A Practitioner's Guide to Mirroring Hands -
Book review by Rob Ellinger
Hill and Rossi’s The Practitioner’s Guide to Mirroring Hands explores the Mirroring Hands technique that they have developed, as well as their broader philosophy around client-led therapy.
On a purely surface level, Mirroring Hands is another technique that a hypnotherapist might have in their toolbox. Clients are invited to focus closely on their hands, and allow their issue or problem to flow into one of their hands. Their free hand then takes something else on board. Possibly an alternative, or a solution, or just a contrasting sensation. Depending on the nature of the problem the hands may then (unconsciously) take some kind of action to demonstrate to both therapist and client that there is an internal process taking place. The ‘problem’ hand, for example, might sink to the lap as the whole history of the problem is explored, whilst the ‘solution’ hand rises to the chest to provide comfort and protection. This is but one example, and there are probably innumerable possibilities. Hill and Rossi take an extremely flexible, client centred approach, requiring a certain amount of improvisation.
This approach is certainly useful and interesting, but not perhaps ground breaking. It’s another hypnotic technique, another tool in the toolbox.
To treat this book as teaching just another tool, however, would be to ignore its larger value; namely the philosophy of change that Hill and Rossi teach. Although they touch on a multitude of different philosophical ideas, the two that receive the most attention are the ultradian rhythm and the 4-stage creative process. The latter of these in particular is the foundation that underpins the workings of mirroring hands as a technique.
Ultradian rhythms are biological cycles that occur multiple times in a single 24 hour period. In this context, Hill and Rossi define the ultradian rhythm as something that occurs across roughly 90 minutes and can be defined as a sinewave consisting of arousal that rises to peak performance, before descending with stress, leading to an approximately 20 minute healing response. At the end of this healing response, arousal begins again.
Hill and Rossi advocate taking advantage of this rhythm in the therapy space. During therapy, clients will often enter in the aroused state, and need to be led through a process taking them to their peak performance, and gradually down into the rest state. During the healing response, the unconscious mind can gather and process, leading to moments of profound change.
This ultradian approach is combined with the four-stage creative process. The four stages being: 1. Information – exactly as it sounds, assessing the problem/issue and gathering data 2. Incubation – This stage is about meaning. Having gathered data, the client reflects on what that data means and how it has been affecting them. 3. Breakthrough and Insight – The ‘Aha’ moment. A flash of insight, followed by an expansive and creative response to change. 4. Verification – The whole experience is quietly reviewed and considered and the benefits integrated into everyday life. In Mirroring Hands then, the hypnotic technique already described is used to guide a client through these four stages. The hypnotic actions of sending problems and solutions into the hands allow a client to externalise an issue, in order to gather data and meaning, and allow the unconscious mind to develop and present a solution.
And it is in this combination that the real value of this book can be found. Beyond a single technique, it offers a client-led approach to developing solutions, using the body’s natural rhythms and mental processes. For those of a particularly scientific bent there are also a couple chapters and appendices looking at different quantum states and neural processes, but this reviewer is not too proud to admit most of that went over his head. Regardless it’s good to know there is some firm science behind their ideas, even if it gets a little abstract in places.
Overall this book is a recommended read for those wanting an additional tool, but more so for those looking to understand the oftentimes unconscious workings that a client is experiencing as they go through the process of change in (and indeed out of) hypnosis.