What is hypnotherapy?
Hypnotherapy is a therapeutic technique that utilizes a guided state of focused attention and relaxation, similar to a trance, to help individuals address various issues, including pain management, phobias, and anxiety. During hypnotherapy, a client is guided into hypnosis a relaxed state where they are more receptive to suggestions, allowing them to access and utilize their own resources for positive change.
Often misunderstood and occasionally met with skepticism, hypnotherapy is emerging from the shadows of stage shows and Hollywood dramatizations to claim its rightful place as a powerful tool for psychological healing and personal growth. With hypnotherapy you can reprogram, and release thought patterns to make desirable and lasting changes in your life.
What is hypnosis?
Hypnosis a natural state of the mind that is between the aware state and sleep. We also naturally experience hypnosis just before or exiting the sleep state, or while daydreaming, or driving a familiar route (road trance). With hypnotherapy you can reprogram, and release thought patterns to make desirable and lasting changes in your life.
Hypnosis is defined as:
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- “a state of consciousness involving focused attention and reduced peripheral awareness characterized by an enhanced capacity for response to suggestion” (Elkins et al., 2015, p. 6).
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- A means for reaching the subconscious mind
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- An education communication process that allows a person’s conscious and subconscious mind to believe the same message (ARCH Canada, 2024).
What is hypnotherapy?
Hypnotherapy is a therapeutic technique that utilizes a guided state of focused attention and relaxation, similar to a trance, to help individuals address various issues, including pain management, phobias, and anxiety. During hypnotherapy, a client is guided into a relaxed state where they are more receptive to suggestions, allowing them to access and utilize their own resources for positive change.
Is clinical hypnotherapy grounded in scientific research?
There is a large growing body of scientific research due to the emergent focus on mind-body interactions among health professionals. Clinical hypnotherapy has clear benefits in areas such as anxiety, stress management, pain management, depression, sleep, hot flashes, and more. Hypnosis makes it easier to make changes making it a powerful tool for problem solving.
For more information read Barton (2017) and Weir (2024)
Will I lose control during hypnotherapy?
No, you absolutely will not lose control during hypnosis. You might enter a relaxed state, but you will always be aware of your surroundings and can accept or reject any suggestions made by the hypnotherapist. Hypnosis is a natural state of heightened focus.
Is hypnotherapy safe?
Hypnotherapy is a therapeutic technique that uses hypnosis to help individuals access a heightened state of awareness and focus, often referred to as a trance-like state. In this state, the conscious mind is relaxed, and the subconscious mind becomes more open to suggestion. Trained hypnotherapists use this state to help people address various psychological, emotional, or behavioral issues.
Hypnotherapy is commonly used to treat conditions such as anxiety, phobias, depression, stress, sleep disorders, chronic pain, and habit-related problems like smoking or overeating. The approach may involve guided visualization, positive suggestions, and therapeutic dialogue to reframe thoughts, change behaviors, or resolve past trauma.
Hypnotherapy is considered safe when practiced by certified professionals and is often used alongside other therapeutic methods. It is not mind control or unconsciousness, and most people remain aware and in control during the process.
How effective is hypnotherapy?
Barrios (1970) compares the effectiveness of hypnotherapy, cognitive behaviour therapy, and psychoanalytic therapy based on several large-scaled studies. A recovery rate of 38% can be expected after an average of 600 psychotherapy sessions over 3-4 years. For cognitive behaviour therapy, a recovery rate of 72% can be expected after an average of 22 weekly sessions. For hypnotherapy, a recovery rate of 93% can be expected after an average of 3 session. Barrios found that hypnotherapy was successful for a multitude of issues. He speculated that the reason for hypnotherapy’s effectiveness was it addresses incongruent perceptions, beliefs and attitudes.
The statistics from this study are often popping up in my Instagram feed. I had do to some digging to find the original study. It is quite dated (55 years), but the 1970’s was the beginning of renewed interest into hypnotherapy research. This field has proliferated. I caution that it is not useful for comparing different types of therapies as they are very different and are based on different underlying principles. Often hypnotherapy can be an excellent complement to other therapies.
There are many studies of the effectiveness of hypnotherapy specific to issues. It is beyond the scope of this post, but I intend to further investigate the effectiveness of hypnotherapy in future posts (see my post on sleep, and chronic pain). For more information read Barton (2017) and Weir (2024).
ARCH Canada. (2024). Advanced hypnosis lecture notes 201.
Barton, A. (2017, June 11). Hypnosis: Inside the science that could change your mind. The Globe and Mail. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/health/science-hypnosis-change-mind-body/article35248316/
Elkins, G. R., Barabasz, A. F., Council, J. R., & Spiegel, D. (2015). Advancing research and practice: the revised APA Division 30 definition of hypnosis. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, 63(1), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207144.2014.961870
Weir, K. (2024). Uncovering the new science of clinical hypnosis. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2024/04/science-of-hypnosis