Case Study: Subject has Inferiority Complex..confidence issues

Name: Nino Uglino
Age 19
Date of Meeting: April 26th 2011

Reason for Visit: Subject wishes more confidence.. Major Subjects in High School below average
Nature of Problem: According to Nino he started getting the feeling he was inferior around 10 years ago According to his history application intake sheet he has no serious disease and as a matter of fact is disease free with no major impediments psychically..By nature he does not have issues with people and is not afraid of them but because of his inferior feelings towards himself he avoids close contact with his class mates..He feels the competitive factor among students has caused him to withdraw from social activity or any form of group participation.He feels like he just doesn't measure up to the average student and prefers to study independently.Upon interviewing Nino I discovered that he had issues with authority figures who give out orders in an unfriendly and threatening way..When I discussed this with Nino he further explained that the threat he perceives is the attack on his dignity and intelligence...If he says the wrong answer or feels the teacher is centering him out he gets defensive and withdraws from participating in class.Our subject is still living with his parents and after further prodding informed me he did not pass grade 5.He seemed quite literate, and well spoken but very apprehensive and reserved when I interviewed him.After questioning him further I discovered he had no friends and was very defensive when I asked about his social life. My initial observations were that his feelings of inferiority were frequent and as a result chronically affected his social life outside and during school. His grades were below average for the most part but excelled in psychics and mathematics..

When,Where, What 
After some time had elapsed I hoped to achieve some sort of rapport with Nino but he felt nervous and apprehensive toward me. I decided that further discussions in the initial interview was necessary and even asked Nino if I can be excused so I can talk with his father who was waiting outside. I mentioned to his father that I wanted to extend the first session by an extra hour and would not charge the family.His father was appreciative and agreed to the idea and thanked me for taking a personal interest in his son. After realizing that this particular case was the most difficult so far I knew that no further inductions or consultation would be eminent until I could establish trust and rapport.
I had an idea and hopefully he would change his apprehensive behavior and come to terms with the issues. I then briefly talked about Mathematics and Physics and how they could be related. I mentioned that Mathematics was actually a language which represents some sort of truth in science or in daily applicable events- such as random events in statistics.All of a sudden he seemed attentive and started talking about Steve Hawking and Albert Einstein and how they used mathematics to express their theories.He was very interesting to talk to and then started talking about the theory of black holes and the big bang theory. I immediately felt there was something in common and I even cracked a joke about Einstein saying."The only thing about Einstein I didn't like was his hair do".
Nino immediately broke out in laughter and at that point I knew our initial rapport had been accomplished.I then took the opportunity to ask him if he would be willing to participate in a suggestibility test. He was thrilled about the idea that he could be hypnotize-able or  suggestible.

Suggestibility Tests (permissive type) Book 1 page9-16)
Nino finished the Chevreul Pendulum test which measured his ability to take directions and to take suggestions.He had positive results. I knew that authoritative figures contributed to his feelings of inferiority so I rationalized that he would be better suited to a more permissive approach. Even though I achieved a pleasant rapport with Nino I still wanted to cement this mutual acceptance by further validation and reinforcement by using another suggestibility test.If I was going to get positive results in his sessions I must encourage and promote consistent flow of relaxation throughout the sessions.The progressive Relaxation induction was used. He seemed very receptive and agreeable to it
The progressive relaxation induction was used as a suggestibility test and also an induction.

Inductions used
The progressive relaxation induction was used as a suggestibility test and also as an induction and was in a continuous flow and led to the ego strengthening script which I felt was important to boost his ego and confidence..again my own wording complimented the inductions especially when Nino regressed to that very sensitive moment in his past.

Deepening Techniques(Deepening Techniques handout sheet)
In order to zero in on certain extremely sensitive moments in his history I needed to make his personal induction very powerful and convincing . I coupled very soothing wording with statements such as : "Any sound you hear will just help you go deeper and deeper in hypnosis...also you are a very focused man Nino and because of this you will be more aware of my voice as you continue to relax and go deeper and deeper into hypnosis...Pausing and letting the client experience the feeling of depth internally was effective and also powerful in itself...Then I asked Nino to take a deep breath  inhaling and exhaling 3 times and each time he would exhale would bring him even deeper and deeper in that relaxed hypnotic state.

