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ALL ABOUT HYPNOTHERAPY
So, what is hypnotherapy?
Hypnotherapy is by passing the critical faculties of our conscious mind, in other words resistance of conscious mind and accessing the subconscious mind so that new emotions, behaviours, habits and beliefs is installed. It works, because in hypnosis, the mind becomes highly suggestible and accepts new changes in a deeply relaxed state of mind. While hypnosis is a state of mind, hypnotherapy is a process of eliminating behaviours, feelings, habits and beliefs that are not working.
Increasingly, hypnotherapy is being recommended for medicinal use. This is a recent trend. The medical establishment only began endorsing the use of clinical hypnosis beginning in the 1950s. Now, the list of healthcare providers that prescribe hypnosis includes some of the world’s top healthcare facilities, including the Mayo Clinic and the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre.
So, what’s driving the trend? Why are more and more healthcare providers prescribing hypnotherapy?
For one, hypnotherapy is effective. Based on research, it’s a more effective alternative to traditional psychoanalysis. A classic hypnosis study found that, on average, patients required just six hypnotherapy sessions with a 93-percent recovery rate. Psychoanalysis, on the other hand, required roughly 600 sessions with just a 38-percent recovery rate.
Hypnotherapy vs Hypnosis: Key Differences
The words “hypnosis” and “hypnotherapy” tend to be used interchangeably. But there’s a key distinction between the two. During hypnotherapy, a patient is hypnotized, but once they reach this state, “therapy” is performed.
In other words, hypnotherapy is a more focused and therapeutic version of hypnosis. In fact, if you were to undergo hypnosis, chances are you wouldn’t experience long-term benefits, because it wouldn’t have been targeted to your specific needs.
In addition to these distinctions, there are several others that set hypnotherapy apart from hypnosis. They include:
- Hypnotherapist vs Self-Hypnosis – Hypnotherapy is performed by a certified hypnotherapist. In general, hypnotherapists are required to complete more advanced training, and therefore, they offer a more complete and therapeutic hypnosis experience. Hypnosis can be conducted via a 1-to-1 session, but it’s also self-administered, through recordings and scripts.
- Tailored to Your Needs – Each patient seeking hypnosis has his or her own subconscious thinking patterns. And these subconscious thoughts are what keep a negative behaviour in place. For hypnosis to be effective, the experience must be tailored to reversing this “root cause.” In general, hypnotherapy seeks to understand the root causes of an addiction, phobia, or compulsion, and deliver therapy that is designed to reverse the subconscious source. Hypnotism, on the other hand, may not provide such a personalized approach. In fact, many hypnotists offer a generalized, one-size-fits all approach.
- Specialized Care – Hypnotherapists are trained to address a variety of conditions – including overeating, food addiction, substance abuse, smoking, weight loss, phobias and negative thinking. In other words, their training provides the tools to address a much longer list of conditions. Plus, hypnotherapists have a much broader toolbox of techniques to work with, including visualization, neuro-linguistic programming, root cause analysis, and reframing. With more tools, hypnotherapists can provide an approach that’s tailored to each individual’s needs. Hypnotists tend to offer a much more general service, and may specialize in just one technique.
- Effectiveness – Ultimately, hypnotherapists want you to succeed. Yet, hypnotherapy tends to empower clients more effectively. The reason? Hypnotherapists are trained to recognize change resistance behaviours and uncover the root cause. Additionally, hypnotherapists encourage follow-up appointments to reinforce positive behaviours. Therefore, results may be longer lasting and achieved more quickly
Who Can Perform Hypnotherapy?
All hypnotherapy is performed by a certified hypnotherapist. Hypnotherapists tend to be more highly trained and offer a more in-depth and personalized experience. As you look for a hypnotherapist, you should pay particular attention to:
- Training: Hypnotherapists must undergo training prior to practicing, and often spend many more hours earning certification. Certification often requires classroom and online coursework, and most receive in-person training with real-life patients.
- Competence: Thanks to the added training, hypnotherapists generally have a much broader knowledge base in the area of hypnosis. Therefore, hypnotherapists have a wider range of techniques to draw from, including re-learning, reframing, regression, root-cause and self-identification, which can help those better serve clients. Additionally, they’re trained in proper techniques for managing the subconscious, which contributes to improved effectiveness.
- Effectiveness: A competent hypnotherapist tends to offer tailored suggestion techniques. Thusly, they can more effectively identify negative behaviours in the subconscious, and they’re more qualified to perform work at the subconscious level to remove and reframe these behaviours and thought patterns.
In other words, as you go about choosing a hypnosis provider, it’s best to choose a certified hypnotherapist. Certified hypnotherapists tend to have advanced training in a number of techniques, and can provide you with strategies and approaches that are designed with you in mind. This will ensure you’re receiving the best possible care.
