Hypnotherapy: Profound, Efficient, Effective Therapy
This article was written with passion by hand, not AI.
Hypnotherapy truly stands in a class of its own.
The simple act of hypnosis allows you to access depths of the mind where many doors to healing open spontaneously.
In Dr Alfred Barrios’ famous treatise Hypnotherapy: A Reappraisal, he found that “for psychoanalysis [talk therapy] we can expect a recovery rate of 38% after approximately 600 sessions. For Wolpian therapy, we can expect a recovery rate of 72% after an average of 22 sessions, and for hypnotherapy we can expect a recovery rate of 93% after an average of 6 sessions.”
Hypnotherapy delivers effective results swiftly. Dr Barrios noted that in one large-scale study, “In follow-ups ranging from six months to two years no instance of relapse or symptom substitution was noted.”
Today, hypnotherapy falls under “alternative therapy,” but I believe it deserves recognition as a mainstream therapy.
However, I do not wish to dismiss conventional therapy. Some people dislike the feeling of hypnosis or feel uncomfortable with the vulnerability it involves. For such individuals, hypnotherapy is not a viable option.
There is a healing modality for every individual’s needs; it is not always about which is more effective.
Hypnosis and the Subconscious Mind
The root of our mental problem is in the subconscious mind so how does hypnosis help us communicate with this part of the mind?
The premise is simple.
In our waking state, the conscious critical mind is so busy and noisy that it drowns out the subconscious mind’s subtle thoughts.
Hypnosis, or hypnotic induction, guides you into a trance similar to deep meditation. It quiets the mind, allowing you to tune into your subconscious more effectively. Subtle subconscious thoughts, buried under layers of noise, become apparent and ready for exploration.
My clients, to their complete surprise, often recall events from early childhood or obscure emotions from their teenage years while under hypnosis. This is precisely the objective of hypnosis.
The subconscious mind also harbours your emotions and belief system. Don’t you think it would be best to visit that part of the mind to resolve your problems?
Read The Quintessential Guide to Hypnotherapy & Hypnosis for a deep insight into hypnotherapy.
What You Think You Feel Is Not How You Really Feel
Most people cannot appreciate the depth they can reach in hypnosis until they experience it. As a result, they often make statements about their lives that turn out to be contrary to reality.
It is challenging to pinpoint emotions, especially for events that occurred decades ago. We tend to trivialise past events, thinking we have “gotten over them,” and they should not bother us anymore.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Let me illustrate the depth of hypnotherapy by sharing my clients’ remarks.
1. “My Childhood Was a Good One”
One of the most common remarks is, “I had a great childhood.”
I have heard this often enough to know it is usually untrue. The adult you are today is a product of your upbringing, so if your childhood was great, why are you struggling now?
Emily was one such individual. She insisted her childhood was fine, likely unaware of its significant impact on her. During the session, we identified several pain points. Her grandmother was insufferably mean and controlling, profoundly shaping her outlook on life. Later, she faced similar injustices from her ex-boyfriend’s judgemental family.
This realisation surfaced only under hypnosis, offering timely insight for her recovery.
Of course, childhood is not always the cause. For a handful of clients, their pain points originated in adulthood, but such cases are rare.
Conclusion
Hypnosis enables you to recall long-forgotten events that deeply affected you.
2. “My Life Is Fine Except for This Problem”
Logic often fails to explain deep depression or anxiety attacks. Even if it does, it only addresses superficial symptoms, not the root problem. What you see is not always what you get.
The real test of a logical diagnosis is whether it resolves the issue at hand.
Clients often tell me their lives are fine except for a specific pain or depression causing them grief. In other words, “Just fix this bad part of me.”
Sounds familiar? They ask me to treat the wound without addressing the cause. I’m sure you agree that treating the root cause yields lasting results.
Krishna made the same remark: “My life is fine. I just want this anxiety gone.” My usual response was, “let’s explore.”
During the session, I delved deep to uncover the source of his anxiety. I came to learn he was in an arranged marriage causing him great distress. His wife’s demands and criticisms made him feel low, significantly contributing to his anxiety.
Conclusion
Hypnosis took him to a quiet space where he gained clear insights into his married life and the symptoms arising from it. To read a good book, we go to a quiet library. The same applies to reading the subconscious mind.
3. “I’ve Moved On from the Death of a Loved One”
Everyone experiences grief at some point in their lives. One day our loved ones leave us, we grieve, and we move on. Or so we think.
The truth is time doesn’t heal. Time conceals.
Robin, a 50-year-old man, sought hypnotherapy for issues unrelated to grief. His father, whom he loved dearly, had passed away over 20 years ago. Yet, when I brought him back to the memory of his dying father, he began to sob.
We might consciously forget the passing of a loved one, but the emotions remain until properly processed.
Conclusion
Hypnosis enables you to relive past events and reconnect with forgotten emotions. This provides an opportunity to release emotional attachments to past events fully.
4. “I’ve Explored This in Talk Therapy”
Many clients have tried talk therapy. For some, it helped a little; for others, it didn’t help. Understandably, they are tired of discussing the same issues under hypnosis. “Why, I’ve already discussed this in talk therapy,” they say.
Shelly came to me with a long list of issues. As we went through the list, she often remarked, “Oh, I’ve explored this with my counsellor.” I explained that hypnosis would take her deeper, allowing her to re-experience and release past emotions. In talk therapy, it’s challenging to delve deep because the conscious mind acts as a barrier, protecting you from revisiting past unpleasantness.
Sure enough, tears rolled down her cheeks as we revisited her painful past.
It’s worth reiterating that time doesn’t heal; it conceals.
Conclusion
Hypnosis helps you fully associate with your younger self, relive past events, and become acquainted with old emotions. Only then can you eliminate emotions that continue to weigh you down today.
Profound, Efficient, Effective Healing
A solid hypnotherapy session delivers deep healing, much deeper than you’d ever imagine. Words fail to express its depth.
You will understand the depth of healing when more than a decade of depression lifts instantly, just as my client Victoria experienced. Watch her testimonial below.
You will see its power when a decade of anxiety dissipates overnight, as my client Natasha witnessed. Read her testimonial below or at her blog.
That is the potential of hypnotherapy and inner child healing.
Curious to know more? Contact us at Radiant Flow for a FREE 15-min discovery call. It’s as good as it sounds!
Photo credits: Claudia Wolff, Mikhail Nilov