What is Hypnotherapy?

Hypnotherapy is a form of psychotherapy that makes use of hypnosis to change the emotions or behaviors of individuals. Hypnosis refers to altering the state of consciousness using the power of suggestion. Skilled therapists can create a trance-like state in their clients by using visual, auditory, and other perceptual cues.

Once that person is in a hypnotic state, they are more suggestible which makes discussing memories, gaining insight, and altering behavior easier. Hypnotherapy involves a skilled hypnotist using guided relaxation techniques to bring up feelings of intense concentration, focus, and/or relaxation in order to achieve a state of awareness that is heightened or trance-like.

How Does Hypnotherapy Work?

The medical and psychological worlds each have their own theories as to how hypnosis works. There are some who believe that individuals who find hypnosis effective already have a predisposition to this type of therapy, or that they have somehow developed increased cognitive and interpersonal abilities allowing them to respond to hypnotic cues in a way that is more effective. According to recent studies, hypnotherapy alters elements of the physiological and neurological mechanisms of individuals.

During a hypnotherapy session, the therapist identifies the client’s goals for the session, reviews how the session is going to proceed, and then uses guided imagery and soothing speech to help the person move into a state of relaxation and calm. After that state has been successfully achieved, the individual is now in a more receptive state and the hypnotherapist can now provide suggestions that could help the person reach his or her goals.

What is Hypnosis Therapy and How Does it Differ From Hypnotherapy?

Our subconscious minds are like machines in some ways, and by using hypnosis techniques a skilled practitioner can deliver instructions such as “stop smoking” to the subconscious and the individual’s behavior will immediately change – for a while. That is hypnosis therapy at work.

But because all human behavior is motivated by needs, without finding a way to meet that need which caused it in the first place, the bad behavior will be back again.

For instance, if the person who was hypnotized to stop smoking didn’t find a way to answer the need that drove him to smoke in the first place, then the chances of him relapsing would be very high. This is where Hypnotherapy comes in.

Hypnotherapists combine the power of hypnosis with the power of therapeutic knowledge. They help individuals to connect with their genuine needs and to design strategies that work to effectively fulfill those needs.

A metaphor that could help you understand the difference between hypnosis and hypnotherapy is to think of a problem or bad habit as a weed in a garden, and trying to solve the issue with just hypnosis is like pulling the top off the weed but leaving the roots intact inside the ground.

For some time, you may think the weed (problem or bad habit) is gone, but after a while, the weed will be back. Hypnotherapy is like digging up that weed and yanking it out root and stem so that it never grows back again.

Uses of Hypnotherapy

This kind of therapy is often used as an aid to psychotherapy because of the relaxed nature that is brought on by hypnosis. It allows individuals to explore painful feelings and memories that are also often suppressed. The person undergoing hypnotherapy, while being in a trance-like state, remains very aware and they are able to return to a state that is more alert on their own once the session is over.

While some individuals may need only one session to sufficiently deal with an issue, others may need to attend several sessions before they feel that the problem has been resolved.

Hypnotherapy Treats a Variety of Conditions and Behaviors Including:

Find a Hypnotherapist Near Me

When looking for a hypnotherapist, it’s important for individuals to take the time to sift through a number of hypnotherapists in order to find the right one because this type of therapy is a trust-based exercise that requires a huge level of immersion on the patient’s part. Also, practitioners vary in their methods and the rates in which they achieve success with their patients.