Questions for Obtaining Detailed Personal HistoryName: Profile: Age:

Session: Other:

1-Why are you here? Why else? Why else?Elicit all of the reasons the client has come to see you. Does their non-verbal behavior match their 'presented' outcomes?

2-How do you know you have this problem?Elicit the client's strategy for having the problem and any diagnoses made.

3-How long have you had the problem?Was there a time when you didn't have it? What have you done about it?

4-What happened the first time you had the problem?What emotions were present? When did the problem start? When didn't you have it? When don't you have it now? What have you done about it up to now? These questions will define the boundaries of the problem.

5-What events have happened since then?What emotions were present? Can you recall the very first time you experienced this problem - how did you feel then? What examples of the problem have occurred since? How do you feel about these? These questions will give the history of the problem.

6-In each of these events, what is the relationship between the event and your current situation in life? Looking at and listening to these events, how do they relate to your current situation? This and the next two questions may reveal a pattern.

7-Tell me about your parents, brothers, sisters, and so on. What is the relationship between this person (each one) and your current situation?

8-Tell me about your childhood in relationship to this problem. Does anything in your early life bear some relation-ship or relevance to this problem?

9-Is there a purpose for having this problem?Ask your Unconscious Mind. If this problem had a purpose or intention for you, what would it be? This will identify the positive intention behind behavior.

10-When did you choose to have this situation created?Why? Ask your Unconscious Mind. When did you choose, at some level, to create this situation? For what purpose? These questions involve the person themselves as the cause or source of the problem.

11-Is there something your Unconscious Mind wants you to know, or is there something you're not getting which, if you got it, would allow the problem to disappear?

12-Is it OK with your Unconscious Mind to support us in removing this problem today, and to allow you to have an undeniable experience of the problem disappearing, when we have completed the session?

NOTE:1-Does their non-verbal behavior match their 'presented' outcomes?2- Pay attention to everything the client tells you. As you take notes, keep in mind that every presenting problem is an example of something.3- To identify higher level presenting problems that the client is not consciously aware of, you can ask:- What is this an example of?-Can you give me an example of that?

GENERAL CASE ANALYSIS : (Information for session and regression )

1- In the past, who demanded, at some time, that you (the client) love them? In other words who seemed to want to force you to love them? After you have looked at the past, consider the present. The key issue here is not who wants the client to love them but who may be demanding or forcing the clients love. If love is a word that the client feels uncomfortable with, cared for or affection can easily be substituted. Many times a friend will be a key element in a clients illness, and not someone who the client loves, like a parent, child, or spouse.

2- In the past, who, at some time, simply demanded that you talk or communicate with them? Maybe they made you feel bad if you didnt. Then ask for people in the present.

3- In the past, at some time, who refused or didnt want to love (care for/show affection) for you?

4- In the past, at some time, who refused or didnt want to communicate or talk to you?

NOTE: Normally, one or two or more of the people noted in the grid will be shown to be significant in the clients illness or challenge.5- Who died that really mattered before the onset? Since the onset of your _____, who has died that was really important to you? It is at this point in the case analysis to ask the client who has died that really mattered in a persons life, not long before the illness started. This list should then be extended back to childhood. Create a separate list of people who died that really mattered since the onset of the clients illness or problem, because these deaths may have significantly affected the client.

6- Who affects you negatively after you leave them? (In other words, who sometimes gives you such bad vibes that its tough to shake them even after they are gone?)

7- Do you experience pain, discomfort, or disorder of some kind in or around the: ask about each area of the body so we miss nothing, and note every significant ongoing chronic pain or problem that the person experiences:Head Lungs

Jaws (TMJ) Lower Back

Eyes Arms

Ears Hands

Nose Skin

Mouth Rectum (including hemorrhoids, urinary difficulties, etc.)

Gums & Teeth Sexual Arousal (including PMS, menopauserelated issues, etc.)

Lips Thighs

Neck Calves

Shoulders Feet

Spine Viruses like HIV or Hepatitis

Upper Back Diagnosed Diseases like Diabetes or Cancer

Chest What have I missed?