Analytical Technique (age regression) (Book 2 page 220)
While Nino was still in the ego strengthening induction phase I sensed he was super calm and very receptive to my voice..by my permissive but persuasive approach. I added calming but confidence building words such as..Nino..you are worthy of the best in life...you have a very organized focused and brilliant mind...you absorb and have a fantastic imagination when it comes to science and mathematics and it shows in your work..excelling in something so many people find hard is extraordinary..Nino....breathe in and out 3 times slowly....(then pause) (I would breathe in sync with him in a gentle but not so obvious  manner)...(for 20 secs)... Now Nino... focus in a very effortless but relaxed manner when you are ten years old...where in the house are you now? I make Nino realize that I'm using the present tense to relive a moment in history from the past...He said he was in the basement watching his dad build a work bench. I complimented Nino on his fine memory recall and then asked him what his father was saying to him. He paused for 2 minutes. I then asked him to breathe deeply again and then focus on the day...
Hypnotist (me) What do you feel now Nino?
Nino: I feel ashamed and stupid.
Hypnotist:What's your father saying to you Nino? What are you upset about?
Nino: He keeps ordering me around telling me to get this or that.
Hypnotist: How do you feel about him ordering you around?
Nino: I feel he could say things in a different way ...Maybe more friendlier
Hypnotist: But what is the exact feeling you have right now as you see your father in front of you?
Nino: I feel frustrated and inferior to him..
Hypnotist: That's all right Nino.....let it all out...express your anger hate frustration right now...let it all out...pause for 10 secs.. Nino breathes in and out while I breathe in sync with him
Hypnotist: What other things was he saying to you?
Nino: I remember now..he asked me to take a hammer and nail 4 2 x 4's together..
Hypnotist: that's a good start Nino...how did you feel doing that and what did he say after?
Nino: I botched it..I hammered the nails at the wrong angles..then he called me stupid.. then said ...at your age I was building all sorts of things ...you can't even hammer a nail right!
Hypnotist: What did you do when he said that to you?
Nino: I cried and left the basement and then went to the library to read and didn't come back until library closed.
Hypnotist: Now Nino...go back to the basement to where your father is and relax and reflect a while...take your time...breathe in again and exhale...relax..you have total calmness now..Nino..Now...take all those feelings of frustration, anger, shame, inferiority, and inhale all of them into two balloons...that's right... inhale..put them all in those balloons. Now imagine your lungs are holding those two balloons.. and all of that hate ,shame ,frustration, inferiority anger is distributed evenly inside those two balloons ..Now look at your father...Do you see him now Nino?
Nino: yes I do
Hypnotist: ask him why he treated you with disrespect..Imagine an answer will come from him now...ok? what did he say to you?
Nino: He said ...it's all over and done with son..People change..I love you.. please forgive me..
Hypnotist: You love and respect your father don't you Nino?
Nino: ..Yes I do
Hypnotist...very good Nino..take one long deep breath Nino...and exhale all that hate,shame frustration ,inferiority, anger and let it all out of your system.. let them all out of those balloons......let it all out Nino...out in the air as you exhale...How do you feel Nino?
Nino: Much better
Hypnotist: (re-inforcement) Now Nino...Now that all of those negative feelings are gone and you are now a powerful suggestible person again... let's reinforce that feeling by focusing on a scene of power and confidence.Imagine Nino a time..could be any time after ten years old...a time when you were feeling alive, confident and self assured..take a deep breath Nino (We both breathe in unison)
Nino:paused for 20 secs...Yes ...I remember..actually I see it in front of me right now...all the people walking by..talking to many students..parents looking at all the science fair projects..
Hypnotist: did you enter your project in that science fair?
Nino: yes..I was in grade7..I created an anti-gravity lifter..this project was done to create a lifter based on the Biefeld Brown Effect...It won 2nd prize..
Hypnotist: How did you feel about winning the prize and how did people react to your project?
Nino: I felt important and confident...I answered all the questions people asked me quite well..
Hypnotist: Nino...that's great....Now hold that feeling...remember your balloons are now empty from all the inferior self hate feelings...all the frustration and anger..they are all out of your body for good..Now...breath in the important confident important feelings of accomplishment from your science fair project into your set of balloons...breathe it all in Nino!...Imagine, Nino that that you have tied those two balloons and all those positive powerful important feelings of accomplishment are inside those two balloons..taking up a small amount of space in your lungs..Imagine them inside of you Nino..(I breathe along with Nino but more gently)...
Very Good.....you can breathe normally now Nino...those balloons hold your most precious asset..the more important you...the more intelligent and capable you..Now keep them there...those feelings are now a part of you forever..

Abreaction and how I dealt with it (Book 2 Glossary) Book 2 page 220)
I felt I dealt with it reasonably well...the fact that his father was the breadwinner dad and that in itself was powerful for the father but not for the boy..Nino felt hurt frustrated ,inferior ,and ashamed..I let him get it out of his system...the fact that I paused ...to give him ample time to let him experience his emotions was important to Nino..the fact that I let him relive his frustration, inferior feelings and shame made Nino more aware of that very sensitive moment in his past..Once he was aware of the feelings and that they were left front and center to him in the Now..he then was more receptive to my suggestions of total removal..

Desensitization or Behavioral Techniques (Book 2 NGH page 154 160)
I was observant of any behavioral excesses and deficits that compromises his ability to live normally . In this particular case study Nino was withdrawn from his social circle and prior to the induction process suffered self doubt and felt inferior to the other students. In Nino's basic assessment I had him fill out a basic assessment form. In order to help Nino it was necessary to observe and study the frequency intensity and duration of the behavior. The actual problem was his feelings of inferiority as compared to others. His behavior patterns were: He avoided participation in class when singled out or challenged. He avoided all social contact inside and outside school hours.He also did not like authority figures and avoids communication with teachers.The effect it had on his emotions was that he became angry, frustrated, withdrawn and insecure. His psychical sensations was that his extreme nervousness caused him to be tired more frequently  He imagined himself that he didn't belong and eventually because of all this his cognitive thoughts on this matter was that he needed help Now. He felt he had potential because of his strong grasp of psychics and math. Once I pinpointed the issues regarding his behavior I began to tailor make a hypnotic session based on these basic assessment headings.

