Tuesday, April 7, 2020
Red Lobster company Case study
Executive Summary This is a case study report regarding Red Lobster, which is a company that deals in food products. The paper looks into the marketing functions of the company. It analyses the development of marketing strategies implemented by the company in the decade starting 2000.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Red Lobster company Case study specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The assesses the market positioning activities that the company has been doing and the effect that it has had on the growth in customers and the company image as viewed by the customers. The market positioning changes have taken place under different marketing leadership plans. Therefore, these plans are discussed in the paper and a view given on whether they have been efficient or not. Lastly, the paper assesses the benefits of focusing on experiential and why this is important for Red Lobster. Introduction Marketing is important for bu siness firms. Most business firms that have attained quick development and expansion have had good marketing practices. Without proper marketing management, it becomes challenging to sell the products of a company which means that the company operations will be paralysed. Lack of sales means no income for the company and thus the company cannot sustain operations when there are no finances to do so. Therefore, marketing lies at the centre of the company operations (Groucutt, Forsyth and Leadley, 2004). Red Lobster is one of the companies that have undergone a lot of transformations all in the name of improving marketing. Red lobster is a United States based company that deals in foodstuff. The company has been in operation for over 40 years. It operates in the form of casual full-service dining chain stores. Therefore, this paper discuses various changes in the company, which have aimed at improving the companyââ¬â¢s services and attracting more customers (Lamb, 2012). Change of Positioning Since its establishment, the companyââ¬â¢s main goal has been the provision of affordable seafood to the Americans. However, in the recent times, the company has changed the management. The new management has been developing on its value position and incorporating freshness in its mission. Fairness has thus been incorporated into the position of the company.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Affordability only did not auger well with the customers of the company as they associated the position with low quality. The new position, which includes freshness, is being implemented without adjustment in prices as this could affect the customers. There has been an increase in price promotions. The new management has been working on winning a significant number of customers by way of diversifying the service to customers in a remodelling exercise (Bell and Riis, 2010). The growth of the Red Lobster restaurants up to when a change in the leadership of the company occurred can be attributed to sales promotions. It can be noted that, in 2004, Lopdrup took over as the president of the company. During this time, there was a lot of competition in the sea food sector with many competitive players like Olive Garden, Applebeeââ¬â¢s and Chiliââ¬â¢s emerging. The other restaurants had lower prices of their food as compared to Red Lobster as the company only served seafood which was still expensive then. The other restaurants served other proteins on top of the seafood. Therefore, the available option for the company was diversifying its menu. A consumer survey was commissioned by Lopdrup aimed at getting the real insights of consumers on the food offered by the restaurant. Also, there were changes according to the needs of customers. Therefore, the position needed to be changed so as to accommodate the changes suggested in the report . According to cus tomers, the seafood market had two categories of food one of them being top quality seafood which was fresh and which utilized culinary expertize in its preparation. On the other hand, there are the low end places which serve massive food, frozen and fried seafood made up the second category. Many customers put the company in the second category. Thus, Lopdrup developed its plan to be implemented in 3 episodes. The first phase focussed on the improvement of operations. Most of the repositioning activities lied in phase two of the plan. This phase was to run until the year 2009. It involved major changes in the menu that would take place gradually.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Red Lobster company Case study specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The third phase involved the remodelling of the restaurants which was central in changing the perceptions that customers had about the restaurants (Lamb, Hair and McDaniel, 2012). The first phase was implemented using the simplified approach which Lopdrup referred to as ââ¬Å"simple, great operating disciplineâ⬠. It involved the simplification of operations to ensure that everything in the restaurants went on well. Under this approach, the costs are brought down while encouraging high quality for customers. The activities under these strategies include simplification of menus, recipes and promotions. Notably, there was the elimination of deep discounting (Fla, 2007). Under the reposition approach, the management hired Salli Setta a marketing specialist. A new culinary team was hired under Setta. The chefs are given parameters in the new product development system that was put up by Setta. The chefs work within certain parameters and are responsible for creativity within the parameters under which they work. The