Test Exam Anxiety Hypnotherapy Script

This Test Anxiety Hypnosis script uses direct and indirect suggestion, metaphor and visualization. Each piece of hypnotic language removes test anxiety by creating change: changing how the client perceives the exam environment; how the client deals with an emotional reaction to a trigger; changing their actions in response to a trigger; or changing their beliefs about their own capabilities in the exam. The script assumes a pick-some-questions essay type test, but can be easily adapted for multiple choice question tests.

The main part of the test anxiety script goes through the series of events that lead up to the test. At each step the student gets a suggestion that the triggers will cause a different feeling or action, and therefore replaces the beliefs and fears that are causing the test anxiety.

Test anxiety Script INDUCTION SECTION

Target	YOU ARE READY NOW		Comment
	You are lying there comfortably,.... breathing gently,.... listening to my voice.... and as you drift even deeper.... you can allow yourself enough time to think of many ways to succeed.		Pacing Permissive bind ''many ways' ambiguity
Assumption	You are concerned about something that you have to do soon. It is natural to be concerned. You are going to have to perform well, to work under pressure, on something that will affect your future.		Validate the client's concerns
	And being concerned shows that you are giving it the right amount of attention.	=	Reframe
	You are getting ready for an exam. Everybody worries about exams. So you are worried about an exam.		Truism
Rule	But everybody who is ready passes their exams, don't they?		Tag question
	And you might be wondering just how you will know how you will succeed.	I	Presupposition :Inevitability
Capability	You have studied, practiced, revised. You know the subject. You are ready, now. You can learn more, but you are ready now.	D

RECONNECTION SECTION

	YOU CAN RECALL SUCCESS
Behaviour	You know, [ClientName], life is full of examinations, full of tests. You have passed many tests in your life. You might not think so, but your life has been a series of exams and tests... and you have passed them all. You are good at passing exams.... you have doing it all your life.	=	Reframe Paradox
Capability	There was a time when you couldn't tie your shoelaces, that was a test... and you passed, didn't you? There was time when you couldn't read, and you passed..... there was a time when making friends was the biggest test, and you passed..	>	Resource Association
Capability	Oh, I know there have been some setbacks, but really, when you think about all the tests you have passed.... you have passed test after test, you know how to pass tests	D
Behaviour	You are good at taking tests.	D
Capability	So you can look forward to this exam. The exam is about showing people how good you are. How confident you can be.	>	Reframing
Memory	When you think about this exam you realise that it is the opportunity you have been waiting for.... to show everyone what you know. To show yourself how good you are. You are ready to show the world that you know what you know you know.		Reframing Repetition
Capability	You are prepared for this. You are ready for success. You are ready now...	D

DEEPENER SECTION

	You can relax Deeper
memory	You are standing at the top of stairs.... ten steps going down... and at the bottom of those stairs you can see a door.. a welcoming door... door that you know holds something wonderful for you...
	when you are ready begin to go down the first step... count the step to yourself in your mind... One... and then the next step... Two... and with every step down you say to yourself... deeper and deeper... going deeper into a warm safe gentle place... continue down the steps counting to yourself as you descend.... allowing yourself to go deeper and deeper... into a comfortable dreamy trance.... and when you have reached the tenth step and are in front of that door, you can signal by lifting a finger, or maybe a thumb... and we can go on.	P:time Bind
	[Await ideomotor signal]	Depth Test
	That's good, you are doing really well.	Pacing

