Fathered by Freud, free association is used within hypno-analysis and is used for a client with more than one symptom pattern or when there is evidence of cumulative trauma. It is said to be like using a ‘fishing net’ rather than a ‘fishing rod’ allowing the client to naturally free associate and allow catharsis to take place for each subsequent causal event or memory following the natural path of least resistance.
The methodology of free association while using hypnotherapy is to allow the clients mind to free associate to each causal memory or screen memory by facilitating the correct environment where the clients mind can free associate, there are many benefits to free association. One being that conscious or subconscious resistance is less likely to occur as the clients mind is following its own natural path from one memory to the next and believe that every associated thought eventually leads to root of each symptom pattern and neurosis.
