What is Hypnosis?

Hypnotherapy can be defined as a mind-based therapy that uses hypnotic states to access the subconscious and generate change both in the psyche as well as the physical body.

A New Definition of Hypnotherapy

The definition of hypnotherapy has evolved, and there are many styles of hypnosis. It is usually used in conjunction with other therapies, such as psychology, coaching, or counseling. It gives the client a means to dialogue with ones own subconscious mind – also known as the body-mind – to gain an understanding and resolution of current issues, symptoms, and reactive emotions.

Listen to Eva M. Clark explaining hypnotherapy using three client cases:

How does Hypnotherapy Dialogue with the Subconscious Mind?

Every night when you go to sleep and begin dreaming, you are -in effect- having direct dialogue with your subconscious mind. Most of the time, however, you might not remember all your dreams and, the ones you do, are extremely unclear, fragmented, and confusing.

In hypnosis, you can dialogue with your subconscious mind while remaining awake (very very relaxed and almost asleep…yet still awake). The different techniques used in modern hypnotherapy to dialogue with the subconscious mind are:

• Suggestion and visual imagery:  Traditional directive hypnosis focuses on these techniques.
• Regression Therapy: A technique used to return to the origin of an issue or symptom
• Medical Hypnotherapy
• Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP)
• Parts work (Gestalt, Voice dialogue, psychosynthesis)
• Transpersonal Hypnotherapy

In transpersonal hypnotherapy, the hypnotist uses the dream-like state of hypnosis as a sort of waking dream to dialogue directly with the subconscious mind about the current issues or symptoms such as constipation in the case of IBS.   Unlike in a dream, in hypnosis, you can ask the subconscious about the meaning, messages, and past that relates to the issue.

Medicine Has Researched Hypnotherapy and Found it Effective

Though hypnosis is depicted in movies as occult, hypnosis has been studied and approved by the American Medical Association (AMA), The American Psychology Association (APA), the National Institute of Health (NIH),  as well as the British Medical Association (BMA). There are more than 40 years of research it the use of medical hypnotherapy on chronic pain, IBS, autoimmune disorders, cancer, and anxiety.