REFRAME THE CYCLE SECTION

	YOU CAN ENJOY EVERY STEP
Rule Stimulus	.... Successful people know that success starts before the exam... on the night before the exam... you go to bed in good time and sink into a good night's rest, confident of a deep refreshing sleep, confident of success the next day. On the morning of the exam you open your eyes refreshed, alert, excited, ready. Ready for a great day.	> D	Reframing
Stimulus	... at breakfast you to take a moment to go through the topics of the day's exam in your mind. In your mind somehow you know you know the books and lessons and notes are confidently laid out for you. You know they are all there.... there in your mind... ready when they are needed, secure in your mind, easily and instantly.	D
Reaction	You leave for the exam early.... time... to take a stroll to enjoy the air and enjoy the anticipation... that feeling, the signals you get from your body that is your body's way of letting you know you are ready for it ... there's no rush... you arrive at the exam room twenty minutes early... time... to settle down to easily review the main headings... and something you experience on the way in reminds you of how good you feel...	> D	Reframing
Stimulus	and inside the building ... passing through the doorway... seeing the room... the desks... reminds you of all the hopes and wishes that have been said that morning to you and so many others... and you can feel some of that spirit lift you as you can open your mind to accept complete confidence now.
Stimulus	You ignore the words and actions of other students: they are irrelevant... they are unimportant to you... you don't even notice them.... you are focused.	D	Negative Hallucination
Activity	As you settle comfortably into your seat, you take three deep breaths... you feel great ... Relaxed and confident... and the more you become aware of the growing relaxation in your mind the less notice you pay to sounds and distractions around you...	> D	Opposites
Reaction	and with each breathe your concentration increases as every noise and thought from outside dwindles away... You feel all the resources of your mind awakening; your body feels a surge of confidence. Your hands feel alive, your brain is sharp, your eyes sparkle. You take a moment to picture yourself working steadily and confidently through the questions. All your preparation falls into place... it all seems so simple....	D
Stimulus	You analyse the questions in the exam paper,	D
Response	break them into parts... little easy parts... and the topics for each question just jump out at you... key words trigger memories..... You review what you know about each topic and the details just appear in your mind, crisp and clear and effortless.	> D
Behaviour	Your reading... your practice.. your preparation fills your mind. Your actions are almost automatic. You quickly produce an answer plan and still have the time to enjoy another brief relaxation break. Feeling great. Ready to roll... ready to write...	> D
Stimulus	As you start the first question your confidence and recall increases and the right words flow from your hand, effortless, flowing, sentence after sentence, idea after idea, crisp and bright, each stronger than the first.	D
Response	As each question flows out you check your time, review your answer plan, relax your hands, relax your mind, move on to the next question. And you enjoy that growing sense of ease, every line of your answers increasing your confidence, bringing ever more resources out as you need them. It's just amazing how the right thing appears in your mind at the right moment... examples... explanations... theories... models... cases... whatever the question calls for arrives...	>D
Response	As the exam progresses your focus increases, the outside world fades away, the only thing in mind is the questions.... and the answers flowing effortlessly from brain to paper.	D	Negative Hallucination
Rule	And isn't it good to know, that your answers don't have to be perfect? You don't have to be perfect. You only have to be good enough. Your answers only have to be good enough. Long ago, the Persian rug makers used to put a little error, a small mistake into their rugs, one knot wrong ... so as not to offend god, by trying to be perfect... knowing they had made one mistake somewhere meant they could stop worrying about knot being perfect, can't you.		Metaphor
Behaviour	And when the last answer has flowed out, you still have time to review everything, that every question is answered, everything completed.
Evaluation	See yourself standing up, stretching... handing in a complete answer ... walking out of the examination room; confident, powerful, elated; you have done well; looking forward to the results. Your rewards are waiting for you, aren't they, now.		Visualisation
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	The rest of this script is in the Clinical Collection
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Codes used in the Script

The test anxiety script is shown laid out in sections in order to explain how it works. It would actually be spoken continuously, with pauses where indicated and with changes in emphasis, volume and tone of voice at various parts.

The symbol '>' shows Cause and Effect linking statements of the type "doing A leads to B";

The symbol '=' shows Reframing of the type "A is really the same as B".

The symbol 'D' shows where a direct suggestion is being made.

The symbol 'I' shows where an indirect suggestion is being made.

The script should be delivered slowly, with pauses at the ellipses (...) or where explicitly indicated.

Embedded commands are bold: use analogical marking with these phrases.
Colored text does not imply emphasis: it indicates to the reader what work that the words are doing, or helps to structure the script.