PROFESSIONAL HYPNOTHERAPY SCRIPT
Reassessment of Life
Healing the Relationship With Self, Family, Time and the Past
Primary therapeutic themes:
- Developing a healthier relationship with oneself
- Healing and redefining family relationships
- Becoming intentional with time and personal priorities
- Releasing emotional burdens from the past
- Developing self-compassion, emotional freedom and conscious choice
- Creating a more intentional future
THERAPIST PRE-SESSION FRAME
Before beginning, establish the client’s desired outcome in their own words.
Ask:
“If this session were genuinely helpful to you, what would you notice being different afterwards?”
Explore whether the client is primarily struggling with:
- self-criticism
- shame
- low self-worth
- unresolved family conflict
- resentment
- anger
- guilt
- grief
- fear
- attachment to an old relationship
- difficulty setting boundaries
- living according to other people’s expectations
- feeling that life is passing by
- lack of direction
- difficulty prioritising what matters
- difficulty releasing the past
Do not assume the cause.
Allow the client to identify their own meaning and experience.
The therapeutic intention is not to erase memories or force forgiveness.
The intention is to help the client develop choice, perspective, emotional regulation, self-compassion and intentional behaviour.
1. INDUCTION
“Before we begin, make yourself comfortable.
Allow your body to settle into the chair.
There is nothing you need to force.
Nothing you need to prove.
And nothing you need to achieve right now.
For these next few moments, you can simply become aware of yourself.
Become aware of your breathing.
You don’t need to change it.
Just notice it.
And with every comfortable breath, allow yourself to become a little more settled.
Perhaps noticing the gentle movement of your chest…
the movement of your abdomen…
the sensation of the air moving in…
and moving out.
And as you breathe out, you can allow yourself to release a little of the tension you have been carrying.
Not everything.
Just a little.
Because you don’t have to solve your entire life today.
You only need to become more aware.
More present.
More compassionate toward yourself.
And perhaps you can allow your eyes to close whenever that feels comfortable.”
Pause.
“Now bring your attention to the muscles around your eyes.
Notice them becoming softer.
And as those muscles soften, allow that feeling of relaxation to move down through your face.
Your forehead becoming smooth.
Your jaw becoming loose.
Your tongue resting comfortably.
Your neck becoming softer.
Your shoulders becoming heavier.
And with every breath, you can allow your shoulders to drop just a little further.
Let that relaxation move down through your arms…
your elbows…
your forearms…
your hands…
all the way to the fingertips.
And now allow that comfortable relaxation to move through your chest…
your abdomen…
your back…
your hips…
your thighs…
your knees…
your calves…
your ankles…
and your feet.
Your entire body becoming increasingly comfortable.”
Pause 10–15 seconds.
“Nothing to do.
Nowhere to go.
Just this moment.
Just this breath.
Just you.”
2. DEEPENER
“In a moment, I am going to count slowly from ten down to one.
With each number, you can allow yourself to become more deeply relaxed and more inwardly focused.
Ten…
beginning to let go.
Nine…
allowing the outside world to become less important.
Eight…
going deeper into comfort.
Seven…
becoming increasingly aware of your inner experience.
Six…
letting the body relax.
Five…
halfway down now…
four…
three…
allowing the mind to become quieter…
two…
and one.
Deeply relaxed.
Comfortably focused.
And aware.”
Pause.
“And you remain in control throughout this experience.
You can accept what is useful…
disregard anything that is not useful…
and allow your own mind to work at its own appropriate pace.”
3. SAFE PLACE
“Now imagine a place where you can feel safe, calm and comfortable.
It may be somewhere you know.
It may be somewhere you have visited.
Or your mind may create somewhere completely new.
Perhaps it is a quiet room…
a beach…
a forest…
a mountain…
a garden…
or simply a peaceful place that exists only in your imagination.
There is no right place.
Allow your mind to create whatever feels appropriate.
Notice what you can see.
Notice the colours.
Notice the light.
Notice the temperature.
Notice the sounds.
And notice how your body feels when you are there.
This is your place of safety and calm.
A place you can return to whenever you need to pause.
Whenever you need perspective.
Whenever you need to breathe.
Whenever you need to remember:
I am here.
I am safe in this moment.
I have choices.”
Pause.
“Take a few moments simply to experience this place.”
4. INTRODUCTION TO THE THERAPEUTIC WORK
“And from this place of calm, we are going to gently explore four important areas of your life.
Not to judge yourself.
Not to punish yourself.
Not to decide what is wrong with you.
But simply to become more conscious.
Because awareness gives you choice.
And choice gives you the possibility of change.
Today we explore:
How do I relate to myself?
