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SCS Success Stories

Our graduates have been doing some amazing things, and we’ve added a page to the website to let them tell their stories. The stories here are presented with the permission of the individuals who submitted them. Some details have been omitted or changed to protect client confidentiality.

The stories are posted in the order we received them, with the first received being first, and the most recent being the last. Read from the beginning, or go directly to the most recent story.

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Diana’s Story

The first story is from Diana M. a Michigan resident. She has completed SCS Practitioner Certification and was in the first group to complete Pre- and Postsurgical Support with SCS.

I would like to share an experience I had last week with a woman who fell in the grocery store parking lot. She has cancer and is undergoing chemo. She took a nasty fall and totally broke her two front teeth, split her lips, bruised her face, cut her chin, scraped her hands, etc.

I did not really know what to do with everyone “fussing” over her. I quickly explained that I am Reiki certified and asked if she would like me to do Reiki (inconspicuously) while we waited for her husband to come to take her to the hospital. She made a comment about how badly she was going to feel in the morning, so I asked her if we could focus on that and then asked her how she would like to feel in the morning.

Training with SCS will provide you with the appropriate tools—and the confidence to use them at the appropriate time.

We worked on her imagining waking up and thinking “Wow! I feel great! It is amazing how good I feel.” I asked her to think about how throughout the day she might remark to her husband and her oncologist that she felt even better than before her fall. We imagined her telling her friends all about the fall, but that she felt really good. We talked about how amazing the body is at healing itself. I gave her one of my cards.

The next morning she left a message on my answering machine, raving about how good she felt. She said that the teeth that had been shattered could be repaired. She just could not believe how good she felt. She said that she had told all her friends about her experience and about how I helped her. It was like we had written a script the night before, and she was reading it in the morning. This woman was so upset, shaking, bleeding, her wig askew, crying and talking about how much her body hurt already....it was nice to be able to give her “first aid” of a different sort.

Thank you for sharing something so useful.


Sharon’s Story

In the following story, Sharon G., from Arizona, reports on her use of energy-based techniques to support her grandmother, who was in the process of dying. Sharon used techniques had learned from Debra.

Debra, I wanted you to know that my grandmother passed in a wonderfully miraculous way because the universe conspired to bring your words from dinner the night before into the circle of my family the very next day. While my grandmother was kept company by a cousin, I found myself in a break room in a circle of her two only daughters and her closest granddaughters. It was quite the coincidence because previously we were always with her in some sort of combination keeping vigil and never together...in a circle.

I openly shared what I had learned from you the evening before and I told them that I had just done the energy work with her that you had described. I also mentioned what you had said about no regrets, and that although in a coma she can hear us, and is still with us. I shared as much as I could remember from what you had said.

My aunt, my grandmother’s oldest daughter who is 78 herself, suddenly said that she remembered that she heard the Engelbert Humperdink song about regrets on the radio as she drove in that morning and she had started to cry. She has struggled with her childhood and has had a history of bitter emotions toward my grandmother, so I suggested she still had time to talk to her mother. She nearly ran out of the room to get back to my grandmother.

We all stayed back and stared at each other in silence. Then we started talking about our favorite times with our mother/grandmother and actually felt light and happy. I suddenly felt very compelled to check on my aunt and grandmother, leaving the rest within the comfortable circle of remembering.

When I entered my grandmother’s room, my aunt had just started to stand up and asked me if I could see if my grandmother was still breathing. My aunt said she had just finished talking with my grandmother and that she had started to breathe heavier and then stopped. Debra, she had just passed just after my aunt had finished whatever it was she needed to say.

So much peace was given to both that I am so grateful to you and the "coincidence" of the four of us trying to get together for dessert over the holidays. Little did I know what a blessing it would turn out to be for those you may never meet. Thank you dear friend for sharing your wisdom.

It makes me interested in doing volunteer work for hospice after seeing how ill equipped we all are in handling the inevitable passing that we all must do.

Love -- Sharon G. from AZ


Debra’s note: Sharon did Chakra Spread—a Healing Touch technique developed by Catherine Fanslow and taught in Healing with Energy, Level 1 Subtle Communication Systems. The technique is also published in Healing Touch A Resource for Health Care Professionals, by Dorothea Hover-Kramer with Janet Mentgen and Sharon Scandrett-Hibdon, 1996.


Mary’s Story

In the following story, Mary Z., from Michigan, reports on her use of neurolinguistics to support her daughter, who was away from home and suffering from a deep depression.

I got a call yesterday morning from my daughter who is a freshman in college and has been experiencing some serious anxiety and depression. It’s amazing that this happened the day after the NLP classes ended. I’m not surprised, but always amazed at how things and people enter our lives when we need them.

I managed to NOT say, "don’t worry," which was difficult to do. Together we discovered the source of almost everything that was bothering her was two classes she felt she just wasn’t getting.