marketing team developed a new menu in the restaurants that emphasize freshness. Therefore, new changes were introduced into the operati ons of the restaurants that saw the developments of the new dishes. There was also the development of fresh fish menu, and it featured different types of fish entrees and which changes according to the fish catch each day. The fish menu was put on a separate menu card which was given to every customer who entered the restaurant. The menu was used as lead for servers ââ¬â restaurant servers greet customers by describing the available fresh fish menu. Also, the name of the chef on duty featured on the menu. Upgrades were also made in the raw ingredients. Accompanying these activities were new television adverts that were developed to help in advertising the new menu. The advertisement covered the two menus ââ¬â fresh fish menu and the wood fire grilling (Fla, 2007).Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This can be termed as a comprehensive marketing strategy that aimed to attain a total change in the market positioning of the company. All aspects of change were featured in the set of marketing activities that were implemented under the supervision of Setta. This is part of the changes that had been introduced in the year 2004; however, seta made these plans more comprehensive building from the simple steps and capturing all aspects of customer attraction and marketing. The quality of the food was improved through comprehensive training of the chefs and the serving staff. The quality of service was also upgraded by including an advertisement aspect in the serving of the menus. The method of advertisement that was used as from 2008 borrowed from the ââ¬Å"Ignite the Cravingâ⬠advertisement campaign that was used from 2004 by Lopdrup. The campaign was very successful then. The same method is still being used; however, it focuses more on the new methods of grilling and on the ma jor positioning factor which is ââ¬Å"freshnessâ⬠(Pride and Ferrell, 2011). More diversity was employed in the position as focus on freshness alone would become boring to the customers. Promotional strategies were revitalised. The first promotional strategy is known as Lobsterfest. The other one is Endless Shrimp. They shifted the focus to choice and variety and not on what was available. This signified a growth in the number of customers that was achieved using the positioning strategies mentioned earlier. Remodelling followed the positioning exercise which had helped the restaurants to gain more customers and a positive perception. The remodelling exercise was preceded by a research which guided the running of the exercise (Pride and Ferrell, 2011). Focus on Experiential Making the experiential the target segment of the Red Lobster Restaurants is a good marketing step. In fact, this is one of the targets of the recent internet advertising campaign that the company is using. The campaign is a behavioural in nature. This campaign will be run by two companies. These companies include Revenue Science, which is a company that targets behaviour, and Internet Broadcasting, which is an online news source company. The restaurant will target its customer base which is inclusive of on-the-go customers as they leave work heading home by utilizing the traffic maps and other online tools (Pride and Ferrell, 2011). Real Branding will help Red Lobster to pinpoint and target the viewers who visit their site, and whose consumption behaviour matches the consumer profile of Red Lobster. However, this is only after having assessed the behaviour of the customers. This will be achieved by assessing the behaviour of the customers. This strategy will help the company to reach a considerable number of consumers at the local level. In this way, it is the best example of capturing consumers for the company by way of using consumer behaviour concept. There are many potential cust omers who transact their business online. Therefore, by engaging them online, the company will be able to know their tastes in consumption and try to align them with their menus. If they go together, customers will be invited to the restaurants. Research has shown that most people who transact online like exploring to meet the qualities of experiential customers. Most of the menus offered by Red Lobster restaurants fit the experiential consumers (Satz, 2005). Conclusion The Red lobster is among the Companies that have operated in the restaurant of the Unite States for a long time. The company has gone through a transformational process that has helped to improve what the restaurant offers in the market and raises the customer base. The plan that was devised by Lopdrup in 2004 has helped to position the company in the market. This has been through improvement of the quality of food and changing the perception of customers. The focus on the exponential consumers will be a positive mov e. However, other customers must continue to be given attention. Reference List Bell, DE and Riis, J 2010, Red Lobster. Harvard Business Review. Web. Fla, O 2007, Freshness Hallmarks the New Red Lobster. Web. Groucutt, J, Forsyth, P and Leadley, P 2004, Marketing: Essential principles, new realities, Kogan Page, London. Lamb, CW 2012, Marketing, Nelson Education, Toronto. Lamb, CW, Hair, JF and McDaniel, CD 2012, Essentials of marketing, South-Western Cengage Learning, Mason, Ohio. Pride, WM Ferrell, OC 2011, Marketing express, South-Western Cengage Learning, Mason, Ohio. Satz, S 2005, Red Lobsterââ¬â¢s Behavioural Campaign. Web. This report on Red Lobster company Case study was written and submitted by user Moderate Pheasant to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.
