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©2007 by C. Roy Hunter, M.S., FAPHP
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This article discusses the concept of parts therapy and its
variations (ego state therapy, voice dialogue, subpersonalities,
etc.) to help clients resolve inner conflicts. Experts have used similar
techniques for years, based on the concept that we all have various personality
parts (also called ego parts, selves, subpersonalities,
and other names). The late Charles Tebbetts based his
parts therapy on Paul Federn’s work, but evolved it
into a client-centered approach and combined it with deep hypnosis in order to
help clients resolve inner conflicts. I updated the work of Tebbetts,
and explain why client-centered parts therapy differs from most variations of
parts therapy. My client-centered approach is based on the concept that the
client’s inner mind can resolve inner conflicts when the facilitator acts as a
mediator and asks the right questions.
Introduction
How many
people experience inner conflicts that inhibit successful attainment of
important goals? Counselors and hypnotherapists often use proven techniques to
help their clients change undesired habits and/or to achieve desired personal
and professional goals, yet some clients still backslide because of strong
inner conflicts.
Increasing
numbers of therapists around the world are discovering the benefits of parts
therapy and its variations to help clients get past personal barriers. Parts
therapy (or one of its variations) can often help resolve inner conflicts even
after clients fail to respond to more traditional techniques. The client-centered
approach draws out the client’s own ability to resolve inner conflicts (Hunter,
2005).
Defining Parts Therapy
Parts
therapy resembles its variations in that it is based on the concept that our
personality is composed of a number of various personality parts, which are
aspects of the subconscious, each with their respective jobs or functions of
the inner mind. The facilitator calls
out and communicates directly with those parts of the subconscious involved in
a client’s inner conflict, and then employs mediation to help a client resolve
inner conflicts in order to achieve the desired result.
The late Charles Tebbetts taught his methods of employing parts therapy in
the 1970’s, even before writing his hypnotherapy book (Tebbetts,
1985) that is now out of print. He believed
that we all have various aspects of our personalities, which he called ego parts. His work resembled the work
of Watkins and Watkins, called ego state therapy; but they referred to the
personality aspects as ego states
(Watkins & Watkins, 1979).
Occasionally
professionals ask me if Tebbetts based his work on
that of Watkins and Watkins, and then simply renamed it; but my belief is that
they took parallel paths. My former instructor gave credit where credit was
due, both in the classroom and in his written materials. Tebbetts
openly admitted that he originated parts therapy from the work of Paul Federn, and borrowed aspects of parts therapy from others
therapists and researchers. Federn worked with the
id, ego, and superego (Federn, 1953; Erskine, 2002). Tebbetts privately practiced his own variation of Federn’s work for many years before teaching it to others,
evolving parts therapy into a format that effectively helps clients resolve
inner conflicts. When I took his course in 1983, Tebbetts
told me personally that he had invested many years in developing parts therapy.
Over the years, I have updated his work to an even more client-centered
approach than the one Tebbetts practiced and taught.
However, before defining “client-centered”
parts therapy, let’s explore its variations.
Variations of Parts Therapy
Therapists
around the world have employed variations of parts therapy for decades. I will
briefly discuss several of them in this article, starting with my favorite variation
already mentioned above: ego state
therapy.
Pioneered
by Dr. John Watkins and Helen Watkins over a number of years, ego state therapy
is still growing in popularity among therapists. Watkins wrote about ego states
in several publications and books back in the 1970's (Watkins, 1979). Gordon Emmerson takes ego state therapy into the next level with
his excellent book, Ego State Therapy
(Crown House Publishing, 2003), which is now required reading for my
hypnotherapy students.
Emmerson believes
that we use five to fifteen ego states throughout a normal week (Emmerson, 2003), and that we have more ego states available
when needed. He goes beyond the use of ego state therapy for resolving inner
conflicts, providing other therapeutic benefits as well. My professional
opinion, stated both verbally and in writing, is that Emmerson's
book is a "must read" for anyone practicing parts therapy or any of
its variations.