How do I relate to my family?
How am I using my time?
And:
What am I still carrying that I may now be ready to put down?
You do not need to answer these questions intellectually.
Simply allow your mind to notice what is relevant.”
5. QUESTION THREE — MY RELATIONSHIP WITH MYSELF
“Now bring your attention gently toward yourself.
Not the person other people see.
Not the person you believe you are supposed to be.
Just you.
The person who has lived every experience you have lived.
The person who has made mistakes.
The person who has succeeded.
The person who has failed.
The person who has loved.
The person who has been hurt.
The person who has sometimes made choices you are proud of…
and choices you wish you had made differently.
And notice something important.
You are still here.
You have survived every difficult day that brought you to this moment.
Perhaps there have been times when you have judged yourself harshly.
Times when you have spoken to yourself in a way you would never speak to someone you love.
And now your mind can begin to learn a different response.
Not self-indulgence.
Not denial.
But compassion.
You can acknowledge your mistakes without becoming your mistakes.
You can acknowledge your weaknesses without believing you are weak.
You can accept your imperfections without attacking yourself for having them.
And perhaps you can begin to understand:
I can take responsibility without taking hatred toward myself.
I can learn without condemning myself.
I can change without believing that I am broken.”
Pause.
“Imagine now that you are looking at yourself as though you were looking at someone you deeply care about.
What would you say to that person?
Perhaps:
‘You have been through a lot.’
‘You don’t have to be perfect.’
‘You are allowed to learn.’
‘You are allowed to grow.’
‘You are worthy of respect.’
And now allow those words to become words you can offer yourself.”
Pause.
“From this moment forward, your inner voice can become more balanced.
You can notice self-criticism without automatically believing it.
You can notice shame without becoming consumed by it.
You can recognise a mistake and ask:
What can I learn from this?
Rather than:
What’s wrong with me?
And every time you catch yourself attacking yourself unnecessarily, you can pause…
breathe…
and choose a more truthful response.”
6. SELF-RESPECT AND PERSONAL IDENTITY
“Your value does not depend upon being perfect.
Your worth does not disappear because you have made mistakes.
And your future is not required to be a repetition of your past.
You are capable of learning.
You are capable of changing.
You are capable of becoming more conscious.
And you can begin to develop a quiet respect for the person you are becoming.
Not because you have arrived.
But because you are willing to continue.”
Pause.
“Allow this understanding to settle:
I respect myself enough to be honest with myself.
I respect myself enough to learn from my mistakes.
I respect myself enough to establish healthy boundaries.
I respect myself enough to care for my mind, my body and my life.
I respect myself enough to become the person I know I can become.”
7. QUESTION FIVE — FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS
“Now allow your attention to move gently toward the people who have been important in your life.
Family.
Parents.
Children.
Siblings.
Partners.
Those closest to you.
You do not need to bring forward any particular person unless your mind naturally does so.
Simply observe.
And recognise that relationships can contain many things.
Love.
Pain.
Joy.
Disappointment.
Connection.
Distance.
Understanding.
Misunderstanding.
And sometimes wounds that have never been properly acknowledged.
You do not have to solve every relationship today.
You do not have to force reconciliation.
You do not have to abandon your boundaries.
You simply allow yourself to become clearer.”
Pause.
“Ask yourself quietly:
What relationship needs greater honesty?
What conversation may need to happen?
What boundary may need to exist?
What wound needs acknowledgement?
And perhaps most importantly:
What is actually within my control?”
Pause.
“You cannot control another person’s choices.
You cannot control another person’s emotions.
You cannot control whether another person understands you.
But you can choose your own behaviour.
You can choose your boundaries.
You can choose whether you communicate honestly.
You can choose whether you continue carrying unnecessary resentment.
And you can choose how you want to participate in your relationships.”
8. RELEASING THE NEED TO CONTROL OTHERS
“Perhaps some part of you has been waiting for another person to change before you can experience peace.
And now your mind can begin to understand:
My peace does not have to depend entirely upon another person’s behaviour.
You can care without controlling.
You can love without losing yourself.
You can forgive without pretending that something never happened.
You can have compassion without abandoning your boundaries.
You can create distance when distance is healthy.
And you can reconnect when genuine reconnection becomes possible.
Your responsibility is to live according to your values.”
Pause.
“And perhaps you can silently say:
I release responsibility for what belongs to other people.
I accept responsibility for what belongs to me.
I can love people without carrying their entire lives.”
9. QUESTION TWELVE — HOW AM I USING MY TIME?
“Now bring your attention to time.
Imagine your life as a stream of moments.
Every day, some of those moments disappear into the past.
