Rapid Transformational Therapy (RTT): An Emerging Non-invasive Therapeutic Modality

We write to highlight an emerging non-invasive therapeutic option that can be potentially used for various medical ailments. RTT is Rapid Transformational Therapy, a hybrid therapy developed by Marisa Peer in England, UK.1 It combines the best principles of hypnotherapy, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), Neuro-Linguistic Programming that offers fast effective results for a range of psychological, psychiatric and physical conditions. As opposed to traditional therapies, RTT is a solution-focussed treatment offering rapid, effective and long-lasting change usually within one (or within three maximum) session.

RTT embraces the positive aspects of all the above techniques that are known to produce a transformative effect on the clients. Hypnotherapy uses trance, regression and hypnotic conditioning. RTT goes beyond this process, Marisa identified that regardless of their issue, in sessions clients benefitted from her applying a particular set of techniques over and over again. These insights provided the foundations for RTT to emerge as a distinctive approach.Why RTT? How is it different?It is well known that patients are time starved and seek medical and psychological help when they go through pain; emotional or physical. RTT delivers rapid results – usually within one session and in certain conditions up to three sessions. The other difference with RTT is that it works by empowering the clients. By using a tool RFPI (role, function, purpose, intention), it honours and values the significance the client attaches to their issues/problems and then offers a powerful emotional release for them. RTT draws out the so called ‘unfinished business’ within client’s issue using various tools within the scope of this therapy and effectively addresses the trauma that clients have been holding onto for many years. “Dialogue with the hurter” for example one of the tools of this therapy offers a therapeutic space for dialogue and communication with significant others. The client/patient collaborates with the therapist in uncovering the meaning and interpretation of significant life-events and then changing them.

This often leads to powerful shift and permanent change.Neurophysiological basis of RTTHypnotic and posthypnotic suggestions are frequently and successfully implemented in behavioural, neurocognitive, and clinical investigations and interventions. Despite abundant reports about the effectiveness of suggestions in altering behaviour, perception, cognition, and subjective sense of agency (SoA), there is no consensus about the neurocognitive mechanisms driving these changes. Zahedi and Sommer propose a novel theory of hypnosis, accounting for empirical evidence and synthesizing concepts from hypnosis and neurocognitive theories.2The proposed simulation-adaption theory of hypnosis (SATH) is founded on three elements: cognitive-simulation, top-down sensory-adaptation, and mental training. SATH mechanistically explains different hypnotic phenomena, such as alterations in the SoA, positive and negative hallucinations, motor suggestions, and effects of suggestions on executive functions and memory.2 Besides this Neuroplasticity and brain conditioning play an important role to support this therapeutic modality. Daniel Collerton in his review describe Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), and probably other psychotherapies, altering the consciousness in personally important, lasting, and measurable ways.3 Looking at functional changes in the brain suggests that consciousness changes in response to plasticity in the linked systems of the frontal, cingulate, and limbic cortices. However, we do not know how modulations in those areas link to different states of consciousness.

The ultimate goal of any psychotherapy is to induce neural plasticity in a manner that restores the full original function and potential of the affected part of the brain. Usciscinka et al. describe how evidence-based treatments achieves their therapeutic effects on the level of cerebral reorganisation across a host of psychiatric disorders.4 They focus on the posited mechanism of neuroplasticity on neural-systems level for each treatment modality.Marion Solomon and Daniel Seigel5 in their book have elaborated a unique compilation of techniques aimed at using the client-therapist alliance to support emotional change. Their compilation succinctly gather new perspectives on how to approach the process of change in therapy and have discussed neural circuitry and the potential for therapeutic neuroplasticity, the psychobiological effects of productive communication and internal reflection including working with children, couples, and groups. These theories along…READ MORE