Page 156 - Advance Copy: Todd Kaufman, Author

TODD KAUFMAN
moment here with Madeline. I can fix this.” Mark eyed me up and stepped aside, moving only one seat forward, his gaze darting between his charge, Madeline, and me, the unknown interloper. The stewardess behind me settled folks back into their seats. The seatbelt sign turned on to encourage everyone to join Madeline in a safely strapped-in position. The plane stopped banking and settled into a slow descent.
“Hi Madeline, I’m Todd. I used to get these panic attacks too and know how to end them. Is this your first? Have you ever woken up dead from one?” You and I know it was likely not her first, and that she had obviously not woken up dead from one, but I was going to slam dunk the Anxiety Release Protocol as fast as I could!
I continued. “These feel pretty awful, but at least it’s not dangerous and they always go away. Haven’t they always gone away? Would you like me to take this one off your hands?” I smiled as warmly as I could, and reached out for her hand.
Madeline quickly accepted my hand and I squeezed it gently. “Madeline, I bet if you look inside your head there are some thoughts spinning around like crap in a toilet that won’t flush down! Let’s flush those thoughts; they are not really helpful right now! Here, let me show you how. Want to see some magic? Tap here.” and I began to tap on Madeline’s Karate Chop point on the side of her hand.
“You know, what you are feeling isn’t really a panic attack; it’s just a hormone called cortisol rushing through your body. Can you feel it in your hands and head? It’s making your heart beat fast too, isn’t it?”
Madeline nodded.
“Here Madeline, you tap here on your hand. This makes that cortisol go away and you will feel better.” I was straightforward, warm, kind and in control, and that felt safe to Madeline. She complied and I asked her to play a game, to repeat what I said and tap on her body where I tapped on mine.
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