What Is Hypnotherapy?

Hypnotherapy has a long and interesting history as a healing modality that dates back to the ancient Greek sleep temples and dream incubation. The process of altering our awareness through our senses by focusing our eyes a particular way, breathing techniques, incense or essential oils, or body postures, in order to access our innate subconscious mind’s wisdom, is not new.

Shifting someone’s perception about themselves for the purpose of knowing about our state of being, or how to change our state of being towards optimal health has always been seen as a valuable practice in human experience.

The Myths of Hypnosis

While Hypnotherapy as a clinical modality has evolved into specific protocols for growth, change & healing, the understanding of the general public about hypnosis has remained full of the myth of swinging stop watches and embarrassing behaviour done with mind control from an outside controller.

Movies depict criminal minds taking over the minds of others through hypnosis without their knowing, to perform acts that are outside of their character, regardless of their will or values. A terrifying thought that we might all be susceptible to such overwhelming control.

While there is truth in that militaries have attempted to weaponize mind control in the past (Operation MK Ultra), the reality that hypnosis alone could be the method for doing so, has long been proven inaccurate.

What we know about hypnosis is that it prepares people to become more susceptible to

suggestions, but that unless the person receiving the suggestions is agreeable to those suggestions, they will not be influenced to act on them.

 In fact, we know that when a hypnotist or hypnotherapist gives a suggestion to someone in a hypnotic trance, if it is against their values, the person will immediately snap out of the trance. Kind of like when you are fast asleep and then you are suddenly wide awake and unsure as to why. Your subconscious/unconscious mind will bring you back to full wakefulness if something in your environment puts you at risk of danger or requires your attention.

Now you might have seen a hypnotist show that included some very interesting behaviour by the participants. Given what I’ve shared above, if you’ve put it together, you will have realized that yes, the people who participated in those acts did not perceive those behaviours to be a threat in any way and likely had a predilection, or curiosity about engaging in similar behaviours but had been too inhibited to overtly act on those behaviours. Given the shield of the hypnotist’s trance, however, those inhibitions are removed or dampened down so much that the participants were able to easily engage in those behaviours.

It is said that anything someone would do under the influence of 2-3 shots of tequila, they will likely do when in a hypnotic trance.

Hypnotist vs. Hypnotherapist

What’s the difference between a Hypnotist & a Hypnotherapist? Excellent question!

A Hypnotist is a non-clinically trained person who induces hypnosis for entertainment as in the hypnotist shows, or for non-clinically related habit change such as to quit smoking or for weight optimization. This process often includes 1 or 2 meetings with the hypnotist, 1 hypnosis session, followed up with receiving a recording of the hypnosis to continue to listen to. There may be a follow up meeting after using the recording for a certain number of days, but that would be the extent of the professional process.

A Hypnotherapist, is a clinically trained practitioner, such as a psychotherapist, psychologist or psychiatrist, who uses a series of hypnotic techniques including hypnosis in the treatment of mental health related concerns such as anxiety, phobias, historical trauma, or a plethora of additional distressing experiences.

The hypnotherapy process usually involves 4-6 meetings before the actual hypnosis, during with the hypnotherapist learns about your history, your triggers, goals, blocks, and strengths. They learn about how you are wired for communication, if you have certain symbols that have significance or create aversion within you, what you have done in the past towards what you want to change, and what you believe about yourself and your capabilities.

These sessions are ideally done in ways that guide you to relax in subtle ways, so that you are already learning how to go into a trance, before the actual hypnosis takes place.

The hypnotherapist then constructs a highly customized hypnosis script for you, delivers it in a session, then provides a recording for you to continue to work with. There are always check in and follow up sessions to monitor the progress, address any blocks or additional pieces that emerge when working with the recording, during which other therapeutic interventions might also be used. A hypnotherapy process may last anywhere from 3-6 months or longer depending on the complexity of the issue being addressed.

