Is hypnosis therapy right for me?

Hypnosis is often misunderstood and over-dramaticized in pop culture. True hypnosis is, by definition, self-hypnosis. This means one cannot be hypnotized against their will. There are multiple hypnotic techniques that combine relaxation and imagery to induce a heightened state of concentration. The overall goal of hypnosis, as a therapy technique, is to focus the mind and eliminate distractions. By eliminating distractions, psychotherapists are working to open the mind to new suggestions with the aim of treatment. Hypnotherapy is not a treatment in and of itself. It can play different roles in a patient’s treatment depending on their personal needs and struggles. Hypnotherapy has, most successfully, benefited those suffering from pain, anxiety, substance abuse, phobias, and sleep disorders.  So the question is: Is hypnosis therapy right for me?

How it works:

A trained psychotherapist is able to guide a patient into a relaxed, focused state. Once in this trance of hyper-focus, the therapist will ask you to reframe personal experiences in a positive way. This retrains the mind to behave and react in different ways. It is a technique to work through, and break, habitual reactions developed in the body through time. Hypnosis can be thought of as one of the many tools used by psychotherapists to aid their patients. 

Why does hypnotherapy work particularly well for these afflictions?

Pain relief: 

Hypnosis can help one gain more self-control over your pain. In the case of chronic pain, hypnotherapy is used to reframe the common pains you experience in a more positive light. This works to alter the psychological components of the experience of pain, thus having an effect on the severity of pain you experience. Hypnotherapy and its effect on pain has been the most studied benefit. 

Anxiety: 

People who suffer from anxiety often suffer from anticipatory anxiety. Once someone has a negative experience that elicited an anxious reaction, they can become worried and anticipate this negative experience will repeat itself. This causes anticipatory anxiety. Hypnosis is, again, used as a technique to retrain the brain to focus on the positives of traditionally negative experiences. It is also a way to work through the origins of one’s anxiety. The extreme concentration induced by hypnosis allows one to better understand the root causes of their anxiety. Understanding the root cause then lends itself to finding solutions to combat the severity of anxiety attacks. 

Phobias:

 Phobias are a form of anxiety disorder. Meaning, hypnotherapy works for those struggling with phobias the same way it helps those with anxiety. It reframes negative experiences and works to discover the root causes of a phobia. 

Substance Abuse:

 Hypnotherapy is in no way an instant cure. This especially rings true for those using it to control substance abuse issues. The hypnotic state is used to rewire certain patterns and conditioning. This may help someone with substance abuse issues work through their immediate reactions to self-medicate. It can strengthen willpower, therefore working to overcome addictive urges and cravings. 

Sleep disorders:

 Hypnosis is a hyper-focused state brought on by a combination of relaxation techniques and imagery. The relaxed state should, in theory, make it easier to fall asleep. Hypnotherapy for sleep disorders can also help teach someone to perform self-hypnosis for when they are at home struggling with sleep anxiety. There are a few other ways hypnotherapy is used for different sleep disorders. For example, hypnosis can help chronic sleep walkers better identify when they are sleep walking and rewire the brain to wake up once their feet touch the floor. 

Where to go for reliable hypnotherapy treatment? To find reliable hypnotherapy treatment, you must find a psychotherapist trained in the art of hypnosis. It is important to note some people are more suggestible than others. This means some people can more easily reach a hypnotic state than others. Therefore, hypnotherapy may not be for everyone. Chriselda Santo, a licensed psychotherapist with a certification in life coaching is dedicated to helping patients reframe their ways of thinking and better cope with their personal struggles.. Hypnosis is just one of the many tools she utilizes to develop personalized treatment plans.  If hypnotherapy sounds like a useful tool for you, or you are interested in learning more, contact Chriselda at 210-549-6663. You can also reach her by email at  [email protected]. Visit her website for more details: https://lifebalancetherapy.org/.