QUANTUM FOCUSING Can Improve Patient Care

by Michael Ellner

I want to introduce you to a self-help technology called QUANTUM FOCUSING®. QUANTUM FOCUSING is a special blend of meditation, self-hypnosis and focused attention training, that I developed working with Richard Jamison, PhD, a psycho-biologist and Alan Barsky, CHt., a medical hypnotist.

In theory and practice, QUANTUM FOCUSING is a series of guided and/or self-administered relaxation exercises and self-help techniques engineered to help people feel better, heal faster and be more effective. This approach offers many benefits for both the Health Care Provider and their Patients, especially in hospital settings.

For example, health care professionals' words, attitudes and/or moods can promote healing and well-being or they can be weapons of mass destruction.

Imagine being assisted by someone who was agitated, stressed out, pre-occupied or in a bad mood -- How would that affect your experience? Now imagine that that person was your doctor, nurse, social worker, hospital administrator, chaplain, or therapist. When a hospital's staff and patients are stressed-out it reduces the quality of patient care.

Another consideration is that a patient's state of mind can either undermine their confidence and impede their healing and rehab or fuel the patient's confidence and well-being, and help them heal and rehab to the full extent of their capabilities.

As you will discover, QUANTUM FOCUSING is an ideal tool for both the Health Care Provider and his or her patients.

Think about it. When you are relaxed, peaceful and focused on a patient the patient will consequently get better results and the visit will be more productive and satisfying for you. And if you guide your patients through one of our mental exercises, it will help them relax, quiet their minds and focus them on your consultation or their rehab as you are working with them -- if both you and your patient are focused and relaxed, it will increase the benefits of your time together. Every body wins...

But, don't take my word for it. See for yourself.

The QUANTUM FOCUSING exercise below is an example of just how easy it is to unwind, recharge and refocus your attention. Experience what happens when you do this 2-minute basic "Relax and Recharge" exercise before working with each of your patients.

It's easy and fun:

1. Become comfortable with your surroundings, not focusing on anything in particular as you allow your attention to glide into doing this exercise.

2. Without thinking about it, gently bring your attention to being inside of your body.

3. Fill your mind with a sense of occupying all of the space from the bottom of your feet to the top of your head. Imagine every cell in your body dancing in total harmony.

4. Say to yourself, "I live with a happy heart, a peaceful mind, and a playful spirit." Stay with it for about 30 seconds.

5. Just before ending, inhale deeply, and in the privacy of your own mind quietly shout, "The world is a better and happier place when I am peaceful and relaxed!"

6. As you exhale, take a moment to feel complete and good about what you just did.

7. Bring yourself back into the moment, focusing your attention on helping your next patient.

I wonder how quickly you will notice that your work is more exciting and rewarding.

I also urge you to discover what happens when you guide a patient through the same exercise before working with them. I predict that even your most irritable and difficult patients will quickly become a lot more agreeable and easier to work with.

For more information about QUANTUM FOCUSING self-help guides, training and certification and/or to view the many endorsements QUANTUM FOCUSING has already received from leading health experts and educators, you can visit: www.quantumfocusing.com or feel free to refer your patients to our website.

All of you are invited to check out my Blog on TherapyTimes.com

Stay Focused!

Michael Ellner served 3 years as an active member of the National Institutes of Health Complementary Working Group and is an editorial board member of the multi-award winning TherapyTimes.com.