By Elinor Nygren Szapiro, MA, LPC

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

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?

A hypnotic trance does not take you to some ‘out there’ place that you’ve never been to before. The trance state itself is a state we’ve all experienced in our day to day lives – in a variety of different forms, both positive and negative. You can be in a trance be while listening to a soothing piece of music and drifting off; basking in the sun; or even when walking down the street so preoccupied with our thoughts that you don’t notice you’re about to bump into something.

The main difference between a therapeutic trance and the kind of trance we happen to find ourselves in when we’re “zoning out”, is that in therapy, a client is intentionally guided into a trance state, and it is used for a very specific, healing purpose. In a therapeutic trance a client is guided into a deeply relaxed state by the therapist’s tone and pace of voice and soothing words. In this relaxed space, the client feels a sense of inner warmth; comfort; security and refreshment. When in this transformative state, you tend to let go of your busy day- to- day barrage of thoughts. Your mind becomes clearer and calmer, making it possible for you to get in touch with your intuition, feelings and inner guidance. You are in complete control, just as you would be when relaxing in an easy chair at home. Your eyes can remain open or closed and you can speak freely and normally.

The beauty of this process is that a person’s quiet inner space, or unconscious, is a vast reservoir of ‘knowing’ and creativity, which when tapped into, can help you to gain the insight you need, or make whatever changes you want to in your life. In this state, your therapist can also help you to get in touch with your abilities, talents and confidence, and to apply these strengths in your daily life. In this nourishing state you will also find that you’re much more receptive to supportive, positive, suggestions and solutions

There are various hypnotic techniques that can be used to call upon your unconscious to facilitate healing in the manner that is of most benefit for you. Hypnotherapy addresses a wide variety of issues and can be especially helpful when someone is feeling ‘stuck’ in dealing with a particular problem. It is often used to shift habitual mental or behavioral patterns, such as self-criticism, depression or overeating. It’s extremely helpful in building self-confidence and in changing behaviors, such as following through with a plan to exercise or diet. It’s also very effective in healing issues that stem from childhood difficulties.

For example, someone may come into therapy saying that they’ve been feeling depressed or anxious for a long time. Its possible that these feelings are not just coming from their present situation but something ‘deeper or older’ Hypnotherapy can be used to help the person get in touch with and heal the source of these difficulties – whether they be events from their past, childhood issues, abuse, etc. Once the source of these issues is resolved through hypnotherapy, the client will feel their current depression or anxiety lifting.

©Copyright 2009 by Elinor Nygren Szapiro, MA, LPC. All Rights Reserved. Permission to publish granted to GoodTherapy.org. The following article was solely written and edited by the author named above. The views and opinions expressed are not necessarily shared by GoodTherapy.org. Questions or concerns about the following article can be directed to the author or posted as a comment to this blog entry. Click here to contact Elinor and/or see her GoodTherapy.org Profile