Clinical Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy

Hypnosis and hypnotherapy are the intentional use of trance 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? 

The human brain goes in and out of trance all day long.  In hypnosis and hypnotherapy we intentionally use trance to incorporate your 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.  Hypnotic trance lets us access your subconscious by bypassing the critical, logical, vigilant “gatekeeper” of your mind.  No pendulum, swinging clock or ‘zombie’ state required.

In trance, you are always in control of yourself and your intentions.  Hypnotherapy is simply using trance to further your chosen therapy and counseling goals.  Your agenda is the only agenda during hypnotherapy.  Finally, if a suggestion does not resonate with you deeply it will have no impact on your subconscious.

Using Hypnosis with Other Therapy Methods 

Trance states are a naturally occurring part of the therapy and counseling process, whether created intentionally or not.  I do not use hypnosis as a stand-alone approach or as my primary therapy approach.  Instead, at your request, I can integrate hypnosis into the various other ways we might work together.  However, if you are seeking hypnosis or hypnotherapy as a primary approach, I am happy to refer you to some excellent therapists 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.