All-Star Hypnotheraphy....?

[FierceandFearless]

I know of an athlete who has done this. Would randomly block on things and then stress herself out because she couldn't break through. It would happen randomly and unexpectedly and she's go from throwing fulls to handspring rebound only. She'd work through it and a few days, weeks later she'd be back until something else would happen and she'd block again. This was a pretty young but very talented kid. It was hard in her because she's hard on herself. They tried this route at some point, I haven't seen her block in over a year, stuff that would cause a block (a random crash like all kids tend to do with new skills) didn't phase her. She's now throwing punch to double like a boss and is a hair's breadth away from her standing full.

Frankly, after CP13 comes back from her injury if she's still having her own confidence issues I've actually considered it for her.

I don't Imagine it could hurt and for at least one kid I've seen it work beautifully. I also think (by definition) it's very individual and results would vary individually. This was a young kid, I'm wondering if the older you are the more your own predispositions would matter.


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Thank you!! She kind of sounds like me in a way, where it happens unexpectedly and sometimes I work through it, but then a short period of time later I'm back to where I was. I'm also very hard on myself, and I know the more I stress and the harder I am on myself the less it's helping. I'm glad that athlete has had so much success with it :) I agree age and individuality probabl does play a key role in it, but I am willing to try it, so I'm hoping that my openness will play into that lol. Thank you, again!

 

[PhillyCheerMom]

If you are going to go this route, consult a sports psychologist about a sound recommendation for a hypnotherapist. So many people are trying to tap into the cheer market these days and don't understand the perspective.

We went to someone that wasn't suggested and he wanted to charge me $1000 to "fix" my daughter. A psychologist who specializes in sport and hypnotherapy may be covered by the mental health clause of your parents' health insurance. Another option is a sports performance therapist. Just be careful and work with your parents and/or coaches to find someone trustworthy. Good luck and let us know how you make out.

 

[FierceandFearless]

If you are going to go this route, consult a sports psychologist about a sound recommendation for a hypnotherapist. So many people are trying to tap into the cheer market these days and don't understand the perspective.

We went to someone that wasn't suggested and he wanted to charge me $1000 to "fix" my daughter. A psychologist who specializes in sport and hypnotherapy may be covered by the mental health clause of your parents' health insurance. Another option is a sports performance therapist. Just be careful and work with your parents and/or coaches to find someone trustworthy. Good luck and let us know how you make out.

Thank you!!! I currently work with a therapist (for different reasons) who uses guided imagery as her main approach to things and I know that she knows some good hypnotherapists and may be able to recommend one. I know she's not a sports psychologist but it's at least a start and we may be able to find a sports psych through her.
Thank you again!

 

[FierceandFearless]

@12stepCheermom -- forgot to ask you, do you know how many sessions the athlete did hypnotherapy for before it started to help her? and is it something she had to do continuously, or was she able to stop the sessions after she started to progress again?
thanks :)

 

[12stepCheermom]

Thank you!!! I currently work with a therapist (for different reasons) who uses guided imagery as her main approach to things and I know that she knows some good hypnotherapists and may be able to recommend one. I know she's not a sports psychologist but it's at least a start and we may be able to find a sports psych through her.
Thank you again!

I don't get the impression she did it long but I don't know for sure


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[FierceandFearless]

I don't get the impression she did it long but I don't know for sure


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Got it, thank you!

 

[luv2cheer92]

I'm kind of biased since this is what I have my college degree in, but I would definitely consider seeing a sport psychology consultant. I have personally seen them work wonders with just about anything. There are several different techniques that they can teach you that you can do yourself while you are at practice as well as techniques they can do in the office such as hypnosis. Good luck, I know how hard mental blocks can be :)

 

[FierceandFearless]

I'm kind of biased since this is what I have my college degree in, but I would definitely consider seeing a sport psychology consultant. I have personally seen them work wonders with just about anything. There are several different techniques that they can teach you that you can do yourself while you are at practice as well as techniques they can do in the office such as hypnosis. Good luck, I know how hard mental blocks can be :)

Thank you!! I tried contacting a renowned sports psych (who usually responds to people and gives them tips and everything) but he never responded back to me. I sent him an email a long time ago, never got a response. my coaches and I have tried everything basically. My tumbling class is tomorrow and I'm going to see how the class goes and if I'm still really mental and am not improving (as its been like that for a loooooooong time) still, then I'm going to discuss with my mom about hypnotherapy :)

 

[CheerBank]

Former cp went to a hypnotist mid-season because she developed full blown performance anxiety - complete with vomiting - right before each competition. Basically the hypnotist helped her with visualization techniques and taught her to channel the anxiety into positive energy because she was at a point where she would get anxious about the possibility of having anxiety. She was able to finish the season on a strong note thanks to the techniques she learned.


