Hypnotherapy - A Guide to its Method and Practise

Hypnotherapy is one of a wide variety of techniques that come under the title of complementary medicine. Hypnotherapy is a healing philosophy that acknowledges the connection between the mind and body. During hypnotherapy a hypnotic state is induced that allows you to readily accept powerful suggestions while remaining conscious and in control. Hypnosis has been used since the time of the ancient Egyptians. However, Franz Anton Mesmer, a physician from Vienna, is generally regarded as being the creator of hypnotherapy as we understand it today. It is reported that he successfully treated large numbers of people in the late eighteenth century by inducing deep trances. In the late nineteenth century, James Braid, a Scottish surgeon helped popularise hypnotism in the UK and it was he who first used the term hypnotism (from the Greek word Hypnos, meaning 'sleep'). However, hypnotherapy was not acceptable as a conventional medical practice until the middle of the twentieth century.

How does hypnotherapy work?

The process of hypnotherapy is still not fully understood but one theory is that the left, analytical, side of the brain switches off during a hypnotic state, giving the right, creative, side control. The hypnotic state is not yet fully understood. It may be a state of profound relaxation or it may represent an altered state of awareness. It is also not fully understood how hypnotic suggestions can allow people to intentionally control involuntary biological functions such as heart rate and skin temperature.

The purpose of hypnotherapy is to allow you to achieve self control over your behaviour, feelings or biological processes. To accomplish this the hypnotherapist will induce a hypnotic state. Hypnotherapy is not an end in itself but enables you to accept and react to suggestions from the therapist more willingly. For example, in a treatment to stop smoking the hypnotherapist may propose that you will no longer enjoy smoking or find it necessary. Once you are hypnotised, you will become absorbed in the message the hypnotherapist is giving but you will remain in control at all times and cannot be made to do things you would not normally agree to. Not everyone can be hypnotised but it is said that approximately 90 per cent of the population can be hypnotised to some degree and that 10 per cent can be placed into a hypnotic state so deep that they can tolerate minor operations without anaesthesia.

Who uses hypnotherapy?

Hypnotherapy is used in both conventional medicine and complementary therapies to treat a wide range of physical and mental conditions. Psychotherapists who use hypnotherapy are known as hypno-psychotherapists and deal with problems of mood, behaviour, thought or feeling. Some doctors, dentists and clinical psychologists that have trained in hypnotherapy may offer it as a treatment option to patients. Hypnosis is also used in partnership with cognitive behavioural therapy programmes in pain clinics or with occupational therapy in psychiatric units.
Hypnotherapy is most often used to treat pain, addictions, weight problems, phobias, fears, anxiety, depression, insomnia, medically unexplained symptoms, asthma, eczema, allergies and irritable bowel syndrome.

Is it effective?

More scientific research has been done on hypnotherapy than any other complementary therapy. Research into hypnosis can be divided into two types; basic research, which is focused on how hypnosis works, and clinical research, which is aimed at determining the effectiveness of hypnotherapy. A large number of clinical trials and reviews have been published in the USA and the UK. Some of the research has been of a good standard but many trials have produced questionable results because they were too small, were not randomised or used insufficient control treatments.
A review of clinical trials of hypnotherapy for a wide range of problems found that it is useful for the treatment of asthma, skin conditions and irritable bowel syndrome. In randomised controlled trials hypnotherapy has been shown to improve relaxation in various medical conditions and prepare people for surgery. It has also been used effectively to control pain in adults and children. Controlled trials suggest that hypnotherapy can improve the effects of cognitive behavioural psychotherapy for a number of conditions including anxiety, insomnia, pain and high blood pressure. Other studies suggest that hypnotherapy might help obese people to lose weight, combat chronic fatigue syndrome, improve conception in women and speed the healing process after injury.

A typical hypnotherapy treatment

A typically hypnotherapy session is normally 30 to 90 minutes long. In the initial session you will be asked about your medical and family history and may be tested for hypnotic suggestibility. You may not be hypnotised in the first session. The therapist will then induce hypnosis using a variety of methods. This could include speaking to you slowly and soothingly to help you relax, or asking you to look at lights or at a pencil held at the edge of your vision. The therapist will then ask you questions under hypnosis to find out the underlying causes of your condition and take you through procedures and suggestions to alleviate it. You may be given direct hypnotic suggestion. For example, if you are scared of dental treatment you will be hypnotised and given the suggestion that you are relaxed and calm when you visit the dentist. Most commonly suggestions are made to a person in a hypnotic state that are aimed at changing their behaviour or perception after the hypnosis has finished. For example, if you crave cigarettes you might be told that you will no longer get cravings. Your hypnotherapist might also help you to develop your capacity to relax, to allow you to go into a deeply hypnotic state. You may also be trained in techniques of self-hypnosis to manage your condition in your daily life. Some hypnotherapists perform group hypnosis. For example, this might be to teach self-hypnosis to a group of pregnant women to prepare them for child birth. The typical number of sessions required to produce an effect varies but is usually between six and twelve, once a week. However, it is possible that one may be sufficient. Each session may cost between £40 and £75 an hour.

How safe is it?

It is important to find a well-trained, experienced and regulated hypnotherapist to ensure that the process of hypnosis is carried out correctly and safely. There is some concern that hypnosis might trigger underlying psychosis, epileptic attacks or posttraumatic stress disorder and caution needs to be exercised when using hypnosis in people with any of these conditions. There have been reports of false memories being given to people during hypnosis which can lead to distress, cases of indecent assaults on people in a hypnotic state and reports of people not being returned fully to their pre-hypnotic state. However, no official studies have been carried out that measure these risks.

Finding a hypnotherapist

There are thousands of therapists practising hypnosis worldwide and anyone can set themselves up as a hypnotherapist. In addition, there is no single regulating body which can make it hard to choose a suitable practitioner. Hypnotherapists with a conventional healthcare background such as doctors, dentists, nurses and clinical psychologists are regulated by their conventional professional regulatory bodies. However, there are many hypnotherapists without such a background and they could be registered with one of several hypnotherapy registers. The training requirements, codes of conduct and disciplinary procedures of these different organisations vary widely. It is probably best to consult a clinically trained practitioner who only treats conditions within his or her own area of knowledge. Hypnotherapy is not always offered by conventional doctors but it might be possible to receive hypnotherapy through a conventionally trained healthcare professional who has also trained in hypnosis. For example, some dentists might offer it to people fearful of dental treatments or some pain clinics might offer it as a treatment for chronic pain.