Hypnotherapy
Hypnotherapy
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What is Hypnotherapy?
What is Hypnotherapy?
Hypnosis is a type of mind-body medicine. Hypnotherapy, is a state of deep relaxation and focused concentration. Altered states of consciousness or trance have been documented by several cultures for thousands of years throughout the world from medicine and healing ceremonies to spiritual/ritual practices. Modern hypnotherapy was brought into clinical and therapeutic practice by several physicians/scientists/therapists throughout the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. Pioneers include Franz Mesmer, James Braid, Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung and Milton H. Erikson to name a few. Hypnotherapy is a widely used therapeutic practice that continues to be used in psychological treatment today. One of the primary advantages of hypnotherapy is its ability to access the subconscious mind. Suggestions during hypnosis can cause dynamic changes in brain activity. Areas responsible for processing cognition and emotion show greater activity during hypnosis, as well as hypnosis-induced changes in functional connectivity between anterior cingulate cortex and the large neural network. Hypnotherapy is a safe and effective treatment for several conditions and issues.
What happens during a hypnotherapy session?
What happens during a hypnotherapy session?
In a clinical setting, the therapist will help you relax in a comfortable setting. Then, they’ll use repetitive verbal cues, imagery and relaxation techniques to guide you into a dream-like state. Once you’re in a trance, the therapist will make suggestions to help you reach certain goals and make healthier decisions. You are not asleep, you are in a deeply relaxed and focused state. I often tell clients that it feels similar to the feeling you have when you first wake up in the morning but are not fully awake. You are still deeply relaxed but are aware of what is going on around you. At the end of the session, the therapist will bring you back to a full state of consciousness. You are always in full control, and wouldn't do or say anything that you wouldn't normally do or say while fully awake. Your mind is always looking out for your best interest wether conscious or unconscious.
Relax - when you are relaxed, your mind is no longer in alert mode or searching for new information.
Remove Resistance - by blocking out distractions, trance removes your natural resistance to change.
Bypass the critical conscious mind - when you bypass the critical mind, you stop your natural habit to analyze everything.
Access the subconscious mind - as you're distraction free, now you can focus on what you want to change by making powerful suggestions to encourage lasting change.
Is hypnosis the same as sleep?
Is hypnosis the same as sleep?
Many people think hypnosis is similar to sleep, but the two mental states are not alike. Unlike a person who is asleep, a hypnotized person is alert at all times. Hypnosis is more similar to being absorbed in a daydream, or ‘lost’ in a good book, or movie, in that you are aware of what is happening around you, but most of your focus is upon one subject. As in these cases, you are entirely in control of your behaviour at all times. Alpha brain waves are always occurring, but are increased during a waking state, while delta waves are increased during sleep. Hypnosis, on the other hand, is associated with increased theta waves and thus may be a state different from awake and sleep states.
Is hypnosis the same as meditation?
Is hypnosis the same as meditation?
Hypnosis and meditation induce similar states of relaxation that can help you. However, the two practices are not quite the same. Hypnosis tends to have a specific goal in mind—such as overcoming fear or anxiety—whereas meditation is usually practiced with no particular goal, and involves emptying the mind. Hypnosis is a cooperative activity between the hypnotherapist and the client, whereas, meditation is generally performed alone. That being said, guided meditation can involve external cues much like in hypnosis, and hypnosis can be performed alone, in a practice known as ‘self-hypnosis’. While several studies have shown mind-body interventions, such as mindfulness meditation, can help improve stress and reduce symptoms such as chronic pain, hypnotherapy can be more effective.
Can everyone by hypnotized?
Can everyone by hypnotized?
The ability to be hypnotized is individual. While some people have a high amount of hypnotic ability, others have a low range. The vast majority of people sit somewhere in the middle. The vast majority of us are in the middle. Even without the ability to be easily hypnotized, it is still possible to receive therapeutic benefits from hypnotherapy. Similar to taking prescription medicine, you may just need a larger dose.
