Clinical Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy

Hypnotherapy is the intentional use of trance in order to help you achieve your goals. It is frequently used to:

• Strengthen self-esteem
• Resolve addictions and cravings
• Reduce binge eating behaviors
• Improve depression
• Decrease anxiety
• Minimize or eliminate unwanted behaviors
• Support the development of desired behaviors
• and more

What is Trance & What is Hypnotherapy?

While trance is a state the human brain goes in and out of naturally all day long, hypnotherapy is the intentional use of trance that allows us to make desired suggestions to the subconscious.

There is no right way or wrong way for you to experience trance. And trance can be intentionally induced in many ways. My approach to inducing trance is gentle, slow and deeply relaxing.¹ You can sit or lie down. You can keep your eyes open or closed. Once achieved, hypnotic trance allows us to access your subconscious by bypassing the critical, logical, vigilant “gatekeeper” of your mind.

It’s important to know that you are always in control of yourself and your intentions during and after hypnotherapy.  Hypnotherapy is simply using trance to further your chosen therapeutic goals.  When used properly and ethically, there is no agenda other than your own during hypnosis.

Using Hypnosis with Other Therapy Methods

Trance states are often a naturally occurring part of the therapy process, whether they are induced intentionally or not.  While I do not use hypnosis as a stand-alone approach or as my primary therapy approach, it is an organic tool that often naturally aids us in our work together – no couch or clock or pendulum required. I do often weave hypnosis into the various ways we might work together. However, if you are seeking hypnosis as a primary approach for your work, I am happy to refer you to some excellent hypnosis practitioners in the Metro Atlanta area.

To read the current research on hypnosis, please visit The American Society for Clinical Hypnosis.

¹ While trance often results in deep relaxation, this is not always the case.