Monday, March 9, 2020
buy custom Sale of Fashionable Wedding Collections essay
buy custom Sale of Fashionable Wedding Collections essay There is nothing as much glorifying as a superb wedding; after all, it is the most special days of ones life. Even more alluring is the manner in which the bridal unit dresses. Are you gearing up for the perfect wedding soon? Or do you have a friend for whom you would go to any lengths to guarantee happiness? Look no further than Fantasy Bridals. We deal in the latest wedding paraphernalia, ranging from womens, mens, and childrens clothes, wedding flowers, wedding bands, fashion jewelry, and shoes. My firm has researched on and sold wedding collections for 37 solid years to clients all over America and other parts of the world. From our long experience in the wedding business, we have come to conclude that a few things are of concern to every persn planning a wedding. The wedding gown Even before you plan the venue of your wedding, or even what the guests will eat, you should worry about the look of the bride. She must look amazing in a well-fitting gown. My company has the most fashionable wedding gowns that come in all sizes, colors, and designs. You would not like the video to capture you in a rather shabby, substandard gown, or spoil your wedding photography pieces, would you? Then, hurry to our stores and grab your best pick for the lowest prices you could get anywhere else. a)Grooms attire Picture a wedding in which the bride looks stunning in a beautiful, perfectly fitting gown. Conversely, thee groom fails the fashion test. Extremely embarrassing, isnt it? My company deals in a variety of stylish mens suits mostly made of linen, perfect for beach weddings. We also sell super light weight, light color mens suits perfect for outdoor weddings, all at discounted prices. We specialize in stylish Italian-made suits that are very durable. Throughout our business You will have yourself to congratulate for a spectacular wedding. In the same way, you are to blame for a messy wedding, which you do not deserve. That is why my company would be honored if you offered us a chance to make your wedding a success, like we have done for many others. Pick up your phone now and give us a call to place an order, and you can be assured of a wedding that will make you the envy of your friends. Buy custom Sale of Fashionable Wedding Collections essay
Friday, February 21, 2020
Harriet Tubman- the most respected personalitie of the 19th century Essay
Harriet Tubman- the most respected personalitie of the 19th century - Essay Example Harriet Tubman began working as an underground rail operator around 1850; this was immediately after the death of Edward Brodess in 1849. The death of Brodess left Tubman and the remaining members of her family at risk of being sold so as to settle some of her masterââ¬â¢s debts. She ran away to freedom and found her way through the Underground Railroad to Philadelphia. In Philadelphia, she began working as a domestic help in saving some of the money she was being paid with the aim of saving her family members from slavery. The Underground Railroad was not a real railroad but a way for slaves to escape to freedom in the north. She was an operator or a conductor (Bradford ). These are the people who helped the slaves run away to freedom. These conductors showed the slaves where to hide so that the slave-hunters could not get them. They also got the food to eat and clothing before they got an alternative source of income.à She worked hard to save money for the intended trip home. Immediately the money was enough she left her job to free her sister.à ... She ran away to freedom and found her way through the Underground Railroad to Philadelphia. In Philadelphia she began working as a domestic help in saving some of the money she was being paid with the aim of saving her family members from slavery. The Underground Railroad was not a real rail road but a way for slaves to escape to freedom in the north. She was an operator or a conductor (Bradfrod ). These are the people who helped the slaves run away to freedom. These conductors showed the slaves where to hide so that the slave hunters could not get them. They also got them food to eat and clothing before they got an alternative source of income. Tubman initial aim was to get her family to liberty after she had freed herself to Philadelphia. She worked hard to save money for the intended trip home. Immediately the money was enough she left her job to free her sister. This is where her work began that later gave her the recognition that she has had until today. Tubman felt bad about th e suffering experienced by her family, friends and relatives in the hands of their masters. In the process of freeing her sister she decided to include others on the first trip (Sernett 20-50). She managed to save her family including her father, mother, brothers and sisters, cousins and nephews. It is estimated that she made between eleven to thirteen trips saving and protecting many slaves from masters and slave hunters. The many trips to free slaves made her famous for her work at the same time risking her life. At one moment the slave hunters grew tired of her activities and in decided to offer an award worth $ 40000 to anyone who would bring them Tubman. This did not deter her in her endeavor to
Wednesday, February 5, 2020
Study case Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1
