ABSTRACT
Recognizing developmental differences and changes in individuals is essential to developing effective and beneficial therapeutic hypnotic approaches. From early life effective human interaction, communication, and survival require, and depend upon, careful observation of the non-verbal behavioral communication from infants to/with/and in response to their adult caregivers. Adults who are attuned to their babies soon [should] learn which cry (and when) means “I’m uncomfortable”, “I’m wet”, “I’m hungry”, “I’m sleepy”, and as such communicates, “Hold me”, “Change my diaper”, “Feed me”, “Sing to me or rock me to sleep – and turn down/off the lights”. Successful parents learn what “works” and what “doesn’t” in their behavioral response, their words, their intonation, their volume, their cuddling, and effective communication begins.
This chapter describes and provides examples of how bilateral hypnosis communication unfolds and can be nurtured in similar or differing ways throughout developmental periods of life. Working effectively with hypnosis with any/every individual – at any age and ‘level’ of development – depends upon the rapport established. This depends on an effective therapeutic alliance established in the context of listening to, watching, learning, and reassessing who this person is and considering where they are developmentally as well as their family, culture, and community.
