How Hypnotherapy Works

The typical client who comes to a hypnotherapist is a well functioningnperson who wants to change or improve something in their life, but hasn’tnbeen able to affect that change on their own. There are hundreds (andncounting) of applications of the process of hypnotherapy.
Let’s use procrastination (of doing paperwork) as an example of ancommon hypnotherapy client.n
The process is basically four steps:n
1) The hypnotherapist explains the client’s behavior to them. What thisnreally means is that the hypnotherapist exposes the subconsciousnmotivators of the client’s behavior. In the case of procrastination (ofnpaperwork), the subconscious explanation would be to recognize that wenall (as humans) operate on what’s known as the Pain/Pleasure Principle.
Freud was the first to recognize this. This principal is that we all (asnhumans) seek things that are pleasurable and we avoid things we findnpainful (or fearful). Especially if if the perception of the activity is painful.
So a behavioral, or subconscious, definition of procrastination is that itnis AVOIDANCE, due to some perceived pain or fear. It’s human nature tonprocrastinate.n
2) The hypnotherapist then creates or describes a strategy for change.
This means a real plan in which the client is an active participant. Innobservation of Einstein’s definition of insanity (doing the same thing overnand over and expecting different results) this plan is to do somethingndifferently.
In the case of procrastination, a new strategy would be to alter ornchange the perception of the pain (or drudgery of paperwork). We couldndo this by agreeing to limit the amount of time the client actually does thenpaperwork. For instance, if the client used a simple kitchen timer, sets it,n(say for 20 minutes), and then takes a break, their perception of thendrudgery would change and they would more likely to actually do somenpaperwork. The strategy becomes “chip away at it, you don’t have to do itnall at once.”n
3) The third step involves the hypnotherapist helping the client becomensuggestible, or receptive to the new strategy.
Hypnosis is something that is little understood by the general public.
That it is misrepresented in film, media and by stage hypnotists furtherndistorts the general public’s understanding of what it really is.
An accurate way to think of what hypnosis is, is that it is a state of mindnof increased suggestibility, or receptivity to the verbal suggestion given bynthe hypnotherapist. The client remains consciously aware. Hypnosis is alsona very natural state of mind. For instance, anyone who falls asleep has tonenter a light state of hypnosis in order to attain unconscious sleep (we driftninto sleep).n
The hypnotherapist guides the client into this state of mind bynsuggesting that the client experience a series of body changes (such asnthe breathing growing deeper, a little dryness forming in the mouth andnthroat, and a little fluttering of the closed eyelids). Once the clientnexperiences those body changes, the hypnotherapist will then help thenclient relax the muscle groups of their body (still very conscious).
When the client is relaxed in their body yet still alert in their mind theynenter that state of mind of increased suggestibility. At this point thenhypnotherapist will verbally repeat the important parts of the new strategy,nsuch as “we want you to make short periods of paperwork a priority innyou’re life. Knowing that you will limit these periods to just 20 minutes,nmakes it easier and more doable than in the past.”n
Visualization is another suggestive technique. The hypnotherapist maynhave the client visualize doing the paperwork while feeling relaxed,nhearing the timer ding, and feeling a little grin or smile beginning to formnon their face. That type of suggestion is called an inference. It implies (orninfers) that the client will follow through and get some paperwork done.n
4. Evaluation. In a subsequent session, the client and hypnotherapistnevaluate what change has occurred. Was the client successful by doingnsome paperwork? If so, the strategy becomes reinforcing the change (ornnew behavior), and making it stronger and stronger. The ultimate goal (innthis case) is to create a new automatic habit of doing paperwork.
This modality, or process, has hundreds of applications. Just a few arenbetter study habits, test anxiety, fears and phobias, sales techniques,nassertive communication, preparation for childbirth, preparation fornsurgery, relationship enhancement, happiness, anger management, the listngoes on and on, including procrastination.
Marc Gravelle, CHt. c. 7/27/07nn