How hypnotherapy works

James Faulkner, DHP, A.M.I.H. UKHR, MHA, MHF.

Before treatment a case history would be taken, this would help the therapist to have an understanding of the patient's problem. The full hypnotherapy process would also be discussed.

Hypnotherapy is basically a state of relaxation the therapist will lead the patient into relaxation; using the technique that is known as progressive relaxation may do this. Or utilizing different breathing techniques to achieve this relaxed state.  Once this relaxed state is achieved the therapist will use a deepening technique, such as walking down a staircase or going down on an elevator.

This will lead into an imaginary journey, such as walking along a beach or perhaps a walk into the countryside.  The sort of imaginary journey is something that therapist and patient discuss beforehand.

For simple problems such as giving up smoking or stopping biting nails or confidence building, suggestion therapy is used. For deep-rooted problems analysis therapy is used.

The Patient is then brought out of hypnosis.

Suggestion Therapy 

Suggestion Therapy is used for simpler problems, such as smoking, nail biting, pre test nerves, slimming, relaxation, confidence boosting etc., it requires one or two sessions, with perhaps a booster session, several months on.  Usually the clients receives one or two sessions of therapy and prior to being awoken are given the major post hypnotic suggestion, that helps them to see them selves in a new way, i.e. as a non smoker or a confident person.  Sometimes this is backed up with a tape or CD made during the session which when they listened to will strengthen the suggestion in their mind for the type of therapy of habit cessation they've had.

Analytical Therapy

This is used to discover causes of psychological problems Hypno analysis can be summarized briefly as the doctrine of "cause and effect".  Every effect (the symptom) must have a cause.  Hypno analysis reveals and thus removes the cause and consequently relieves the symptoms, just like Freudian analysis therapy but 1,000 hours of standard therapy can be covered by 12 hours of hypno-analysis.  While working with patients the combination of suggestion and analytical therapy can be used together and quite often is.