Clinical Hypnosis & Hypnotherapy

Hypnosis and hypnotherapy is the use of trance to help you achieve your goals.  And they can be used to eliminate unwanted behaviors, i.e. cravings, addictions, habits or increase more desired traits and behaviors, i.e. self-esteem, physical movement and more. 

What is Trance?

In fact, our human brain goes in and out of trance all day long.  The APA defines hypnosis as “A state of [awareness] involving focused attention and reduced [distraction] characterized by [greater suggestibility].  Essentially, hypnosis and hypnotherapy reduces unwanted distraction, allowing you to be more open to your own desired outcomes.

However, unlike in the movies, hypnosis and hypnotherapy do do not require a flair for the dramatic (pendulum, swinging pocket watch, clucking like a chicken).  Therefore, my approach to incorporating trance into our work is organic, subtle and deeply relaxing.1  In truth, hypnotic trance simply accesses your subconscious by helping you bypass the critical, vigilant “gatekeeper” of your mind. 

Furthermore, during hypnosis and hypnotherapy, you are always in control of yourself and your intentions.  In other words, ‘all hypnosis is self-hypnosis.’  And hypnosis and hypnotherapy are simply the use of trance to further your chosen goals.  Above all, as with any good therapy and any good therapist, your agenda is the only agenda.  So, if a suggestion does not resonate with you deeply, it will have no impact on you at all.

Hypnosis During Therapy

In fact, trance often becomes a natural part of the therapy process, whether created intentionally or not.  For example, when clients and therapists are connected to each other during the intimate work of therapy, it can feel as though everything else falls away.  And this is not unlike a trance state.  I am happy to incorporate hypnosis and hypnotherapy into our work together.  However, I do not use hypnosis as a stand-alone approach in my practice.  If you are seeking hypnosis as a primary approach, I am happy to refer you to practitioners who use hypnosis and hypnotherapy as their primary method.

Finally, I encourage you to read the current research on hypnosis, by visiting The American Society for Clinical Hypnosis.