I also
believe that any competent therapist who facilitates ego state therapy as
practiced and presented by Watkins or Emmerson should
enjoy a high success rate. Emmerson believes that
hypnosis makes ego state therapy more powerful (Emmerson,
2003), which validates the teachings of Charles Tebbetts
(Tebbetts, 1985). In light of the above, I believe
that ego state therapy is an outstanding alternative to client-centered parts
therapy.
Voice Dialogue
Hal Stone, Ph.D., and Sidra Stone, Ph.D., researched and promoted
another variation of parts therapy called voice dialogue. Their technique
gained popularity among many facilitators of NLP (neuro-linguistic
programming). The client, in a manner comparable to Gestalt therapy, plays the
role of each part by changing chairs or positions (although changing chairs is
optional). The therapist facilitates the dialogue and proceeds accordingly. The
Stones label the ego parts as selves or
subpersonalities,
providing labels for the various other subpersonalities
such as the protector/controller, the pleaser, the perfectionist, etc. (Stone,
1989). They also provide some interesting discussion regarding the origin of subpersonalities. I personally found their discussion of
negative selves to be quite fascinating, such as the possible origins of
disowned selves, which they also call demonic energies.
Miriam Dyak promotes the work of the Stones (Dyak, 1999). She presents a particular method of
facilitating voice dialogue, with a systematic guide for those who wish to
practice her approach. She worked closely with Hal and Sidra Stone, and offers
training programs.
My past experience as a client of voice dialogue validates my primary
concern. The absence of a formal induction into hypnosis may diminish its
success with some clients. With little or no trance state, an analytical person
such as myself may resist permanent change (Hunter,
2000 & 2005). In 1989, my voice dialogue facilitator thought that he
successfully helped me attain resolution to a concern as I moved from chair to
chair; but the lack of sufficient trance depth resulted in my own conscious
mind interfering greatly in the process. The resolution was temporary, lasting
less than a week.
I mention my own experience in classes and workshops; and both students
and professionals alike have reported similar failures with analytical clients
of voice dialogue over the years. Perhaps their experiences (as well as mine)
might have proven more successful if deep trance states were obtained before
the facilitation of voice dialogue. Still, voice dialogue apparently works well
for clients who can easily access the subconscious without experiencing
analytical resistance.
Inner Child Work
John Bradshaw praised the work of the Stones; but he considers the selves (or ego parts) to be
developmental stages that remain intact. He labels them as an infant, a
toddler, a pre-school and school age child, as well as an adolescent (Bradshaw,
1988). He facilitates group exercises, encouraging clients to meditate with
inner imagery, and to love the inner child. He then takes clients through all
the "developmental stages" to find out whether the needs were met in
each stage. Bradshaw gives suggestions for positive change during each stage,
and he gets results.
Subpersonalities
We may find John Rowan’s concept of subpersonalities
in the very first paragraph of his book on subpersonalities.
According to Rowan, we all have several little people inside us, all wanting
different things (Rowan, 1993). We have more than one center within ourselves,
and our minds are divided into portions and phases. Rowan’s book is somewhat
analytical, yet written for the novice. I found it easy to read, filled with
useful information for both professional and novice alike. Rowan offers
numerous exercises, along with some questionnaires for self-awareness. I
especially like his history of the variations of parts therapy covered in the
22nd and 23rd chapters. That alone is sufficient for the
serious student of parts therapy or its variations to invest in this book.
Other Variations
Nancy J. Napier, a marriage and family
therapist recognized in the
Some facilitators use a variation of
parts therapy called conference room therapy (Quigley, 1999). Although similar
to parts therapy in many ways, they use the imagery of a conference room. My
concern with the use of a conference room can be stated in the form of a
question: what if the client received news of a demotion or termination in a
conference room? If we provide the imagery to the client, we take a risk; one
person’s peaceful place might be another person’s phobia.
