How Cecilia Fabre Built an Extensive Online Program of Therapeutic Support Enhanced by the Advice of an Astronaut During the Coronavirus Pandemic of 2020

By Marilia Baker

Since 1988, Cecilia Fabre, MA, has practiced as a licensed psychologist in Mexico, specializing in Ericksonian psychotherapy and systemic family constellations. She is director general of Centro Ericksoniano de México (CEM), founding director of the Milton Erickson Institute of Cancún, and board member of the International Society of Hypnosis (ISH). She is also a supervisor of clinical practice and has lectured and conducted training workshops throughout Mexico and other countries. Author of La Granja de la Esperanza (Farm of Hope) and Constelaciones Familiares Ericksonianas (Ericksonian Family Constellations), Fabre has designed and implemented an Ericksonian-focused family constellations methodology1 . She is also the creator of the acclaimed Vacaciones para el Alma (Retreats for the Soul), an experiential program designed to transform the negative burden of everyday stressors into positive, generative emotional energy through direct contact with nature by utilizing Ericksonian hypnosis.

When I asked Fabre, “What is most important in your professional life at the moment?” she responded: “My top priority is to generate online therapeutic support through my program, Vacaciones para el Alma. I aim to help individuals to deeply connect with themselves through learning how to function in a healthy way, and by making conscious use of their inner wisdom Dr. Erickson believed this innate wisdom to be our unconscious mind; I like to call it our ‘Soul Wisdom.’”

I also asked her: “What are your priorities as chief executive of a clinical and educational organization, who oversees a group of training institutes affiliated with Centro Ericksoniano de México?” Fabre replied, “My immediate agenda is to bring the vision I just stated to a worldwide audience, through our live broadcasting programs. To address the needs of individuals, families, and of our country, we have been applying this model more extensively in Mexico during the pandemic. We have been building online support networks, thus offering help through virtual conduits, such as FaceTime Live, offering relaxation and self-help exercises through our own social networks. These virtual networks allow individuals in need to have the proper, private space in which to work on themselves, while receiving professional help.”

Regarding her work with the International Society of Hypnosis (ISH), Fabre commented: “The most important part of my work with my fellow board members has been not only to expand my vision and mission, but also make sure the work of our experts in hypnosis reach clinicians, researchers, and other professionals around the world – in as many languages as possible. Our intention is to include self-help programs for health workers on the frontlines of the pandemic, who work so tirelessly to care for all of us2 . “This aspect has been foundational for ISH: to implement social networks and blogs in as many languages as feasible, to reach as many people as possible. We have published articles and self-help exercises in Chinese, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Hungarian, Italian, and many other languages. Of course, we have also published in English, German, French, and Spanish.”

“The coronavirus pandemic burst into our world and brought with it the biggest challenges. People became deeply disturbed and super stressed, not only because of fear of contagion, but also because the world seemed to stop, the economy seemed to stop. We had to be isolated, away from family and friends, from everyone. There was no clarity or certainty toward a future; high anxiety and depression were added to already existing distresses; violence and insecurity escalated. I wanted to confront this crisis as an opportunity, given my training as an Ericksonian psychotherapist. So, I decided to do what I was trained to do, by offering therapeutic support online, serving my fellow Mexicans and other Spanish-speaking individuals in Latin America.”

“The social networks came in very handy. I started to share 20 to 30 minutes each day with those in need through live streaming, addressing themes they proposed. Listeners would type in their questions and I would address their needs, utilizing my knowledge of visualization and conversational hypnosis, to help reverse negative emotions — to bring in peace and calm. This practice was helpful to me as well because it allowed me to have a daily pause for reflection and renewal.”

“It was then, by lucky chance, that the name of the American astronaut, Scott Kelly, reappeared in my social networks. I had known of his year in space and had been interested in the many facets of his adventure – mostly about how he had experienced our planet Earth from another angle. But now, under the extreme circumstances of the pandemic, Scott Kelly was offering key advice on how to face the challenges of isolation3 . I started studying his tips with keen curiosity, wondering how he had managed to survive each day, keeping body, mind, and soul together. The more I thought about his experience, the more it resonated in my heart: only someone who has lived in such an extreme situation for a year, and returning to Earth emotionally healthy and confident, can truly offer advice on how to survive the stressful burdens of isolation. I started incorporating his suggestions into my online practice”.

“Among many important suggestions, Scott Kelly emphasized keeping a daily schedule and sticking to it – but to pace oneself, maintaining consistent bedtime hours to facilitate restorative sleep. Also, be sure to have a healthy diet. All systems require order for their maximum functioning, so trying to keep a sense of order around oneself, will sustain and revitalize our mental and emotional health. Kelly also emphasized the discipline of daily exercise: our body needs to move, to generate energy to restore its balance. The more we move — even if gently — the more we generate endorphins, which in turn bring us feelings of well-being and happiness. I tell all my online clients: keep moving!”

“Four other tips deeply resonated with my beliefs and therapeutic suggestions: 1) Keep a journal, to record your thoughts, ideas, feelings, and perceptions. Registering private thoughts function as mirror – a reflection – which invites our capacity for observation, innovation, renovation, and resilience; 2) stay in contact with nature, even in its minimal forms; e.g. if you cannot exercise safely outdoors, you can always look out the window, and always use your imagination to remember familiar sounds, smells, scents, colors, textures; 3) keep connected with your loved ones: parents, grandparents, and friends, through all the available means of communication; and 4) be of service to others as it is part of human nature and of our essence. I believe we have the wisdom of the universe in our DNA. To do something for others gives purpose and meaning to our existence. This is also my understanding of what universal wisdom and universal love is about.”

“In conclusion, I am grateful to have learned from astronaut Scott Kelly on how to navigate through isolation during the pandemic. I also feel lucky to have successfully incorporated his tips into my online therapeutic practice. This knowledge, allied with my understanding of Ericksonian approaches, greatly expands my intention to work toward building a better world.”

1. Fabre, C. (2017) Constelaciones Familiares Ericksonianas. Alom Editores: Mexico.

2. International Society of Hypnosis (ISH): https://www.ishhypnosis.org/category/mtracecilia-fabre/

3. Scott Kelly “I Spent a Year in Space, and I Have Tips on Isolation to Share” in Opinion, The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/21/opinion/scott-kelly-coronavirus-isolation.html

https://www.erickson-foundation.org/download/newsletters/Vol-40-No-2.pdf

(By permission from: The Erickson Foundation Newsletter, Vol. 40, No.2, August 2020; p. 6).