How to Collapse Negative Anchors

An anchor, in general terms, is something that holds a ship in place by connecting it to the bottom of the sea. In hypnotherapy and other talking therapies, an anchor works in a similar way. It links a specific thought, memory or trigger to an emotional response, effectively holding the client in that state. Understanding how they form is the first step in learning how to release or collapse anchors.

What is an Anchor in Therapy?

In my article about aversion therapy we looked at associating an unpleasant experience with an unwanted habit like smoking. The aim is to transfer, the unpleasant feeling to the habit so that they no longer wanted to do it. This is very much an anchor, though a negative one.

Positive Anchoring

Anchors can also be positive, and we often use this idea in hypnotherapy. Look at this suggestion. ‘Whenever you squeeze two fingers together you will feel just as calm and relaxed as you do now’. It’s designed to give the client control over their emotional state by anchoring positive emotions to pressure on the finger tips. They can then consciously choose to use this to elicit these feelings whenever they need them.

You probably have some positive anchors of your own. Situations in which an environmental trigger is associated with an immediate emotional response.

• Do you and your partner feel more loving when you hear ‘your song’?
• Does the smell of your Mum’s favourite perfume make you feel secure?
• Does the sound of the sea bring to mind an image of your favourite holiday beach and the feelings that go with it?

If so, these feelings have become associated in your mind (‘anchored’) to whatever sets them off (usually called a ‘trigger’).

Negative Anchors

Some anchors are neither useful nor positive. For example, I once had a client who experienced high levels of anxiety around florescent yellow. The colour had become associated in his mind with the night he was in a bad road traffic accident. (There were a lot of emergency service personnel at the scene, all wearing bright yellow high-viz jackets.)

When presented with these, we need a way of removing the association. This particular approach is called releasing or collapsing a negative anchor.

How to Collapse Negative Anchors

Essentially the technique involves setting up opposing positive and negative anchors, then allowing the positive one to overcome the other. It’s a simple NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) process, and can be used with the client in the waking state.

I use closed hands (like a fist) for the two anchors rather than finger tips. It makes step eleven feel very dramatic and satisfying. Also, if you are new to the technique, it ensures you never forget which anchor to release first. No-one would ever throw away good feelings and keep bad ones!

Set up opposing anchors

1. Start with both hands relaxed and open in the lap.
2. Ask the client how they would like to feel when they come across the negative trigger. Identify a strong positive feeling rather than something neutral, if you can. Look for words like confidence, courage, or calm rather than indifference.
3. Ask them to remember any situation in which they have experienced those emotions very powerfully. This doesn’t have to be related in any way to the issue you are dealing with as long as it’s the right feeling.
4. Ask them to immerse themselves in remembering and re-experiencing that emotion, then to close one hand into a fist. The other should remain open and relaxed on the lap. Imagine the feelings coming to and from the fist and the rest of the body. This should anchor the positive feelings to the action of closing that hand into a fist.
5. Gently relax the hand to an open position on their lap and bring their attention completely back to the here and now. (You could ask them to shift position or answer a random question like “what shoe size are you?” to achieve this.)
6. Check the positive anchor is set by asking them to close their hand: it should feel good when they do this. Relax the hand and bring them back to the here and now again.
7. Next repeat these steps, anchoring the negative feelings you’re working with onto the action of closing the opposite hand into a fist before bringing them back to the here and now.
8. Test the anchor as before (it should feel uncomfortable to close the “negative” hand) then bring them back to the here and now again.

Collapsing the Anchors

9. Trigger both anchors simultaneously by closing both fists. The effect of doing this can feel a bit odd because the brain is essentially being asked to feel two contrasting emotions at the same time. Given this choice, most will swing back and forth a bit but then choose the positive ones.
10. Ask the client to keep both fists closed but tell you once any confusion or oddness subsides.
11. When this happens, ask the client to keep the “positive” hand closed while they “throw away” the negative anchor, then put the “negative” hand open on their lap. A grand gesture of flinging the unwanted feelings as far away as they can makes most people feel very good.
12. After a moment or two ask them to relax the “positive” hand open on the lap as well.
13. Test that the process has worked by trying the negative hand alone, and then by thinking about the old negative trigger. You should find that the client’s feelings are neutral, or even positive.
14. If not, you’ll need to make the positive anchor stronger, and repeat.

When to Use Collapsing Anchors

This is a very useful desensitisation technique and, as such, can be applied to a wide range of automatic negative reactions. These might include phobias, trauma responses, exam nerves, residual feelings about an ex, jealousy, and many other situations where a single trigger sets off an unwanted emotional response.

As always, the key is to apply the technique thoughtfully, with the individual client in mind, and as part of a broader therapeutic approach rather than as a standalone “fix”.

Disclaimer
The information and ideas shared on this blog are based on the author’s professional experience, research, and training. They are intended for educational purposes and to support reflection and professional development. Therapists should always apply their own professional judgment and consider the needs of individual clients when using any techniques or suggestions discussed here.
While every effort is made to ensure the information is accurate and helpful, no responsibility can be accepted for any loss, damage, or difficulties arising from the use or misuse of material contained in these articles.