The book itself is both a delight and a resource, exemplifying not only the excellence in the teaching provided to these graduates, who are all now working hypnotherapists, but demonstrating diversity, intelligence, and creativity in the use of therapeutic metaphor, and providing inspiration and insight for students and seasoned practitioners alike.
From the Foreword by Marion Robb, moderator of Hypnotic Women forum.
Metaphor Toolbox reviews:
“Varied and interesting scripts and strategies “
I’d encourage both new and experienced practitioners to add ‘The Metaphor Toolbox’ to their bookshelf.
Devices like parables, fairy stories and the like have ancient traditions, of course, yet in this book, 21st Century hypnotherapists demonstrate through the varied and interesting scripts and strategies they share, that the use of therapeutic metaphor and suggestion is just as relevant and useful today.
Enjoy using these resources because, when embedded in a story and interpreted by the listener’s own mind, a metaphor becomes a powerful tool to help facilitate healing and change.
Georgina McKinnon, Chair of the Association for Hypnosis and Psychotherapy
Metaphor Toolbox reviews:
“The power of story and metaphor is captured here”
I began reading The Metaphor Toolbox with the idea of skimming through to get an overview; from Robb’s imagery in the preface through Waller’s and others’ weaving of narratives beguiling my imagination I could no longer skim but needed to read trancelike, stop and reflect. As a teacher and therapist of forty years’ experience, I was hooked. This book is worth much more than a scan I said as I settled into the couch (they’ll have to wait for that review).
We begin with Waller’s magnificent introductory chapter on the history of story and their links with memory, magic and metaphor – her analysis of the function and structure of story and I am reminded of the NLP presupposition that “we are the movies we play in our mind”, and how we can change the movie to feel better about ourselves for “the map is not the territory”. The power of story and metaphor is captured here.
Encouraged to personalize story using information we have about our client, further chapters develop through induction journeys of change, heroes’ journeys through to well-known myths and changed fairy stories and on to original and inspiring stories from a myriad of worthy writers. Scripts here can become the base of change and healing as each is foreworded with examples of use.
I am reminded of how, influenced by a Chagall painting, Arthur Frank wrote, about illness “Stories we tell ourselves about what is happening to us are dangerous because they are powerful. We have to choose carefully which stories to live with, which to use to answer the question of what is happening to us”. He interprets the story of Jacob wrestling with a stranger to explain what it is to be ill: “to wrestle through the long night, injured, and if you prevail until the sun rises, to receive a blessing”.
I shall read this book once more, and use the techniques to wrestle and win, over and over again. I hope you purchase this most worthy work and use it with clients in both hypnotherapy and other therapeutical practices.
Beryl Comar, Emotional Intelligence Development Specialist, Internationally awarded NLP and Hypnotherapy Instructor, and author of the manual “Hypnodontics”.
Metaphor Toolbox reviews:
“Crammed full of fabulous stories”
Once again, Debbie has managed to create a must-have book! Crammed full of fabulous stories, each one can be tailored to the client in front of you to bring about real and lasting change. How fitting and generous it is, that on the 10th anniversary of her training school, Debbie should reach out to her previous learners to showcase their work. It is a testament to the high-quality training that such a superb book is the result. Huge congratulations to everyone.
Karen Hayward – Workplace Mental Health & Wellbeing Consultant
Metaphor Toolbox reviews:
An excellent resource for hypnotherapists, counsellors and coaches
Many therapists use stories and guided visualisations to help their clients overcome whatever difficulties they are facing rather than merely reading or remembering scripts. Metaphors can sometimes reach the parts that direct suggestions cannot.
This collection, edited by Debbie Waller, contains both metaphors, and guided visualisations which sometimes contain embedded metaphors. I believe it would be an excellent resource for hypnotherapists, counsellors and coaches to have to complement their existing techniques and approaches to therapy.
To come to this conclusion I asked three questions whilst reading the book. The first question was “Would this book help a therapist to become a better storyteller and therefore more effective in enabling clients to achieve the changes they seek?”
The answer is yes because, as well as the scripts and metaphors, it does provide some very useful tips, or perhaps reminders, for helping practitioners to improve their storytelling techniques and therefore the chances of a successful outcome in therapy. These are highlighted in the final 2 sections of Chapter 1.
The second question was “Am I learning whilst reading this book?”, and the answer was yes. I found some of the metaphors particularly interesting and could see how they could be used or adapted to fit a client’s needs. Overall in the book, there was a good variety of styles and content which would be very valuable in different circumstances.
For me, the metaphors which stand out as being particularly helpful and insightful are “Weeds”, “The Princess and the Rope”, “The Tailor and the Glovemaker”, and “The Radio”. However, these are merely my personal favourites, and other readers will find others to be more useful or imaginative.
Finally, the third question was do I recommend this to other hypnotherapists and other therapists? Again, the answer is yes. I feel it would provide both valuable sources of material which could be used as they stand or as guides which could be altered to fit a particular client situation.
Roland Bullivant PDCHyp, MBSCH