They cannot be bought back.
They cannot be stored.
They cannot be recovered.
And this is not intended to create fear.
It is intended to create awareness.
Because time is precious.
Ask yourself:
What genuinely matters to me?
Am I giving enough of my time to those things?
What consumes my time without giving my life meaning?
What have I been postponing?
Who deserves more of my presence?
What deserves less of my attention?”
Pause.
“And perhaps you can begin to imagine your future self looking back at this moment.
What would that future version of you wish you had prioritised?
Who would you wish you had spent more time with?
What would you wish you had started?
What would you wish you had stopped?
What would you wish you had said?
What would you wish you had released?”
Pause.
“Now return to the present.
Because you are not living in the future.
You are here.
And this moment gives you something incredibly valuable.
Choice.”
10. INTENTIONAL TIME
“From this point forward, you can begin to become more intentional with your time.
Not perfectly.
Intentionally.
You can pause before saying yes.
You can ask:
Does this deserve my time?
You can ask:
Is this moving me toward the life I want?
You can ask:
Am I spending time on what genuinely matters?
And sometimes the answer will be yes.
Sometimes it will be no.
Either answer gives you information.
And information creates awareness.
Awareness creates choice.
Choice creates action.”
Pause.
“Your goal is not to fill every minute with productivity.
Your goal is to use your time in a way that reflects what you value.
Time for responsibility.
Time for relationships.
Time for rest.
Time for growth.
Time for joy.
Time for reflection.
Time for the people you love.
Time for yourself.”
11. QUESTION SEVENTEEN — EMOTIONAL FREEDOM
“And now we arrive at the fourth area.
Emotional freedom.
You don’t have to force anything.
Simply notice what you may still be carrying.
Perhaps resentment.
Perhaps anger.
Perhaps guilt.
Perhaps shame.
Perhaps fear.
Perhaps grief.
Perhaps an old relationship.
Perhaps an old version of yourself.
Perhaps something you have never been able to put into words.”
Pause.
“Imagine that each emotional burden is represented by a small stone.
You may notice one stone.
Or several.
There is no need to analyse them right now.
Simply notice.”
Pause.
“And remember:
You do not have to throw everything away today.
Some experiences need to be understood.
Some need to be grieved.
Some need boundaries.
Some need forgiveness.
Some need acceptance.
Some simply need to be acknowledged.
And your mind can learn the difference.”
12. THE RELEASE PROCESS
“Imagine yourself standing beside a calm stream.
In your hands you hold one of those stones.
Perhaps this stone represents something you have carried for a long time.
Notice its weight.
And recognise:
This happened.
It mattered.
It affected me.
But then say:
It does not have to control my future.”
Pause.
“You may now imagine placing that stone beside the stream.
You don’t have to forget.
You don’t have to deny.
You don’t have to pretend.
You are simply choosing not to carry it in the same way.”
Pause.
“And perhaps another stone represents shame.
Place it down.
Not because you deny what happened…
but because you can learn without continually punishing yourself.”
Pause.
“Perhaps another represents anger.
Place it down.
You can remember what happened without allowing anger to control your present.”
Pause.
“Perhaps another represents guilt.
And perhaps you can distinguish between healthy responsibility and destructive self-punishment.
If there is something you need to repair…
you can repair it.
If there is something you need to apologise for…
you can apologise.
If there is something you need to learn…
you can learn.
And then you can continue living.”
Pause.
“Perhaps another stone represents an old relationship.
You can honour what that relationship meant…
while accepting that something can be meaningful and still belong in the past.”
13. RELEASING THE OLD VERSION OF SELF
“And perhaps there is one final stone.
An old version of you.
A version that made choices based on fear.
A version that sought approval.
A version that didn’t know what you know now.
A version that was simply doing the best it could with the awareness it had at the time.
And perhaps you can look at that old version of yourself with compassion.
You don’t have to hate that person.
You don’t have to become that person again.
You can simply say:
Thank you for getting me here.
I have learned from you.
But I don’t need to remain you.”
Pause.
“And now imagine placing that final stone down.
Feeling your hands become lighter.
Your shoulders becoming lighter.
Your breathing becoming easier.
Not because your past has disappeared.
But because your relationship with your past is changing.”
14. INTEGRATION
“Now notice the four areas we have explored.
Your relationship with yourself.
Your relationships with your family.
Your relationship with time.
And your relationship with your past.
And notice how they connect.
When you respect yourself, you make different relationship choices.
When you establish healthy relationships, you protect your time and energy.
When you become intentional with your time, you create space for what matters.
And when you release unnecessary emotional burdens, you create more capacity to live in the present.”
Pause.
