Inner Strength and other Techniques for Ego Strengthening

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Abstract
For most therapists who employ hypnoanalytic techniques, ego strengthening stands as the bedrock upon which other techniques are structured. Much ego strengthening takes place indirectly, and its effects are often perceived as improved therapeutic alliance, heightened insight, increased clarity of thinking, and/or improved self-esteem on the part of the patient. Since Hartland introduced ego-strengthening techniques, most therapists have placed emphasis on formal ego-strengthening procedures, both sentences and visualizations. More recently age-progression procedures have been used for ego strengthening. In this paper we introduce the concept of “Inner Strength” as a helpful ego state, and we review three ways of helping the patient get in touch with inner resources in a way that strengthens the ego. We discuss relevant cases and present the appropriate scripts provided for implementing these techniques.

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