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OBESITY
l Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a therapeutic technique or ‘talking therapy’ that also focuses on identifying the individual’s thought processes behind a specific behaviour. It was created in the 1960s by Aaron T. Beck, who noticed that during his analytical sessions, his patients had an ‘internal dialogue’ going on in their minds, as if they were talking to themselves as well as to him, but they would only report a fraction of this kind of thinking to him. He concluded that many of these thought processes were encoded during childhood and subsequently ran on ‘autopilot’. Beck realised that by bringing these cognitive processes into conscious awareness, it’s possible to challenge and ultimately change this way of thinking, and as a result beliefs and behaviours.
l Hypnosis is more recognised and is acknowledged as a therapy in its own right. Without having to learn the specifics of clinical hypnosis, it is possible to learn how to help clients change their internal dialogue and utilise their own speech patterns
to develop a positive self-hypnotic language, often called ‘auto suggestion’. As long ago as the 1920s the French psychologist Émile Coué developed a methodology based on repeating optimistic self-suggestions such as
“every day in every way I am getting better and better” (later made famous by Frank Spencer in Some Mothers Do ‘Ave Em!). Coué maintained that making behavioural changes requires a change in our unconscious thinking, which can only be achieved by using our imagination in this way. He stressed that success lies in teaching others to heal themselves.
There is much synergy between all of the ‘talking therapies’, the main common denominator being enhancing the power of imagination to bring about a change in thinking. There is huge potential value in increasing our ability as trainers to positively influence our clients to want to make positive choices naturally. No more battling with ‘will power’ to get them to do something they inherently do not want to do, that cannot be sustained. This will of course help us financially as we develop a reputation for inducing success, and equally as important, can greatly enhance our own self-worth as a trainer and increase our job satisfaction.
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