History of Hypnosis
History of Hypnosis
The history of hypnosis can be traced back to an 18th-century physician, Franz Anton Mesmer, and his ability to mesmerize people. The word hypnosis, however, was coined by 19th-century physician James Braid. He used relaxation and mental imagery methods to help his patients. He observed that his patients appeared relaxed during such sessions with their eyes closed. He thought they were in a kind of sleep and called it ‘hypnosis’ from the Greek word hypnos, meaning sleep.
Methods of hypnosis then became more popular and were used in neurology and even in surgery. Several cases reported in which patients were able to enter a very deep hypnotic state and undergo surgical procedures using these methods without anesthesia. We now know that highly hypnotizable people are able to manage pain and can accomplish a great deal of control when provided with proper guidance.
Even though hypnosis is a clinically proven practice, it has become popularized by what is known as stage hypnosis demonstrated in performances and Hollywood movies where people are prompted to act out certain behaviours like clucking like a chicken. This has led to misconceptions and misinterpretation about hypnosis and in particular, clinically based hypnotherapy. During hypnosis you remain in control, you are just in a very relaxed and focused state. You can also hear everything that is going on around you and at no time can your therapist make you do anything you do not want.
Hypnosis in Therapy
Hypnosis in Therapy
When hypnosis is applied in clinical practice to treat medical concerns such as anxiety, pain, or even irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), it is called hypnotherapy. In this setting, hypnosis can be used as a psychological treatment for changing sensations, perceptions, thoughts, and behaviours. While you are in a hypnotic state of relaxation you are more open to proposals or advice that can benefit your health and well-being, or change behaviours.
There are many conditions that hypnotherapy can help with including but limited to: post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), eating disorders, depression, fears, phobias, substance use disorder, hypertension, child-birth, asthma, obsessive compulsive behaviour, weight loss, grief, headaches, negative core beliefs, unhelpful coping mechanisms, confidence and self-esteem.
Hypnotherapy can be used to manage:
Sleeping difficulties: if you suffer from insomnia, hypnosis can help you relax and fall asleep more easily. Studies indicate that hypnosis can also improve the quality of your sleep by helping you spend more time in deep sleep.
Anxiety: relaxation techniques such as hypnosis can be useful to ease anxiety, have a deeper mind-body connection, and help regulate future episodes.
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS): the effectiveness of hypnosis for irritable bowel syndrome has been supported by numerous clinical studies. IBS is abdominal pain associated with either diarrhea or constipation. Hypnotherapy relieves many physical symptoms of IBS.
Chronic pain: hypnosis can help relieve chronic pain. People with pain-related conditions, such as arthritis, cancer, and sickle-cell anemia, may find relief from hypnosis. Hypnosis can also help manage pain after surgery or from tension headaches.
Addiction: hypnosis can help to guide your subconscious away from cravings, and overcome drugs, alcohol or smoking addiction. The practice can also help with managing the effects of withdrawal. A randomized controlled trial from 2008 showed 20% of those who received hypnotherapy quit smoking compared to 14% who received standard behavioural therapy.
Hot flashes: are a common symptom of menopause. Hypnotherapy can reduce hot flashes by up to 80%, according to recent research.
How many sessions will I need?
How many sessions will I need?
Everyone is unique and will have different goals and therapeutic needs. Just like in medicine, the same drug/medication is uniquely prescribed for each person, even with the same condition. Therapy is very much the same. The number of sessions will be determined by the issue/condition, duration and severity of symptoms. Usually 4-6 sessions can treat most conditions, but individual needs may vary. Hypnotherapy can also be used as a regular treatment for therapeutic support & overall wellbeing.
Are there any side effects of Hypnotherapy?
Are there any side effects of Hypnotherapy?
Harmful reactions to hypnosis are rare, but they may include: dizziness, headache, nausea, drowsiness, anxiety, distress, or sleep problems. Hypnotherapy is not recommended for people who have schizophrenia or who have experienced psychosis.
