Each of us at one time or another will be called upon to assist someone who is in physical or emotional crisis. The words we say can make an enormous difference in the severity of pain, the time it takes to heal, or even whether an injured person lives or dies. Judith Simon Prager has found that "when a person is in shock, fear, pain, any of those really strong emotions, that person is in an altered state of consciousness. It¹s like being in a trance. That means you can speak directly to the part of the mind that regulates blood flow, the part that regulates the heart rate, the pulse rate, the body temperature, even the regulation of how we feel pain." In this fascinating dialogue, she explains the remarkable power of verbal first aid, and shares some simple techniques that anyone can use to provide help when it matters most. Ms. Simon Prager is a hypnotherapist, a homeopath, and a consultant to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center offering training in the use of language for pain and stress relief. She is the author of The Worst Is Over: What to Say When Every Moment Counts and Journey to Alternity: Transformational Healing through Stories and Metaphors. Hosted by Justine Toms.