REALIZING: How to make any story a therapeutic metaphor

Neo-Ericksonian Approaches to Psychotherapy & Hypnosis

Any story can become a therapeutic metaphor when you effectively utilize a very simple technique I like to call “realizing.” You have a character in your story have an insight and use that realization to deliver an embedded command to your listener.

Here’s an example of a very ordinary story.

John was working late. He had a deadline to meet for his job at the publishing company where he worked. Somewhere around 10:00 he felt hungry so he ordered a pizza and had it delivered to the office. After paying and tipping the delivery guy he took a break from the computer, ate a couple of slices, carefully labeled the pizza box and put it in the refrigerator in the employee lounge.

Here’s the same story with a couple of realizations stuck in with an embedded command in each.

John was working late. He had a deadline to meet for his job at the publishing company where he worked. Somewhere around 10:00 he felt hungry so he ordered a pizza and had it delivered to the office. When the delivery guy brought the pizza John gave him a very nice tip. He always did that with delivery people because long ago he realized that people really work hard for a living and you should take care of people who take care of you. So he took a break from the computer and ate a couple of slices of the pizza and really focused on how delicious it was. He loved to take time to eat slowly, even when he was on deadline, because he figured life is what you make it and he believed you should take time to enjoy every moment. After eating a couple if slices he carefully labeled the pizza box and put it in the refrigerator in the employee lounge.

Your character can realize whatever you want your listener to hear. When you use embedded commands you ensure they will be hearing it.