The Method and Hypnosis

Between 1976 and 1979 I was a student at Drama Centre London Ltd - a full-time 3 year course in acting,speech,movement and improvisation. We were taught the " method ",that system of acting which originated in Russia with Stanislavski and then was developed in the USA by teachers such as Lee Strasberg, directors like Elia Kazan and actors such as Marlon Brando.

In essence you use what you can find from your own emotional and physical life to create a living,breathing character. Not just this but you take action in each scene, with each line to achieve your objectives. Rather than being , the Method encourages doing . How often our teachers would demand of us " Yes, but what are you DOING ? " It is so easy to just be angry or be sad, for an audience that is so dull - great acting is always about overcoming obstacles to whatever it is you WANT.

In hypnotherapy the aim is also to create action, usually in behavioural changes,ie the action of becoming a non-smoker or overcoming the fear of flying or to stop nailbiting.

Also to motivate clients by asking them to use something like an emotional memory exercise to go back to a great moment in their past and re-feel the power,confidence etc as it it were happening again. They can then move into a vision of a compelling future , a vision which can act like a compass to guide them.

My Hypnotherapy London practice often works with actors and they find it so easy to go into and benefit from hypnosis. Finding meanings and encouragement from their past experiences seem natural to performers. It's as if ( " as if" was a favourite technique of Stanislavski ) they know the subconscious is a storehouse full of stuff they can use.

It is for all of us.