How does Hypnotherapy treatment proceed

Hypnotherapy Treatment and how it works

I have had numerous articles published lately and many people have contacted me to ask more about how treatment plans are decided upon for clients. Most of these individuals have been suffering form panic attacks or phobias. So I have addressed the core of the question here for all to read, and it is my sincere desire that this helps anyone considering hypnotherapy or psychotherapy as a treatment for their problems to understand just how the qualified and experienced professional may proceed (or in my case, will proceed).

Unless presenting with a need for simple habit breaking including smoking, weight control in some cases, driving test/exam nerves, help with general confidence and public speaking etc, most people need some form of analytical therapy at the commencement of their treatment in order to ensure that any route causes no matter how slight or weak they may be, are found and resolved before proceeding on to ensure future success for the client.

It’s a bit like looking for the splinter in the finger and if it is still hanging in there, remove it first before applying the antiseptic cream and plaster or whatever.

The average duration of treatment sessions is six, although much depends upon the style of working that is most effective for the client, balanced with which style of working is best to resolve the particular problem they have. This is where thorough training in a multimodality approach and practical experience of many types of problem with many types of client is essential to the therapist being sufficient to help in most cases. It’s a bit like a mechanic having a large tool box full of different and specialist tools. He/she will use the appropriate tool for the job, or part of the job being tackled at that time and so be able to effectively work through to a successful conclusion for the job in hand. If on the other hand, the only tool in their tool box is a hammer, they will tend to treat everything like a nail (all situations receiving the same rigid treatment pattern).

I, along with many of my colleagues, uses a multi-tool (multi-therapeutic technique) type approach and this allows for a very thorough yet very flexible way of working with clients no matter what their problem and no matter what their personality type, fears, concerns, etc. People come in all types, shapes and sizes, and their personality type, concerns and fears, likes and dislikes, coupled with ‘what works best for them’ dictates the way forward. Even then, the way forward can not be too rigid, as mid stream corrections in direction, speed, attitude, etc might be required in order to keep on the best course for resolution of cause and effective removal of symptoms. Sometimes it’s like lateral thinking. That is to say, that to get from A to B, you must first go to G, then to Y, then to D, and finally from there to B. Sometimes the most direct route is best. Sometimes the client does not feel comfortable with this direct approach, and more importantly, their subconscious mind does not feel inclined to go this route. When the subconscious mind is resisting one approach, we would be very foolish to continue with this route, as the powerful subconscious mind will always win out in the end. Therefore the experienced therapist will change tack, or use another tool of you will, in order to continue with effective treatment.

The powerful subconscious mind is truly a wonderful and amazing thing. It is so powerful that will-power will never overcome it. Direct assault on it’s deeply help core values will only produce further problems for the client, and if we confront their belief system head-on, we are in for many extra sessions of repair work before we can proceed (if we can proceed at all with this therapeutic relationship).

To enlighten readers further, the tools I would recommend are in your therapist’s tool box might consist of:

Hypnoanalysis (including direct regression to cause, free association, parts therapy)
Suggestion Therapy (including metaphor)
Neuro-Linguistic Programming
Gestalt Therapy
Personality Profiling and Balancing
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) (a brief version of psychotherapy)

Also many good therapists are also armed with further and less main-stream technoiques which may prove to be very useful on occassion:

Past Life Regression Therapy
Shamanic Journeying
Energy Fields Therapy*
Emotional Freedom Technique*
Deep Relaxation Therapy
Self-Hypnosis Training

*Variations and adaptations of Kinesiology type techniques

Again, your good therapist will be able to explain all of these to you, and some will use one more than the others which is fine as long as that suits you and your needs.

I do hope this has all helped in your better understanding of the fascinating world of hypnosis and psychotherapy.

I hold free workshops to help people to understand the uses of the above therapies on an ad-hoc basis. If you would like to know more please email me at alancrisp@yourtruth.co.uk or telephone 020 8658 4290.

Alan Crisp
Clinical Hypnotherapist
Beckenham, Kent