Nail-biting Screed

Find a comfortable position either laying on your back or sitting down…Rest your hands on your lap with both palms facing up and close your eyes.Start to become aware of your breathing…in and out…in and out.. begin to focus on slowing the rhythm of your breathing…Feel your chest and abdomen expanding and contracting ..in and out..in and out…Let all the stress and tension dissolve away as you relax deeper and deeper with each breath.You feel a small circle of light and pleasant warmth radiating just above you scalp…you feel this warmth spreading slowly down you face… Your forehead is becoming relaxed and smooth…feel your eyebrows resting downwards and your eyelids getting heavier and heavier…As the warm light moves down your face, and around the backs of your ears allow your temples to relax… Your jaw becomes slack and relaxed releasing all tension, allowing your mouth to slightly open…Allow your tongue to relax.
Enjoy the feeling of relaxation you are experiencing.. as the warmth passes down your neck flowing over your shoulders making them loose and relaxed…let all the tension dissolve and lift away from you…Your shoulders are so relaxed they are slowly sinking downwards as they become heavier and heavier…
Enjoy the feeling of complete relaxation you are experiencing. Notice your breathing as you continue to take slow deep breaths as your chest rises and sinks…rises and sinks…Feel the relaxing warmth moving down your arms, past your elbows and all the way down to your wrists becoming and relaxed… All the muscles is your arms are getting looser and looser..giving up their hold. Let the warm flow radiate all the way down to your hand and down to your finger tips, expelling all the tensions out through each fingertip.. Your whole body is now so relaxed.. every muscle has released all tension leaving you completely refreshed and relaxed… Your mind and body are becoming one. Let your mind drift away taking you to your own safe place where no one can enter but you.. It can be anywhere you want..a calm beach…a tranquil garden…or somewhere you have never been… let your mind drift until you reach your safe place… Once you are there let your senses take over..feel the calming atmosphere…hear the blissful sounds…enjoy the deep feeling of relaxation as you are completely safe..
I will leave you here for a short while…my voice will disappear now and you can enjoy your safe place and the relaxing warmth passing over you.
(Leave client for a few minutes)
As you sit here, so very comfortable and very relaxed… imagine a beautiful staircase with a polished, banister running down it….As you look down the stairs you notice that there are one hundred steps leading down, and although you can't see the bottom of the stairs from here.. you just know that there's a beautiful place waiting at the bottom of the stairs, just for you. Notice the carpet if there is one, maybe it is your favourite colour… Perhaps the stairs are made of marble or wood, if so then that's okay, that's alright…. Notice that on the floor of the stairs are the numbers from one hundred, going all the way down to zero.. So get ready now to begin walking down the stairs, if you're not already, going down, down, down... Deeper and deeper and deeper down…. And the deeper down you go, the more comfortable and the more relaxed do become….each muscle becoming more and more relaxed… Getting even more comfortable with each step… even more relaxed… feel the thick carpet so soft under your feet…. Further and further down you go…sinking deeper and deeper into relaxation…almost at the bottom now, just one more step to go..all the way down - to that deeper, healthier level of mind. You are now standing at the bottom of the steps and feeling very comfortable, very relaxed and comfortable….I'd like you to take a few moments now to think about possibilities... think about change... think about how to become confident…You have made the decision to come here today and be free of your nail biting habit… This is your own decision…you possess the self-control and strength to do whatever you want.. and you are doing this for your own personal wellbeing…Spend a moment just thinking about why you would like to be free of this nail biting habit… imagine how good it is going to feel when you find the strength to accomplish this goal… You have the ability to allow your nails to grow…. You have the mental strength to allow this to happen…. Nothing is holding you back from achieving this goal… Spend a moment imagining the nails you would like to have… how perfect they are… you have the strength and confidence to achieve your goal… you are in total control. You have success, and ability and competence, and you have control…. If you decide that something is not going to happen, then it is not going to happen. That is within your control... And you can have beautiful nails... I would like you now to think of a time about a week from now ... when you look at your hands and you see your nails have been growing... and how good they look... you feel a feeling of accomplishment.. that makes you feel so good....so confident… so in control… having long strong finger nails makes you feel so good…You have chosen to take control of how your hands look. … totally in control of your own decisions… And you can choose any appearance you want.....and nothing can prevent you having that....And I would like you now to remember all those occasions when you had your nails exactly the way you wanted them.... perfect... the ideal way... and really see those nails now.... see how your hands looked.... enjoy those feelings of pride and confidence.... And any time.... that you may be anxious.... or you may feel stress... And that hand begins to move up towards your mouth... your arm will become so heavy…so so heavy.. it becomes impossible to raise any-where near your mouth… sooo much effort….the weight becomes so overwhelming that your hand will just drop back down… becoming comfortable and relaxed again… And when that happens you will find yourself taking a deep breath ... and then letting it go.... and as you let it go all that tension will disappear....feeling completely free of stress… you will feel confident.. and able capable.... and competent again.....And by pushing that hand away ..you become filled with a warm feeling …that you have complete control to do anything you want… confident and in control… I would like you to remember how confident….relaxed and in control you are at this very moment… So that when you do feel the need to bite your nails… you will simply repeat the phrase ‘I am confident.. and in control.’… ‘Confident and in-control.’ You will not feel the need to bite your nails again… because biting them never achieved anything… you'll lose all desire to chew your nails…. You will lose all desire to do anything except to look after your nails... In a moment... I am going to count up from five ... And when I get to one you will come back to the present... feeling refreshed, confident and really good about yourself... knowing that you have made an important change in your life… and in the next few days or weeks to come … you will have a new feeling of control and strength…
5. You are starting to become more aware
4. You are becoming aware of the noises around you
3. You can feel your fingers tingling
2. You can feel the chair beneath you
1. Open your eyes

5. You are starting to become more aware
4. You are becoming aware of the noises around you
3. You can feel the chair beneath you
1. Open your eyes