What is Hypnotherapy?

Hypnotherapy is a type of therapy that uses hypnosis to help people with negative behaviour, or to offer pain relief.

What is Hypnosis?

Hypnosis is a mental state that is induced by a hypnotist, who offers a number of instructions and suggestions to the patient. The patient is generally asked to become progressively more relaxed to a state that resembles sleep. In fact, research shows that the subjects are not sleeping, but are more focused on some senses rather than others, causing a decrease in peripheral awareness.

How does Hypnotherapy work?

When a patient is under hypnosis, a number of characteristic changed can affect the patient. These include a hyper-suggestibility, where the patient is more likely to take on board suggestions given to them by the practicing hypnotist. These suggestions could be to alter personality traits, or reduce long-standing bad habits.

What is Hypnoanalysis?

Hypnoanalysis is a branch of hypnotherapy where the practicing hypnotist helps ‘regress’ a patient to an earlier age. The patient will experience that they are at that earlier age. These earlier experiences can be key to the reasoning behind some people’s current negative behaviours and emotions.

What is Cognitive Hypnotherapy?

Cognitive hypnotherapy (also known as behavioural hypnotherapy, cognitive behavioural hypnotherapy or CBH) is a branch of therapy which used hypnosis and cognitive behavioural therapy in tandem. Hypnotherapy, in this instance, is used to reinforce positive messages and thoughts, as it is believed that the repetition of positive ideas can help to repair behavioural problems in many patients.

What is Hypnotherapy used for?

Hypnotherapy is commonly used to help people break out of destructive behavioural patterns, but can also be used in situations where the patient is in need of deep relaxation. Hypnotherapy is quite commonly used in childbirth, or during surgery, as a partial or supplemental alternative to pain relief.

Does Hypnotherapy work?

Significant research into hypnotherapy showing its positive effects on patients has long shown that hypnotherapy is an effective method. There is now no doubt that hypnosis is a reality, and that is works well for a number of cases.

Is there a professional body for Hypnotherapists?

There are a number of bodies in the UK that cover hypnotherapy, but there is debate over who should have access to training in hypnotherapy. The British Society of Clinical and Academic Hypnosis is a body which will only offer training to qualified medical practitioners. Regulation of hypnotherapy in the UK is however quite loose, and one should be very careful to check the credentials of a hypnotherapist before employing their services.

What will a hypnotherapist do?

There are many techniques in use within hypnotherapy. The majority of these techniques will involve the patient becoming progressively more relaxed, and then being asked to visualize or analyse problems they have been having in their lives. Apart from the above-mentioned age regression technique, hypnotherapists may utilize techniques such as repetition and guided imagery when the patient is in a trance-like state. A major part of hypnotherapy comes from suggestion, which can be in form of the hypnotherapist directly making suggestions, or helping the patient to visualize problems.