Hypnotherapy - What it is and what it is not

Hypnosis…. is it that state where your will is taken from you?… or maybe that amazing stuff that gets you miraculous one-session success???

Well, let me clarify some of the common myths around hypnosis in therapy.

What you may think it is

Most often when I ask clients before a first clinical hypnosis session (also known as hypnotherapy) what they know about hypnosis, they recall experiences witnessing stage and entertainment hypnotists. It is commonly believed that people’s will is taken over by the will of the hypnotist, and therefore no longer decide from their conscious mind. It is true that hypnosis is a powerful tool for change that has unfortunately all too often been misused to fill the entertainer’s pocket, increase his/her prestige, influence, and sense of power.

Clinical hypnosis (hypnotherapy) is very different from what you may have seen on TV or a stage on a fair…

Certified counsellors who use clinical hypnosis and are certified by a professional hypnotherapy/clinical hypnosis organization or society are committed to both the Ethical Standards of the regulating body for counsellors in their province (CCPA in Alberta), as well as the Codes of Ethics by the Clinical Hypnosis Society that certified them (e.i. American Society for Clinical Hypnosis, in short ASCH).

What does this mean?

What this means is that certified counsellors who use clinical hypnosis would never use this tool for entertainment purposes. Your trance is yours and to your benefit. Nobody will decide for you or instead of you.

Your will is yours, remains yours, and is not taken over. You are completely aware during clinical hypnosis and your certified counsellors may make suggestions during clinical hypnosis that meet your counselling goals (as previously discussed with your counsellor). It is up to you whether you accept those invitations or not. Indeed, sometimes your counsellor may spell these invitations out for you and say: “If you like, you can share with me in a few words what you are experiencing right now, or if you prefer, you can just enjoy this experience a bit more without speaking”.

Your clinical counsellor will usually also check with you after the hypnotherapy experience to see what worked for you and what worked less. This provides valuable information in regard to whether this experience was beneficial for you and contributes to achieving your counselling goals. Furthermore, it provides your counsellor feedback that is meaningful for a potential future hypnotherapy session, if you decide to come back for more.

One-session success?

Many people associate hypnosis with a miracle tool that provokes change after a single session. Is this true? It depends!

Hypnotherapy is a powerful tool, but whether it is the right tool for you and whether success is very fast or takes a bit longer depends on various factors. As a counsellor, and just with any other therapeutic modality, I would never promise one-session success (even though many people do experience results and changes after their first hypnotherapy experience). Furthermore, I would not use this tool without knowing more about you and your background. Only once we discussed your presenting concern, have established a connection and decided on your counselling goals can we consider together whether clinical hypnosis is the modality of choice for you. You can also contact me with any further questions or book a 15-minute free consultation with me to learn more about this modality and whether it may be useful for you.