Many people believe myths and fallacies about hypnotherapy. For example, some think that a hypnotized person can be forced to do things against their will or embarrass themselves. These misconceptions couldn't be farther from the truth! The truth is:
Have you ever been lost in thought or caught yourself daydreaming? This is the same mechanism your mind uses in hypnotherapy. During hypnotherapy, your conscious mind and body are in a deeply relaxed state, and your subconscious mind is more accessible. The doorway between the conscious mind and the subconscious is opened. It is a natural, yet altered state of consciousness.
This altered state of consciousness can help you accelerate mental and physical healing. It is totally natural and helps you achieve a balance in your life. You participate fully during the hypnotherapy session; in fact, you become a co-therapist in your own care. The hypnotherapist's goal is to guide you towards ridding yourself of ideas that limit and restrict your potential, and to reinforce constructive ideas that lead to your overall well-being.
Hypnotherapy is now widely accepted in the medical field. You will find it being used today in many hospitals, clinics, dental offices, and mental health practices. In recent medical studies, researchers have found measurably calmer Alpha, Beta, and Theta brain waves during hypnosis. Also, these studies show that hypnotherapy decreases pain, decreases blood loss, and speeds up healing time.
One study for breast cancer patients published in the National Cancer Institute indicated the following results: "Hypnosis was superior to attention control regarding propofol and lidocaine use; pain, nausea, fatigue, discomfort, and emotional upset at discharge; and institutional cost."1 An article in Forbes magazine from October 19th, 2005 noted that hypnotherapy "can also be applied in improving study habits, stress reduction and raising self-esteem. To those in search of better physical or mental health it's equally important that hypnotism is becoming increasingly accepted by the medical establishment and is certified by the American Psychiatric Association."
A survey of psychotherapy literature by Alfred A. Barrios, Ph.D2 revealed the following recovery rates:
There are dozens of other medical studies performed in recent years that support the use of hypnotherapy for various applications such as back pain, childbirth, anxiety, surgery, depression, hypertension, headaches, intestinal conditions, weight loss, smoking, and much more. You can find an annotated list of a few of these studies below.
Try hypnotherapy today. You can visit the Our Services page to find out more information about Puget Sound Hypnotherapy and the treatment options we provide.
1Montgomery GH, Bovbjerg DH, Schnur JB, et. al. (2007) "A randomized clinical trial of a brief hypnosis intervention to control side effects in breast surgery patients." Department of Oncological Sciences, Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Published by Oxford University Press. http://jnci.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/99/17/1304, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17728216
2Barrios, A.A. (1970). "Hypnotherapy: A Reappraisal." Theory, Research and Practice, Spring 1970.
3Alladin, A. (1988). "Hypnosis in the Treatment of Severe Chronic Migraine. In M. Heap (ed.), Hypnosis: Current clinical, Experimental and Forensic Practices. London: Croom Helm. pp. 159-166.
4Schlutter, L.C., Golden, C.J. & Blume, H.G. (1980). "A Comparison of Treatments for Prefrontal Muscle Contraction Headache." British Journal of Medical Psychology, 53, 47-52.
5Harvey RF; Hinton RA; Gunary RM; Barry RE. (1989) "Individual and group hypnotherapy in treatment of refractory irritable bowel syndrome." Lancet, Feb, 1:8635, 424-5.