Hypnotherapy treatment is a form of alternative treatment that has helped many people improve their mental and physical health. It’s a type of mind-body medicine and is often included in holistic treatment plans. There are many reasons why someone might choose to undergo hypnotherapy treatment. The most common reason is that sometimes conventional medicine doesn’t work on its own. Using hypnotherapy as part of a treatment plan can help fill in the gaps that other treatments can’t fill.
Hypnotherapy treatment is performed by a trained and certified mental health professional, known as a hypnotist or hypnotherapist. It involves guiding the client into a state of deep relaxation and focused concentration. By doing this, the treatment provider can help someone recall lost or blocked memories, nudge someone into changing harmful behaviors, and improve mental and physical wellness.
It’s a safe form of treatment that is sometimes partially or even fully covered by insurance. However, not all mental healthcare facilities will offer hypnotherapy treatment. Acera Health, however, is an example of one that does. But what happens when you get hypnotherapy treatment? And what does it treat? Luckily, the answers to these questions are fairly simple.
What to Expect When Getting Hypnotherapy Treatment
When you get hypnotherapy treatment, you will be taken to a calm, safe area, where you can relax. Trust and relaxation are important aspects of hypnotherapy, so you may take some time to speak with your hypnotherapist. You will need to communicate with your hypnotherapist your goals and what you want to accomplish from your hypnotherapy treatment. Some treatment providers that perform psychotherapy can also perform hypnotherapy, granted that they have the credentials to do so.
They will begin by guiding you into a deep state of relaxation and focus by using verbal cues, repetition, and imagery. When you are under hypnosis, your concentration and focus are more intense. This lets you ignore most outside directions and be open to suggestions to make improvements to your health. You are not asleep or unconscious when undergoing hypnotherapy.
One important factor that will put most people’s fears to rest is that you are also not under the complete control of the hypnotherapist. Nothing can be done to you against your will under hypnotherapy, as you must allow the changes you want to take place. You also remember what happens during a hypnosis session and who you are at all times. It is one hundred percent consensual and safe.
Hypnotherapy treatment typically has four parts to each session. These stages include induction, deepener, suggestion, and emergence.
Induction Stage
The induction stage begins with the hypnotherapist helping you relax and focus. This is done by utilizing controlled breathing techniques, counting, relaxing your muscles in specific groups, or focusing on sound or images. Once you are relaxed enough to ignore distractions, you can move to the next step.
Deepener Stage
The next step is known as the deepener stage. This is when you take your relaxation and focus to a much deeper level. Often, this is done by visualizing yourself walking downstairs or slowly sinking into a comfy bed. This helps you open your mind to suggestions, which the hypnotherapist uses to guide you.
Suggestion Stage
Then comes the suggestion stage. This is where your hypnotherapist uses carefully chosen images and spoken language to help change problem behaviors, perceptions, and experiences. The changes they suggest can vary but usually involve perception, emotion, behavior, thought, sensation, and memory. They can also use this stage to help someone explore memories, or examine specific symptoms that are bothering them. You may also be able to help unblock memories that may have been blocked off as the result of trauma. This all is still done by using suggestions.
For example, if a client wants help to recover from a severe spider phobia, the hypnotherapist may use this stage to suggest changes in their perception of spiders. You might be asked to visualize a spider as how you see it now, as something scary and dangerous. Then, your hypnotherapist will describe a new way of viewing a spider. They may encourage you to focus on how beautiful and helpful some spiders are. Afterward, they guide you to approach the more friendly spider.
Emergence Stage
The last step is emergence, where you are guided back out of hypnosis. This is often done by visualizing yourself walking upstairs, or counting to a high number.
In total, treatment times vary, but the usual amount is 30-40 minutes in length, sometimes even shorter.
What Hypnotherapy Treatment Can Treat
Hypnosis helps treat many things, but it’s most often used to help those with anxiety-based disorders or those who experienced trauma. Hypnotherapy treatment can also be helpful for those struggling with phobias and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It can also be used to help treat behavioral control issues, including addiction, helping people lose weight, and control their anger.
Some types of medical issues can be treated by using hypnotherapy. Insomnia, gastrointestinal disorders, pain control, and hot flashes are all examples of what hypnotherapy can help with.
Again, hypnotherapy is best used alongside other forms of treatment. You should always consult with a specialist to see if hypnotherapy is right for you.
What to Do Next
If you’d like to give hypnotherapy treatment a try, call your local mental health care facility. Some facilities, like Acera Health, display on their website that they include hypnotherapy treatment. Sometimes you may have to call around and find a facility with an accredited and licensed hypnotherapist. If you can’t find one locally, some hypnotherapists can operate via telehealth.
Many forms of alternative treatments exist to help those with mental health disorders. One such treatment is known as hypnotherapy. This type of treatment helps someone reach a state of calm and relaxation and guides those receiving it into more healthy behaviors. Here at Acera Health in Costa Mesa, California, we are proud to offer hypnotherapy as a choice in a client’s mental health treatment. Our mental health professionals help guide our clients into finding the right treatments to help them achieve recovery. When conventional forms of treatment don’t work, you can count on us for the latest in alternative treatments and therapies. If you or someone you love is struggling, don’t wait: Call (949) 647-4090 today.
Mickey Webb
Mickey has dedicated nearly 10 years of marketing for various industries with his superior networking, negotiation, and leadership skills. He has over 5 years of management experience including corporate with AT&T. In 2019, he began serving the healthcare industry. He is devoted to establishing promotion and advertising efforts for Acera, to help families and individuals better understand the services we provide. He has strong interpersonal skills, and helps Acera build brand awareness within the behavioral health field. Mickey has helped many individuals find placement in treatment, and will go to any length to make sure they receive the care they deserve.
