C: (Eyes defocus, pupils dilate, and face flattens, indicating that she has developed another slight trance.)
A: Okay . . . now come back . .. and look at me again . .. You here?
C: (Blinking her eyes) . . . Uh Huh ... I think so.
A: Now I want you to look back down at each of your hands so that you can see those two parts of you . . . the thin one in your left hand and the fat one in your right hand . . .
C: (Looking back and forth at her hands) Okay.
A: Then what I want you do is ask the thin one what she has to say about the fat one. And listen to what she tells you.
(A continues to build on to the reference structures he has created, accessing and anchoring representations of both the positive and negative aspects of her present state from the strategy associated with her reference structure of her desired state. #6)
C: Well . . . she thinks the other one is much too fat . . . she's appalled at her eating habits. . .
A: What does she think of her resources and abilities?
C: (Voice quieting) Oh, she envies her ... she wants to be able to have her strength and control. . .
A: Now ask the fat one what she feels about the thin one.
C: (Looks over at her right hand. As she does so she unconsciously turns her left hand over and begins to rub her left knee) . . . Well . . .
A: (Laughing and turning C's left hand back to the palm up position) Don't do that . . . You'll squish her!
(A ventures a humorous remark to test rapport and keep a positive frame on the interaction.)
C: Huh? . . . Oh . . . (laughs)
A: That's better . . . Now how does that one feel about this thin one?
(A recommences the process of building up the reference structures to include representations of both the positive and negative aspects of each state. (Notice that he specifically asks the fat one how she "feels" about her counterpart, while she asked the other one — related to the internal dialogue — what she had to say about her counterpart.) #6)
C: (Looking at right hand) . . . She thinks the thin one has a lot of problems . . . she feels sorry for her in a way . . .
A: What about the thin one's resources?
C: (Looking back and forth between her hands) . . . Well she'd like to be able to have her body . . . She likes that . . . and she admires the thin one's energy . . . the thin one has quite a bit more energy to do things than the heavy one . . .
A: All right... fine ... Now, you know what I'm aware of? ... I'm aware that both of these parts of you have their own problems and their own special qualities and resources . . . And that each could use the resources of the other to help them with their problems . . . and something else ... and I'd like you to check this out... I think that you may be surprised to find that both of them, when you get right down to it, actually want the same thing . . . I'll bet that both of those parts would like to be able to have an existence in which they could be comfortable and balanced and get the full benefit of your total resources as a person ... Is that right?
(A now puts a meta-frame around the qualities of the two representations by framing their individual properties in relation to the meta-outcome of the balance and harmony of the entire person, and begins to propose an integration of the individual outcomes of the two states as a more effective way of achieving this meta-outcome.)
C: (Looking back and forth from hand to hand) . . . Oh yes. . .
(C responds positively to the proposed integration.)
A: Now I want you to ask each of those parts if it would be willing to share its resources with the other, and help the other out with its problems . . . What do they say?
(A continues to set up the integration process, again framing the qualities of the individual states in relation to the meta-outcome.)
C: (Nodding) They both say that they'd be willing to try.
(C's response is congruent)
A: Wonderful . . . Now what I want you to do is to look back and forth between those two parts and make a series of pictures . . . like separate frames of a movie . . . and see the metamorphosis or transition that takes place as each one changes to the other . . . Make about five pictures ... so that the one in the middle here (gestures to a point in between her two hands) is a complete integration of the two . . . Okay? . . . And take all the time you need to to that . . . and just nod when you're done . . .
(A chooses a method of visual integration, since he has been working with visual anchors, that involves dividing C's transformation into discrete steps of change happening in equal increments from both directions.)
C: (Keeps looking back and forth between her two hands for a period of time, and then nods.)
A: Now I want you to bring your hands together slowly ... so that one palm ends up overlapping the other . . . and as you overlap them together I want you to see all of those images merging together ... so that when you've brought your hands together they will have combined to make a sharp clear image of one that's in the middle . . . take all the time you need .
(A begins the process of collapsing the anchors, both visually and kinesthetically (by having C bring her hands together). #6)
C: (As C begins to bring her hands together her face flattens and pupils dilate, and her breathing slows and shallows. Hands begin to show slow and jerky movements common to ideomotor movements exhibited in trance states) . . . (she begins to nod when her hands have overlapped.)
A: You can see that image clearly.
(A tests to make sure the integration is taking place.)
C: (Nods.)
A: Then your last step is to draw that image into your body . . . and you can put it wherever is the most appropriate place . . . go ahead . . .
(A then completes the process of collapsing the anchors with a final kinesthetic gesture.)
C: (Draws her hands toward her stomach in the same slow, jerky fashion. As her hands touch her stomach, she begins to cry gently) ... It feels so good ... I didn't realize that I'd been in conflict with myself for so long . . .
(C's response indicates that the integration has been quite successful.)
A: (Waits until C has collected herself) ... I want to go back over that new strategy we were trying a while ago, in a few minutes . . . and I want you to substitute the new image and the new feelings that you just got as your goal for what you want to accomplish . . . Okay?
(A returns to step #5 of the reframing TOTE and sequences the integrated representation of C's desired state into the new eating strategy.)
C: (Smiling and nodding) You bet.
A: But before we go back to that ... I want to take care of one other thing . . . You know what it feels like to be grounded and balanced . . . right?
(As an added measure A also redesigns C's kinesthetic test for her present state by including a test for "groundedness" in it, with accompanying operations (that don't involve eating) for achieving that particular outcome. (He cycles again, then, to step #6.))
C: (Nodding) Yes . . . (glances down & right).
A: Do you know what it feels like if you're getting ungrounded or unbalanced?
C: (Looks down and right) . . . Ummmm . . . (starts nodding) yes . . .
A: I want to change something else in your new strategy . . . when you're looking at yourself in the mirror and checking out your feelings ... I want you to make sure you're not getting ungrounded ... Do you know how to do that?
(A sequences the new test and operations for "groundedness" into the decision point in the new eating strategy— #5.)
C: (Eyes down and right) Uh Huh ... I think I can do that.
A: Now I'm aware that your major way of grounding yourself in the past has been through eating ... so I want to work out a couple of ways in which you'll be able to ground yourself without eating if you begin to find that you're becoming ungrounded as you start to lose weight . . . like making that picture of yourself as a balanced person ... or closing your eyes and taking a deep breath ... or things like that . . . Okay?