Hypnosis Therapy

What is hypnosis?

Humans are constantly going through different states of trance all the time. When we are absorbed in a story or a tv show, we are in a state of trance. When we are deep in concentration, we are in trance. When we are relaxed, we are in trance. There is a variety of normal everyday trance phenomenon that takes place all around us. Hypnosis uses a variety of techniques that take advantage of normal everyday trance phenomenon to create a state of deep focus and relaxation. This allows us to do a variety of things such as make deep insights and connections that we couldn’t see before or to help us resolve blocks that we couldn’t before. Hypnosis is not a stand-alone therapy and is usually combined with other therapy modalities such as CBT or EMDR for example.

What issues can be treated by hypnosis?

Hypnosis can be used to treat a wide variety of issues. Some of the mental health conditions that can be treated:

  • Depression

  • Anxiety

  • Panic attacks

  • Phobias

  • PTSD

  • Eating disorders like binge eating

Hypnosis can also treat other conditions like:

  • Chronic pain

  • Insomnia

  • Fibromyalgia

  • Functional neurological disorder

  • Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures

  • Ehlers-Danlos syndrome

  • Migraines

  • Nausea

  • And more

Common frequently asked questions and misconceptions about hypnosis:

-Will I lose control?

No, hypnosis isn’t about controlling someone or taking control. If anything, hypnosis gives the person more control then they thought was possible. This is because during hypnosis, you can bypass certain maladaptive mechanisms that may be getting in your way by doing things like causing harsh self-judgement, paralyzing fear, indecisiveness, or the inability to observe something without getting overwhelmed. So in reality, you have more control over your thoughts and emotions in hypnosis than you normally would. For example, let’s say someone was seeking hypnosis to overcome an addiction like smoking or binge eating. Often times, those addictions feel like they are controlling us, but hypnosis can actually give us the ability to take back control over those things.

-Will I do things I don’t want to do?

No, going back to control like we talked about before, in hypnosis it is impossible to get someone to do something that they don’t want to do. Real hypnosis is not like the stuff you see on tv or at entertainment shows. Clinical hypnosis isn’t about “doing.” It is more about being able to calm the mind and provide a state of focus that allows for someone to gain new thoughts, insights, perspectives, abilities, etc. that they weren’t able to before.

-Can anyone perform hypnosis?

Hypnosis should only be performed by a trained professional, especially for clinical applications. Learning to perform clinical hypnosis takes alot of work and training. It is a very difficult skill to learn, even for professionals.

-Can anyone be hypnotized?

This is often a debated topic in the clinical community. What we can say is there are people who are more hypnotizable and people who are less hypnotizable. People who are more hypnotizable are people that experience alot more hypnotic phenomenon in everyday life. These may people with PTSD, dissociative disorders, ADHD, or just very imaginative thinkers. People who are less prone or less hypnotizable are generally people who are very analytical or literal thinkers. That isn’t to say that people who are less hypnotizable can’t be hypnotized or experience the benefits of hypnosis therapy. Generally, there is some preparation involved in therapy to make it easier for these kinds of people. The things that have the most impact on successful hypnosis is having good therapeutic rapport and just a desire to want hypnosis to work.

-Is hypnosis safe?

In general, hypnosis is considered to be very safe when conducted by a trained clinical professional. You don’t lose consciousness or free will. You can’t get “stuck” in hypnosis. In fact, if you have done some form of meditation then you have probably been in a similar hypnotic state before. The risks are usually no different than any other form of therapy. If you end up doing hypnosis therapy, the clinician will ensure that you are alert and oriented before closing the session as a precaution. That’s why we always leave at least 5-10 minutes to spare at the end of session to debrief on what someone experienced, what they learned, and to make sure they are fully alert and oriented. As always, it is always important to discuss any questions or concerns with your provider before doing any hypnosis.

-What does hypnosis therapy look like?

Hypnosis is often tailored to the individual so it is hard to say. You and your therapist would work together on a plan beforehand, as well as answer any questions and discuss any concerns. It is important to note that hypnosis is not a standalone therapy and is often used in conjunction with other therapies.

If you want to find out more about how hypnosis might be able to benefit you, please reach out to us.