WHAT IS HYPNOTHERAPY?

Simply stated, Hypnotherapy is any therapy in which the use of hypnosis is the core or focus of the treatment. Hypnosis is a state of heightened relaxation, a state of high concentration, a time when one’s mind and body become exceptionally aware of each other and unify. Hypnosis is an altered state of consciousness. When you are in a state of hypnosis your attention is more focused; you are more responsive to suggestions and you are more open and less critical or disbelieving. The purpose of hypnosis as a therapeutic technique is to help you gain more control over your behavior, emotions or physical well-being.

History of Hypnosis

Hypnosis was first used by Austrian physician, Franz Mesmer (1734-1815) – the namesake behind the term “mesmerized”. A fellow pioneer in England by the name of James Braid (1795)-1860) discovered that asking a client to focus on one object often set them into a trance. It was Braid who coined the term “hypnotized”.

Medical Applications For Hypnosis

A British surgeon by the name of James Esdaile (1808-1859) discovered that hypnosis was ideal for pain relief – and performed hundreds of operations using hypnotism instead of an anesthetic. In France, Emile Coue believed that people are responsible for their own healing. He felt that a client’s participation in his own sessions was the most important thing. Essentially, Coue’s philosophy stressed that one’s imagination is always more powerful than one’s will – meaning drugs weren’t what healed people, but

A British surgeon by the name of James Esdaile (1808-1859) discovered that hypnosis was ideal for pain relief – and performed hundreds of operations using hypnotism instead of an anesthetic. In France, Emile Coue believed that people are responsible for their own healing. He felt that a client’s participation in his own sessions was the most important thing. Essentially, Coue’s philosophy stressed that one’s imagination is always more powerful than one’s will – meaning drugs weren’t what healed people, but belief of recovery was! Sigmund Freud (1856-1939) used hypnosis extensively in his work. Freud believed that everyone had an evolution of self, and hypnotherapy to him was a matter of working through crucial life stages. He also believed that traumatic situations affected one’s behavior – especially if the situation was repressed. A man called Milton H. Erickson, MD (1901-1980) was responsible for clinical recognition of hypnotherapy. Erickson is the reason that hypnotherapy has gained so much respect within the medical profession. It is important to know that hypnosis and medicine are not the same but they are somewhat related. It really is only a matter of time until hypnosis receives its true recognition and becomes as mainstream as any other medical profession.

Who is hypnotherapy for?

Hypnotherapy has the potential to help relieve the symptoms of a wide variety of diseases and physical as well as psychosomatic conditions. It can be used by itself or in conjunction with other complementary therapies.

According to studies by the National Institutes of Health, hypnotherapy may be used to:

•  change negative behaviors such as smoking, bedwetting and overeating
• reduce fear, stress, and anxiety
• control and eliminate physical pain during dentistry and surgical procedures
•  relieve symptoms associated with IBS and CFS including other digestive disorders’ lower blood pressure
•  control physical responses such as vomiting, nausea, body temperature and blushing, reduce the intensity and frequency of headaches (migraines) and asthma.

Hypnotherapy is not a magic pill! It works best when the person undergoing therapy is highly motivated and willing to become actively involved in their own progress.

WHY IS IT SO HARD TO CHANGE?

Most of our behavior occurs underneath our level of daily awareness. Simply stated, we react to situations prompted by our subconscious mind – our instinctive reactions. The conscious mind holds our logical and reasonable thinking patterns including our willpower. It comprises approximately 12% of our total mind power. Our subconscious mind is where our learned behaviors, associations, decisions and limitations are stored. The subconscious mind remembers everything! It does not distinguish between a positive or negative memory. This is why it is so hard to change ingrained patterns and beliefs. The subconscious mind leads you (conscious mind) through your life’s journeys even though your conscious mind may not be aware of it or even like the path. This is the reason why many people feel ‘stuck’ and helpless to change even when they know what it is that needs to be changed. Hypnotherapy helps you to make the changes easily and effectively.