If a crisis arises or serious difficulties are encountered between outpatient imagery sessions, before calling the therapist or counselor a client is instructed to first visualize, and record in a journal, an imaginary conversation with the therapist, in which the client:
- describes the upsetting situation,
- verbalizes his or her thoughts and feelings about the situation,
- explains to the therapist (in imagery) how s/he has already attempted to cope with the upsetting situation,
- then “listens” carefully to the therapist’s response and attentively writes down what s/he “hears” the therapist saying.
If, after having this imagery conversation with the therapist, the client still feels the need to call, s/he may do so. However, the client is informed that upon making such a call, the therapist’s initial response will be to ask him/her to report on (a) whether s/he was able to visualize him-/herself having a conversation with the therapist, (b) what s/he has written down from that imagery conversation, and (c) what s/he “heard” the therapist say in response.