Empowering Strategies: The Physician's Point of View

Abstract

This paper proposes that the healing suggestions we create when utilizing psychotherapy with hypnosis reflect the current dominant cultural belief systems. Since Western medicine is founded on and continues to rely on the model of patriarchy, then it is not surprising that common hypnotic metaphors reflect this mindset, best represented by the military metaphor. Because this very cultural view has been so damaging to women's health, continuing to utilize this same language only serves to perpetuate victimization and thus poor health. An entire shift in thinking about the way our culture views health and disease is already in progress and is explored as a source of new healing metaphors. This new healing paradigm may be especially beneficial for women's health as it emphasizes tapping into ones internal resources thus promoting self-worth and self-empowerment rather than giving up one's power in the name of modern western medicine.