“You are beginning to understand that personal transformation doesn’t necessarily mean becoming somebody completely different.
Sometimes it means becoming more conscious of who you already are.
What matters to you.
What you need.
What you value.
What you need to change.
What you need to nurture.
And what you are finally ready to release.”
15. FUTURE PACING
“Now imagine yourself one month from today.
See yourself moving through an ordinary day.
Notice how you speak to yourself.
Notice how you respond when you make a mistake.
Perhaps you notice greater patience with yourself.
Now imagine yourself dealing with a difficult family interaction.
Notice the difference.
You pause.
You breathe.
You choose your response.
You maintain your boundaries.
You don’t need to react automatically.
Now notice how you use your time.
Perhaps you are becoming more deliberate.
More intentional.
More aware of what deserves your attention.
And now imagine yourself encountering something from your past.
Something that once had the power to disturb you.
Notice yourself recognising it…
acknowledging it…
and allowing yourself to remain in the present.
You can remember without reliving.
You can acknowledge without becoming overwhelmed.
You can learn without remaining trapped.
You are here.
Now.”
Pause.
“Imagine yourself six months from now.
Not perfect.
Not without challenges.
But different.
More conscious.
More intentional.
More compassionate toward yourself.
More discerning in relationships.
More protective of your time.
And more emotionally free.”
16. CORE SUGGESTIONS
“And from this experience, allow these ideas to become increasingly familiar:
I am allowed to respect myself.
I can accept my imperfections while continuing to grow.
I can take responsibility without destroying myself with shame.
I can love others while maintaining healthy boundaries.
I can release responsibility for what belongs to other people.
My time is valuable, and I can choose how I use it.
I can give my attention to what genuinely matters.
I can learn from my past without living inside it.
I can remember without reliving.
I can forgive without forgetting wisdom.
I can release what no longer serves my future.
I can choose my response.
I can choose my boundaries.
I can choose where I place my attention.
I can choose what I carry.
And I can choose what I put down.”
Pause.
“Your past is part of your story.
But it does not have to write every remaining chapter.
You are capable of learning.
You are capable of changing.
You are capable of choosing differently.
And every conscious choice becomes part of the person you are becoming.”
17. ANCHORING
“Now take a slow, comfortable breath.
And gently press the thumb and forefinger of one hand together.
As you do this, take another slow breath.
Allow yourself to associate this simple gesture with calmness, clarity and choice.
From now on, whenever you consciously use this gesture and take a slow breath, you can remind yourself:
Pause.
Breathe.
Observe.
Choose.
Not react.
Choose.”
Pause.
“This is not about controlling every emotion.
It is about creating enough space to decide what you want to do with the emotion.”
18. PERSONAL COMMITMENT
“And now allow your mind to complete these sentences in whatever way feels appropriate.
I am ready to stop…
[Pause]
I am ready to begin…
[Pause]
I am ready to forgive…
[Pause]
I am ready to release…
[Pause]
I am ready to protect…
[Pause]
I am ready to prioritise…
[Pause]
I am ready to become…
[Long pause]”
“Your answers belong to you.
You don’t need to share them.
Simply allow your unconscious mind to continue processing what is useful.”
19. RETURN TO THE PRESENT
“In a moment, I will count from one up to five.
With each number, you can gradually return your attention to the room.
You can bring back with you whatever was useful from this experience.
The insights.
The calmness.
The sense of choice.
The awareness.
The intention to live more consciously.
One…
beginning to return.
Two…
bringing awareness back into your body.
Three…
feeling your hands and feet.
Four…
taking a deeper, comfortable breath.
And five…
eyes open when ready…
fully awake…
alert…
oriented…
and comfortable.”
Pause.
“Take your time.
There is no need to rush.”
20. POST-SESSION INTEGRATION
Allow the client a few moments before beginning discussion.
Then ask:
Self
“What did you notice about the way you speak to yourself?”
Family
“What became clearer about your relationships or boundaries?”
Time
“What deserves more of your time, and what deserves less?”
Emotional freedom
“What are you ready to carry differently?”
Then ask:
“What is one small action you can take this week?”
The emphasis should be on one achievable action, rather than attempting to transform everything simultaneously.
THERAPEUTIC CLOSING
“Remember the principle that guided this entire experience:
You do not need to fix your entire life today.
You only need to become conscious enough to take the next healthy step.
One conversation.
One boundary.
One apology.
One act of self-respect.
One intentional use of your time.
One decision to release something you no longer need to carry.
One step.
Then another.
And another.
Because transformation is not always one enormous moment.
Sometimes transformation is simply the accumulation of thousands of conscious choices.
And you can begin with the next one.”
