How to Coach Yourself and Others Better Coaching Through Visualisation | Page 169

Like Sandra, the impact for Dee was immediate. She stopped itching
within the week, created her own imagery exercise making her the
authority over her healing, and the scabs were healed (without
scarring) within one month. The confidence and esteem Dee gained
from the creation of her own exercise and the results she achieved
from doing the work herself drastically improved her sense of self.
Clients gain a sense of mastery and call recall such achievements
when future health challenges present senses of doubt, and
helplessness.
11.4 Summary
As with the beginning of all habits, start with simple relaxation
exercises first, perhaps with yourself and other colleagues to gain
comfort and familiarity with engaging the imagination and each of
the five senses. The mind and the body can interact in many ways to
bring about health and illness as is introduced throughout this
chapter. At first these interactions may be difficult to understand or
see, however practice observing and reading the images provided in
the exercises with a deeper appreciation. Experiment with all the
possible ways to gain access to the sensory world of the client. For
example start listening in a more active way such as listening to
music. Or, if the client has trouble imaging, involve the sense of
smell or taste or touch, integrate aromatherapy in the practice.
Clients may like to write impressions from the work in a journal,
record dreams, and utilize the therapist as the teacher or guide in
their journey.
What may be discovered as the work of mental imagery continues, is
that this not only attunes the therapist’s ability to image, but how to
expand in this work with clients. While research is a challenge and is
highly debated in this work, the evidence based research must
continue to further the credibility of this mind body practice.

169