Case Study Example The scenario presented for this case study is just such a case. The company is happy to overlook an immediate and obvious hazard to the health of their employees to avoid making extreme renovation efforts to remove all the remaining asbestos or relocate the workers to a safer environment. Instead they opted to ignore the employees concerns and understate the potential danger of exposure. Most of us are not always pleased with our work place, whether it is because of coworkers, management issues, or policies, but we all assume that our work space will not be hazardous to our health just by breathing the air. There are many ethical issues to be considered in regards to the provided scenario, but honestly, the most obvious and poignant, are the behaviors of the company involved and all the members of management and supervisors that felt it appropriate to avoid removing the asbestos. Despite the fact that the company had access to years of valid data that verifies that absolute harmful effects of asbestos exposure, especially long-term exposure, they chose to ignore it. Even a single exposure could, however rare, lead to potential future health problems. That said, to, essentially, require their employees to work in an environment that is not safe or face losing their employment, is a harsh disregard for the well-being of their employees; that in and of itself is blatantly unethical. Secondly, the fact that if the employees wish to speak out against the companyââ¬â¢s actions, or lack of action, and seeks outside intervention, they would likely be terminated, is a horrendous corner to back their employees into.(Zain, 2012) This leaves the employees with few options. This is a perfect example of unethical treatment of staff, unethical overall business practices, and a terrible abuse of power on their part. The unethical behaviors of the company have a huge cascade effect. It affects the employees, clearly, because they are being forced into
Tuesday, January 28, 2020
American Beauty: Micro Features Analysis
American Beauty: Micro Features Analysis The film I have specifically chosen for my micro-features analysis essay is Sam Mendess Academy Award winning motion picture American Beauty winning numerous Oscars and praise from critics. The narrative follows the miserable and mundane lives of the Burnham family consisting of Lester, a middle aged man who is facing a severe mid-life crisis and is extremely depressed, married to Carolyn who is an independent business women and housewife and their naive daughter Jane. The films promotional tagline look closer subconsciously implies that the appropriate suburban lifestyle depicted within the narrative is not as ideal as initially perceived, therefore exploring the corrupt and dysfunctional Burnham family fuelled entirely by materialism. The brief sequence chosen for microanalysis is the exposition, otherwise known as the opening which establishes themes, characters, inner and outer presence and the world they inhabit. Sam Mendes, the director must specifically use a contribution of a ll micro-elements including sound, mise en scene, cinematography and editing in order to grasp the viewers conscious attention and propel the narrative forward efficiently, however the two micro-aspects I have chose for analysis consist of mise en scene and cinematography which create meaning and evoke responses from the audience. American Beauty immediately commences with Jane Burnham being recorded by an anonymous character, the conversation between the two is extremely personal based on her ultimate intention to kill her father. The uncomfortable atmosphere compliments the compelling dialogue as it the amateur recording technique is specifically used in order to create realism which grasps the viewer into a submissive position due to the nature of the camera shot shifting into an intimidating low angle shot which consists of Jane dominating the frame with direct eye contacts creating an overwhelmingly intense atmosphere. The lighting within the room is severely limited thus being partially illuminated which creates a room filled with sinister shadows creating an ominous mood which emphasises her monotone clothing creating a mysterious persona that is unconventional for her age, more specifically sixteen therefore contradicting the typical cheerleader stereotype. Janes eye line match within the camera shot d etonates determination, zooming at a subtle pace whilst staring in a sinister way into the camera engages the viewer based on the cameraman refusing to allow her to escape voyeurism. Carolyn Burnham is seen doing traditional female associated activities based on her natural characteristics hence her growing and maintaining the flowers within her garden, more specifically the roses are often associated with love and romance which is reflective of her provocative image possibly fuelled by her intentions to find another sexual partner regardless of her husbands consent however one could consider gardening mentally satisfies Carolyn which inevitably reduces her need for sex, although as an audience we seriously doubt Lester cares due to his lacklustre body language. Lester perhaps outcasts himself from which unfortunately makes him invisible and unnoticeable, captured significantly during the scene where he is seen eavesdropping on the conversation between Carolyn and the homosexual next door neighbour. The intentional use of a cut in shot shows his lack of presence and participation within his wifes life, master shot initially establishes the conversation which is p redictably followed by shot-reverse-shot, the focus ruthlessly shifts between the dialogue where the previously distorted and blurred figure is seen in the window thus representing his fragmenting relationship with his wife and overall exclusion from society. Lesters