photo by alice (alicepopkorn)

One of the major misconceptions clients have when they come to work with me is they believe that I am going to do something or give them something that is going to make them change or heal. There are certainly times when I teach clients new resources they can use to address the issue they are facing, but in most cases I am simply helping clients to identify the resources they already possess (but for one reason or another are not accessing).

One of my favorite pieces of hypnotic patter I use in tapping sessions with clients is to say, “As you pay attention to [issue at hand] notice the resources you possess that you did not realize would be helpful or have forgotten about that would aid you in healing and transformation. Notice these resources as they spring to mind…”

I love the sense of surprise clients have, as resources come to light that we are then able to use tapping to use to address the issue at hand. [Remember: When working with a practitioner their job is to help you to access the healing tools you already possess.]

Sometimes, without the aid of a skilled practitioner it is hard to tap into these resources we possess because we are so close to the problem. We can have a great deal of resistance that prevents us from finding those resources by simply meditating on the patter offered above. [Note: For more information on resistance see these articles.]

When I have problems (and yes I do have problems) finding my way to the tools that I have to help in my own healing I turned to an Ericksonian hypnosis technique called “process instruction”. In there most over simplified form they are the combination of an unspecified verb, an adjective, and a nominalization (abstract noun) that guides the mind to accessing new perspective and unrealized resources.

The best part of process instructions is you don’t need to understand a single word of the previous paragraph to make them work for you. You can just use the table below to come up with phrases.

The way I use process instructions with tapping is

1. Tune into an issue I would like to see transformation in my life
2. Choose a word from each column below
3. Start tapping while thinking of the phrase and issue at hand

As I do this I simply pay attention to the new thoughts that I have. Often I am given new insight in to the problem. Other times I feel the charge release. While other times I see new paths that I can take to my healing.

I do this process with a pen and paper close by so I can write down my new insights.

After doing this for one phase I will move on to another combination. Obviously, some phrases are going to be more powerful than others, but if you take 2 minutes with 5 phrases you will generate a great deal of insight in just 10 minutes.

Here are a few examples of possible phrase that you focus on:

• develop useful experiences
• enjoy helpful understanding
• clarify relevant purpose
• discover positive support
• identify curious process

Now on the surface some of these phrases might seem very nonsensical, but if you give your subconscious a chance to sit with these phrase as you tap you will be very surprised at what you come up with.

[UPDATE: After posting this article there were a number of questions about this process. I have added a bonus podcast where I talk about Process Instructions. Listen to process instruction podcast.]