There are others who assume that subpersonalities are attaching entities that a therapist
must release rather than potentially productive parts that can be integrated or
given new jobs (
Now let’s get back to the better
variations. Kevin Hogan, Ph.D., employs and teaches a variation of parts
therapy that is similar to what I teach (Hogan, 2001). Additionally, Jack Elias
teaches his own variation of parts therapy (Elias, 2005), and bases much of his
hypnotherapy work on a blend of Eastern philosophy and transpersonal
hypnotherapy (Elias, 2006).
While most variations of parts therapy
should prove to be effective with many clients, some variations work better
than others. Personally, I prefer the client-centered approach.
Why Is Client-Centered Parts
Therapy Different?
The best way for me to define “client-centered” parts therapy is as
follows: the facilitator remains objective (like a mediator), empowering
clients to discover their own resolutions simply by asking the right questions.
It is based on the concept that the inner mind, or subconscious, will reveal
the core cause(s) of an inner conflict when questions are asked in an objective
manner; and the various parts of the inner mind find their own resolutions when
the facilitator asks the right questions.
We can best accomplish this during a deep state of hypnosis, which
minimizes the risk of analytical interference from the conscious mind (Hunter,
2005). A deeper hypnotic state facilitates effective communication with each
part., usually free of analytical resistance. Additionally, the facilitator of
client-centered parts therapy should avoid projecting his/her own philosophical
or spiritual beliefs into the session, so that it truly remains the client’s
experience.
Besides combining deep trance with parts therapy, another difference
between my methods and that of most variations is that I avoid calling out
“protector” or “controller” parts first, and call out only the two parts in
conflict. Looking for a specific part (such as a controller part) might cause parts to emerge that may be irrelevant
to resolving the inner conflict. Other parts are called out if necessary, but I
avoid unnecessary detours. Also, I avoid putting my own names on the ego parts.
Instead, I ask each emerging part to give me a name or title, which often
provides important insight regarding a part’s purpose (Hunter, 2005).
Additionally,
Tebbetts taught that we should treat each ego part
with respect, just as though the part was a person. This helps the facilitator
to maintain rapport with each part, making it easier to help the conflicting
parts come to terms of agreement. Emmerson also
encourages the therapist to treat each part as thought it is a person (Emmerson, 2003), which validates what Tebbetts
taught me in 1983.
I also
emphasize the importance of avoiding inappropriate leading, and encourage my
clients to avoid dwelling on any pre-conceived opinions before they enter
hypnosis…and simply go with what emerges from the inner mind. Any preconceived
opinions can influence what emerges from the subconscious, whether said
opinions come from client or facilitator. This is true whether the therapist
employs a variation of parts therapy (Emmerson,
2003), or regression therapy (Durbin,
1999). Inappropriate leading can often result in false memories (Sheflin & Shapiro, 1989), taking both client and
therapist alike down the wrong path, with the potential of costly consequences
(Churchill, 2002).
When Is Parts Therapy Appropriate?
Client-centered parts therapy is ideal for clients who have two
different parts of the subconscious pulling them in opposite directions. For
example, a smoker might have a strong emotional desire to quit in order to have more energy (or better health), while another part
of the subconscious provides pleasure in lighting up after meals (or at other
times). Inner conflicts are also common with people wishing to control their
weight. How often does a dieter give in to junk food?
The obvious clue would be evident by a client saying: "A part of me wants to get rid of this
weight while another part wants to
keep on eating junk food!" The ego part desiring to be attractive is in
conflict with the inner child (or some other ego part) wanting to enjoy eating
sweets, etc. Parts therapy usually will uncover the cause(s), so that the
facilitator may facilitate inner conflict resolution through a process similar
to mediation.
Before proceeding, however, I tell my client: “We tend to wear
different hats as we walk through the path of life. We get into the work mode
on our jobs, wearing the hat of a dedicated worker; but the inner child often
comes out to play after our work is done. A smoker might have a part of the
subconscious motivating that person to quit, while another part is determined
to sabotage every attempt…” This type of advance explanation is, in my
professional opinion, essential for the client. One minute of communication can
be worth many months of resolution, as I once saw a female client who believed
that she had multiple personalities simply because another therapist had
previously employed a variation of parts therapy without giving her an advance
explanation of the process.