perspective shows his helplessness to achieve acceptance hence his much more laid back approach to life, rather than a mundane lifestyle adopted by the majority suburban population, possibly aspiring to occupy a more hectic lifestyle however according to his established motivational issues in the exposition this seems highly unlikely. The outside of the house is illuminated entirely by natural light thus being much more glamorous therefore more appealing however he still holds distain towards it, in contrast the interior of the house is fuelled by minimal lighting which is significantly more realistic. In addition the interior of the house is also impractically dark which coincides with Lesters tone during the voice ove r narration thus displaying two conflicting worlds; unfortunately he occupies the miserable one alone. Lester comments on the coincidental matching of Carolyns attire and gardening apparatus, handle on those pruning shears matches her gardening clogs, stating it is not an accident which can be applied to the significance of the door and its colour, more specifically being an intense shade of red which distinctly different from majority of white therefore standing out with exceptional prominence which denotes violence which is depicted ruthlessly within the exposition and can be considered an important theme within the narrative. Lester has already foreshadowed his imminent death via voice over thus establishing the climax, building constant anticipation which makes the viewer become emotionally attached to the protagonist thus evoking empathy towards him and his circumstance. The explicit performance of Lester during the masturbation scene in the shower reflects the realistic approach to the film, the initial shock of this scene can be uncomfortable for less mature audiences, and however it entices the viewer into the realistic world of Lester which is uncountable to the majority of the population who indulge in similar activities. The claustrophobic experience within a shower cubicle can metaphorically represent a prison cell thus being imprisoned into a mundane suburban lifestyle. His body language during this scene is noticeably drained, the angle of his head on his own shoulders displays his lack of stability and main intention to sexually satisfy himself by his own means during the current moment regardless of anyones opinion, especially Carolyn thus referring to it as the highlight of his day without sarcasm. Lesters pleasured body language is due to the masturbation; however it could potentially be exaggerated based on the thrill of doing something against the norms of society hence the use of highlight. Undoubtedly the severe lack of intimacy and chemistry with his wife could possibly be the reason for the masturbation rather than traditional sex, perhaps he is probably bored with sex like the majority of other things due to his refusal to abide by social norms to maintain a stable relationship on order to satisfy one anothers needs. Whilst the Carolyn and Jane are waiting impatiently for Lester to proceed towards the noticeably expensive yet convention middle class car, basic processes such as making sure the suitcase is shut correctly emphasises his severe lack of motivation and commitment to life. Lester is seen casually collecting his work from a high angle perspective, kneeling down in an inferior position to his wife puts significant emphasis in his subordinate role within the dysfunctional family, thus switching gender roles with his wife, which in the current society is acceptable although not predominantly for the traditional male ego especially for dignity and pride; however the behaviour displayed by him implies that his couldnt care less. Carolyns performance such as the raising of the eyebrows displays utter disappointment since she is married to an individual who is such a useless contribution to society thus making him obsolete or otherwise redundant, as he is expendable. Her formal makes her seem significantly more financially independent, reinforced by the low angle perspective of Lester, making her seem significantly more intimidating and authoritative thus not requiring his assistance, potentially holding her back economically. The camera cuts to the family motionless within the car, unresponsive to one another with a significant lack of acknowledgement reinforced the extent of the families communicational breakdown, Lester is seen sitting on the back seat of the car slumped, possibly even asleep whilst his wife and daughter sit in the front eager to get on with their social life, whether it is work or school. Lester positioned between the two within the medium shot, displays his prominence however his physical existence is lacking, possibly lost during the recent years which he has been entirely consumed by the capitalist society. The clothing worn by Lester is representative of his social class; social indicators including his house, car and clothing coincide with the typical middle class individual. Natural light is present within the scene but is obscured by the tinted windows, thus being restricted to reach its full potential, therefore subconsciously representing his constraints metaphorically hence t he muted tones emphasising the lifeless atmosphere. In conclusion the micro-features within the exposition of American Beauty establishes key themes within the narrative, consisting of love, sexuality, identity, etc become more and more prominent as the narrative eventually progresses conveying numerous meaning during this brief sequence therefore dictating the characters personality and determining the choices they will make.
