Dr. David Burns

I like it. Well, enough on couples therapy. It's not my favorite thing. It's very challenging, but you guys did a beautiful job with the demonstration.

I like it. Well, enough on couples therapy. It's not my favorite thing. It's very challenging, but you guys did a beautiful job with the demonstration.

Okay, great. Well, thank you, Aaron. That's a great question. And what you do essentially in memory re-scripting, you have a person go back and relive a traumatic memory. In this case, it was a college student who was afraid of public transportation. And he When she was little, her mother was a single mother and would often go off in the evening for a date or a business meeting or whatever.

Okay, great. Well, thank you, Aaron. That's a great question. And what you do essentially in memory re-scripting, you have a person go back and relive a traumatic memory. In this case, it was a college student who was afraid of public transportation. And he When she was little, her mother was a single mother and would often go off in the evening for a date or a business meeting or whatever.

And the neighbor boy would babysit. And she said that it was very painful for her because when he would come over, when he thought she was asleep, he would creep into her room and put his hand under her nightie and fondle her.

And the neighbor boy would babysit. And she said that it was very painful for her because when he would come over, when he thought she was asleep, he would creep into her room and put his hand under her nightie and fondle her.

and she would pretend to be asleep because she was so terrified, and she didn't want to get hurt, and she didn't know what to do, and she was so ashamed she never told anybody. And she was going, let's say, to Princeton, but when she would come home to Philadelphia for holidays, he was still living there next to her, and she was very, very bothered. And I had mentioned...

and she would pretend to be asleep because she was so terrified, and she didn't want to get hurt, and she didn't know what to do, and she was so ashamed she never told anybody. And she was going, let's say, to Princeton, but when she would come home to Philadelphia for holidays, he was still living there next to her, and she was very, very bothered. And I had mentioned...

And she was very cooperative and did a lot of her psychotherapy homework, but she would not do exposure. She would not get on a bus even for one block, even if I promised to be waiting for her at the end of the block and she could get off. Even that was too much for her.

And she was very cooperative and did a lot of her psychotherapy homework, but she would not do exposure. She would not get on a bus even for one block, even if I promised to be waiting for her at the end of the block and she could get off. Even that was too much for her.

And so I mentioned to her, maybe she'd want to try this memory restricting, which is a very kind of grotesque technique in a way. But what I would do, I would kind of hypnotize you and bring you back into that memory. And then at the height of your anxiety, I'll let you be a movie director and change the script and have a different outcome. And you can decide what you want that to be.

And so I mentioned to her, maybe she'd want to try this memory restricting, which is a very kind of grotesque technique in a way. But what I would do, I would kind of hypnotize you and bring you back into that memory. And then at the height of your anxiety, I'll let you be a movie director and change the script and have a different outcome. And you can decide what you want that to be.

And so she was very excited about that. And so I told her to close her eyes and imagine, you know, you're back and you've gone to bed and... He thinks you're asleep and he's creeping into your room. And can you see him? And she said, yes. And I said, what shirt is he wearing? She said, he's wearing a plaid shirt and sneakers and Levi's. And I can see him just as vividly as he's here.

And so she was very excited about that. And so I told her to close her eyes and imagine, you know, you're back and you've gone to bed and... He thinks you're asleep and he's creeping into your room. And can you see him? And she said, yes. And I said, what shirt is he wearing? She said, he's wearing a plaid shirt and sneakers and Levi's. And I can see him just as vividly as he's here.

And then what's he doing now? He's reaching under the covers and he's reaching up under my nightie. And how anxious are you feeling? She said, 100%. And I'm terrified and angry and frightened and devastated. And I said, now, if you like, you can change the scene like in any way you want.

And then what's he doing now? He's reaching under the covers and he's reaching up under my nightie. And how anxious are you feeling? She said, 100%. And I'm terrified and angry and frightened and devastated. And I said, now, if you like, you can change the scene like in any way you want.

You could have me come into the scene and help you or you could come into the scene as a powerful woman and do something to him. And you just change it like a movie director with a different outcome.

You could have me come into the scene and help you or you could come into the scene as a powerful woman and do something to him. And you just change it like a movie director with a different outcome.

And so she wanted to come into the scene as a big, powerful woman, and she said, I'm going to grab him by the neck or by the collar, and I have a white-hot cattle branding iron in my hand with a P on it, and I'm now – branding his forehead, and he's screaming in pain, and I can smell his flesh burning, and I've branded a P in his forehead for pervert. And I said, how do you feel now?

And so she wanted to come into the scene as a big, powerful woman, and she said, I'm going to grab him by the neck or by the collar, and I have a white-hot cattle branding iron in my hand with a P on it, and I'm now – branding his forehead, and he's screaming in pain, and I can smell his flesh burning, and I've branded a P in his forehead for pervert. And I said, how do you feel now?