“The soul always knows what to do to heal itself. The challenge is to silence the mind.”

Yes, because you can access and change your blocking beliefs more quickly with hypnotherapy. Achieving this can be harder and longer with other modalities due to defensive mechanisms of a conscious mind.

As a psychology graduate, I also did extensive research to determine which therapy approach I need to be trained in to reach the best outcomes. My intuitions led me to delve into hypnotherapy. When I experienced the transformative effect of hypnotherapy on me after the second session, I became more eager to share and witness this outcome with my clients.

Whether you are tired of traditional therapies or this will be your first therapy, in any case, I strongly recommend you to experience this pleasant technique sooner than later. Because not only you and your life are precious, but also your loved ones are precious, and nothing is as valuable as time.

Hypnosis is a state of mind which can naturally occur but is not a usual state of consciousness, which is characterized by being fully awake, consciously aware, and alert.

The main characteristics of hypnosis:
  • Sense of deep relaxation
  • Heightened and selective sensitivity to stimuli being received by the five senses and four basic perceptions
  • Intensified attention and receptiveness, and increased responsiveness
  • Softening of psychic defences
Can everyone be hypnotized?

The vast majority of people experience the relaxation effects of hypnosis and can realize its benefits. It is estimated that less than 10% of people have a very high resistance or unwillingness and don’t report good results. For clients who experience a light state of hypnosis initially, they usually find that they will go deeper with each subsequent session as they become more familiar with the process and I adapt to what works best for the individual.

The difference between conscious, subconscious and superconscious:
  • Conscious mind is the seat of our intellect and reasoning.
  • Subconscious stores all our memories, emotions, habit patterns and dreams stored, and controls autonomic body functions.
  • Superconscious is also called “higher mind” or “collective unconscious” and it consists of intuition, wisdom and inner guidance.

Hypnotherapy is a particular therapy that is conducted under a trance state, which allows bypassing rational mind. This consequently increases one’s capability to release emotions, reveal self-limiting misconceptions, and make lasting personal transformations.

Hypnotherapy is not a stage hypnosis, in which client confidentiality is not observed. Unlike stage hypnosis, hypnotherapy is an empowering process in which clients feel the power of choice throughout their sessions.

I also would like to underline that no matter how direct or authoritarian suggestions a client might receive from a therapist, a therapist cannot put a client into hypnosis without the client’s consent. Therefore, any type of hypnosis is actually a self-hypnosis.

Hypnotherapy is a wonderful tool to make life-long changes, and can be applied to many cases:

  • Promoting health and well-being (as it allows direct access to subconscious mind, which regulates autonomic body functions such as the heart rate, digestion, respiratory rate, pupillary response, urination, and sexual arousal)
  • Developing and expressing awareness and intuition
  • Making better decisions
  • Improving concentration
  • Overcoming procrastination
  • Increasing the quality of your emotional expression
  • Reducing conflict and stress
  • Increasing sleep quality and making it easier to fall asleep
  • Increasing confidence and enthusiasm
  • Discovering your negative mental patterns and how they affect you
  • Freeing yourself from negative emotions such as resentment, anger, fear, sadness
  • Selecting your goals in life and charting your course for their realization
  • Programming your mind with positive mental concepts and success attitudes

The majority of the United States exert little or no direct regulation over the practice of hypnosis or hypnotherapy, although other laws generally affecting the operation of any business will usually apply (for example: truth in advertising, unfair business practices).

The US states are grouped into three:

  • States with mandatory licensure or registration: Colorado, Connecticut, Washington
  • States with explicit guidelines for practicing without licensure: California, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, Texas, Utah
  • ▪ States without regulation over the practice of hypnosis or hypnotherapy: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming

Although licensure is not mandatory by the state laws of Oregon, I highly recommend the clients with mental disorder to work either with a licensed mental health practitioner or in conjunction with a licensed mental health practitioner.

Please check out this page for further details.

Just like any other therapy, hypnotherapy sessions begin with an interview, which is then followed by hypnotic induction and working on issues. As each client and the issue are exclusively unique, the course of therapy will vary. Particularly in hypnotherapy, the therapist needs the client’s cooperation more than any other technique. The quality of the relationship between the therapist and the client directly effects the course and the outcome of the therapy.

Hypnosis has been approved both by Medical and Psychological Associations in the 1950s and has been used by medical and mental health practitioners for more than 150 years. Although it is a very safe tool and thus many states do not require licensure over the practice of hypnotherapy, any physical or mental disorder should be treated under the supervision of a licensed health practitioner. Hypnotherapy is safe and effective when performed by a certified hypnotherapist. It is the responsibility of the hypnotherapy practitioner to be transparent in areas where the therapy will be effective and the client to be transparent regarding illnesses he or she might have.

  • Myth: I won’t be in full control.
  • Truth: You’ll be in complete control. As hypnotherapists, our role is to be your professional facilitator. Think of us as your coach who draws up the plays and gently encourages you to victory.
  • Myth: Hypnosis must be done with a swirling pattern or pocket watch.
  • Truth: These techniques are still used by some, but I use more modern, varied approaches for just a few moments to tire the eyes and help begin the process of relaxation.
  • Myth: Hypnosis isn’t real; people are faking it.
  • Truth: On the contrary, it is a very natural state that we all experience and can be heightened with the help of a hypnotherapist. All clients I work with are motivated to succeed, which is the most important ingredient in going deeper with hypnosis.

References

▪ Wampold B.E. How important are the common factors in psychotherapy? An update. World Psychiatry. 2015;14:270–277. doi: 10.1002/wps.20238.