People often think of hypnosis as an amusement they might find at a sideshow or something they might see a magician attempt however, hypnosis is fast becoming a pivotal part of front-line treatment for a number of issues such as; addictive behaviours, weight loss, smoking, pain management, phobias and anxiety.
So, what is hypnosis? Simply put, it is a trance-like state of focused attention coupled with reduced peripheral awareness which then enhances one’s ability to respond to suggestion.
Hypnosis is not a new phenomenon. It has been around for thousands of years. In fact, as early as the 11th century, a Persian physician by the name of Avicenna was known to document trance-like states for medical treatment. Later in the 18th century, a German physician by the name of Franz Messmer influenced modern day hypnosis in which the trance-like state came to be known as being mesmerised and aptly named after him as mesmerism, later becoming known as hypnosis.
There have been many further philosophers, surgeons and therapists who have worked with and studied hypnosis such as James Braid, Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung and Milton Erickson who was the founding president for the American Society for Clinical Hypnosis.
Analysis during 1995 (Kirsch) and again in 2021 (Ramondo et al) have shown that hypnosis can be a powerful ally to more conventional counselling therapies, particularly cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). Results have shown that CBT when combined with hypnosis as improved outcomes by more than 70%. In another study in1996 (Kirsch et al) it was found that hypnotherapy enhanced patient outcomes around weight loss. They were found to have lost greater amounts of weight and maintained this weight loss post treatment.
Milton Erickson specifically suggested that hypnotherapy with various forms of cognitive behavioural therapy showed overlap and influenced each other to have significant effect.
Essentially, it seems that hypnosis does have the potential to positively influence counselling practice and more traditional counselling therapies.
It is important to remember that hypnotherapy can work beyond the hypnotic state as hypnotic suggestion can stay with the person and influence outcomes and/or behaviours. Hypnosis is a process that can move you from one state to another – from a negative state to a positive state.
“Hypnosis is a way of accessing the power of the subconscious mind and unlocking our potential for change.” – Dr. Michael Yapko, Clinical Psychologist and Author.