Clinical Hypnotherapy

23 de mayo de 2021

3 min de lectura

Clinical hypnotherapy is a branch of psychotherapy that uses hypnosis to diagnose and treat certain conditions. Healthcare professionals use clinical hypnotherapy to create beneficial changes in the patient by introducing new thoughts, behaviors, and attitudes into the subconscious mind. Clinical hypnotherapy allows the patient to achieve a peaceful state of mind, free from distractions resulting from disjointed thoughts or unhealthy emotional responses.

Hypnotherapy, also known simply as hypnosis, is procedure in which a specially trained therapist uses verbal repetition and mental images to put subjects in a trance-like state that gives the individual heightened focus and concentration. When you are under hypnosis, you will likely feel calm, relaxed, and more open to suggestions. It is important to note that, while you are more open to suggestion during hypnotherapy, you do not lose control over your behavior.

Benefits of Hypnotherapy

Hypnotherapy can help you cope with stress and anxiety. Some patients opt for hypnotherapy to help them relax before a medical procedure, such as a biopsy. Hypnotherapists use hypnosis for a variety of reasons, such as:

Pain control – hypnotherapy can help reduce pain associated with cancer, burns, childbirth, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, dental procedures, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) problems, and headaches
Hot flashes associated with menopause
Behavior change to improve insomnia, smoking, bed-wetting, and overeating
Cancer treatment side effects – hypnotherapy can help alleviate side effects from chemotherapy or radiation
Mental health conditions, such as symptoms of anxiety, phobias and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Risks of Clinical Hypnotherapy

When provided by a trained therapist or healthcare professional, clinical hypnotherapy is a safe treatment. However, this treatment may not be appropriate for those with severe mental illness. While adverse reactions to clinical hypnotherapy are rare, they may include:

Headache
Anxiety or distress
Drowsiness
Dizziness
Creation of false memories

Caution may be necessary when using clinical hypnotherapy to help process stressful events from earlier in life. The hypnotherapy experience may trigger strong emotions and can even lead to the creation of false memories.

What to Expect during a Clinical Hypnotherapy Session

The hypnotherapist begins by explaining the clinical hypnotherapy process and reviewing your treatment goals. To begin the session, the hypnotherapist will speak in a gentle, soothing tone to describe images that promote a sense of relaxation, well-being, and security. As hypnotherapy brings you to a receptive state, your hypnotherapist will suggest ways you can achieve your goals, which may include eliminating your cravings to smoke or reducing pain. The hypnotherapist may also help you visualize yourself accomplishing your goals. At the end of the session, either you will bring yourself out of the hypnotic state or your hypnotherapist will help you end the state of relaxation.

Contrary to how television or movies sometimes portray hypnosis, hypnotherapy will not cause you to lose control over your behavior while you are hypnotized. Furthermore, you will generally remain aware of what is happening during hypnosis, and remember what happened while you were hypnotized.

After undergoing a number of sessions, you may eventually be able to induce a state of self-hypnosis. This can be a helpful and beneficial skill throughout your life, as you can then hypnotize yourself before or after stressful situations. You can practice self-hypnosis to reduce side effects from a chemotherapy session, for example, or to control pain from a sports injury.

Is Clinical Hypnotherapy Right for Me?

Behavioral therapy is often the first line of treatment to help people cope with pain, anxiety and stress, but hypnotherapy can be an important part of a comprehensive program to treat these symptoms. Hypnotherapy may also be a helpful component of a program to help you lose weight or quit smoking.

Clinical hypnotherapy is not right for everyone, as some people are not able to enter a state of hypnosis fully enough to receive the full benefit of the treatment.

Información general, no consejo médico

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En esta página

Benefits of Hypnotherapy

Risks of Clinical Hypnotherapy

What to Expect during a Clinical Hypnotherapy Session

Is Clinical Hypnotherapy Right for Me?

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