Hypnotherapy

What Is Hypnotherapy?

Hypnotherapy is a special kind of therapy that taps into the hidden powers of the subconscious mind to help you heal and make positive changes in your life.

As you are led into a heightened state of awareness by a clinical hypnotherapist, you have an opportunity to dive into your presenting concerns in a much deeper way than you can through regular talk therapy. This allows you to uncover and work through pain that is buried deeply beneath the surface.

The History Of Hypnotherapy And Clinical Hypnosis

The roots of hypnotherapy date back to the late 18^th century with the work of Austrian physician Hans Mesmer. Originally, Mesmer began by proposing the concept of “mesmerism,” or the natural energetic transference between all animate and inanimate objects. Though that theory was later discredited, Mesmer’s experimentation nevertheless laid the groundwork for hypnotism, which was a term coined and further developed by the Scottish surgeon James Braid in the 19^th century. Through his research, Braid determined that hypnotism promoted a state of focused attention, heightened suggestibility, and vivid fantasy.

Since then, several clinical studies have provided support for the efficacy of hypnotherapy. In fact, according to The American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, hypnotherapy is an effective treatment for:

Trauma and PTSD
Depression
Anxiety
Grief and loss
Addiction
Pain management
Phobias and fears

How Does Hypnotherapy Work?

Imagine the brain as a library wherein each new memory is a book being placed on the shelf. Every time that book gets taken off the shelf (i.e., when we recall that memory), basic wear and tear occurs; details get slightly altered. In other words, our memories are not set in stone. Rather, they take on new feelings and associations—a phenomenon otherwise known as memory reconsolidation. With this understanding, our memories have the potential to shift and take new shape every time they are placed back on the shelf.

Hypnotherapy gives you an opportunity to add new information to your memories and change the way you feel about them. Examples may be a sad memory for which you find a new, unexpected silver lining or a scary memory to which you can add a sense of safety. A hypnotherapist guides you in adapting these memories and making them less painful. By changing how you understand and feel about past events—or how they are placed back onto the shelf—you can heal from old wounds, break free of negative cycles, and generally feel more at peace.

The Process

In hypnotherapy, you are invited to enter into an incredibly relaxed state, almost like a deep meditation or dream. While in this state, everything inside your mind—thoughts, feelings, emotions, memories, and bodily sensations—becomes much more intense. From this state, you can access the subconscious or unconscious elements of the psyche that will aid in the healing process.

The structure of a 90-minute hypnotherapy session is as follows:

Pre-induction interview – your therapist collects information about your presenting concerns and goals.
Induction – in a relaxing environment with your eyes closed, trance-like music is played as guided imagery and relaxation techniques are used to calm the nervous system.
Deepening – techniques like progressive muscle relaxation or counting down are incorporated to help you fall deeper into the hypnotic state.
Heart opening and spiritual connection – as the therapist guides you in meditation aimed at opening your heart, you are invited to receive guidance from a spiritual connection or “Higher Self” if that speaks to you.
Working phase – the music is turned off, yet your eyes will remain closed as you and your therapist walk through the obstacles you face.
Reinforcement phase – music is turned on again, and more guided imagery is used to help cement the positive lessons and insights you develop in the session.
Wake up – counting down slowly, the therapist will turn off the music and gently bring you back into the conscious state in which you will be fully alert.

Through this process, you will experience deep relaxation and a new understanding of yourself and your challenges. Going beyond the surface to what lies beneath will allow you a chance to get to know the real you. With newfound insights and perspectives, you will be able to acquire new strategies for managing distress. Situations or memories that once threw you off balance will no longer affect you negatively. Furthermore, you are likely to see a boost in your confidence and self-esteem as you tap into your inner wisdom and recognize how capable you are of tackling life’s obstacles.

How Is Hypnotherapy Different From Other Approaches?

Traditional talk therapy primarily engages the prefrontal cortex, the “smart” brain, which is involved in executive functioning, reasoning, decision-making, understanding consequences of actions, problem solving, and moderating social behavior. During talk therapy, you’re actively using this part of the brain to consciously think through your actions, figure out patterns in your behavior, and come up with logical ways to tackle your problems. It helps you put your thoughts and feelings into words, giving you a rational perspective to your emotional experiences.

Hypnotherapy allows you to access the more primitive brain associated with emotions and long-term memories (the limbic system). Unlike the prefrontal cortex, the limbic system is not directly controlled by conscious forces, making it harder to influence with rational thinking. Because this approach dives deeper into the emotional part of the brain, it can resolve deep-seated issues that lie beneath the surface of the conscious mind.

My Experience With Hypnotherapy

Once I witnessed hypnotherapy’s profound potential to facilitate deep, lasting change in a way that traditional talk therapy approaches could not, I knew right away I wanted to be trained as a hypnotherapist.

The training I received includes a special focus on incorporating spirituality into hypnotherapy sessions. I individualize the process and verbiage to each client’s unique beliefs and comfort level. For those who adhere to specific religious beliefs, I will use language and imagery that resonate with their faith. Alternatively, for clients who do not necessarily identify as spiritual, I may use terms like “Higher Self” or “Best Self” to help them tap into their deepest spiritual potential without stepping into territory that feels uncomfortable or inauthentic.

The concept of a “Higher Self” blends nicely with Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS), which is a powerful therapeutic model that I use to help clients understand and identify the different parts of the psyche. When combined with hypnotherapy, this approach allows clients to engage their parts from a deeply relaxed state, ultimately facilitating more rapid and profound healing. (To read more about this approach, visit my IFS Therapy page.)

How Hypnotherapy Can Help You

In the short term, hypnotherapy gives you a chance to experience an immediate sense of relief and shift in perspective, reducing feelings of overwhelm and increasing feelings of control. This kind of relief demonstrates that change is possible, allowing you to feel better and better over time.

In the long term, hypnotherapy facilitates access to your inner resources, allows you to manage thoughts and emotions more effectively, and heightens your ability to respond to all of life’s challenges with resilience.

Remove The Burden Of Distress And Dysfunction From Your Life

We all carry around the baggage of difficult memories and experiences, but hypnotherapy can lighten your load and make it easier to carry. Through hypnotherapy, you can feel better about yourself, more confident, and ready to take on the world.

For more information about how hypnotherapy can help you, contact me. All sessions are available in-person to residents local to Brookhaven, GA or online to residents throughout Georgia.