Monday, January 20, 2020
Ease Of Using Search Engines :: essays research papers fc
ââ¬Å"It is easy for all users to find specific information on the World Wide Webâ⬠. Because the web is relatively new in terms of reaching a large percentage of a countryââ¬â¢s population, usersââ¬â¢ experience, understanding and expertise varies widely. Technically-minded people will arguably have been familiar with the World Wide Web for longer, and therefore be able to find specific information more efficiently, if not more quickly than less experienced users. Defining ââ¬Ëeasyââ¬â¢ in terms of using the World Wide Web is interesting. In terms of searching for a specific item, it could be defined as ââ¬Ëthe ability to satisfactorily fulfil a task within a short period of timeââ¬â¢. The increasingly plentiful selection of search engines and reference sites on the Internet means that some users will experiment with different engines, whilst others will find one they are satisfied with and make it their first stop when wishing to find information. Users who experiment with a variety of search engines will take longer to familiarise themselves with each individual engine, this can take more time than a user who knows their way around their favourite engine. A user who is loyal to one or two search engines would therefore find it ââ¬Ëeasyââ¬â¢ to retrieve information, provided their choice of search engine successfully provided the required data. If, however, the chosen search engine were not successful, the user would then have the option of either altering their selection of words, or try again on a completely different engine, one that may be uncharted territory for the user. I have been loyal to a small number of search engines, because on the whole they have provided the information I require, albeit after attempting a small number of alternative input words or phrases. This loyalty has stemmed from both my becoming more familiar with these engines, and my acceptance that if my chosen search engines or reference sites cannot find the desired information, then it is unlikely I will have any greater success on entirely different ones. Moreover, having become used to a few search engines, namely ProFusion (Intelliseek) and AltaVista seems to lessen the attraction to try those unfamiliar to me, such as HotBot or GoZilla. The level of experience a person has with both computers and the World Wide Web can help determine what type of user they are. Sutcliffe suggests four categories detailed below, à ·Ã à à à à Naà ¯ve à ·Ã à à à à Novice à ·Ã à à à à Skilled (or ââ¬ËExperiencedââ¬â¢) à ·Ã à à à à Expert The first of these ââ¬â Naà ¯ve ââ¬â refers to someone who has either never used computers before, or who uses them only very occasionally.
Sunday, January 12, 2020
Discuss The Relationship Between Stress, Anxiety, Habits And Phobias
In this paper I aim to define what stress and anxiety are and outline the differences between them. These topics form a larger part of the essay as Stress and Anxiety underpin most cases presented to a therapist. I will move onto how phobias and habits are formed. Finally covering off options available to the therapist in order to research all these issues for a given client, understand any hidden agendas, history, treatment strategies and most importantly understand where NOT to treat. Stress ââ¬Ëa state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or demanding circumstancesââ¬â¢ (Oxford English Dictionary)This definition shows a specific circumstance; the individual involved is experiencing stress due to an event; be it in the past, current or future tense. Whilst stress can have a negative connotation in the English language, in fact most stress is positive. It is there to protect us. The feeling of ââ¬Ëstressââ¬â¢ is a reaction which ensures we perf orm appropriately at the right moments. It is a natural reaction to a number of given situations, causing our innate animal instincts to activate and is activated by the hormone Cortizol naturally produced in all mammals.These are commonly known as Flight, Fight, and the lesser remembered, Freeze responses. As such, our sub-conscious will protect us through releasing chemicals in order that we can perform appropriately to deal with the situation. However distressed a client may be, one thing you can use to help them understand is that it is triggered in order to protect us from a threat. Stress becomes an issue when it is inappropriate to the situation. That is not to say that what the client/patient experiences is not real. It may be that the individual has experienced one or more episodes of stress that may not be representative of the subject at hand.It may also be that they are experiencing a consistent level of stress, such as workload, a particular home situation or the need t o consistently to overachieve in all parts of his/her life in a manner that is unsustainable. Avoiding the stressful situation can also be further damaging as this re-affirms the messaging in the brain around the given situation. Types of stress experienced vary and have many labels depending on how they manifest: