abreactions?
When I was learning about hypnosis, I was instructed to be wary of hypnosis because it may lead to abreactions.
But what are “abreactions”?
Aren’t they simply strong and unexpected emotional responses?
If any of us have a strong emotional response [and who hasn’t?] or if a family member has a strong emotional response, should we be afraid? I hope not - and also with a client.
If we, or a family member, or a client has a strong emotional response, can’t we simply offer human support?
If someone starts weeping, can’t we offer comfort and tissues?
If someone starts expressing anger, can’t we validate their anger and then help them through it?
If someone is terrified, can’t we offer safety and security.
Do we need to be afraid of emotional expressions?
I hope not.
I agree. Of course eliciting abreaction is never a goal, but a strong emotional reaction may show the way, or clears something that has been blocking a path to the client’s goal. After an emotional response when a client shares something like ‘First time I cried in 30 years’ or ‘I hadn’t thought about that since I was a child’ usually they’re relieved, they know it’s progress. Sometimes it’s not an epiphany, but an experience of co-regulation that is still therapeutic. Very rarely it may be a more serious abreaction, but at least it happened in the presence of a safe person, and leads to a care path, whereas their abreactions previously occurred in dangerous relationships lead to destructive experiences.