What is Hypnosis?

“What is Hypnosis?”

What it helps with:
Hypnosis can be used to help treat depression, anxiety, guilt feelings, low-self esteem, phobias /fear, abuse, addictions, smoking, weight issues, relationship problems, stress, physical pain issues, and self-defeating thoughts. It can improve emotional, physical and spiritual well-being.

What it is:
Hypnosis is a relaxation technique that is similar to meditation. It helps refocus the mind on something else positive (when there's no need to have it focus on the negative), and it helps to change patterns of behavior and thinking. It can expand the mind and sometimes the client starts looking at something in a completely different way. It's a type of “cognitive restructuring” that can focus on changing mistaken beliefs and negative behaviors. Hypnosis can sink in further and faster than when only traditional cognitive therapy is used. During hypnosis, the unconscious does the work. The changes are gradual and help the person get “unstuck”. Pretty soon the client is seeing things in a different way, like they have changed to a different perspective. No longer is the client being led by self-fulfilling prophecies or negative beliefs.

Hypnosis is pleasant and relaxing. People usually come out of hypnosis feeling relaxed, calm, alert and feeling good. It is a safe and effective tool for clients to make the changes they want to make in their lives.

The process:
In short, the client begins by telling the therapist what the problems are. They may also have discussions about what the roots of the problems may be. Then the client tells the therapist what they want to happen, how they want to be and how they want their life to be. From that, the therapist forms a list of suggestions that are used with that client while under hypnosis. Once the therapist has helped the person enter a hypnotic state, he/she gives direct suggestions designed to address the issues that need to be changed. For more ingrained problems, the suggestions are usually more complex. The suggestions created by a professional are targeted and direct.

Clients can be taught self-hypnosis as well, which they can do at home or outside of the therapy office. This can reduce the dependency on the therapist and teach the client lifelong skills they can use anytime/ anyplace.

Hypnosis is relatively easy to learn for both the mental health professional as well as the client, and it's not as bizarre or mysterious as some people may think. It is just another technique that is used to treat problems. During hypnosis, the client is fully aware of what is happening and will not allow something they do not want. It is not brainwashing. Hypnosis is a very natural state, and everyone is in a state of hypnosis at some point of every day. While driving, when people don’t remember the last few minutes, that’s the alpha state, which is a hypnotic state. When you are about to fall asleep, you are in the alpha state as well. In addition, children are in the alpha state much more often than adults, frequently absorbing suggestions (positive and negative).

What to remember:
With hypnosis, it is essential that the client is motivated for the treatment and is there voluntarily (not because someone else wants them to be). If the client does not want the suggestions, then they simply will not take. Also, it is essential that the client is not too skeptical of the process, as then they may not allow it to work. It is also important to make sure that the hypnosis is being done by a mental health professional, just in case other issues come up during the state in which the mind is relaxed. It can happen, and a mental heath professional will know how to handle that.