inREVIEW:
Compiled by: Tracy Knox Authors: Martin and Marion Shirran with Fiona Graham
PausE
Button Therapy®
Millions of ordinary people - young and old - make countless decisions on a daily basis only to regret them; sometimes just minutes later. Now imagine if you could improve hasty decision making by simply pressing a remote control button. Sound like something out of a science fiction novel?
www.doitnow.co.za • 1
Well, it's actually possible! The newly launched book Pause Button Therapy (PBT) tells of an innovative behaviour intervention technique that can achieve all those things and more. Using the concept of pressing the Pause, Fast Forward and Rewind buttons of a ‘virtual’, ‘mental’ remote control device, people can learn to not just stop and think, but also visualise, understand, and even feel the results of their usually snap decisions. With more thinking time, they can then see the positive and negative consequences, allowing them to make more informed choices on a daily basis. Teenagers faced with drugs, unsafe sex, bullying, truancy – can all be helped. Children of Primary School age have already trialled the methods in schools in Birmingham, UK, demonstrating within weeks that cost and time savings in dealing with problem behaviours are not only achievable but significant. A Deputy Head at one of the trialled schools, John Taylor, said, “The changes in behaviour are remarkable. They’ve happened very quickly and are also being sustained. This has resulted in us saving significant amounts of staff time on dealing with challenging behaviour with all of the children using PBT.” Pastoral Manager at the school, Nathan Ross, added, “We targeted the trial of PBT at a group of pupils who continually demonstrated a negative attitude in school and had failed to respond to other approaches. The children’s parents were involved in the trials and also reported an improved relationship at home.” Adults have used PBT for addictions, food and eating-related problems, and anxiety. There are currently trials underway in a Cyprus hospital, and another hospital in California is currently assessing the book to roll out to all staff.
Not only individuals can benefit, but companies and organisations can too. How many corporations could do well to consider how their customer service experience impacts on recommendations and future sales? All by just learning to press Pause.
2 • DO IT NOW DIGITAL | October 2012_#4
About the Authors Martin and Marion Shirran are both trained hypnotherapists and own and run the Elite Clinics in Spain, where they use a combination of therapies to successfully treat a wide range of problems. Fiona Graham, formerly a journalist in the UK, has worked on the Shirrans’ books for a number of years.
DINfo box
i
PBT was presented to wide acclaim from psychologists and academics at the first international conference on Time Perspective in Portugal (5-8 September 2012) Published by Hay House SA (Pty) Ltd, the book was launched on 3 October 2012. It is available from all good book stores and on online from Kalahari, Amazon and loot.com, at R17595. For more information, visit pausebuttontherapy.com.
Case Studies (some names changed to protect identity) In the run-up to Christmas last year, 10-year-old Jon Oake’s dream of owning a dog was scuppered on a daily basis by his furious outbursts of temper. His mum Ruth wouldn’t let him get a pet unless his behaviour improved. Just weeks later, thanks to revolutionary new therapy PBT, Jon’s new best pal is spaniel Charlie, and his mum couldn’t be happier with the dramatic change in her son’s behaviour. Jon, who attends Twickenham Primary School in Birmingham, had real problems at home and school resulting from his fiery temper. When the school started trialling Pause Button Therapy in the autumn term, he was one of the children taught to use the idea of the Pause, Rewind, Fast Forward and Play buttons, on remote control devices, to help give them more thinking time when faced with decisions. Deputy Head teacher John Taylor, said, “The changes in behaviour are remarkable. They’ve happened very quickly and are also being sustained. We’re saving significant amounts of staff time on dealing with challenging behaviour with all of the children using PBT.”
Buy one
issue
online
now
www.doitnow.co.za • 3
Jon says, “I wear the PBT wristband all the time. If I don’t use it I lose my temper. If I just try and stop myself sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t, but with the PBT band it always works!” The wristband is a silicone bracelet debossed with the symbols of Play, Pause, Fast Forward and Rewind. The children also have a credit-card sized ‘remote control’ device with visual images of the same symbols and a picture of a ‘fork in the road’ designed to make users think about alternative choices available to them. Mum Ruth says, “He’s quite a lot calmer. I can see him thinking before he does something. Even though some things still get to him, he gets over it a lot quicker and he’s not hitting out. He stops himself, he says, “Pause” out loud and we talk about it afterwards. Life is easier!” PBT users press Pause to give themselves time to weigh up the potential consequence of their actions, and in the case of children, to make decisions about how to react rather than always be told how to behave by others. Pastoral Manager at the school, Nathan Ross, says, “I look after the welfare and behaviour in school, ranging from vulnerable children and child protection issues, to behaviour. So when the kids are displaying a lot of negative behaviour I have to deal with them. We did PBT initially to target certain children that aren’t responding positively when being told off, or when there’s a punishment or consequence they weren’t responding very well to. We gave them a wristband and the remote control card to wear around their neck, just to see whether they could take it on board and think before they act. PBT has helped the school tackle behaviour in a different way. We’ve used it quite positively in tackling the children who displayed a lot of anger and negative attitudes towards other children and peers in the playground, and we’ve seen a dramatic change in how they would use it. What I’m noticing is that they’re thinking a lot more before displaying the anger. That’s not to say it’s a quick fix or that it works 100 percent of the time, but it’s preventing them most of the time from getting into trouble. It’s working really well.”
4 • DO IT NOW DIGITAL | October 2012_#4
Parents, too, have become involved in the trial so they could experience what it was like to think before they act. Instead of shouting and yelling, for example, they’d have to think what was the best way to deal with the child at home. “The parents have noticed a dramatic change,” said Nathan. “I think also it’s building their relationship with their children, which is a really good thing and a positive way forward for the family.” Danny Bunwell is 11 years old. He chose to take part in the trial because he was always in trouble in school and wanted to change his reactions. This was particularly important as he was in his last year at primary school. In his own words he credits PBT with changing his life. “I used to get in trouble a lot. I couldn’t control my anger. I've now learnt to walk away. It gives you an imagination, you can fast forward and rewind, and I can look ahead to things and not miss out by being excluded.” Nikki Munsdon was in the first group of teens to try PBT. Initially using the device to reduce conflict with her younger brother, Nikki has been using the system for over a year and has introduced it to her friends and even her Mum Belinda. •