Client’s presenting issue
15 year old “Andy” is brought is by his mother. She has a list of his issues: procrastination, not following through after setting a goal, lazy, spends too much time online and playing electronic games, doesn’t like to read, very sensitive, is impatient and screams. Although I see some parenting issues here, my focus is on Andy.
Andy has also been diagnosed with ulcerative colitis and doesn’t always feel well.
Andy tells me that when he promises to do it later and then waits till the last minute he feels horrible, tired and guilty.
Why is it important to resolve this issue?
He wants to focus on his school work, work to the best of his ability, be a better person overall and achieve success.
Coping mechanisms already in place.
Talks with friends, plays a game, talks with mom.
What makes it worse?
When he procrastinates, he gives up and doesn’t believe in himself.
How will life look when this is resolved?
He’ll feel healthier, skinnier, grades will be higher, he’ll be energetic and happier.
Goal: address procrastination
Approach
Andy is an excellent hypnotic subject and we used a simple reframe and anchor to deal with his procrastination.
At his second session Andy reports feeling more awake and less stressed. He finishes his homework ahead of time and feels more patient.
In his second session I recorded some suggestions to alleviate more of the procrastination and to make other changes, i.e. playing outdoor sports more often.
In Andy’s third and final session he reports that he is completing his homework on time and his grades have improved. His report card is mostly A’s with one or two B’s.
His goal for this session is to exercise daily and practice basketball. I taught him how to use a control room metaphor so that he could turn up his metabolism and energy levels. We also did a reframe and anchor to release feeling lazy. He is well on his way to understanding how to use his mind to achieve his goals.
As with all the teens that I’ve worked with, Andy was able to accomplish a great deal in a short period of time. If you want more information about working with teens, click here: http://trancetime.com/store/hypnotherapy-dvd-training/
