Thanks to pop culture, hypnotherapy has a lot of misconceptions about it. While you might be more familiar with how movies and television portray hypnosis, in reality, the process is much less mysterious. It is clinically proven to help with mental health issues. But what exactly is clinical hypnotherapy, and how can it help people?
What is Clinical Hypnotherapy?
Clinical hypnotherapy is a therapeutic technique that uses hypnosis to induce a state of heightened inward focus and deep relaxation. It involves accessing the subconscious mind to promote positive changes in thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. One of the more pervasive myths about hypnosis is that it’s fake and just used for entertainment purposes. Clinical hypnosis is a legitimate treatment path for tapping into the deeper parts of your mind and memory.
During a clinical hypnotherapy session, a trained therapist guides a client into a state of relaxation, where they are more receptive to suggestions and imagery. Typically, they’ll go through four stages in a session: introduction, deepener, suggestions, and emergence.
In a session, the client will engage in breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, or visual focus to focus their attention inward. As the therapist guides them through deeper focus and relaxation, they will offer suggestions for behavior changes to tackle the issue they’re addressing in therapy.
Hypnotherapy can be used as part of the treatment for a variety of mental health issues, including:
- Phobias
- Anxiety disorders
- Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder
- Substance abuse
- Pain management
- Problematic behaviors
Benefits of Hypnotherapy
Stress reduction
One of the primary benefits of clinical hypnotherapy is its usefulness in alleviating stress and anxiety. The clinical hypnotherapy sessions themselves release tension by inducing a state of deep relaxation. The conscious mind, with all its worries and preoccupations, is quieted, allowing a person to access deeper feelings and ideas. The client also learns techniques for calming themselves in their daily lives.
Behavior modification
The goal of clinical hypnotherapy is ultimately behavior modification. By accessing the subconscious mind, therapists can help people identify and address underlying issues that contribute to their undesirable behaviors, such as smoking, overeating, or nail-biting. Through suggestion and visualization, hypnotherapy can empower clients to make radical changes from within themselves.
Pain management
Research has shown that clinical hypnotherapy can be an effective tool for managing chronic pain or an upcoming painful event (like childbirth or surgery). By altering how a person perceives their pain, hypnotherapy can help clients reduce their reliance on medication. Clinical hypnosis can also enhance the effectiveness of other pain management techniques like mindfulness and meditation.
Improved sleep
Many people struggle with sleep issues. Clinical hypnotherapy can be an effective solution for improving sleep quality in those with insomnia or other sleep disorders. Because it induces deep relaxation, clinical hypnotherapy can help clients learn to quiet their minds and fall asleep more easily. Clinical hypnotherapy sessions can also address a person’s underlying issues, such as anxiety or stress, that may contribute to their sleep problems.
Building Resilience
Clinical hypnotherapy is meant to empower people to create positive change in their lives. By harnessing the power of the subconscious mind, clinical hypnotherapy can help clients overcome the obstacles they feel are holding them back. Whether a person wants to overcome their phobias, become better communicators, quit addictive behaviors, or prepare for a major life change, clinical hypnosis can be the pathway forward. Because the client is making changes within themselves, they’ll also boost their self-esteem and feel more confident in approaching difficulties.
Are You Ready to Try Clinical Hypnotherapy?
Whether you’ve tried other therapeutic approaches, and they haven’t felt right, or you’re simply curious about hypnotherapy, reach out to a trained therapist today.
Hypnosis is both a great supplemental treatment with another therapy like CBT and a useful tool all on its own. If you’ve been struggling with pain, phobias, anxiety, addiction, or other issues, hypnotherapy can help.
To learn more about whether hypnotherapy is right for you, please contact us at Onyx. Our registered provisional psychologist, Kylie Roth us trained and experienced using clinical hypnotherapy in sessions. Connect with us to see if Kylie can be a good fit for you.
