Hypnotherapy meaning can be understood by understanding what hypnosis is?

Hypnosis is a state where the mind is ready to heal itself. Hypnotherapy is a conscious process of exploring and resolving blocks in the unconscious mind that keep certain patterns repeating in life.

Will Hypnotherapy work for everyone?

1.       Everyone has a body type. Certain foods are suitable for a certain body type. Similarly, as a tool for bringing out transformation and change hypnosis may not be suitable for everyone.

2.       For hypnosis to work and bring about transformation there should be a certain amount of skill and capability to hold the still space within. Then the required transformation happens.

3.       Having said that there are many other deep healing tools and processes like NLP, Active Regression, Psychodrama, Family Constellation, etc that can bring about change.

4.       What is to be done would be decided after the initial interview and the objective of the process.

Common misconceptions about Hypnosis – Hypnotherapy

1.       ‘ I will go into to trance or unconscious state and the therapist or the hypnotist will enter my mind and make changes to cure me’ – This is not true. In any holistic process, the client is an active participant in the process of healing and transformation

2.       We are not looking at creating an unconscious state. Sleep is an unconscious state. In hypnosis – Self Hypnosis, hypnotherapy we create a still state but you will be fully deeply awake within yourself.

3.       In simple words you will be more aware of the mental – psychological-emotional changes that are happening within you. You will be helped to be there, awake. With the help of the facilitator, you will make the changes that will transform.

4.       Many have thoughts and fears that stem from the misconception that the facilitator – hypnotist will change without their own knowledge. It does not happen like that in proper hypnosis, self-hypnosis, or hypnotherapy.

5.       Some come with a need that they will be passive, and the therapist will get into their mind and heal them. Like how a surgeon does the surgery of the body when they are anesthetized. This is not true. This is conditioning or manipulating without the knowledge of the client and this is not done.

6.       Actually, as I will explain later this sort of conditioning the challenges you are facing in life is because of the fact that you have been conditioned to have a limited experience of life by the world around you since childhood – Social, family, and economic factors; influences from entertainment media, etc forcefully open up your mind and make the change without your knowledge. Yes, when you watch television or movies or series; when you are psychologically, physically, and emotionally overpowered with huge chunks of noise and volume and colors and tones the protective layer of the mind opens up. Then the change happens without your knowledge.

7.       The root cause of the troubles you face in life is this unconscious conditioning. So in a way you are already hypnotized.

Hypnotherapy – Self-hypnosis are tools that help to take charge of your life, with your active involvement. The Process is thus empowering.

For whom will Hypnotherapy be useful:

Hypnotherapy is useful for almost anybody. If anyone wants to enhance the quality of life in the following areas one can choose this.

Hypnosis for Weight Loss:

Let us take a look at weight loss for example

To be in shape, with the right health is a dream for most of us. Yet very few are able to get healthy. Many aspire to lose weight.

To understand where the roots of an obesity challenge could lie, please reflect on the following discussion.

Client:       I want to lose weight.

Question: What could be the reason for your wish to lose weight

Client:       I am heavy and out of shape. I have low self-confidence.

Question:  How are you experiencing low self-confidence?

Client:       I feel insecure and low

Question:  What do you do to avoid it.

Client:       I eat my favorite snack.

In the above case, obesity or increased body weight problem came into existence because the client originally had low esteem and low self-confidence. 

Eating was a way to suppress the feeling of insecurity and low self-esteem. Unless we understand and resolve the stickiness of the emotions related to self-confidence, any resolution to reduce weight by eating healthy food with just affirmations and positive thinking will not help.

Anxiety is a state of inner fear of the future.

I had a client whose complaint was anxiety. He was anxious about almost anything. He was afraid that he would get covid and die. He was afraid that he would lose his job. He was anxious about the exams his daughter is likely to attend. His daughter complained that he is not allowing her to study as he wants to teach that way he thinks is right. So she said that she is losing interest to study in the first place,

Question: How do you know that you are anxious?

Answer:   My stomach churns, my heart beats faster.

Question: What do you do when you are anxious?

Answer:    I keep working. 

Question: What do you do when you experience anxiety at home?

Answer:    I switch on the television and read newspapers. I teach my daughter. 

Question: How does your day end

Answer:   I feel tired and sleep like a log. 

Question: For how long have you been sleeping like this

Answer:   Since Childhood. I will be allowed to sleep only after my mom is convinced that I have studied enough.

His other complaint was snoring.

Working, helping his daughter with her studies, watching television, and reading the newspaper are his coping methods to suppress the anxiety.

Though he thinks that he is wanting his daughter to get good grades, his actions will make her score less and add more to his anxiety. He loves his work yet when work is done in a way to compensate for inner anxiety, the efficiency comes down.

Both will aggravate the fear and increase anxiety.

These work like recurring loops feeding into each other.

Unless we release the emotions associated with the experiences of studying till his mom gave him permission to sleep, it may be difficult for him to resolve his anxiety. 

Working hard, teaching his daughter, etc are socially accepted behaviors. Yet at a deeper level that is propelled by anxiety hence could be detrimental.

Hypnosis is a way to access deeper memories that still influence behavior powerfully.

Another significant benefit with hypnotherapy is when someone is experiencing intense anger, panic, loss of a loved one then for them to do yoga itself will be a challenge. Added to that are the people around who tend to treat them as diseased. In such cases tools like Hypnotherapy, Regression Therapy Group Processes like Psychodrama -  Family Constellation, NLP can give a quick relief as they can create healing states quickly. It then becomes relatively easier to do yoga later.