IACT Ask the Professional
A newsletter designed to explore alternative models in holistic health care disciplines. With insights from expert practitioners around the world. Brought to you by the International Association of Counselors and Therapists.
Living with Autoimmune Disease
An interview with Roger Moore
IACT: Hello Roger! Thank you for participating in this month’s edition of ‘Ask the Professional’. The issue of helping those with autoimmune is so important to those in our profession, that I am quite anxious to begin this interview. Let’s start with a brief overview of your educational history.
RM: Thanks so much for the opportunity to do this! My bachelor’s degree is in Criminal Justice and my Master’s is in Marriage and Family Therapy. I have taken many additional graduate level courses in psychology, health, and nutrition. I completed all the course work for the PhD program from the former American Institute of Hypnotherapy along with hundreds of hours of hypnosis trainings. I was awarded a PhD from Alpha University.
IACT: How is it that you initially became interested in autoimmune disorders?
RM: My earliest childhood memories are of my great-aunt. She was one of the most significant people of my childhood. I remember at age 4 playing with her crutches and by age 5 she was confined to a wheelchair due to rheumatoid arthritis. Her hands were swollen and her fingers were very gnarled. Even so, she embroidered amazing pillow cases and dishtowels that were works of art.
At about the same time my mom began to have arthritis in her shoulder and was often in severe pain. My paternal grandmother had arthritis in her knees and that was the usual topic of conversation during visits. Due to the heredity nature of rheumatoid arthritis, I just always assumed that when I got old I too would be afflicted with it.
When I went into private practice in 1996 I focused on weight loss. One of the things that I became very aware of with Slender For Life™ clients was that most have additional medical challenges such as irritable bowel syndrome, Fibromyalgia, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, crohns, celiac disease, multiple sclerosis and psoriasis to name a few. Often others were recovering from some form of cancer or were just diagnosed. Almost all were extremely stressed and experienced physical pain. It just seemed to me that there was more to offer weight loss clients than healthy eating and exercise.
I studied irritable bowel syndrome and Fibromyalgia with Melissa Roth, pain management with Scott Sandland, Michael Ellner and Dan Cleary. I read everything I could find about using hypnosis for cancer and adapted Stephen Parkhill’s Answer Cancer to my practice. I read Sharp Enough to be Your Own Surgeon by Keith Clark initially to use with weight loss. In a conversation with Dr. Clark, I began to think of its many possible uses.
After losing over 100 pounds, running 5 marathons, mountain climbing and riding my bike in long-distance events, I began to notice a knuckle in my right hand was swelling and my index finger began to not work as it should. Other symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) began to appear. I knew that I had more Century bike rides to complete and more mountains to climb and that being crippled by arthritis just was no longer acceptable to me.
I began using self-hypnosis combining the many different trainings and I saw results. My finger returned to its natural shape and the swelling went down. Other symptoms also disappeared. I then began using what I was doing for myself with weight loss clients who had RA.
Clients started reporting positive results. I was asked by a Slender For Life™ client who had MS if there was anything hypnosis could do for the MS. I used the same basic protocol for RA and tweaked it for MS. Soon, I was using this protocol for psoriasis, crohns, Guillain-Barre’ and other autoimmune diseases. My 89 year-old Mom lived with us for four months this winter. In addition to changing her diet and getting her to exercise, I did some hypnosis with her. She too had less pain, reduced swelling and greater range of motion. Clients began telling their friends and their medical doctors about hypnotherapy and my phone continues to ring.
So the short answer is that my interest resulted from my family history with rheumatoid arthritis.
IACT: These are amazing results. Can you share your protocol that’s enabled so many to find relief?
RM: My treatment protocol is organic. By that I mean that while Melissa Roth and I have been developing it for the last four years, it varies from client to client. I am a big believer in being client centered – meeting the client where they are. I may think that the session is going to be about nutrition and the client shows up in pain – I will go with the pain.
Phase I:
The first four to six sessions are weekly. The remaining Phase I sessions are scheduled for every other week.
Consultation – Getting Acquainted (60 to 90 minutes)
• Review of Confidential Questionnaire
• Why are you here?
