By Holly Holmes-Meredith, D. Min., MFT, Board Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist, Hypnotherapy Topic Expert Contributor

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There are several styles of hypnotherapy that are commonly adopted by practitioners and not all styles work well for all clients. One way to access what style might work best for you is to respond to this question: How do you normally respond to people telling you what to do? If you are the type of person who feels secure when you have instructions and direct requests, the directive approach will most likely work for you. If you find you are rebellious when people tell you what to do, a more permissive approach will suit you better. When you interview a prospective hypnotherapist you might want to question her about her training and style to discover if you will feel comfortable and be responsive to her approach. The following is a basic overview of the different styles of hypnotherapy to help you understand your options.

Directive Approach

In the directive approach, the hypnotherapist guides the client into a state of hypnosis and the hypnotherapist gives the client suggestions. People are most familiar with this approach to hypnotherapy because it is the technique that is most similar to what we witness with stage hypnosis and see in the movies. And, clients expect that if they go for a hypnotherapy session that the hypnotherapist will give direct suggestions. Read the rest of this entry

By Elinor Nygren Szapiro, MA, LPC

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Although we no longer expect to see a hypnotist wearing a top hat and swinging a watch on a chain, hypnosis still conjures up images of mystery and loss of control. Don’t worry; you won’t be leaving your therapist’s office clucking like a chicken. However, you may be surprised to find some very pleasant changes occurring after a hypnotherapy session.

An often-asked question is: What actually happens in a hypnosis trance? How does it feel to be in one? Read the rest of this entry

By Holly Holmes-Meredith, D. Min., MFT, Board Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist, Hypnotherapy Topic Expert Contributor

Click here to contact Holly and/or see her GoodTherapy.org Profile

Hypnotherapy is effective, short term, and very result oriented. When you choose your practitioner, make sure he or she is well-trained and qualified to support you in safely and ethically getting the results you want and need. The following are guidelines for potential hypnotherapy clients to consider before getting started.

What is the difference between a hypnotist and a hypnotherapist? Hypnosis is a state of consciousness that occurs naturally, can be self-induced, or facilitated by a guide that allows the hypnotee to access an expanded state of consciousness. In the hypnotic state, there is a heightened ability to respond to suggestions, recall memories, access creativity, experience imagination, and activate mind over matter through self-healing and pain management. When therapeutic interactive processes take place in the hypnotic state, the client participates in the form of therapy called hypnotherapy. Read the rest of this entry

By Michael Etts, LMSW, NBCCH

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“Man’s task is to become conscious of the contents that press upward from the unconscious.” — Carl Gustav Jung

“If she walked into my life again” came onto the radio. He raised his hand as if in a silent request, then closed his eyes and dropped his head slightly to the right. His previously opaque face had become flush with emotion and I almost didn’t recognize him. It was clear that he had left his 82 year old body behind and was returning to a memory whose raw power was palpable. Everyone knew it was time to be quiet.

In my silence, I began to wonder about his life choices and his regrets. And more generally, what causes people to make regrettable choices and what makes good choices possible? And all I could think was how it all leads back to the unconscious. Although I feel in control when I have my hands are on the steering wheel, I believe that it is my unconscious which actually makes the turns. The task then, of a fully conscious person, is to uncover those unconscious motivations so that fully informed choices are possible. Read the rest of this entry

Written by Audrey Sussman, Ph.D., LCSW, NBCCH

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My interest in helping people with panic and phobias has led me to search for new and better ways to calm anxiety and ease stress. Realizing that people need a quick and easy way to gain immediate relief, I studied and practiced hypnosis, both Classical and Ericksonian. The results have been phenomenal!

When people first learn that hypnotic techniques are part of the system we use at the Anxiety Control Center they have a number of different reactions, ranging from excitement about trying something new, to skepticism and even fear.

Some of the fear of hypnosis comes from misconceptions from watching movies and stage hypnotists, seemingly controlling their subjects. In reality, the people who volunteer for stage shows are already the outgoing type who, by being on stage are in essence agreeing to put on a good show. In one old movie a hypnotist called Svengali was portrayed to used hypnosis to get women to do his bidding. This is not how hypnosis really works. Read the rest of this entry

Written by Marcia Singer, MSW, CHt

What do you do to relieve persistent physical discomfort, pain or illness? Do you reach for pills? Supplements? A trip to the chiropractor or massage therapist? Do a cleansing detox? Perhaps you meditate, do some yoga or take a walk? Maybe you’ve had the difficult choice of whether to undergo surgery -or even chemotherapy.

All of these kinds of methods may be a valid part of a total healing regimen at some time in a life. But if you have the inclination to look within, deep inside is a Knowingness about the “heart” of the condition. This core contains the “information” you need to help you achieve the changes that wellness requires. Tuning in is making the BodyMind connection. Read the rest of this entry

By Jack Elias, CHT

Hypnosis has been given many definitions over the years, and many authors have debated whether it even exists. These debates and definitions themselves are evidence of what I consider to be the most basic and profound form of hypnosis. My definition identifies the discursive thinking mind (what most of us identify with as our ordinary sense of self) as an ongoing hypnotic process. From this perspective, the ordinary conscious mind contains all the process elements of what traditionally have been called “trance phenomena.” And although the conscious mind approximates reality and makes its constructs seem workable, the mind itself is never accurately in touch with reality. More and more people are now beginning to subscribe to this view, as quantum physics continues to bear out scientific evidence that the nature of reality as described by spiritual masters throughout the ages is not merely metaphor, but actual truth. In fact, this approach to hypnotherapy could as appropriately be called “quantum hypnotherapy” as well as “transpersonal hypnotherapy.” Read the rest of this entry