I currently have a client who has come to me suffering with post-natal depression. I am using hypnotherapy with her as that's what I do but I'm interested to know what NLP techniques might be useful with such a client?

Any thoughts welcomed.

Thanks in advance, Stuart

Time Line Therapy?

It will be very easy to get to earliest experience, a time just before etc.

Did she decide to be be depressed? Could she go back and re-decide to be delighted instead?

Just an idea.

Michael

Hi Stewart,

Post-natal depression can often have a strong biological/neurochemical aspect to it. I think it can be important to realize that in such cases, it can be useful to give someone a midterm strategy for maintaining good feelings rather than just a more short-term intervention.

Helping your client to anchor powerful resource states and to teach her how to trigger those anchors to bring her those states when she needs them can be quite an important resource, I've found.

Other than that, the techniques that would be helpful for her depend, I think, entirely on how she perceives the less than useful states that she finds herself in. Her experience and her language about this experience will tell you what exactly she needs to hear, see and feel in order to allow her to feel better now and even better in the days to come.

So, keep your eyes and ears open and listen to what she says and watch what she does in both content (and)b process, digital (and)b analogue. She'll do all the work and all you really have to do is just implement the methodology that she will give you!

I hope that's helpful.

Be Well,

Michael Perez

Hi Stuart

The first concern is the welfare of the baby, it it in any kind of risk? To what extent is this mother suffering with PND? Does she have help. i.e is she with a partner who can assist?
Is there a pattern to it? Are there times when this kicks in worst than others.
Do these moments of depression now have anchors attached to them?
How long has she been suffering from this?
Has she taken medical advice? Has she been prescribed and drugs?

The more detailed the information the more chances we will have to contribute something helpful for this mother. Other wise we are just talking one size fits all!

As Michael says, what is she telling you? If your asking good and pertinent questions she will be suppling you with all the answers? Keep your questions away from content and focused on context, process and structure.
Tell us more.

Peter

Ask exactly these words "what experience do you really want"
She might say to be happy or even statements you can metamodel
Ask exactly these words "what stops you from this experience that you want"
She might say I dont know
Ask exactly these words "If you did know, what stops you from the experience you want"
If says still dont know
Ask "A part of you thinks by being depressed it keeps you safe -- What does that part really want for you"
"and if you have that fully what else does it want"
and so on
When get to core state -- ask to place that feeling in body and spread to every cell
Use standard suggestion to direct attention to this part -- suggesting in partic that this is what you really want -- you just were using an unhelpful method of getting there
"Now you know how to feel .... and so on

Thanks for your comments.

Peter, it's fairly mild PND and she has a lot of support and help. She just feels VERY gloomy. Baby is at no risk at all. She's only had the symptoms for a very short time and wants to nip them in the bud. I don't feel comfortable giving out any great detail on such a public forum and feel we're working towards a successful outome through hypnotherapy. As a relative novice to NLP I was interested in different views on how others might approach it.

Thanks again,

Stuart

Hi Stuart
You don't say how long ago she gave birth. As Michael said PND has very strong biological roots especially within the first few weeks. You also don't say if this is her first child. The first baby can bring overwhelming feelings. Its small its dependant - Oh my god can I send it back! It may be useful to distinguish between post partum 'baby blues and longer term depressing feelings.

You used the word 'gloomy'. Lots of new Mums have feelings that they don't feel will be 'acceptable' to the rest of the world and results in 'gloom' Let her know its OK to have some wierd feelings cos being a new mum is weird! Is she tired, does baby sleep, is she getting help and support. Go for the obvious stuff first. Then help her to smile about her new situation and future pace how wonderful it will be when baby leaves home! - only joking -
Kate

Happy to be corrected on this one...

Isn't there also a line of thought that links depression with the drugs administered during birth and effectively the mother going 'cold turkey' afterwards?

Michael

Interesting point Michael.
I suppose it depends on which drugs.
My understanding is that pethadine and gas and air are the normal pain releif and it would take two weeks or so to build up an addiction. Most births don't last that long although it can seem like it!
Any midwives out there who can help on this one?
Kate

Everything you could want to know and more:

http://www.obgyn.net/femalepatient/d...p?page=leopold