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Knowing how to hypnotise is just the first step. It’s how we use hypnosis in therapy which makes the difference to the client. That’s why the better hypnotherapy training courses I’ve attended include a lot of background knowledge on the workings of the mind. In fact my original training with the National College of Hypnosis and Psychotherapy is a full hypno-psychotherapist training which is way above a basic hypnotherapy diploma.
Hypnosis is a tool, so to use it wisely and effectively requires a good understanding of how the mind works. We need to know how it creates habits and reactions and beliefs. Hypnosis makes therapy more powerful in various ways.
Using your imagination
Hypnosis helps firstly by empowering the imagination. In hypnotic trance the client can vividly imagine herself doing something that she previously found impossible. They then store this imaginary experience in the brain like a real memory. This makes it easier to do that thing in real life. It’s the same whether we are actually doing something in the present, imagining doing it in future, or remembering doing it in the past. What’s different is the sense of reality or unreality, and that’s where hypnosis helps, by adjusting this sense of reality.
Dealing with Bad Memories
Many of my clients suffer from anxiety, phobia and panic due to traumatic memories. These always feel more real than ordinary memories, or even than present day experience. Anything that reminds us of the bad memory can pull us into it. It’s like being sucked into a whirlpool where we feel as helpless as a child again. This is such a horrible experience that people start avoiding anything that reminds them of that memory. But this severely limits their life. In some cases they’re afraid to sleep in case they dream about it!
Using special therapy techniques a client can remember a bad memory from childhood, but from an adult point of view. So he knows he’s now survived that event. I do this very carefully, especially with clients who have experienced long-term abuse. Often we would deal with one piece of the memory at a time. I would make sure the client feels fully in control at all times.
I also sometimes use Eye Movement therapies to help clients overcome past trauma. These therapies do not require the client to go into trance. Some clients feel more comfortable with these therapies.
Understanding the different parts of your personality
I can also use hypnosis in “Parts Therapy” to identify different “parts” of the personality that are in conflict with each other. We need to get them all on the same side. We’ve all experienced this, when we say things like “I want to do such-and-such but my brain won’t let me!”. In saying this we’re saying that our mind has two parts, with different goals and priorities.
Generally, even a very troublesome part of us is trying to help or protect us. They’re just doing it in a way that’s no longer appropriate. To overcome unhelpful thinking and behaviour we would need to identify what that behaviour does for you. We can then find a better way to achieve that goal. For instance some women become very overweight in order to ward off unwanted attention from men. If they can learn to confidently set limits on how men treat them, they will no longer need the protection of the excess weight.
