe you can even imagine how does the horizon looks like where the ocean and the sky meets. You can choose it to be anytime of the day. (To give sufficient time to the clients to visualize/imagine as vividly as possible including all the senses)
C: (IMR)
T: standing on this cliff, you can imagine two empty boxes. A bigger box behind you and a smaller box in front of you.
C: (IMR)
T: open the bigger box. And in a moment I am gonna count from 3-1, on the count of one allow yourself to pick up all the unpleasant and hurtful memories that happened within last one month. Take your time, pick up all those memories one by one, you can put a heavy metal frame around those memories and put it in the bigger box that is behind you. Take as much time as you need, Let me know whenever we can move forward. (EMDR- asking to look at the left, right, up, down, looking at the horizon)
[allowing the client as much time as they need]
[Repeat the same going back gradually—last 3 months, last 6 months, last 1 year, last 5 years, last 10 years, in childhood, infancy, at the time of birth, in-utero. For the memories of infancy, at the time of birth and in-utero, we can include a suggestion, “do not worry if it is an imagination or a fantasy or actual memory. These memories might be something that you may have heard from any one, maybe your closed one or your parents, might be an impression about the time when you were born, or maybe a feeling or a sound or a vision. (VAK test)
CRUX: To pick up all the hurtful, painful, unpleasant, discomforting, disturbing memories, putting a heavy metal frame around those memories and put those in the bigger box including EMDR everytime. To take IMR and move forward]
I also include the cord cutting that we discussed in our first forum call. While taking the clients back to in-utero experience.
T: you can now go back into the time when you were in your mother’s womb, how do you feel when you were inside your mother’s womb?
maybe now you can go even back in time when you weren’t in this body…before you entered this body. what could be the purpose of this life?
you may now go back in the time when you were just born, still attached with your mother with the umbilical cord. It might be an imagination or actual memory, let yourself feel it or imagine it.
C: (IMR)
T: now you may imagine this cord being cut, and as you imagine that or feel that, remind yourself, remind this little child to breathe for himself/herself. Remind this child that he/she have separate identity, choices, wants, dreams and is free to live his/her life the way he/she wants.
C: (IMR)
T: if you feet that there are any hurtful or unpleasant memory from this moment, you can put a heavy metal frame around it and put that memory into the bigger box which is behind you.
C: (IMR)
T: were you able to put the hurtful/unpleasant/disturbing memories into the box? (if there are still any memories, we give the client more time to recollect and put it in the box)
C: (IMR)
T: now you can close this bigger box. And turn around to the smaller box that is in front of you. Open that smaller box. In a moment I am gonna count from 3-1, on the count of one allow yourself to be become aware of any future worries, anxiety, dilemmas, concerns, or any tension that impacts you. Take your time, gradually think of everything that makes you worry about future, put a heavy metal frame around that concern and keep it into the smaller box that is in front of you. And let me know whenever we can move ahead. EMDR
3…2…1
C: (IMR)
T: now you can close that smaller box as well and if you wish you can lock both the boxes. As I count from 5-1, you can push both the boxes off the cliff into the ocean.
5…4…3….2…1
Let me know when you have pushed those boxes into the ocean.
(if the boxes feel heavy, we can add up more visualization. For example: if you need any help to push those boxes off the cliff you can take help from your guide/bulldozer etc.)
C: (IMR)
T: were you able to push both the boxes? (confirm again)
C: (IMR)
T: EMDR, you may now allow yourself to feel the peace and relief. How does it feels like to let go of all the past hurtful, unpleasant, discomforting, disturbing memories and how does it feels like to let go of all the future worries, to let go of all the burden that you were carrying on your shoulder. Enjoy the surrounding while you are standing on this cliff, feel the soft wind flowing, maybe the birds chirping, beautiful ocean. (suggestions as per VAK test)
Be there for a moment, and let me know whenever we can move ahead.
C: (IMR)
T: as I count from 1-5, on the count of 5 allow yourself to return back to the garden
1…2…3…4…5
T: are you back in the garden?
C: (IMR)
(let the client relax for a while in the garden, we may add few suggestions.)
After taking IMR, emerge.