During Hypnotherapy, the Therapist strikes a direct communication with the subconscious mind with the client’s permission by using verbal repetition and mental images to lead the client into a trance-like state. In this state the client has heightened focus and concentration, helps bring in positive changes in destructive patterns and beliefs at the subconsious lavel.
Hypnotherapy is a highly specialised therapy which can be performed by a licensed or certified mental health professional who is specially trained in this technique.
History of hypnosis –
The history of hypnosis is as ancient as that of sorcery, magic and medicine; indeed hypnosis has been used as a method in all three. In the latter part of the 18 th century Franz Mesmer, a German physician used hypnosis in the treatment of patients in Vienna and Paris. Because of his mistaken belief that hypnotism made use of an occult force (which be termed “animal magnetism”) that flowed through the hypnotist into the subject, Mesmar was soon discredited; but Mesmer’s method – named mesmerism after its creator – continued to interest medical practitioners. A number of clinicians made use of it without fully understanding its nature until the middle of the 19th century, when the English physician James Braid studied the phenomenon and coined the terms hypnotism and hypnosis, after the Greek god of sleep, Hypnos.
How Does Hypnosis Works?
The unconscious mind is the seat of most of the problems that affect us and unfortunately even if we wish to, it is difficult to control unconscious behaviour through conscious effort alone. The coscious and unconscious (subsconscious) minds have two completely different functions. While the conscious mind is the rational part and is the seat of our wishes, desires and aspirations, the unconscious/subconscious mind is full of wanted and unwanted programs from early life until now, that play over and over again automaticlly. It is important to have the conscious and subconscious mind more in coherence with each other in order to live a healthy life. During Hypnotherapy, the Therapist strikes a direct communication with the subconscious mind with the client’s permission by using verbal repetition and mental images to lead the client into a trance-like state. In this state the client has heightened focus and concentration, helps bring in positive changes in destructive patterns and beliefs at the subconsious lavel. When under hypnosis, the client usually feels clam, relaxed and is more open to suggestions. It’s important to know that although the client is more open to suggestion during hypnosis, he/she does not lose control over his/her behavior.
Why Hypnotherapy ?
It can improve the success of other treatments for many conditions, including:
- Phobias, fears and anxiety
- Sleep disorders
- Depression
- Stress
- Post-trauma anxiety
- Grief and loss
- Overcome smoking of overeating
- Pain control
Some case studies
- R S was a 19 years old girl who came to the Therapist in a highly disturbed state of mind complaining of nightmares where she could see a wolf hounding her and that she falling off a cliff. She was getting this nightmare repeatedly since the last 7 to 8 yrs. and wanted to get rid of these nightmares as they were very terrifying and had started affecting her sleep patterns very badly. During the case history intake, it was found that the client had been a victim of child sexual abuse. She was put unto a trance by the Therapist and with her permission made to revisit her past and change these details by visualizing hereself of being in control of the sitution and fighting back rather than being a helpless victim. The therapist through verbal repetition also guided her to rewrite her future in an imaginary golden book with a beautiful golden pen.
After 6 sessions of Hypnotherapy, the client was able to overcome her fear and trauma of the past and is now able to lead a more powerful and meaningful life. - H M was a senior executive in a multinational company and was having great difficulty with decision making and making persentations during a company meeting in front of the seniors. His role demanded that he do both these things effectively and a failure to do so was affecting his promotion and progress. During the case history intake, it was found that the client had grown up with an extermely autocratic father and had felt extremely be-littled as he was growing up. Whenever he made a mistake, his father had punished him harshly and he had experienced moments of fear that would completely paralyze him.
With the client’s permission, he was put into a tance by the Therapist and the Therapist gave suggestions to him regarding rediscovering his confidence and overcoming fear. He was further made to visualize that he was making some impactful presentations and taking some very important dicisions very confidently which therefore leads him to a promotion. After 5 sessions of Hypnotherapy, the client was able to overcome his fear of failure and gain a
lot of confidence.
The writer has Founder Director of My mind matters. She has practising Psychologist and Certified Hypnotherapist from California Institute of Hypnosis USA