By Erika Flint, BCH, A+CPHI, OB
Written for the 5-PATH © Journal
Age Progression (AP) is a powerful technique that you can use in every session with clients. AP is similar to Age Regression (AR), except you take your clients into an expected future instead of the past.
Here are four versions of AP you use in every session:
After completing insight based work, such as AR, or Forgiveness (FOO, FOS), or Parts Mediation Therapy (PMT), check that the work is completed by taking your client into the future and "test" it out.
You’ll want to either suggest a possible scenario for your client to use as a test, like this:
"In a moment when I count to three, you will be at the party this Friday, and because of the changes that took place here today, you only eat when actually hungry and focus on enjoying conversation and having fun with your friends and loved ones. 1, 2, 3, there you are, describe everything to me as it happens."
Note that you’ll often know the upcoming events and challenges in your client’s life during the pre-hypnosis interview. When they share with you their upcoming events, make sure to write them down and use them in session with clients.
An alternative approach if you don’t know of a specific event in your client’s future is to make it more ambiguous and allow your client to choose the scenario:
"In a moment, I'm going to count to three, and you will be an expected future event where in the past, it may have been hard for you to (eat healthy). However, this time, because of the changes and insight you experienced today, it's easy for you to eat only when you're actually hungry and continue to lose weight. Do you have the future event in mind? (Wait for a response) Good. 1, 2, 3, there you are, describe everything to me as it happens."
This type of AP is meant to be specifically related to the work that was done that day and connected to an expected upcoming event.
This version is powerful because it gives your client something to work on that very week before they see you again. If it works as expected, your client validates that they're changing. If there are any mishaps, it gives you something to work on during the next session.
This version of AP takes your client into the future at specific time-based points, for example, six months, a year, or even to an anniversary of an event – like a birthday or the new year.
Here's the language for this version, "In a moment I'm going to count to three, and it will be six months in the future. Six months of eating only when you're actually hungry. 1, 2, 3, there you are, describe everything to me as it's happening."
In this version of AP, your client imagines what their life will be like with six months of success. This is similar to the high road from the Universal Patter Script. If you used the Universal Patter Script with clients, you can have them imagine they are "back on the high road six months in the future and to notice how far they’ve come and all the positive changes in their life.”
This is a straight forward and easy to use version of AP that you can incorporate at any point during the hypnosis session.
This version of AP takes your client to the finish line, or “End State” – the success they wanted. What this is, of course, depends on what your client is coming in for. If it's a weight-loss client, then you'll take your client into the future where they've lost all the weight and realize all the other non-weight related benefits as well.
This version builds hope and inspiration for your client; they can "walk-around" in their new body, their new life, and imagine how wonderful it will be to achieve the result they came in for.
However, be careful to follow this version by step 4 below to make it more effective. The reason is that the time period your client experiences between now and this End State will likely have challenges. If it wasn't challenging to begin with, your client wouldn't have sought help by working with you.
Here’s transition language between these two steps, modified from what Cal says, “And now from this place of success, having accomplished everything you want, you’re able to look back over the past year and notice all that you’ve learned, and how much you’ve grown. You are "future self"! What advice do you have for present self (or use your client’s name) so that she becomes you? What are your keys to success? These are the things you always want to remember."
In this version of AP, you are having your client step through experiences rather than jump to a time (version 2), or End State (version 3). The purpose of this version is to empower the other versions of AP, and allow your client to stick with the changes they made over time. This helps your client be more successful in the long run.
For example, a weight-loss client may know one of their challenges is the weekend. They eat healthy all week long, but find the weekend to be harder to stay on track.
Using version 3 as the starting point, the client may say, "One of my keys to success is I always prepare for the weekend." Then, in version 4, you have your client step through that process, for example:
"I start my Saturday morning with exercise and follow it up by a trip to the grocery store to get healthy food for the weekend, which keeps me inspired."
A good practice is to always use version 1 – Validate the Work is Done. After that, depending on where your client is in the process, you may follow up with version 2 and 4 combined, or 3 and 4 combined.
Remember that if at any point during AP, your client still has a hard time being successful, all that means is there is more work to do. For example, if your client goes into the future to an upcoming party and they still overeat, you can regress them and do more AR work.
To finish the session, you still ask your client for insight! For example, "great work, now put an ending on the sentence, I've changed because now I know _______________.... I’ve changed because now I feel ______________...so now I can _____________."
Then follow up with the Segway to Direct Suggestion using your clients own words, "now that you know __________ (what your client previous said in session), and now that you feel __________ (what your client previous said they feel). It's easy for you to accept these hypnotic suggestions more powerful and permanently than ever before…" Then finish with DS for your client as outlined in the benefits form, and anything they said to you in session.