I asked her to close her eyes and imagine what a picture of one of the two classes looked like and then I had her change the colors until her feelings about that class shifted.

We went through the second class and did the same thing. We talked about a lot of resources she has available if she needs them. I then asked her to "just imagine what your life will be like when these classes are behind you," and she had the biggest smile on her face as she imagined that!

She thanked me and told me she felt so much better, and knew anything was possible. She then said, "I love you, Mom. You should take the pretty way home, you deserve it." So I did.

I want to thank you but I don’t know how other than to tell you I hope every trip home f or you is the pretty way home, you deserve it.

Mary


John’s Story

John S., a Physical Therapy Assistant from Ohio, writes: The NLP experience I had with Debra and Joel is something I will always remember because you are both like kindred spirits to me. It was truly me, times one hundred. The following stories shows how I am using NLP with therapy.

I wanted to share with you a way apply Hypnotic Protocol. I was working with an 80 year old woman who fell and fractured her left hip. She hadn’t walked in 3 months, and the most she was able to walk, as of last week, was 5 steps. Prior to my doing therapy treatments, Darlene [not her real name] had been in a nursing home for 3 months and hadn’t walked.

The Physical Therapist’s 5-week goal for this patient was 15 feet with a wheeled walker. This was based on how the patient performed for the therapist on the day of the evaluation.

I started by having Darlene practice a couple of transfers from the wheel chair to the recliner using her wheeled walker. She was able to do this with a contact guard/stand-by assist+1. One week before, this patient required a min/mod assist to perform the transfer, so I knew her legs were getting stronger.

When Darlene was sitting in the wheel chair, she said she wished she were able to walk again (prior to that statement, she always talked about the fall. Now she was moving to where the problem isn’t). After she rested a little, I told her that we would do a really fun exercise.

I pulled the wheel chair to one end of the living room and sat down beside her. I asked Darlene “Have you ever used your imagination?” and she said “NO.”

“You mean ... you’ve never imagined something as a child.” Then she smiled and said “Yes.”

“Great ... close your eyes for a moment ... it’s OK ... just close your eyes.”

“Imagine what it was like as a child ... a time in your life ... you can remember ... that’s right ... when you were at your best absolutely.... A time in your life when you can walk or run with ease ... this is a easy time for you ... and a time that is ... still inside ... a part of who you are.” And right after I said this, Darlene mentioned she had dogs, and she would run and play with them and this was a fun time.

So I added this in....

“And you had fun running with the dogs and playing.”

“Isn’t amazing to ... know this ... walking was easy in the past ... and will be easy once again. It’s always been a part of you ... from the time you stand up ... as you step forward with each step ... you’ll know how easy it is to walk ... now ... and only when you’re ready ... open your eye‘s with the anticipation of a child on Christmas morning.

“That’s right ... it’s OK.”

Darlene opened her eyes ... and stood up at the walker and began to walk ... while I followed with the wheel chair.

Darlene walked all the way to her bedroom, which was 40 feet away.

When we got in front of her mirror, I asked Darlene to sit in the wheel chair and asked her for a word or a phrase she would call herself. And her word was “GREAT.”

Darlene walked 40 feet X 3 this treatment.

Have fun using Hypnotic Protocol. And if you’re wondering if you should learn NLP ... I say, “Go for it ... and make someone’s life better!”


John’s Second Story

I will call this patient Tom. When I first met him, he and his family were all emotionally down. I told Tom and his family that all stroke patients are different and no one really knows how much you ... can recover fully ... so tell the doctor to believe what he wants and for you to believe what you want to be true. So decide to get better ... and ... you will now.

When I told him that everyone is different ... I grabbed his hand ... told him to point his finger at himself, and I physically moved his hand to his chest so his finger would touch ... and said, “Say to yourself ... I am different.“ (I did this several different times to set the anchor).

Another Physical Therapist told Tom and his family that he would be lucky if he would be able to go up two steps in his home ... let alone the thirteen steps to the second floor in his house.

This was a hypnotic command. Think about it.

Tom is now walking over 100 feet with a standard walker with Stand By Assist. And I had him do the thirteen steps up and back down. Of course, he did the steps with assist, but he still did it.

I’ve learned from Dr. Richard Bandler and John La Valle that we project our energy, and our energy and attitude influences others.


Linda’s Story

Linda C. is a consultant from Indiana. For most of her life she had significant fears about her health and had suffered from panic attacks. After some NLP, some SCS sessions, and listening to SCS CDs, she wrote the following message:

Thank you both for the "can’t put a value on it" gift of health-full reassurances you’ve provided. I’ve told you both before, but I’ll say it again: until both of you came into my life, I lived a life as a healthy person who never really believed I had that blessing. Talk about throwing that into God’s face--how ungrateful! I think you can see from this e-mail how grateful I am; life is sweet!