Therapeutic Suggestions (Book 2 page 262)
I felt there was a solid rapport between Nino and myself making the 2 way communication more relaxing and trusting...which in itself was therapeutic . I felt I was non directive considering his distaste for authority figures and because of that he accepted the therapeutic suggestions openly and easily. I appealed to his powerful imagination which made the wordings even more powerful.I believe I promoted a therapeutic stance quite strongly and observed and was conscious of the 4 sub headings for therapeutic suggestions.#1 verbal (I used proper wording on Nino that he could understand) #2 non verbal (my body language was not forceful ..I used the gentle approach with every situation)#3 intra-verbal (my intonation with Nino was soft subtle but persuasive) #4 extra-verbal ( I used words which he could visualize and compare to such as balloons acting as a another set of lungs..this gave the subconscious a powerful metaphorical image to compare it to..(the subconscious relates better when sending images back and forth)..and this made it more powerful) I believe I accented the positive in my inductions and that in itself made the process more therapeutic.

Self-hypnosis-auto suggestion exercise (self hypnosis pre-sleep step 1 handout and step 2 and 3)
After the clearing of Nino's self doubt block of inferiority in his most sensitive moment I instructed Nino in self hypnosis. He understands the 3 step self hypnosis procedures and must do a pre sleep exercise every night for 7 nights. His suggestion exercise involved anchoring all ten fingers with your thumb twice while saying the powerful suggestion :"Everyday in every way I'm becoming more and more confident" He also understands he must do step 2 self hypnosis to relax during the day for around 3 or 4 minutes...He has promised to do that faithfully.

Outcome of Therapy 
Nino reacted well to the clearing of his most sensitive moment in history and as a result has improved his relationship with his father.His father did confide in me that he would accent the positive from now on in his daily communication with him and will encourage him in a friendly manner. Nino presently feels positive and upbeat and is ready to be more proactive which will give him many opportunities to feel confident.

Discussion and Conclusion
This was a very young client compared to others and I realized my procedures and professionalism had to be powerful because of his young age. Molding a younger person when it comes to being confident and secure had to be done at a younger age..so that he would have ample time to benefit from it later on in life.His mind was very open to suggestion because of the powerful mutual rapport we had in our pre-talk session. My caring approach was observed by his father when I extended the pre-talk an extra half hour. He then realized that he could of been wrong in his earlier assessment of his son and also knew he had to do his part in molding him in a positive and encouraging manner. One thing I did observe was that talking about things he was familiar with boosted his ego and confidence and he no longer felt I was an authority figure and thus made him more suggestible. Also the manner in which I praised him calling him a brilliant mind in the induction process actually helped him focus better toward that extreme sensitive moment in the past.

Client's Comments:
Client thought he felt a lot more confident and more self assured after the sessions. He felt more motivated to engage in things which would promote a belief in himself. As a result he joined a fitness club so as to increase his confidence level and thanked me for helping him sort out some very deep issues which were buried deep inside.

Follow up Therapy:
I gave Nino a specific job to do- He was to fill out a goal form which relates to the goals and benefits, thinking when pursuing his goal the feelings necessary to achieve this goal and the steps for action which is needed to achieve it.Along with that a deadline to complete the goal was to be written. Because of his rapport with me he didn't feel it was homework but knew that it would be beneficial to his progress.I stressed that confident thinking needs to be reinforced with proper associated actions . He agreed to come to another free session in 2 months time to discuss the progress made to date.

Intern's Assessment of this study:
I learned that being more caring and sincere improved my rapport considerably. By empathizing with the clients frame of perception I found that he was more open to suggestion. Sharing knowledge between client and hypnotist made the flow of communication easier and effortless. This was exactly the set of conditions that are necessary  prior to hypnotic induction. I firmly believe that preparation and pre-talk is very important in hypnosis as in other fields to...such as cooking...the actual hypnosis needs a proper foundation to work effectively.
I also felt that zeroing in on a time period of conflict was instrumental in discovering what age he had this extreme early sensitive moment. The fact that his most sensitive moment happened prior to attending grade 5 was very important . I reasoned he was set back a year because of the inferior inward feelings he had toward himself as a result of that incident in the basement.

Suggestion for Improvement (Steve Jones NLP course)
Positive suggestions used in the awakened state can be used covertly with NLP special wording..There was a great opportunity to influence Nino in the pretalk by using  embedded commands, using the 10 presuppositions, and also the circle of fire method which is used in a lot of cases to improve confidence related to performance.NLP is a great tool that is often used in conjunction to hypnosis. The client in most cases is not aware that the practitioner is using it..Using NLP and hypnosis adds to the powerful final punch of a positive outcome.

End of Study