Hypnotherapy

Introduction

The use of hypnotherapy is now being finally recognised by more and more members of the medical profession. Research has now demonstrated that by hypnotherapy instead of normal prescribed drugs, patients are able to rid themselves of many illnesses, phobias and stress related symptoms.

However, hypnotherapy is not a cure for everything, and certain ailments will still require prescribed drugs as normal.

For instance, if a person is experiencing pain there could be an underlying problem that may require more extensive treatment. In this case, the patient should be advised to seek normal medical advice before continuing with a hypnotherapy programme.

Many illnesses however are caused because the body's natural defence system is fatigued, often to due stress. Hypnosis and hypnotherapy can be a very effective way of combating stress, thus reducing the chances of becoming ill.

Basically, hypnotherapy falls into two quite different categories:

Indirect Hypnotherapy

Indirect Hypnotherapists believe that the power to heal a patient is already within them, and that these resources (even if they are not yet fully developed) should be used to full extent. By utilising the power of suggestion, the hypnotherapist will help the patient to find the cure to the ailment or phobia from within.

Indirect Hypnotherapists will then help the patient to develop these resources and apply them as necessary.

Instead of pressurising a client to make them accept suggestions, the Indirect Hypnotherapist will create new ways of looking at a situation, perhaps from a different perspective. For more information on this subject see Reframing Techniques.

Direct Hypnotherapy

Direct Hypnotherapists are normally very authoritarian in their approach to a patient.

Similar in many ways to Stage Hypnotists, the Direct Hypnotherapist will use an authoritarian approach to tell the patient what to do. The patient merely takes the role of receiver and is expected to accept the instructions made without question.

Regretfully, many patients do not respond well to this type of approach, and in this case the therapy would be completely ineffective. With this in mind, this approach to hypnotherapy is not often used.