Darby’s Story

Darby F. is a woman from S.W. Michigan who overcame her fear of flying. Here is her story:

Over the past 20 years, I’ve experienced fears around flying. Specifically, I haven't liked the feeling of being confined to an enclosed space ... it’s a claustrophobia feeling, I know. Once I was in the plane, whether in the air, or sitting on the tarmac with the hatch closed, it was easy for me to slide into a panic attack. I relied on all sorts of creature comforts to distract me: portable DVD player, iPod shuffle, books, deck of cards with a family member to play and keep me company.

I just wouldn’t fly unless I absolutely had to (e.g. if I was totally overruled by family at a time when we had to travel a large expanse). I would have rather driven the long distance.

In the summer of 2009, I became aware of an incredible to attend the World Conference on “Love, Forgiveness, and Compassion.” The Dalai Lama and Arch Bishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu would be receiving awards. The event was taking place mid September, but it meant I would have to travel to Vancouver, British Columbia.

My husband, Bruce, would depart days earlier. This meant that I would not only be flying a great distance, but potentially flying alone.

I’d met Debra Basham some months earlier, and I recalled that she worked with people to overcome their phobias. I was desperate for help.

This fear had not only kept me from comfortable travel, but had reduced options of connection to family and close friends. As our three daughters travel on school and youth group related trips, I’d, unfortunately, been bound by my fear and consequently, remained at home.

I met with Debra and Joel Bowman early in September. After we became better acquainted, the actual intervention was no longer than about 30 minutes, and consisted of the Fast Phobia Cure, a standard NLP technique. Debra explained that the Fast Phobia Cure uses Ericksonian hypnosis and was originally developed by Richard Bandler and John Grinder as a way to use hypnosis without inducing a formal trance. When the session was over, they wanted to know if I thought the treatment helpful and if I thought things would have changed for me now. My response was, “I’ll see.”

A week later I flew to Vancouver. Thankfully some friends of ours were accompanying me. During one of the flights, we sat on the tarmac for an hour. I was fine. The flight from Detroit to Seattle was 2.5 hours long. Throughout the flight, I was fine. On the flight home, I sat with Bruce, and I’m happy to report that all flights were emotionally uneventful.

Since then, our family has flown to North Carolina to gather with family for Christmas. All those flights were comfortable as well. In February, I was entertaining the idea of visiting a close friend in Marquette. With unpredictable weather and winter road conditions, driving was contraindicated. That meant a flight. I contacted Debra and Joel and requested a “Booster.” They again spent not more than about 30 minutes with me.

The following week I flew to Marquette, on a small plane from home to Detroit and another one from Detroit to Marquette ... roughly 1.5 hours in tight quarters. I was fine!

Between the hypnotherapy/NLP sessions and a few self-help techniques that I learned from Debra and Joel, I was equipped and empowered to face (and move beyond) a previously life-limiting fear.

I have a new friend who lives in South Africa. She wants me to visit. While I still don’t relish the idea of being in a plane for multiple hours, I’m now open to the possibility. My plan is to continue to challenge myself until I can eventually travel overseas.

Working with Debra and Joel has removed a barricaded door in my mind. Now I’m living a freer, happier, more actualized life as a result.


Larry C’s Story

Larry has completed NLP Practitioner training, and we will be submitting his paperwork for certification within the next few days (June 2010). This story illustrates what you can do with NLP training and the NLP attitude:

Yesterday evening I went to the Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours event to do some networking. The event was held at a new assisted living facility. After an hour and a half of repeating my “elevator speech” several times, I started asking folks if they knew anyone with a phobia.

I was talking with a massage therapist about the possibility of doing some cross referrals when a middle aged woman next to me wearing a facility name tag said, “Hmmm ... could I talk to you a minute?” and she showed me into the Hair Salon/Barber Shop where we could talk in private.

I sat in one of the hair-dryer chairs, and she sat in the chair next to me. (ambiguity intentional) She explained her situation. She just accepted the position as one of the facility's hair stylists. This job is a perfect fit for her needs. Except that she has a phobia of cutting men’s hair, and in this facility she will be required to serve both men and women. The phobia originated when she was a 19 year old, brand new-hair cutter. One of her first experiences cutting a man’s hair did not go well (understatement). She's not sure she is going to be able to keep this job. I said, “Would you like to get rid of that anxiety right now?”

“Here? Now?”

“Sure. Why not?”

And so I launched into an impromptu “Fast Phobia Cure” right there in her shop.

She said she had been praying about this problem every night and that God opens doors that no man can open. I replied that God brought a bald headed life coach to her shop to cure her.

You can't make this stuff up.

I hope to hear from her after her first male customer.

For more about Larry, see his website:
NeverDoubtCoaching


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