Acute StressMost common: immediate threat(s), anticipated demand(s) or pressure(s). Episodic Acute StressRecurring: Overabundance of tasks, tends to become habitual to individual.Chronic StressPerpetual: Unable to see resolution, due to its constant nature it can go unnoticed by sufferer. HyperstressOverwhelmed: Workload, beyond limits of tasks achievable. HypostressThe ââ¬ËBoredââ¬â¢ Stress: Unmotivated, unchallenged. Lacks enthusiasm to innovate, start new challenges. Eustressââ¬ËGoodââ¬â¢ Stress: Positive events or emotions, motivational, largely ignored. I have separated Traumatic Stress and Post Traumatic Stress as these sit under the title of Anxiety in t he next section. Individuals will experience physical responses to a stressful situation or ongoing stress; some common, some more specific to the individual.These include: sweating, shakes, fast heart rate, dry mouth, upset stomach, acid reflux, releasing of stools, muscles tensing, headaches, other aches, lack of sleep, fatigue, loss of self esteem. Anxiety ââ¬Ëa feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease about something with an uncertain outcomeââ¬â¢ (Oxford English Dictionary) This definition shows that instead of the specific circumstance seen in stress, anxiety is in comparison ill-defined. Sustained stress or specific traumatic event(s) can lead to anxiety. These may be rational or irrational; however, they manifest as very real to the sufferer.It may even be that the sufferer understands that their anxiety is irrational, but is unable to control it. It is important for a hypnotherapist to understand where they can and cannot treat in relation to Anxiety. The therapist sh ould discuss any anxiety cases with their supervisor, it may be that the case requires GP approval. In certain cases such as PTSD the therapist may need to refer to a multi-disciplinary team (or be part of). One way or another, the key here is caution, ask advice and make sure you are cleared to move on with treatment. There are many types of Anxiety Disorders, here are some:General AnxietyMost common: Constantly nervous, anxiousness where Disorder (GAD)there is no specific cause is obvious. GP/Supervisor Panic AttacksTriggered with no apparent cause: Response to sustained stress/anxiety. GP/Supervisor PhobiasBroad Subject: From Feathers to Flying, Social, Crowds, Spiders. Can be anything and is very real to the sufferer. Traumatic StressReactive Anxiety, similar to PST. Response to a traumatic event. THIS MUST NOT BE TREATED. GP/MULTI-DISCIPLINARY TEAM. Post Traumatic StressReactive Anxiety Disorder, response to severe traumatic (PTSD)event.THIS MUST NOT BE TREATED. GP/MULTI-DISCIP LINARY TEAM. Obsessive-CompulsiveObsessive thoughts, released through the compulsion Disorder (OCD)to act on thoughts. Comes in many forms. As with stress there are many physical responses, which include, all those mentioned in the stress section. There are specific symptoms for specific types of anxiety, for example in a Panic Attack, the sufferer truly believes they may die and feel entirely helpless. Anxiety suffers release strong emotions at certain times such as anger or they may cry or want to run from the situation.Due to the perpetual nature of anxiety issues, nausea, extreme exhaustion, restlessness and obsessive focus on negatives are common. Essentially it shows a loss of control. Treatment of Stress and Anxiety Whilst you may have three clients showing the same symptoms the underlying the reasons will be different for each. Itââ¬â¢s key to spend time understanding the background to the issue, to ascertain whether the client remembers the trigger and for the therapist to spend time understanding the reason they are feeling this way, when it occurs, how it occurs and the symptoms.It may be that the initial reason they believe the stress or anxiety situation occurs is a red herring and perhaps they are unaware of another reason. Regression may be required to fully understand the history, especially if itââ¬â¢s clear that the issue has its roots back in childhood, this may also provide positive imagery that can be re-used in a script. For example, a bad flyer may have roots in childhood experience, but similarly remember a good experience flying that may be re-used during a script.ââ¬ËProblematic imagery is reported by clients with almost all anxiety disorders, with the specific content of the images relating to the clientsââ¬â¢ main fears that are central to the clinical disorderââ¬â¢ (Hirsh and Holmes 2007: 161). ââ¬â¢ I like the suggestion of asking the client about their dreams as well as using their interests and using this image ry to work through a script appropriate to the situation. There seems to be a lot of evidence to show that there is a direct correlation between how vivid imagery is for an individual and how powerful the feeling is towards the negative situation.Thatââ¬â¢s not to say those with different modalities suffer less, but itââ¬â¢s a consideration. So for someone who can easily envisage the worst scenario their stress levels may considerably increase. On the flip side this also means a therapist