Often the need for parts therapy may not be readily apparent.
Practitioners of diversified client-centered hypnosis learn how to fit the
technique to the client rather than vice versa, and they do not automatically
use parts therapy with everyone. Most of my intake sessions begin with my
asking the client to describe his (or her) desired goal. When possible, I give
some positive suggestions designed to the client's specific benefits for
achieving a desired goal. This is because an enjoyable first impression is lasting,
and more likely to result in the client keeping his/her next appointment
(Hunter, 2000). I also devote a session to teaching self-hypnosis as a way of
reducing stress. By the third or fourth session, if the client still resists
positive suggestions, I will choose an advanced hypnotic technique that seems
appropriate for that particular client. Naturally, when an inner conflict is
apparent, I choose parts therapy. When the appropriate technique is not so
obvious, I use finger response questions before deciding how to proceed.
While my primary motive for facilitating parts therapy is to help
clients resolve inner conflicts, some trainers and authors use additional
applications of parts therapy or its variations even in the absence of an
apparent inner conflict. Emmerson uses an intriguing
“map” of a client’s ego states, calling out a number of different parts (Emmerson, 2003). His approach is also client-centered.
How Do We Employ Parts Therapy?
I compare parts therapy to mediation. The reason I chose Hypnosis for Inner Conflict Resolution
in the title of my parts therapy book (Hunter, 2005) is because I mediate
between the two primary parts in conflict, which I call the conflicting part and the motivating
part. As previously mentioned, I ask each part to provide me with a name or
title to use during the process, which I call the 11-Step Process. While many
of my sessions involve calling out only two parts, other parts do exist whether
or not they make their presence known. My 2005 book from Crown House Publishing
describes these steps in detail. Here are the steps:
1.
Identify the part
2.
Gain rapport (compliment the part).
3.
Call out the part.
4.
Thank it for emerging.
5.
Discover its purpose.
6.
Call out other parts as appropriate.
7.
Negotiate and mediate.
8.
Ask parts to come to terms of agreement.
9.
Confirm and summarize terms of agreement.
10.
Give direct suggestion as appropriate (only after terms of
agreement, but NOT before).
11.
INTEGRATE the parts! (The formal parts therapy process is completed.)
Several chapters explore all eleven steps in-depth, with sample scripts
to help the facilitator along the way. Common detours often appear, making it
necessary for the facilitator to deal with what emerges from the inner mind. I
discuss the common ones, and provide tips to help the facilitator find ways of
getting past the detours.
This 11-Step Process is based on the discipline I learned from Tebbetts in 1983, which he put into print (Tebbetts, 1985). I have updated his teachings through my
years of professional experience. For example, Tebbetts
often engaged in what he called a “Great Debate” with what he called the offending part (which I call the conflicting part), and he referred to
the facilitator as an arbitrator (Tebbetts, 1985). Although Tebbetts
got results in the classroom, witnessed by me and other students, my major
update of his work is to encourage the facilitator to act as a mediator instead of an arbitrator, and
to avoid engaging in debates with any of the parts.
When I shared this update with Tebbetts in 1990,
he agreed with my reasons for the update; but he passed on before putting it in
writing. He was a pioneer, and I believe that Charles Tebbetts
made one of the most profoundly beneficial contributions to hypnotherapy in the
20th Century.
In addition to the parts therapy process described above, the session
contains a preparation and a conclusion. During the preparation, I explain
parts therapy briefly to the client, so that he/she will be comfortable with
the process. The preparation phase also includes an appropriate induction and
deepening techniques, and establishing a client’s peaceful place. The
conclusion begins after the parts are integrated in Step 11, when I give both
direct and indirect suggestion and imagery, in order to have the client imagine
his/her desired result. Appropriate debriefing takes place after the client
emerges from hypnosis, and another session is scheduled if necessary.
Why Is Client-Centered Parts Therapy Effective?
