what is hypnotherapy explained. A picture of a tree to represent the subconscious mind

What is hypnotherapy? When choosing a hypnotherapist as your chosen therapy specialist it is likely you have many questions about what to expect and have some apprehension At Seek a Therapy we want to help answer your questions and concerns surrounding hypnotherapy in order to help you select the right hypnotherapist for you. On this page, we have included some of the most common questions a person may have before seeking hypnotherapy.


What is Hypnotherapy?

 

Many people believe that hypnosis is a state of deep sleep. It is not so simple. It does involve the induction of a trance-like state but when in it the patient is actually in an enhanced state of awareness. During this heightened state, you are in complete control and entirely focused on the hypnotist’s voice.

When you are hypnotized the subconscious mind is more active and the conscious awake mind suppressed. You could say it is almost like having a dream whilst awake.

Whilst hypnotized, the therapist is able to help suggest new ideas & recall old memories. These memories link to when you felt a certain emotion or trauma. A little bit like accessing computers hard drive and opening any data they see as corrupting the system. When the client opens these ‘files’ they are able to choose to edit how they think about the memory with guidance.

Remember, you are always in complete control.

Some suggest that hypnotherapy is a kind of psychotherapy. With hypnotherapy, its aim is to re-program patterns of learned behavior within the mind. It is this reason why so many people who are addicted to smoking seek therapy via this method. The same strategies have been known to be employed for depression, anxieties, phobias, negative thoughts, and suppressed emotions and all with success!

 


What to Expect From Hypnotherapy

The good news about hypnotherapy is that it is starting to gain ground as a viable treatment for depression and anxiety. Hypnoanalysis, psychotherapy using hypnosis, looks to try and uncover the root cause of a client’s problems. Any ailment connected to a negative feeling, emotion. This can also include potentially reprogramming memory. Gaining better insight and understanding into why you have certain beliefs and unwanted feelings. It has also known to help remove the symptoms of depression and anxiety entirely.

Hypnotherapy for depression

As previously mentioned, hypnotherapy is often used to target the ROOT CAUSE of the issue. The idea is to then develop better-coping behaviors in the conscious world.

It is often the case many people suppress the cause of their depression, usually unintentionally. They never truly know why they became depressed or how.

Forgetting difficult events on a conscious level to protect themselves. By using hypnotherapy they can access everything they have ever experienced in life is stored on a subconscious level.


Am I in Control During My Hypnosis?

You are always in full control under hypnosis. Nothing that is suggested to you do you have to do. If you really want, you can take yourself out of the hypnotic state at any time and open your eyes. Also, keep in mind that if you are apprehensive about hypnosis and feel you don’t know if you want to be hypnotized it is likely to not work as easily. The client has to be open to it.

 

 


How Can Hypnotherapy Help Ease My Depression?

1. helps you enter the subconscious:

First, we drop down from the conscious mind, which is only 10% of the mind into the subconscious mind. Now we are addressing the whole person, 100% of the mind rather than just treating the symptoms.

2. It helps you identify the “unfinished business”.

People often have what Dr. Fritz Perls called “unfinished business” with whatever has been lost. Be it a loved one, a job, or a home. These unresolved feelings, such as resentments, regrets, blame, anger, guilt, jealousy, and fear are stored in the body and must be released as soon after the triggering event as possible. Otherwise, they become deeply buried beneath the numbness created by the anti-depressant drugs, the addictive behavior, and the concurrent repression that occurs when trauma and grief go untreated. Clinical hypnotherapy works for depression because it removes the underlying basis of depression and completes the unfinished business that otherwise continues to recycle as self-sabotaging thoughts and behaviors.

3. It helps you “finish” the “unfinished business” and release the stored emotions/experiences.

With hypnotherapy, we can go down to the deepest level of these traumatic experiences, memories and stored emotions to release them from the mind and body. When this hypnotherapy process is completed, the client reports that their depression has lifted, that they have stopped the compulsive thoughts or behavior, and that they are ready to resume living their lives again.

4. It helps you replace the trauma with positivity.

With each healing session of clinical hypnotherapy, we can replace the fearful repetitive thoughts that often haunt people following a traumatic experience. Positive affirmations now work because the underlying emotional release has been accomplished.

5. It helps you use the power of hypnotic suggestion to create long-term improvement.

Hypnotherapy provides an effective way to access the individual’s ability to affect the physical body. Once self-sabotaging thoughts and behaviors have been resolved, the individual can begin to use hypnotic suggestibility to improve the body’s functioning. Hypnotherapy can be very helpful in correcting patterns of restless sleep, low energy or libido, headaches or chronic pain. And one can use hypnotherapy to increase motivation to exercise and eat properly.

 


How Much Does A Typical Hypnotherapy Session Cost?

If you are based in the UK you usually can’t ask your GP for help from a hypnotherapist on the NHS but it is often an effective treatment.

If you are interested in hypnotherapy then you can go through private treatment ( and we have several registered hypnotherapists in our directory in the UK, USA, Europe, and Asia) where costs range from £70/$50 per session and sometimes can go up to £150/$200 and occasionally more, depending upon the therapists’ experience, specialty, and location.


 


How Long Does It Take To Heal Depression With Hypnotherapy?

You will meet your therapist initially to first see if you can be hypnotized and identify issues you want to tackle. You will likely have several sessions to try and get to the root causes of your illness, usually taking around 5 hypnotherapy sessions but may be longer depending upon the guidance your therapist gives and how much work needs to be done.

As you start to understand your subconscious mind you may find that you need to seek a hypnotherapist less and develop new ways of looking at your life and past experiences.


What If Hypnotherapy Doesn’t Work For Me?

First of all, don’t worry!

If you think hypnotherapy is the right therapy but you have the wrong therapist then you have every right to seek a second opinion and you will not offend your therapist.

A good therapist just wants you to heal from your difficulty as best you can. If, on the other hand, you don’t feel hypnotherapy is working at all then do not be disheartened. There are many, many different types of therapy to heal from depression and hypnotherapy is only one. Use our therapy directory to find different therapy. You may find counselling works better or possibly some holistic treatment. The key is not to think this is your only option as there are always other ways.


Benefits of Hypnotherapy For Depression

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Please note: This information should not replace professional medical advice, it is purely for informational purposes. At all times when you are in crisis please first seek help from your GP or another medical professional. Thankyou