The Effects of Hypnotherapy

The change experienced through hypnotherapy versus other forms of therapy are gentle, subtle, sustainable, and dare I say, easier to obtain change. People who experience hypnotherapy often report that they didn’t feel like they were doing any additional work other than listening to their daily recording and yet ‘somehow’ they achieved the outcome they desired.

Clients also report side effects of hypnotherapy such as reduced chronic stress levels, less

sensory overstimulation, more patience, more calm, easier to relax, and better quality of sleep. Interestingly, and counter to public belief, hypnotherapy participants often report feeling an increased level of SELF control in their overall lives while also experiencing deeper connection to others and the world around them. This side effect specifically makes hypnotherapy a wonderful approach to those working through existential exploration.

Helpful Tips Before You Start

As someone who was a skeptic of hypnosis, questioned my self and my practitioner the entire time I engaged in it, and achieved my results despite my busy critical thinking mind, hypnosis has become a part of my daily life. Having used an element of hypnosis personally, daily for several years, now trained as a hypnotherapist, psychotherapist, and trains others in the art & science of hypnosis, I am completely biased in my opinion of hypnosis, convinced of its efficacy beyond a doubt. The only way for you to truly know if it is for you, is to give it a try.

Here are some important things to remember when considering hypnotherapy.

1)       You have to like your practitioner. This is important. Your unconscious mind will only allow you to go into a hypnotic trance if you trust the person guiding you. If you don’t like them, you won’t trust them, which means your systems won’t allow you to relax to access the place where change happens. If you don’t like them in the consult, find someone else. Virtual hypnotherapy is as effective as hypnotherapy facilitated in person, so it’s up to you how you would like to experience your hypnotherapy process.

2)       Have a particular outcome in mind. What do you want to change and how do you want it to be different? It’s helpful to have this in mind so you know why you want to do hypnotherapy. Vague goals like, less anxiety, or more confidence can be starting points, and it’s helpful for you to consider what does it look like when you have those? Will it be 5 days anxiety free in a week versus the 7 you have now? Will it be confidence enough to approach your family member after years of estrangement versus not speaking up at all?

3)       Be willing to commit to the process. Hypnotherapy is still a form of therapy that takes time. It is not a quick fix, although it does tend to produce results faster than traditional therapy modalities. Be prepared to attend weekly sessions for a few months, and to listen to your 15-20 minute daily recordings. Slow, steady, consistency are the hallmarks of a successful hypnotherapeutic process.

4)       Imagination & busy minds are welcome. Hypnotherapy is distinctly different from the beliefs about meditation. You are not required to shut down your thoughts as you engage in hypnotherapy. Your thoughts will slow as a result of hypnotherapy, but that is not the focus. So, if you have a busy mind, racing thoughts, or distracted way of thinking, meditation hasn’t worked for you, then hypnotherapy is a great option for you. Imaginative, creative mind? Beautiful, it works well for you too!

5)       Hypnotherapy is not helpful for certain diagnoses. Schizophrenia, certain personality disorders, and dissociative disorders are not addressed through hypnotherapy. The risk of injury to the person’s mind by engaging hypnosis is too high to be considered ethical to proceed. The only exception may be specialized psychiatrists who work with these folks through their extensive clinical resources.

Ready to Take the Next Step

After reading this post, if you’d like to find out how hypnotherapy can help you, the next step is to book a consult call to ask your questions and get to know the practitioner.

Consultations are usually complimentary. The hypnotherapist will also ask you questions to ensure that they can help you.

When you’re ready to book your consultation call with me, click on the link HERE, to book your time. I’d be delighted to introduce you to the experience of hypnotherapy and how it can help you.

I specialize in hypnotherapy with women to address, changing life circumstances (young adult to full adult, from single to partnered, becoming a therapist, etc.), stress, confidence, perfectionism, imposter syndrome, people pleasing, resolving historical trauma, spiritual exploration & integration. I do not facilitate regression therapy.

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Therapy, Supervision, Mentorship & Training for those who want to bridge inner wisdom with modern psychotherapy.