• Introduction to Hypnosis
• Home Work – Listen to Hypnosis CD Daily & Daily Symptom Tracking Sheet
Session 1 – Getting Started (1.5 hours)
• Review and update from the week and Pain Rating
• Diet
• Exercise
• Managing Stress
• Home Work – Daily Symptom Tracking Sheet
• Hypnosis Therapy
Session 2 – Life Without Pain (55 minutes)
• Review and update from the week and Pain Rating
• Home Work – Daily Symptom Tracking Sheet
• Hypnosis Therapy
Session 3 – Emotional Detox (55 minutes)
• Review and update from the week and Pain Rating
• Home Work – Daily Symptom Tracking Sheet
• Emotional Detox adapted from Michael Ellner
• Inner Child
Session 4 – Learning self-hypnosis (55 minutes)
• Review and update from the week and Pain Rating
• Home Work – Daily Symptom Tracking Sheet
• Hypnosis Therapy
Session 5 – Hypnotic Suggestions (55 minutes)
• Review and update from the week and Pain Rating
• Home Work – Daily Symptom Tracking Sheet
• Hypnosis Therapy
Session 6 – Symptom Wall (55 Minutes)
• Review and update from the week and Pain Rating
• Home Work – Daily Symptom Tracking Sheet
• Hypnosis Therapy
• Using elements of Time Line to create a blueprint for change
Session 7 – Parts Party Discovery and directive for change (55 Minutes)
• Review and update from the week and Pain Rating
• Home Work – Daily Symptom Tracking Sheet
• Hypnosis Therapy
Session 8 – Parts Party adapted from Answer Cancer (55 Minutes)
• Review and update from the week and Pain Rating
• Home Work – Daily Symptom Tracking Sheet
• Hypnosis Therapy
Session 9 – Cellular Reprogramming (55 minutes)
• Review and update from the week and Pain Rating
• Home Work – Daily Symptom Tracking Sheet
• Hypnosis Holographic Therapy adapted from Keith Clark
Session 10 – Removing pannus and rebuilding healthy joints (bone and cartilage) or modified for rebuilding healthy tissues (55 minutes)
• Review and update from the week and Pain Rating
• Home Work – Daily Symptom Tracking Sheet
• Hypnosis Therapy
Session 11 – Control Room of the Body (55 minutes)
• Review and update from the week and Pain Rating
• Home Work – Daily Symptom Tracking Sheet
• Hypnosis Therapy Control Room
Session 12 – Review and Clean Up (55 minutes)
• Review and update from the week and Pain Rating
• Home Work – Daily Symptom Tracking Sheet
• Hypnosis Therapy
Phase II:
Phase II sessions are 30 – 35 minute sessions scheduled approximately every other week. These sessions are generally tune-up sessions often focusing on stress reduction and dealing with everyday life. About 50% of my clients choose to continue with Phase II.
IACT: Wow! What a great breakdown of sessions. To better understand your protocol, is there a specific case history you’d like to share?
RM: I have changed the names and I have left out identifying information to protect client’s confidentiality.
Mary:
Mary (not her real name), age 58, first phoned me in April of 2010. Mary had rheumatoid arthritis in both hands and in her left hip. Mary had been very active all her life. She is the mother of 3, grandmother of 4. She loved to roller skate and was an accomplished pianist. She had been experiencing aches and pains for several years but never let it slow her down. Since the fall of 2009, her pain had become so severe that it was difficult for her to walk and hadn’t been able to play the piano since the holidays. She hurt so much that she felt unable to safely care for her grandchildren. She described that her physical pain on average was a 7 to 8 with frequent spikes each day of 9 and 10. With lack of exercise, her pain and arthritis medications and overall emotional state, Mary had gained 30 pounds in the previous six months. Mary was stressed and depressed by the pain and limitations on her active lifestyle.
Mary was leery about hypnosis for religious reasons. Her MD had referred her to me and she discovered that a friend in her church had success with my Slender For Life™ weight loss program. Over the next few weeks we had several phone calls and emails. Finally, in June, 2010, Mary came for no-charge consultation.
I helped Mary work through her religious concerns and designed a program that I thought would be appropriate for her. Mary was depressed from the pain and physical limitations. I realized during the consultation that Mary’s biggest fear was that hypnosis wouldn’t work for her and she was hesitant to start because she didn’t think she could deal with it not working.
Mary came in for her first session in July 1010 and had six weekly sessions. She then went on a month long vacation. Upon her return we had two sessions a week a part and then four more that were every other week. Since that time I have seen Mary for 30 to 35 minute Personal Power Sessions every two to four weeks.
By the end of her first session Mary reported that her level of discomfort was down to a 3. She listened to a hypnosis relaxation CD on a daily basis and reported that she found comfort from that. Her level of discomfort increased each day after her first session to the point that when she came in for session 2 she was back to the 7 to 10 range.
Mary came in for session 3 and seemed like a new person. Her affect was cheerful, she walked faster and straighter and she sat down easily into the recliner. Those were major changes from my previous experiences with her. During the previous week Mary had one day where she had a couple of hours at an 8 after a several hour long shopping trip at the mall. (The fact that she had gone shopping at all was also a major improvement.) Mary’s daily tracking sheets showed that her daily average of discomfort was a 4.5.
Throughout the remaining sessions Mary learned self-hypnosis, stress reduction techniques and pain management techniques. She learned to use the control room of her body and to work with her holographic body. We did Parts Therapy and Inner Child Therapy. Mary changed her diet and began to exercise again.
