Hypnotherapy uses the effect of hypnosis on the subconscious for therapeutic purposes. In hypnotic trance, the phenomena of trance can be used to give unconsciously effective suggestions aimed at physical and mental healing.

What is hypnosis?

In short, hypnosis is an umbrella term for a variety of techniques that have something in common: They appeal to our subconscious mind. When this is intense enough, people enter a state of hypnotic trance.

The hypnotic state is a state of consciousness that is somewhere between awake and asleep and is known by many names, such as daydreaming, half-sleep, flow state or simply as focused relaxation.

This hypnotic trance occurs naturally in everyday life and has a very important characteristic for therapy: the unconscious becomes more active.

Advantages of hypnosis in therapy

Through the increased activation of the subconscious mind, hypnosis enables access to resources that are not accessible to the conscious mind. The properties of hypnotic trance are used to bring about changes in unconscious processes.

During hypnotherapy, we communicate directly with the subconscious in order to stimulate the desired changes. The use of unconscious resources can bring about great improvements in the field of medical or psychotherapeutic treatment.

Hypnosis techniques can also be used to address unconscious blockages and beliefs that can have a negative impact on physical and mental health. In this way, the body's own self-healing powers can be activated and supported.

This use of expanded states of consciousness is also not new. Using hypnosis for therapy is probably as old as man himself. Even a healer who recites healing spells is doing hypnotherapy in the broadest sense.

Aim of therapy with hypnosis

Why hypnotherapy works so well for various issues is very easy to explain: The natural state of a living being is to grow and therefore to heal. So if not all of the body's own resources are being used for this, it means that something is standing in the way.

We therefore know that the goal of hypnotherapy is ultimately to return to the naturally balanced state of original nature. This leads to old connections in the brain being naturally replaced by new ones that are beneficial and healthy.

What do you do during hypnotherapy?

Unfortunately, many people still believe that hypnotherapy is similar to taking a car in for a service: Snap, gone, problem solved. However, this could not be further from the truth. In hypnotherapy, we do the same as in psychotherapy, but with a focus on unconscious processes.

Various aspects of thinking, feeling and acting are examined, which could be essential in maintaining the problem. Unlike many talk therapies, the aim is not only to make the unconscious conscious, but also to work around it. More precisely, this means that we not only want to consciously recognize the unconscious processes, but can and want to influence them directly. To do this, logical solutions must be made comprehensible to the unconscious. This is also called "hypnotic".

Neurologists have discovered that this state brings regions of the brain into contact that otherwise function independently. In short, hypnosis brings the conscious mind and the unconscious closer together. In addition, the trance reduces the influence of the conscious mind and thus reduces the blocking effect of the ego. In a state of trance, we can therefore look at ourselves in a more non-judgmental way and thus develop other solutions.

Elements of hypnotherapy

A problem can be perpetuated by many things. This does not always have to involve dealing with childhood, although this often needs to be addressed.

Traumas, beliefs or ideologies can also contribute to maintaining the problem. The basic steps are therefore to recognize the causes, find alternatives and unconsciously practice the new ways of thinking and behaving.

It is not necessarily important to find out what caused the problem, but rather why the unconscious still considers it necessary.

Procedure of a hypnotherapy session

There are different approaches, but for me there are basically 3 parts:

1. The preliminary talk: This is where the problem and state of mind are discussed, as well as the progress that has already been made
2. Induction: During the transition, the patient is transferred into a hypnotic trance. He or she does not lose consciousness, but usually enters a kind of daydream
3. The trance: Once the client has entered the trance, the hypnotherapist packages the findings of the preliminary discussion into appropriate suggestions. These can take various forms. From stories with a hidden message to direct commands. Trance phenomena are also used. The best known are amnesia, hallucination or ideomotoric. In other words, forgetting, imagination and unconscious twitching, which most people are familiar with in a strong form before falling asleep.
4. The transfer to everyday life: Here, during and after coming back from the trance, the transfer to everyday life is encouraged and discussed. In this way, the session can continue to have an effect afterwards

Duration of a hypnosis treatment

The duration of hypnosis treatments varies greatly. From about one to five hours. Personally, I have opted for just one hour, because the longer the sessions, the less receptive you are. Longer sessions are therefore usually no more effective than shorter ones.

