Selective

Awareness Therapy

Wendy Helms
 e-Book 2016 International Psychotherapy Institute

From The Psychotherapy Guidebook edited by Richie Herink and Paul R. Herink

All Rights Reserved

Created in the United States of America

Copyright © 2012 by Richie Herink and Paul Richard Herink

 Table of Contents

DEFINITION

HISTORY

TECHNIQUE

APPLICATIONS

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 Selective Awareness Therapy

Wendy Helms

DEFINITION

Selective Awareness Therapy (S.A.T.) is a short-term, holistic approach

to the treatment of physical and psychological symptoms through integration

of body and mind. The underlying assumption of S.A.T. is that both physical

and mental symptoms are the product of unresolved thought/emotion

complexes that upset the natural homeostatic balance of the individual

through misallocation of energy. Through a combination of deep relaxation,

breathing, and imagery, clients learn how to achieve insight into the

connection between the symptom and the thought/ emotion process of which
it is a manifestation. Once insight is achieved, clients are taught to get in touch

with their own self-healing potential to release blocked energy and regain
and maintain natural health and vitality.

HISTORY

Dr. Peter Mutke became aware of the need for a new approach to

medical and psychological problems during his career as a physician and

surgeon. He was fascinated by the variety of different ways in which people

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react to illness or injury, and he noticed that patients’ belief systems and
mental attitudes seemed to be powerful factors influencing survival and

speed of recovery. In his search for a tool that could utilize these powerful

factors, Dr. Mutke turned to Hypnotherapy, which he used, for a time, with
great success. However, he was troubled by the numerous misconceptions

and expectations associated with hypnosis, especially the client’s expectation

of being passively controlled. So, Dr. Mutke began to develop a new approach

that would have the advantage of neutral expectations. Based on sound

principles of psychophysiology, S.A.T. combined positive aspects of hypnosis

— such as deep relaxation, access to amnestic material, and use of creative

imagery — with techniques for teaching clients to adjust their own physical
and psychological functioning to normal and to take responsibility for their

own well-being. S.A.T. differs from Hypnotherapy in several important ways.

The S.A.T. relaxation induction purposely avoids any connotation of “trance”

or “sleep,” and is regarded rather as a state of “super-consciousness” that

facilitates increased insight and receptivity to change. The client’s consent is

sought at all stages of therapy, giving reassurance that the client is in control
and can return to social awareness at any time.

S.A.T. has elements in common with a number of other therapeutic

approaches. Autogenic training, for example, also employs deep relaxation

and positive imagery, which are effective in temporary relief of symptoms.

However, Autogenic training is a lengthy procedure that fails to provide

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techniques for dealing with emotional abreactions (reexperiencing a previous

emotional event) and amnestic material that may spontaneously appear

during relaxation. Thus, clients cannot achieve the insight essential to lasting

change.

The structure of S.A.T. is unique and it is one of the few therapeutic

approaches that effectively bridges the gap between psychology and

medicine, giving clients an awareness of their power to influence their own

physical and mental health.

TECHNIQUE

S.A.T. is a short-term therapy; a series of from three to five one-hour

sessions at weekly intervals are expected to lead to significant change in a

client’s illness pattern. After identifying and breaking the perpetuating

thought/emotion/physical symptom chain, the client is helped to adjust

attitudes and self-image accordingly so that the changes will become

permanent. When a client has a number of unrelated symptoms, it is

necessary to explore the dynamics of each symptom in turn, allowing two or

three sessions for each disease. An initial S.A.T. session begins with a short
inquiry into the client’s social and medical history and current complaint.

Evidence of a recent medical work-up is essential when treating physical

symptoms outside of a medical setting. After discussion of the S.A.T.

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approach, the client is introduced to the state of selective awareness through
a process of deep relaxation. An eight- to ten-minute tape of the relaxation

induction is made during the session and the client is asked to listen to the

tape twice a day. Finger signals are established to facilitate communication on

a subconscious level and especially to check for the client’s consent at all

stages of therapy.

A typical second session begins with a brief relaxation induction into a

state of selective awareness. Then the client is asked to orient himself back to

the most recent time when he experienced the symptom (for example,

stomach pain, insomnia, depression), to describe the situation, and to

reexperience the thoughts and emotions that were dominant at that time.

Examination of a succession of such “symptom-producing events” leads back

to an original “sensitizing event” and reveals a clear pattern of relationship

between the symptom and a triggering thought/ emotion complex. When the

client gains insight into the origin of the symptom and begins to take
responsibility for ill health, then healing and change begin to take place.

A third session would make use of “bio-automation” or creative image

rehearsal” to sever the connection between symptom and thought/emotion

complex. Bio-automation involves using mental imagery to gain positive

influence over autonomic functions of the body, such as circulation, digestion,

and healing. Negative patterns of behavior and communication can similarly

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be influenced through creative image rehearsal, a process of mentally
visualizing and rehearsing desired changes in behavior. A tape is made of this

therapeutic process, which includes positive feedback to reinforce the client’s

new symptom-free self-image. Positive feedback is important at all stages of

therapy to ensure that the client takes credit for the fact that he is using his

own natural healing potential to create change in himself. After the third

session, therapist and client review progress and decide on the number of

additional sessions needed. At the conclusion of therapy, a single review

session is scheduled in four to six weeks to reinforce progress and change.

The structure of S.A.T. is of great importance, but within the basic

framework there is great scope for creativity in catering to the needs of each

particular client. S.A.T. combines well with other approaches such as Gestalt,
Transactional Analysis, and Psychodrama, and it can also be used effectively

as a tool for self-help.

APPLICATIONS

Theoretically, there are few physical and emotional symptoms that

cannot be alleviated with S.A.T. However, the success of S.A.T. is directly

proportional to the client’s motivation and ability to concentrate and use

mental imagery.

S.A.T. is particularly well suited for use in a medical setting where

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holistic counseling can take place in cooperation with a team of medical
personnel. However, therapists and counselors with training in psychology

must be cautious about treating physical symptoms without first obtaining

evidence that the client has had a complete medical checkup.

Psychosomatic complaints that respond particularly well to short-term

treatment with S.A.T. include migraine headaches, muscular pains, digestive

and circulatory disorders, skin allergies, and asthma. S.A.T. has also been used

effectively with before surgery patients, helping to promote rapid healing,

and postoperative recovery.

Habit disorders, such as smoking, obesity, and nail biting, respond well

to the S.A.T. approach, which facilitates direct insight into the negative

thought/emotion complexes that underlie such symptoms.

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