Most Common Questions About Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy, Part 1
As a person who loves to meet new people and explore new places, I usually attend interesting events. Recently, in one of the events that I was attending, just as I was answering the inevitable question of “What do you do?”, I realized that many people don’t know about hypnosis and hypnotherapy -I could tell from the puzzled looks I got as I was answering-. I also realized that because many people don’t have enough information about hypnosis, they can’t really use this magical tool to benefit their lives. In this article, you will find the most common questions I recently got and accurate answers for them.
1# What is hypnotherapy used for?
The most common question I have been receiving recently. This question shows me that there is also a lack of understanding about hypnosis overall.
First, let me take a step back and explain what hypnosis is. Hypnosis is a very focused state of awareness where the mind and the body are very relaxed. During this process, the brain waves slow down and the subconscious mind becomes more suggestible than normal. The facilitator then can help the individuals understand and direct their thoughts according to their desires.
In other words, hypnosis helps individuals by managing their thoughts and belief systems effectively. We have belief systems about everything. Therefore, hypnotherapy can be used in a variety of areas such as insomnia, pain reduction, weight loss, fears, PTSD or even exam anxiety. It can be used to change your perspective on almost anything! Some of the psychological areas include depression, anxiety, PTSD or even self-image. For physical conditions, hypnotherapy can be used for fibromyalgia to migraines, for cancer to alopecia. Basically, any area where mind-body connection is affected.
*Please note, some conditions may require the approval of the appropriate health care professional.
#2 What is hypnotherapy?
At this point, we know what hypnosis is. But what is hypnotherapy and what is the difference between hypnosis and hypnotherapy?
Hypnosis is used to refer to the “state”. This state can be used for therapeutic results but also, it’s widely used for entertainment purposes such as in hypnosis stage shows. On the contrary, hypnotherapy is a form of subconscious therapy in which hypnosis is used to gather the therapeutic effects.
“The highest possible stage in moral culture is when we recognize that we ought to control our thoughts.”
#3 Does hypnosis have any side effects?
Hypnosis doesn’t have any side effects unless it’s used in disturbed personalities without professional support. It is a very natural state and it resembles a lot to pre-sleep or post-sleep drowsiness. Some people report feeling sleepy or drowsy after a hypnotic state which is very normal just like how we usually feel in early mornings right after we wake up. On rare occasions, some people report nausea which can be related to powerful imagination or some other medical reasons.
#4 Can I forget someone with hypnosis?
Living in big cities in the 21st century, I think almost everyone is trying to forget someone these days. But can you really suddenly forget someone with a session and put them in the unopened stories of the past?
The truth is hypnosis or hypnotherapy can’t help you to just “forget” someone but it can definitely help you deal/cope with the overwhelming emotions related to it. Usually, the reason why we can’t forget someone is because of the emotions they evoke within ourselves whether it’s love, pain or missing them. By understanding the emotions and making sense out of the old experiences with the help of hypnotherapy, we can put the person and the memories in the past. It’s necessary to process these emotions and memories effectively to be able to move forward in life.
#5 Can hypnotherapy help me in one session?
In other words, how long will it take for hypnotherapy to work?
The success with hypnotherapy really depends on these 3 factors: the person’s suggestibility, the motivation of the person and the ability of the practitioner. According to Harvard Health Research, it is found that about 20% of the population is more suggestible to hypnosis than others. The suggestibility of the person can be tested by the hypnotherapist during the session. Even if you are not one of those people in the 20% range, it’s still possible to increase your suggestibility to hypnosis. The hypnotherapist can use his/her knowledge to help you get the most out of your session by asking several simple questions before/during the session.
The other determination for success in the session is the motivation of the individual. If the person is not ready to make the change or if they are not willing to take the steps, chances are they will find hypnotherapy useless.
Moving forward…
For now, these are the most common questions I received during that event. Every day we change and our mindsets change too. If you have a question that needs to be answered by a Certified Hypnotherapist like myself, please reach out to me, I would be more than happy to answer! Click here to connect with me!