How many sessions does hypnotherapy take?

It is generally known that hypnotherapy often works faster than conventional talking therapies in the field of psychology and psychotherapy. However, hypnotherapy also takes a certain amount of time.

The desired treatment goal and the severity of the problem also have an influence on the duration of hypnotherapy.

It is also important how much preparatory work has been done. If someone has undergone years of psychotherapy and practiced meditation, then we will almost certainly make faster progress with hypnosis than if the answer to every question is "I've never thought about that before". Hypnosis also works at different speeds, depending on how trained we are in the area of trance. This doesn't have to be formally hypnotic, it can also come from intense walking, cycling etc. The most important thing is a certain amount of practice in allowing trance to happen.

So in the end, because of these many personal differences, we can mainly rely on experience. My experience tells me that most of my clients come to me between 2-5 sessions for the desired change. However, this also includes clients who have not yet achieved the goal but realize that they can do it themselves. And that's the way it should be in the end.

What can be treated with hypnosis?

When asked what hypnosis can help with, I give three overlapping answers: what is scientifically proven, what I have experience with and what is logically possible.

The scientific answer

Hypnotherapy has long been scientifically recognized and its effects have been proven thousands of times over. If you search the Internet or look at my Hypnosis in Science page, you can find some applications that have been proven to be effective.

It is very important to remember that only what has been tested can be proven. Many researchers have not shown great courage here. However, the field of scientifically proven applications of modern hypnotherapy is constantly expanding, both in the treatment of mental and physical illnesses and complaints.

It is also important to remember that hypnosis has many names: Meditation, mindfulness etc. also involve the unconscious and so should also be included.

The answer from experience

I can tell you from experience what I have already successfully treated with hypnosis. I write this regularly on my website and have compiled the following list:

• Psychotherapy
• Stress management
• Anxiety relief
• Pain management
• Weight loss
• Smoking cessation
• Phobias
• Sleep disorders
• Depression
• Trauma recovery
• Habit change
• Self-esteem
• Confidence building
• Peak performance

This is not 100% exhaustive, but it gives a very good overview. However, it is also important to remember that with hypnosis we can not only solve problems, but also improve things (which is sometimes necessary for the solution).

The logical answer

If we now know that hypnosis works on our subconscious and can influence it with suggestions, then we can conclude the following: Hypnotherapy can be used to treat everything that is unconsciously controlled. This would then include virtually everything.

However, it is also important to understand that hypnosis can influence. This is different from "control". We cannot simply switch physical functions on and off with hypnosis. But we can steer the whole organism in a positive direction. And so, with the use of hypnosis, we can now help almost anyone with almost anything.

Who is hypnotherapy not suitable for?

Of course, we could also ask this question the other way round, as "Who should do hypnosis?" but I prefer to answer it exclusively, as this is easier.

Hypnotherapy is not suitable for people who think it is like "taking the car to the garage". There are often big disappointments when you find out that you have to do something yourself. For it to be a truly effective treatment method, the participation of the client is necessary. This may include self-hypnosis or the use of certain hypnotic techniques.

It is also often discouraged to use hypnosis on people with schizophrenia. I don't entirely agree with this, but the important thing is that the hypnotherapist is well trained and that these issues have been clearly discussed in advance. Ultimately, this is more about bringing someone out of trance rather than doing hypnosis inductions.

Conclusion on hypnotherapy

Hypnotherapy offers powerful access to the subconscious mind to bring about positive changes on a mental and physical level. By using trance, blockages can be released and resources activated that lead to healing and growth. Get in touch today and discover the potential of hypnotherapy for your personal development and well-being!

Frequently asked questions