Clinical Hypnotherapy
Experiential. Powerful. Gentle.
Clinical Hypnotherapy in Chattanooga
What is hypnotherapy?
Hypnotherapy is a treatment intervention that involves inducing the client into a relaxed, suggestible state (the hypnotic trance) and then offering post-hypnotic suggestions or experiences that can give powerful relief of symptoms. Many people think of hypnosis as inducing sleep; that’s actually not the case. The hypnotic trance is a simple shifting back and forth between the conscious and subconscious mind. It is a natural state of mind that many of us encounter in everyday life, on a regular basis. If you’ve ever been engrossed in a book, movie, or performance, then you have likely experienced the trance state. The only thing that distinguishes a naturally-occurring trance state from the hypnotic trance state is that hypnotherapists induce the latter purposefully, and are able to control this trance state to create understanding and healing.
What are the differences between hypnosis and hypnotherapy?
Hypnotherapy is the practice of psychotherapy with a client who is in the hypnotic altered state of consciousness. While hypnosis and hypnotherapy are in the same “family,” they are very different from each other. The core difference is that hypnotherapy is facilitated by a trained clinician and is an internationally recognized therapy technique for treating mental and psychosomatic issues. Just hypnosis itself, especially stage hypnosis (what many clients think of first when they hear the word) is using the power of the mind for entertainment and even shock value. A hypnotherapist is operating under their clinical and ethical protocols and the intentions of the session are for healing, not performance. When therapists treat their patients with traditional methods, they spend much of their time simply trying to get past mental blockages to understand the subconscious reasons for their patients’ issues. Think of the therapist and clients as archaeologists. Traditional talk therapy slowly removes the crust with toothbrushes, finally reaching the skeletons below after much painstaking work. Hypnotherapy allows you to tunnel directly down to the subconscious, where we store everything that has ever happened in our lives. In this state, we are also more suggestible and open to changing our patterns.
Does a hypnotized person lose control?
No. All hypnosis is essentially self hypnosis. Hypnosis is nothing but a state of relaxed, deep focus. A hypnotized person always has control and can always hear what's going on. While undergoing hypnotherapy, clients have the ability to communicate with their therapist and express any requests they may have. Many of your hypnotherapy sessions will be recorded for you to listen to at home. Most importantly, this is a therapeutic and heart-centered technique for healing, not stage hypnosis for entertainment. The same protocols that govern psychotherapy and keep you safe as a client, apply to hypnotherapy as well.
How long has hypnosis been practiced?
Hypnosis is one of the world's oldest sciences. Amazingly, ancient hieroglyphics show that the Egyptians were using hypnosis as early as 3,000 B.C. There is evidence the Greeks and the Mayans understood it and used it as well. Like other sciences, hypnotism has had its experimenters, its pioneers, its lucky guessers, and its experts. While hypnosis has had a place in society for thousands of years, it has also carved out a place as a legitimate modern medical practice, where it is called hypnotherapy. As early as 1892, the British Medical Association verified the efficacy of hypnotherapy.
Does hypnotherapy work?
Yes, hypnotherapy works. Professional organizations have consistently reported the value of hypnotherapy. The British Medical Association has been formally studying and verifying it since 1892. In the 1950s, both the British Medical Association and the American Medical Association confirmed the efficacy of hypnotherapy as official policy. They claimed: “For the past hundred years there has been an abundance of evidence that psychological and physiological changes could be produced by hypnotism which were worth study on their own account, and also that such changes might be of great service in the treatment of patients.” In 2001, the British Psychological Society reported that: “Enough studies have now accumulated to suggest that the inclusion of hypnotic procedures may be beneficial in the management and treatment of a wide range of conditions and problems encountered in the practice of medicine, psychiatry and psychotherapy.”
What can be treated with hypnotherapy?
The exciting thing about hypnotherapy is that it has and can be used to treat a wide variety of human illnesses, diseases, addictions, diagnoses, and complaints including:
PTSD, Depression, Migraines, Performance anxiety, Addictions, Weight problems, Anxiety and stress, phobias, OCD, Grief, Cancer, Childbirth, Sleep, Dementia
Is hypnotherapy covered by insurance?
Most insurance companies will cover 50 to 80 percent of the cost of individual therapy if treated by licensed professionals. Additionally, Medicare covers hypnotherapy in many cases. In other cases, professional therapists will incorporate hypnotherapy techniques into their more traditional techniques (such as talk therapy or cognitive behavioral therapy), which makes it easier to get insurance coverage.
What to expect with clinical hypnotherapy in Chattanooga:
Holistic Assessment — Biological, Psychological, Social
Strategic psychological mapping of the targeted concern for treatment planning
Phased Hypnotherapy sessions beginning with inner resourcing and hypnotic trance practice at home, specialty scripts developed for your unique issues and (as requested or indicated), regression sessions to target source events and memories