When Mary left on her month long vacation her daily tracking sheets showed an average of discomfort at 2. There seemed to be a time in the late afternoon most days when she would spike at a 4 or 5, usually after having been out working in the yard, going to the gym or being with her grandchildren.
By the end of her vacation Mary’s average discomfort was still a 2. She had experienced some spikes as high as an 8 after walking for hours in European museums, but many days she had a 0 or 1 rating throughout the day. She successfully used her pain management techniques when her level of discomfort went up.
On her own, Mary had cut back on her pain medications while in Europe and when she returned, her MD reduced or eliminated meds leaving her with very mild pain meds on a PRN basis. At this point, Mary had significant reduction in swelling in her hands so that she had returned to the piano and was walking with a normal gait.
Most of the work throughout our Personal Power Sessions has been focused on weight loss. Mary has now lost 53 pounds and has a goal of letting go of 7 more pounds for a total of 60 pounds. The weight release of course has also helped with her overall mobility.
Mary continues to eat healthy, exercise, use self-hypnosis several times each day, manages her stress and uses her pain management techniques whenever she notices any aches and pains. Her MD has taken her off all medications.
Mary is thrilled. She has her life back; she loves babysitting her grandchildren, playing the piano and is back on her roller skates. I believe that Mary will continue to live her active life for many years to come.
Joan:
Joan (not her real name), age 46 has Multiple Sclerosis and started therapy in December 2010. Joan reported experiencing problems with painful muscle spasms, coordination, balance, tremors, weakness, vision loss, and occasional stool leakage. Joan is single, lives alone and is a manager in a retail store. Her job is extremely stressful and requires that she works long hours (10 to 14 hours per day) often with few or no breaks. She frequently will go 8 hours or more without eating. In an average month Joan may have 5 days off, rarely two in a row. As a result, she often cancels sessions (always with 24 or more hours’ notice) and has not yet completed all of her recommended sessions. Joan experiences flare ups in her symptoms when she is the most stressed. Her MD has given her several prescriptions for special accommodations at work but she is afraid of losing her job in this economy and has never discussed her health needs with her regional manager. Joan is in survival mode struggling to meet her basic needs of food and shelter.
Joan has learned self-hypnosis, stress reduction and pain management techniques. She has altered her diet, exercises several times each week. Joan has been able to manage her pain and other symptoms while at work allowing her to complete her shift. There has been no other change in her symptoms. Joan believes that her long hours at her stressful job have prevented any improvement in her symptoms. She repeatedly says that the self-hypnosis and other tools have kept her condition from worsening and that she feels the best for 7 to 10 days after a session with me.
From the beginning Joan has not kept her agreement regarding the daily tracking sheets on her symptoms. I considered terminating her as a client but I do believe that Joan is in a terrible job situation and her alternative is to quit, lose her medical insurance and potentially lose her home. She is using the tools to manage her symptoms so that she can survive.
I believe that Joan could achieve greater results if she were in a different work environment. But, right now, this is her reality.
IACT: Thank you for sharing these case histories. They’ve provided wonderful insight for dealing with autoimmune issues. And thank you for granting this interview. Are there any final thoughts you’d like to share with regard to helping those afflicted with autoimmune disorders.
RM: Yes, there is: Never give up and remember that it is never too late. For the past 18 months I have been working with a woman who is now 74. She has severe rheumatoid arthritis in her back. When we started, she was on lots of pain meds which had their own negative side effects. She leads a very active lifestyle taking care of her large beachfront home and is always on the go. The pain and medications were limiting what she could do. For several months now I have seen her once a month (she considers it to be her mental massage). This last week when she was in and I asked about her overall level of discomfort she scoffed and said “thanks to you, the pain is irrelevant”. She went on to talk about the contractors she is working with to rebuild her steps down to her beach.
In the past few months I have witnessed this client, my own Mom, and others go from seemingly hopeless physical situations to having an improved quality of life. They have learned self-hypnosis and other tools so that they are not dependent on me or on CDs and can use these tools to alleviate any discomfort they may experience throughout the day.
I don’t believe that I or my clients are cured of autoimmune disease. But, thanks to hypnosis, it has become irrelevant for me and isn’t holding me back from a 100 mile bike ride or wilderness backpacking in the Olympic Mountains.
Melissa Roth and I will be teaching our protocol for Autoimmune Disease November 3 – 5, 2011, in Seattle. You can learn more about it at the Seattle Counseling & Hypnotherapy Conference Fall 2011. 21 CEUs from IMDHA will be available.
IACT: Thank you for sharing your experiences with our readers. We certainly appreciate your time and expertise.
RM: Thank you! It was my honor.
