Pauline Valdairon is a sophrologist and EFT practitioner. Through her experience in the field, she was able to guide us, through this article, to an understanding of this holistic practice that allows for aletting go and a reconnection to self.
"Hello Pauline,
I'm delighted to welcome you to this specialized interview on sophrology. Today, you have made it your job. You totally radiate with this technique, could you explain and deepen our knowledge on the subject? "
What is sophrology? Where does this technique come from?
Created in 1960 by the neuropsychiatrist Alfonso Caycedo, sophrology is "the study of the harmony of consciousness". It is a psycho-corporal method that aims to promote harmony between body and mind. It is a personal development practice used as a therapeutic technique or as a philosophy of life.
Alfonso Caycedo was looking for a gentler and more effective approach to treating his patients. He then developed an approach to improve well-being. He was thus inspired by Western methods already known and proven such ashypnosis, Schultz's autogenic training, Jacobson's relaxation or positive suggestion from the Coué method but also thousand-year-old Asian techniques.
Indeed, following a long initiatory journey in Asia, in India, Tibet and Japan, the founder of sophrology was trained in techniques such as yogathe meditationBuddhism, Zen and was inspired by them to enrich his method.
It is rich of this mixture that Alfonso Caycedo elaborates all the specific techniques in sophrology.
Can we say that it is meditation or hypnosis?
Often opposed to each other, sophrology and hypnosis have a lot in common. Indeed, these two approaches take advantage of a modified state of consciousness through relaxation and induction by proposing visualizations or projections of changes. What differs in the techniques is the state of guided consciousness: In sophrology we address the conscious mind while in hypnosis, the idea is to talk to the unconscious.
Meditation is a practice that also inspired sophrology. It allows one to detach oneself from all distractions or mental preoccupations.It is a training without any expectations or particular goals to achieve, where each practitioner progresses at his or her own pace, fighting against his or her own lapses of attention to systematically return to listening attentively to his or her body or breathing. Initially, it is quite possible to follow guided meditations and pursue one's own personal journey independently.
The differences between these practices are subtle; both hypnosis and meditation inspired sophrology, so it is very natural that each method has its place in this technique. It is, in my opinion, much richer to be interested in what each support can bring in a complementary way to a person or another in demand of its change.
Who can attend sophrology sessions?
Sophrology is for everyone. Although the subject is truly conscious generally from the age of 4, the first indication is the motivation of the person concerned.
Who can't we accompany with sophrology? Why
There are no real contraindications. It is however important to be aware that sophrology does not replace any therapeutic treatment but can increase its effectiveness. On the other hand, precautions must be taken for cardio-vascular problems, incompatibility in standing position, etc.
The practice will have to be adapted to people suffering from psychiatric disorders and will become a total contraindication in delirious phases or chronic psychotic subjects who would risk with the practice, to increase their tendency to disconnect themselves from reality and thus to increase the disorders. (schizophrenia and psychosis)
How does a session go?
The first session is an opportunity for an approach. It consists of an exchange that aims to determine the mental, physical and emotional state of his client. This allows the sophrologist to adapt his or her protocol according to the needs and goals of each individual. We speak of anamnesis, an essential step to set up the follow-up support so that everything takes its rightful place in the mind of each person.
Then, the follow-up sessions begin with a time of exchange which allows to determine the current state of his client and to direct the session according to it.
In addition, the practitioner invites to a practice of breathing and then dynamic relaxation (physical relaxation) based on a work of breathing related to the tension and the release of all body tensions.
In addition to this, there is a static relaxation phase called sophronization; a phase where the sophronized person allows himself to be guided by the voice of the sophrologist who brings him into a state of consciousness between wakefulness and sleep (relaxation of the brain and the mind). It is in this sophro-liminal phase that we work on each person's goal according to their expectations and needs.
The end of the session ends with a moment of exchange on the feelings and the awareness of the session.
The sophronized person receives instructions at each session in order to continue to experiment and train in order to develop his or her autonomy of practice between two sessions. Personally, I always suggest to my clients to record the sessions on their phone in order to look back at the past session.
How many sessions are needed to get better?
Sophrology is effective immediately, that is to say that the sophronized feels the benefits during the session. Of course, like any work on oneself, for any problem or symptom, sophrology will not bring to regulate this disorder in only one session in spite of the certain appeasing.
Even though it is part of the brief therapies, Sophrology requires regular practice to be integrated. Also, the accompaniment will allow the symptoms of the disorder to be clearly reduced in order to reach the objective of each person. It is in this sense that it usually takes between 6 and 12 sessions, taking into account that each person is unique and evolves at his own pace.
In my opinion, it is good to leave a week between two sessions to integrate and digest the exercises. At first, I propose weekly accompaniments over six weeks, then I propose again, according to the rhythm of each one, to stretch the space between two sessions to two weeks in order to keep a good dynamic and a personal autonomy. I then recommend a refresher course or a more in-depth study by consulting two to three times a year in isolation.
Pauline VALDAIRON