8- Who had (each of these things)? (Include pets.) Our mission is to consider possible identification sources to each of the somatic. You will go down the list of each symptom and ask who had this same symptom before the clients symptomatic onset, including loved or hated pets.

9- When did you want to be like her or him? Upon completion of possible identifications with other people and pets ask about each person that is listed above this question. Often the person will say never. However, that may or may not be the case. It is possible that the person hated her mother but wanted the amount of freedom or control mom had. Make sure you do not ask a leading question, but frame your question in such a way that the person understands that she may have wanted the power or some other quality of the person and not just to be like (similar) to the person.10- When did you decide you wanted to help each of these people? Once you have established both positive and negative identifications in no-9, now you want to know if there was a time when the client sincerely wished she could have helped the other person with their symptom or life. We ask this question.

11- When did you realize you failed to help them? If the person was successful in helping a person, then there probably would be no identification symptomatically. However, if guilt or shame from not being able to help the person is an issue, they failed. Sometimes the realization is shortly after the failure, which is often the time of the identified persons death. Regardless of what you think, ask the client. There are some cases where the answer to this question is crucial and will be close in time to when the persons own symptoms began.

12- How often do you experience each of these emotions?A relatively effective method of discovering the way a client views his emotional states is to ask him to evaluate each emotion listed below with the response: often, sometimes, seldom, or rarely. Occasionally you will hear never. The emotions are listed in an order that would be preferable to the vast majority of people. Emotions at the top of the list are preferable to the long term emotional health of your client.

Enthusiasm Cheerfulness Boredom Anger Antagonism Hostility Fear Embarrassment Shame Grief ApathyApathy is among the least desirable states of mind, representing the point of having given up, of not caring anymore. People experiencing grief in a grief situation are considered normal. People experiencing grief in a situation where no grief is warranted can use your assistance in getting back on track.

13- If you had responsibilities you were neglecting, what would they be? I want to know what the client is not doing around the office, in the family, or in a relationship. What has he given up doing that he should be doing? Most psychosomatic illnesses seem to have an element of secondary gain involved where the client will feel uncomfortable or incapable of doing certain work or fulfilling certain obligations. This is what we are looking for when we ask the question.

12- What do you think of yourself? Why? You are now ready to seriously ask him about his self esteem. I avoid using the term self esteem, however, because it is something we are all told should be high. I like to ask in a more subtle way.

13- If you were trying to blame someone in your life, who would it be? Who else? Now that we have considered an individuals evaluation of his self esteem, we will find it useful to discover who he is trying to blame in life for his illness, problems etc. Again the question is posed ambiguous and vague intentionally. Your objective is to remain empathetic without judgment.

14- Five fears in the present?

15- Five fears in the future?

Secondary Case Analysis:It is interesting that many clients will come to your office and then put on a front that everything is really going okay. The following questions comprise the Secondary Case Analysis, which will assist you in helping you learn more about how you can help your client.1-If you were free from this (symptom/problem) how would your life be different? 2-If you had a magic wand and could make this X go away, how would you know, when you woke up in the morning, that it really had vanished? 3-Tell me what you need and want from me. Tell me how you want life to be. 4-What is your most common emotion? 5-How do you feel about life? 6-Who is hurting you? Who has hurt you? 7-Who said they were your friend or loved one but you later found out they really werent? 8-Who made you see things their way? 9-Who wouldnt show you the affection you needed? 10-Who refused to communicate with you? 11-What phrase or words best describe your attitude toward life? 12-Who did you hear that phrase from? Who else? 13-When did you tell yourself that phrase the first time? 14-What are you trying to hide and keep secret in the present time? What else? 15-Do you flinch at motions? (If yes) Why do you think that is? 16-Do you like your work? Why? 17-Is your sex life excellent? 18-Do you feel secure? 19-Do you feel self confident? (Self confidence and security are analogous, so examine differences carefully)