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[FierceandFearless]

Former cp went to a hypnotist mid-season because she developed full blown performance anxiety - complete with vomiting - right before each competition. Basically the hypnotist helped her with visualization techniques and taught her to channel the anxiety into positive energy because she was at a point where she would get anxious about the possibility of having anxiety. She was able to finish the season on a strong note thanks to the techniques she learned.


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Thank you for your info :)

 

[AlisaSrBlack]

I tried it when I was a gymnast. I have a mental block from falling on a back handspring on the beam. My mom took me into a sport psychologist and I got hypnotized. They gave me a tape of it and I was supposed to listen to it every day. The first time I went to practice after that I was tumbling again and it seemed like everything worked. But then I stopped listening to the tapes. Now, about 10 years later, I haven't back tumbled in about 4 years. Recently I have been working on it a bit but trying not to stress myself about it too much.


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[cheerforeverever]

The sessions supposedly help visualize, but ultimately it is still up to the athlete to throw the skill. If it helps you calm down and sort things out in your head, great, but it is not a magical solve all button where you will be put to sleep and then wake up suddenly "cured". Doesn't work that way.

A girl on my high school team tried these sessions back in the day.....She had a perfect standing BHS with a "spot" (literally just someone standing there), but was too mental to throw it with no coach standing there. Her mother took her to hypnotherapy sessions to try and get over the fear, as you had to have a standing BHS or more to even try out for any squad higher than freshmen. I think she was looking for that "easy button" to just suddenly be able to throw it, but it takes time and hard work to get over a mental block. The lack of time until tryouts made her stress too much about the skill (about 2 months) and when the time came , she was still unable to make herself throw the BHS unfortunately. It was pretty heartbreaking for everyone because we all knew that she could do it, but she didn't believe and trust in her own abilities mentally to throw that skill.

 

[FierceandFearless]

I tried it when I was a gymnast. I have a mental block from falling on a back handspring on the beam. My mom took me into a sport psychologist and I got hypnotized. They gave me a tape of it and I was supposed to listen to it every day. The first time I went to practice after that I was tumbling again and it seemed like everything worked. But then I stopped listening to the tapes. Now, about 10 years later, I haven't back tumbled in about 4 years. Recently I have been working on it a bit but trying not to stress myself about it too much.


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Do you think if you had continued listening to the tapes it would have continued helping you tumble better?

 

[FierceandFearless]

The sessions supposedly help visualize, but ultimately it is still up to the athlete to throw the skill. If it helps you calm down and sort things out in your head, great, but it is not a magical solve all button where you will be put to sleep and then wake up suddenly "cured". Doesn't work that way.

A girl on my high school team tried these sessions back in the day.....She had a perfect standing BHS with a "spot" (literally just someone standing there), but was too mental to throw it with no coach standing there. Her mother took her to hypnotherapy sessions to try and get over the fear, as you had to have a standing BHS or more to even try out for any squad higher than freshmen. I think she was looking for that "easy button" to just suddenly be able to throw it, but it takes time and hard work to get over a mental block. The lack of time until tryouts made her stress too much about the skill (about 2 months) and when the time came , she was still unable to make herself throw the BHS unfortunately. It was pretty heartbreaking for everyone because we all knew that she could do it, but she didn't believe and trust in her own abilities mentally to throw that skill.

I understand it's not a magical cure. But I have been back and forth with this mental block for a very long time now. I've had this skill and lost it countless times. It's very frustrating. Thank you for sharing your friends experience with me!

 

[AlisaSrBlack]

Do you think if you had continued listening to the tapes it would have continued helping you tumble better?

I don't know. I think when I first went I believed in it more. As time went on I think I stopped believing in it. So I don't think it would have helped. I think what made it worse was that my coaches and parents had put so much pressure on me to get my tumbling back.


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