By Katina Gleeson | Clinical Hypnotherapist & Mental Health Accredited Social Worker
Authors Robert Kegan and Lisa Laskow Lahey have written a book with a title that for me powerfully expresses frustrations many people experience: “Immunity to Change”. In their book they discuss the paradox of how even the most willing people are often not able to truly change. They refer to a medical study where heart doctors tell their seriously at-risk patients that they will die if they don’t make changes to their personal lives. These changes involved habits around diet, exercise and/or smoking. The doctors made it clear to their patients that it truly was a choice of change or die. In this study only one in seven of the patient is actually able to make the changes.
This study indicates that even when there is a matter of life or death, the ability to change remains a huge challenge for most people. According to Kegan and Lahey, the problem is not due to the lack of will. Rather, it is the inability to close the gap between what people genuinely and even passionately want, and what they are actually able to do.
I often see this paradox, that gap between what people want and what people do. I suspect we have all seen this paradox in ourselves or others: people who want to stop smoking and yet continue to smoke; people who want to live healthier lives and yet continue to eat foods they don’t want to eat; people wanting calm in their lives and yet continuing to experience ongoing anxiety.
Hypnosis can greatly enhance the possibilities for change by closing that gap. In the trance state opportunities can be explored for congruency between what a person wants to experience in life and actual life experiences. In the trance state the unconscious mind can be engaged to explore new possibilities; to unlock the resources within a person, to achieve the desired change.
If you would like to discuss how clinical hypnotherapy might support you achieve improved emotional and physical health contact Katina Gleeson.
Ph: 3168 1779
Alternatively, make an online booking here.
Kegan, R., & Lahey, L. L. (2009). Immunity to change: How to overcome it and unlock potential in yourself and your organization. Boston, Mass: Harvard Business Press.