Affect Regulation Toolbox

A Book Review By Tim Brunson DCH

Affect Regulation Toolbox: Practical and Effective Hypnotic Interventions for the Over-reactive Client

Generally I find that there are two types of books about hypnotherapy and the other integrative arts. The first is a book that merely repackages or documents current or historical thought and information. While there are plenty such books out there, they merely serve to provide an educational value to the clinical and lay readership. Then there are the books that actually contribute to the evolution of the field. Frankly, I find that Affect Regulation Toolbox: Practical and Effective Hypnotic Interventions for the Over-reactive Client by Carolyn Daitch, Ph.D. to be one of the latter. This book must be considered at the same level of contribution as the D. Corydon Hammond's 1990 seminal work on suggestions and metaphors.

In this book Dr. Daitch provides clinicians with a practical and easily digestible collection of hypnotic tools that can be used by clinicians to address clients with a myriad of affect related conditions. She organizes her collection of hypnotic techniques, which she calls tools, by issue/disorder. By providing well thought out interventions she presents clinicians with multi-session protocols which she has tested during her years as a successful clinician. Therefore, she addresses scores of issues by bundling for them various tools, many of which may be used successfully for more than concern.

Applying this bundling and re-usable tool concept is at the heart of her unique contribution to hypnotherapy. To an experienced software programmer this technique looks much like modular coding where blocks or lines of code are grouped into sub-routines or classes which may be used somewhat as a library of resources. Although she does not recognize software programming as the source of her technique, I still feel that this innovative approach is quite unique and very welcome.

I find very little to suggest or criticize about Dr. Daitch's book. As a long-time fan of her audio recordings, I find that she very professionally selects every word carefully and purposely. Those familiar with Erickson and neo-Ericksonian hypnotherapy will most certainly see evidence of this background in wording of her scripts. The only thing that caught my attention was that on a couple of rare occasions she used clinical jargon within these client-oriented scripts. Other than those extremely minor occurrences, I find her wording effective and "spot on!"

Affect Regulation Toolbox is an essential reference for any clinician who is serious about using hypnotherapy. As it assumes a fundamental knowledge and skill of hypnosis I would not recommend it as a book for novices, for all others I would highly encourage that you purchase it immediately.