A hypnotic trance is basically an altered state of awareness, brought about by the practitioner helping the client relax to the extent that they enter the 'theta state', which is the state of being between wake and sleep, where the subconscious is at its most open to suggestion. In this state, subtle commands to the subconscious, including stimulating your own imagination, can bring about significant changes in the physical or mental state. The only requirement of hypnotherapy is to relax and be open to change. One of the fundamental elements of hypnosis is the power of suggestion. Suggestion refers to the process of providing specific instructions or guidance to the subconscious mind during the hypnotic trance. This unique state of focused attention and heightened suggestibility enables individuals to be more receptive to positive suggestions and therapeutic interventions. When a skilled hypnotherapist utilizes suggestions tailored to the individual’s goals, desires, and challenges, it can bypass mental barriers and create profound changes in their thoughts, emotions, and behaviours. Metaphorically speaking, hypnosis acts as a key to unlock the door to the subconscious mind, allowing positive transformations to take place.
Hypnosis not only influences the brain’s activity in the moment but also has the potential to rewire neural pathways over time. Neuroplasticity, the brain’s remarkable ability to reorganize itself, allows new connections to form and existing ones to be strengthened or weakened based on experience. Studies have demonstrated that hypnosis can modulate neuroplasticity and facilitate the rewiring of neural networks. Through repetitive and focused suggestions, hypnosis can help individuals replace negative thought patterns, overcome fears and phobias, and cultivate positive habits. By rewiring the neural pathways, hypnosis paves the way for lasting changes and personal growth.
Hypnosis is a remarkable therapeutic tool that influences the brain at both a conscious and subconscious level. By accessing the subconscious mind and utilizing the power of suggestion, hypnosis can rewire neural pathways and create lasting changes in thoughts, emotions, and behaviours. With its transformative abilities, hypnosis offers a path to personal growth and well-being. It empowers individuals to harness their innate abilities, conquer limiting beliefs, and cultivate a more fulfilling and meaningful life.
In hypnotherapy the brain enters the alpha (light hypnosis) and theta (deep hypnosis) states, and one is highly focused on suggestions and imagery while suspending the ordinary thinking processes of the beta state. In the alpha and theta states, suggestions are integrated into the mind more easily, and memories become more accessible. Research has shown that in hypnosis, we get the chance to subdue our anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) lies in a unique position in the brain, with connections to both the “emotional” limbic system and the “cognitive” prefrontal cortex. Thus, the ACC likely has an important role in integration of neuronal circuitry for affect regulation and can be identified as a distinctive region in understanding psychopathology. Affect-regulation, the ability to control and manage uncomfortable emotions, is a primary goal for mental health clinicians in treating psychopathology. Avoidance of painful emotions is often the motivating force in negative behaviours such as substance abuse, binge eating, and suicide. These actions are taken as part of maladaptive approaches to control, avoid, or regulate painful emotions. Clinicians often treat patients/clients by helping them to develop more adaptive coping mechanisms in regulating their emotions. Understanding the processes by which ACC contributes to regulation of emotions may assist clinicians in their therapeutic work.
To comprehend how hypnosis affects the brain, we must first understand the brain’s two primary states of consciousness: the conscious and the subconscious mind. The conscious mind is responsible for our everyday awareness, decision-making, and logical thinking, while the subconscious mind stores our beliefs, emotions, memories, and habits. When someone experiences their hypnotic trance, it often induces a heightened state of focused attention and relaxation. Research shows that this altered state of consciousness helps bypass the critical faculty of the conscious mind, allowing direct access to the subconscious mind.
Numerous studies have utilized brain imaging techniques, such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and electroencephalography (EEG), to examine the neurobiological underpinnings of hypnosis. These studies have revealed intriguing insights into the effects of hypnosis on various brain regions and neural processes. During hypnosis, the brain undergoes distinct changes, including alterations in brainwave patterns, increased connectivity between brain regions, and modulation of neurotransmitter activity. For instance, research has shown that hypnosis can lead to decreased activity in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, a brain region involved in monitoring errors and self-awareness. Furthermore, hypnosis has been found to activate the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, which plays a crucial role in decision-making and executive functions. This increased activation suggests that hypnosis enhances cognitive control and facilitates the adoption of beneficial thoughts and behaviours.
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