Your health can be improved in several ways through hypnotherapy, a form of therapy that applies hypnosis as a primary or supplementary treatment.
Alison T. Grant, MD asserts that in healthcare, hypnosis can be utilized as a therapeutic treatment that helps one experience changes in perceptions, thoughts, sensations, or behaviors. It is carried out in a clinical environment by a qualified, licensed healthcare professional, such as a doctor or a psychologist.
Selective attention, an intensified absorption, and a deepening of focus in suggested experiences all occur during hypnosis. Contrary to popular belief, hypnotized individuals are completely aware of their surroundings and in control of their own behavior.
However, they are intensely engaged on drawing in and receiving the therapeutic ideas the therapist provides, absorbing them and applying them more profoundly than they otherwise might.
Watch Dr. David Spiegel: Using Hypnosis to Enhance Health & Performance. Spiegel has over 40 years of research and clinical experience with hypnosis, psychotherapy, and stress physiology. He is the Associate Chair of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Director of the Center on Stress and Health and Director of the Center for Integrative Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine.
Also watch Dan Candell (world class hypnotist who worked with Olympic medalists to maximize their ability) talk about hypnosis in TEDx: Hypnotize Yourself.
Hypnosis is not a spell or magic. It only magnifies what happens in every effective therapy when a skilled practitioner provides fresh options to a client searching for positive change.
Hypnosis is generally not considered as a form of therapy in and of itself. It is rather viewed as a therapeutic tool for creating more focused, attentive, and calmer setting conducive for absorbing the therapy. It is typically used alongside cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) or some other specific form of therapy in treatments.
The most effective hypnosis sessions are those developed around the unique profile of the client. This covers factors like the client's goals, cognitive style, attentional capacity, and personal interests.
Consider hypnotherapy to treat your health conditions and symptoms. Learn more at JarvisHypnotherapy!
Techniques
Hypnotherapy frequently employs techniques that include: 1- relaxation, 2- suggestion, 3- teaching client coping skills (with STOP! technique and guided imagery), and 4- exploration of past experiences.
Hypnotic treatments often include directing the client to close their eyes, relax, concentrate intently on the therapist's words, and engage actively in the internal process of absorbing the ideas and concepts the clinician suggests resulting in a meaningful approach to changing behaviors or resolving the specific problems or symptoms being addressed.
For instance, a therapist might suggest during hypnosis the idea that the client be more intentional in gathering objective information (also: reality testing) before jumping to self-damaging conclusions or half-truths –a sad but common mental pattern often associated with depression.
Effectiveness of Hypnotherapy
Hypnotherapy's impact and effectiveness vary depending on the individual and how it is administered. For certain purposes, hypnotherapy has been found to be effective, especially in:
Control and reduction of pain during childbirth and dental procedures
Lowering the severity of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms
Reduction of vomiting and nausea in those undergoing treatment for cancer with chemotherapy
While it may aid in coping with stress and anxiety-related issues, it works best in conjunction with medications and first-line therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
According to research results presented in the Journal of Affective Disorders' May 2021 issue, hypnotherapy is just as effective as CBT at treating mild to moderate depression. According to the findings, hypnotherapy reduced symptom severity by 44.6% while CBT resulted in 38.5% reduction.
Read also: The Power of Hypnosis
Read related: What Does Hypnosis or Hypnotherapy Feel Like?
Benefits of Hypnotherapy
Hypnotherapy can have a dramatic impact on certain people. In other cases, individuals may just feel extremely relaxed. Some widely known advantages of hypnotherapy include:
Focus: We are easily distracted by our surroundings. It can be challenging to completely focus on yourself when the TV is on, your kids are demanding attention, or your partner wants to talk. Our minds are also quite cluttered. You can be concerned about tonight's dinner, a bill that needs to be paid, or a project that's coming up. These everyday worries are meant to be left behind during the treatment session so that you can give your whole attention to the problem at hand.
Awareness: Some are completely conscious throughout the entire experience. They can have a conversation while hypnotized and can remember everything that happens. But some may go into deep states of relaxation where they even feel detached to what's going on.
Relaxation: You are deeply relaxed when under hypnosis. Your conscious mind is calm, enabling you to have amplified focus on your issue. You are more composed and more receptive to facing your fears, or whatever problems you have.
To ensure their clients that when under hypnosis they can objectively address their issues without experiencing a panicked reaction, most hypnotherapists use a sequence of comforting phrases like "you are safe" and "no one can hurt you."
Hypnotherapy may gain wider acceptance in the treatment of a variety of health conditions as researchers continue to examine its potential applications. Meanwhile, JarvisHypnotherapy is just the place for you if you seek to have positive change in life.
Read related material by JarvisHypnotherapy: Mindfulness and our Health
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