can use this to their advantage and treat using strong visual tendencies. If the therapist can focus on a positive image from the clients key interests or dream subjects. Outside of the specific script to the given situation, helping the client learn to relax through a relaxation script (and take-home recording) is key to working through stress issues.I also like the approach of the ego-strengthening scripts for those who are experiencing stress due to self-belief, itââ¬â¢s a good basis to build on during treatment sessions before the therapist can move onto specific reframing or programming of a perception. Having also read a number of ââ¬Ërehearsalââ¬â¢ scripts I find these a very positive approach to dealing with stressful situations, although again it would be prudent to ensure you are not trying to ââ¬Ëfixââ¬â¢ an issue up front without understanding the underlying history and cause.Also looking to takeà the negative thoughts, feelings and/or images and find a way of disposing of them in some way using appropriate modality. I think this is a key action to take within a script as those suffering stress or anxiety will primarily focus on the main negative, it will consume thoughts and feelings. In ââ¬Ëpurgingââ¬â¢ them, the client can symbolically get rid of those before moving onto a more positive view of their given experience. Anxiety issues require special consideration. OCD for example, requires specific training. PTSD, a specialist team w ould need to be involved. Key focus areas would be things like GAD and Phobias.Phobias will be described later in the paper. GAD still requires GP approval to treat using Hypnotherapy. Without wishing to go into too much depth it is key to mention two methods for use with PTSD; Eye Movement Desentisation Reward (EMDR) and Visual Kinesthetic Reward (VKR). Phobias A fear or phobia may root from a number of given sources. Itââ¬â¢s possible the client knows when it occurred originally. Itââ¬â¢s equally possible that they do not (even if they say they do). So as described above itââ¬â¢s key to discuss the issue and clearly understand the history, the manifestation and perhaps regression may be required.The phobia may have been caused by several sources. It may also be that whilst the individual may say they are phobic of a particular situation or object, this could be masking the real fear (hidden agenda). So whilst you have a treatment plan, keeping an open mind is key. Reasons for Phobias Occurring: Severe Stress relating to a particular object/event/location. The mind associates that with that. It could be that the object of fear is not the real issue. For example; fear of red doors. Perhaps an individual had to walk through a red door every time they went to the solicitors to meet with the estranged spouse.This issue is potentially the pain of the divorce, loss of children rather than the door, but the mindââ¬â¢s association is with the door. Specific Experience or Number of Experiences. Fear created through a negative experience that frightened the individual. Perhaps getting stuck in a lift once for a long period would be enough of a severe trauma to create a phobia of lifts or a number of bad experiences in lifts (feeling squashed/delays in the lift moving/jolting action) create a phobia over time. Learned Fear.Something we associate with animals, demonstrating good stress in practise in a natural environment. It can be learned from a mother or o ther significant person. So perhaps the mother has a fear of the sea and transmits it to her children. Treatment is similar to the approach for stress. The key is to understanding why/how/history. Its important to look at the root cause and in particular if there are any hidden agendas. Whilst its possible to do things like a rehearsal script and important to build in confidence building/ego-strengthening, these may only temporarily help the situation.Ultimately, indentifying and tailoring a solution based around the original cause is key to a successful treatment plan. The use of a signal from the client allows them to indicate if the therapy is moving too quickly (given they may be experiencing stressful moments in trance) or they have arrived at a certain point. This allows the therapist to ensure the pacing is correct for the client and that they gain the most from the session. Habits Similar to stress this can appear to have a negative connotation but of course we have many goo d habits in our lives.We can all develop bad habits, these may be learnt or absorbed from others. Itââ¬â¢s also possible these have occurred over a period of time as a coping strategy for another issue. Again, in this situation its key to understand why the habit is in place and look at a reasonable alternative coping strategy. Two ways to address a habit: Client seeing themselves living without the habit, using their motivations and drivers (such as how they look, feel, etc) Detrimental effects of continuing, so the client will associate the negative affects or perhaps even a negative view (like a cigarette being a charcoal stick)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)