In my
professional opinion, the client-centered approach empowers the client, because
the cause(s) and resolution for the problem come from the client’s inner mind
instead of from the mind of the facilitator. The inner mind seems to contain a
profound wisdom that is often surprising to both client and therapist alike,
because there is a part of the inner mind that observes what happens even
during deep trance (Durbin, 2001; Hilgard, 1994). The
facilitator must simply ask the right questions in order to access that inner
wisdom.
Some
hypnotic techniques, such as aversion therapy, employ scripts and/or
suggestions asking clients to give their power away to someone who tells them
what to do. They may even receive "spells" in the form of hypnotic
suggestions! A person with a strong “rebel” button can overcome aversion suggestion,
yet others who do succeed could run the risk of losing self-esteem because of
their dependence on someone else to place hypnotic suggestions deep in the
subconscious.
Even parts
therapy or its variations are sometimes employed in a therapist directed
manner, where the facilitator tells each part what to do and debates with
rebellious parts. This type of approach is risky. One of my former students
learned that lesson the hard way after losing a debate with a client’s
rebellious part. He gave her two free sessions to apologize to the offended
part, and finally helped her resolve her inner conflict.
Several
years ago, a psychologist asked me to use parts therapy to help her resolve an
inner conflict. Upon emerging from hypnosis, her first words were, "That
solution was so simple, I wish I had thought of it myself!" I quickly
reminded her that the resolution had indeed come from her own mind, and not
mine. She smiled and agreed, and acknowledged the value of client-centered
parts therapy. Both professionals and students alike also acknowledge the value
of using a client-centered approach after sitting through my classes or
workshops.
The
client-centered approach helps clients attain greater empowerment, because it
is based on the belief that the power to change resides within the client. The facilitator’s job is to remain objective
while helping clients discover their own inner power, and to help them use it
constructively. Successful client-centered parts therapy provides a greater probability
of lasting results, and often provides the side benefit of an improved
self-esteem for many clients. This is a win/win.
About the Author:
Roy Hunter, M.S., FAPHP, studied hypnotherapy under
Charles Tebbetts in 1983. Hunter teaches professional
hypnotherapy near
References:
Beahrs, J. 1982. Unity and Multiplicity: Multilevel Consciousness of Self in Hypnosis,
Psychiatric Disorder and Mental Health.
Bradshaw, J. 1988. The Family:
Churchill,
R. 2002. Regression Hypnotherapy:
Transcripts of Transformation.
Durbin, P. 1999. Beware
of False Memories. URL: http://www.rickross.com/reference/false_memories/fsm24.html
(Accessed January 10, 2007).
Durbin, P. 2001. Reference
to Hilgard, mentioning Hidden Observer. (Hilgard, E. Divided Consciousness: Multiple Controls in Human
Thought and Action.
Dyak, M. 1999. The Voice Dialogue Facilitator's Handbook.
Elias, Jack. 2005. Finding True Magic: Transpersonal
Hypnotherapy. Five Wisdoms Press. URL:
http://www.findingtruemagic.com/hypnotherapy.shtml#01_hypnosis (accessed January
9, 2007).
Emerson, G. 2003.
Erskine,
R. 2002. Institute for Integrative Psychotherapy, reference to: Federn, P. Ego
Psychology and the Psychosis.
Hilgard, E. 1994. Hypnosis in the Relief of Pain.
Hogan, K. Nahum, E.J.,
Hunter, R. 2000. The Art of Hypnotherapy
(2nd Ed.).
Hunter, R. 2005. Hypnosis for Inner Conflict
Resolution.
Napier, N. 1990. Recreating Your SELF: Help for Adult Children of Dysfunctional Families.
Quigley, D. 2007. Conference Room Therapy
(course). URL: http://www.alchemyinstitute.com/course.htm (Accessed January
10, 2007)
Rowan, J.
1993. Discover Your Subpersonalities.
Scheflin, A, Shapiro, J.L.
1989. Trance on Trial.
Stone, H; Stone, S. 1989. Embracing Our Selves.
Tebbetts, C. 1985. Miracles on Demand.
Watkins, J, Watkins, H. 1979. The Theory and Practice of
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Last updated:
December 21, 2009
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