Suggestion

Question 1

DEFINITIONS

Answer 1

**1. All problem solving begins with the idea that change is possible

**2. the communication of ideas

**3. aiding the Pt accomplish a goal that they couldn’t otherwise accomplish alone

**4. transformation of an idea into an act

**5. enabling the client to benefit from unrealized or only partially realized potentials

**6. indirect or direct communication that elicits behavior

**7.

Question 2

Boy with asthma example

Answer 2

communicated idea that some relief from asthma was possible, idea transformed into action

fully absorbed boy in thoughts by making inquiry into the emotional experience with asthma

clinical suggestion DIRECT: you have begun to breathe more comfortably, therefore you can control some portion of your asthma

Question 3

Cooperation vs control

Answer 3

EX: the woman who was going to slap E: a woman who tells her husband that she will slap the T as soon as she comes to therapy is not likely to cooperate with her therapy, being that husband arranged T, she was left all the more indignant at anything E had to say, when E stated her position, she was forced to agree with him, when he asked her which way he should duck, E made it clear he was willing to accept her on her terms and cooperate with her actions, in turn, he asked her to cooperate with him (she cooperated by revealing she was right handed)

Question 4

Direct suggestion

Answer 4

injunction that originates from external source, with no doubt who is giving commands and who is expected to respond to them

Use of suggestion becomes therapeutic when ideas communicated relate to needs and goals of P

good for pt’s who are in a state of uncertainty, those who question readiness for change, inhibition or self doubt

EX: pain tolerance: asked to withstand pain for as long as they could, pain tolerance increased in all trial groups after “do whatever you can to reduce the pain”–merely receiving explicit permission from the investigator increased coping resources from the resources
EX: wart removal

Question 5

Indirect suggestion

Answer 5

believed communication should be indirect whenever possible

I suggestions have a degree of ambiguity that allows a greater freedom in responding

I communication reaches parts of mind that aren’t accessible by means of direct comm

dealing with problems that exist outside of conscious awareness using comm that was ALSO outside realm of consciousness

**unlike D suggestion, desired outcome is not made explicit

asking questions, story telling, nonspecific use of inevitabilities

Question 6

Permissive suggestion

Answer 6

pt’s create their own solutions their own way

created through use of ambiguous stimuli designed to elicit responses based on experiential learnings–ambiguity stimulates mental activity and enhances communication

framings suggestions as an option, use of generalities, open-ended statements that suggest many possible options

Question 7

Interspersal and repetition

Answer 7

repeating ideas to increase their influence–when something repeated enough times, people start to believe it; easier to reject unfamiliar ideas that to those which have grown accustomed

presenting the same object to people on multiple occasions will increase the liking fo rate object

EX: man with phantom limb pain: interspersed suggestions throughout an ongoing dialogue, when communicated as a brief statement, unlikely to arouse critical review–as basic suggestion is continuously revisited, more and more familiar and is absorbed into pt’s thinking

Question 8

The confusion technique

Answer 8

= step towards increased responsiveness rather than a suggestion

Used confusion to prepare P’s for change/foster greater receptivity

Confusion derived from uncertain behavior of P in response to unexpected action of T

EX: the woman who felt she could not be hypnotized: based on past, compelled to agree w E when he said “i can’t hypnotize you” and while accepting that frame, E added “j your arm” which was confusing and difficult to refute–couldn’t negate assertion because he clearly stated the thing she had come to prove, no longer need to resist, but last three words were jarring enough to create inner disequilibrium that she was forced to ask for clarification, when complying with request for clarification, E added “see” and touched her hand, an automatic hand movement was activated—> situation transformed from contestant between two people to one of joint cooperation and participation in task of achieving therapeutic goal