What is Hypnotherapy?
Hypnotherapy is Psychotherapy which uses the tool of hypnosis. It’s a powerful and effective process between a therapist and a client. Contrary to what people often think, no one cannot be hypnotized to do anything against their will, so each client is willing and ready to make positive changes in their lives.
What Hypnotherapists do is therapeutic, helping client’s to create permanent, lasting changes in the way they think, feel or behave. Hypnotherapists guide you to create a natural state of deep relaxation, and in this focused state, you are highly responsive to suggestions or images. We actually teach people how to master their own minds and in doing so, you affect your own mind and body responses. Hypnosis is a normal, natural brain state where you also have the ability to access the subconscious mind (which is the part of the mind below the level of conscious perception).
People often say they “have tried everything” to change their thinking, feelings or behaviours yet feel they are blocked or stuck and never get the results they want. This is because other “talk” therapies often work only on the conscious level, yet the subconscious mind has some firmly held beliefs that continue to play out in our everyday reality. You have to make the changes at this level of mind to create a permanent change. Even the American Medical Association recognizes that “six hours of Hypnotherapy is the equivalent to 600 hours of Psychotherapy.” So what we can achieve in one to two months is the same as what can be achieved in eleven and a half years compared to Psychotherapy. Hypnotherapy is “Brief Therapy” where you can start to see results quickly.
A Clinical Hypnotherapist helps you use your own mind power to achieve goals such as quitting smoking, losing weight, stress reduction, increased confidence, sleeping well, become happier or even excelling at your chosen sport. My advice to all is to choose your Hypnotherapist wisely because it’s an unregulated industry (and this is Psychotherapy!) In Alberta, people can go on a weekend course and then call themselves a Hypnotherapist. “Clinical” Hypnotherapist should mean that the therapist has a background, such as a degree in the social sciences (ideally Psychology). However, the term “Clinical” is now often used by some who have no such background at all. So always ask your therapist questions about their training and years of expertise. Hopefully one day we will be able to eliminate the myths and stereotypes of Hypnosis and allow this powerful therapeutic tool to gain the credibility it truly deserves.