Hypnosis

I was taught to stay away from "hypnotists." The term was used mainly by those who did this type of thing at side shows and for fun and profit While "hypnosis" is an accepted term also, anyone can do that. The trusted terms to me are "hypnotherapist" and "hypnotherapy." But that's just my penchant with semantics

Sky,

Some people are using the title "consulting hypnotist" now.

What are your thoughts on that?

Rick

Yes, I'm aware of this. I did say that "hypnosis" is an accepted term ALSO... I think it's good that people at least know to check the person out, and find out if they are certified at any skill. Of course someone that is certified with hypnosis yet doesn't "do" therapy would want an acceptable term to use. Using hypnosis is not all about therapy, right?

The most important thing, imo, is that a person goes to someone who knows what they are doing, and that someone is held accountable for that (i.e. by a certifying agency.) Next important, imo, is that they feel comfortable with them and can trust them.

My aunt used self-hypnosis to help with some chronic pain back when it first became "fashionable" (she lives in San Francisco :-) I think of hypnotherapy as a kind of tool rather than "therapy" in and of itself. It works well for some, or for a period of time, but not necessarily others. I don't have any bad habits :-) or pain so haven't thought of anything I want to try it for.

> I have seen research that used a PET scan to scan the brain in hypnosis and out of hypnosis. Those researchers determined that hypnosis was real based on different areas of the brain being used in different ways and to answer different questions.

'Those supporting the altered state theory often cite studies that show that during hypnosis (1) the brain’s electrical states change and (2) brain waves differ from those during waking consciousness. The critics of the mythical view point out that these facts are irrelevant to establishing hypnosis as an altered state of consciousness. One might as well call daydreaming, concentrating, imagining the color red, or sneezing altered states, since the experience of each will show electrical changes in the brain and changes in brain waves from ordinary waking consciousness'.

http://skepdic.com/hypnosis.html

> It is my belief and profession opinion that if someone truly wants to quit smoking and believes that they will quit with hypnosis then it will work. If they truly believe they will quit with the patch or pills. Then they will quit. I believe that nothing changes until you change your mind.

Right. Therapy can be useful in that it adresses the meta-issue of 'I want to want to stop smoking but I really don't want to stop smoking'. aka: How on earth can I change my mind?

> You just seem to be lacking faith in hypnosis as a tool to help your clients.

We seem to have slightly different notions of hypnosis. You use the term broadly to cover such things as progressive muscle relaxation and imagery. The majority of therapists DO use such techniques to help with anxiety and sleep and the like. I don't have an objection to those strategies. When it comes to hypnosis for remembering traumatic experiences, however, then I am very skeptical indeed. I also think that while progressive muscle relaxation and the like can be helpful they don't get at the underlying issues.

I understand why you refer to yourself as a hypnotherapist rather than a hypnotist (to distance yourself from hypnosis used for entertainment). I do have some difficulty with calling oneself a hypnotherapist when one isn't a lisenced therapist... But I do see that there isn't really another term in the vicinity. So long as clients know that one is trained as a hypnotist rather than a therapist then I guess it doesn't matter.

Alexandra,

I do make it a point to make sure all of my clients know that I am not currently a licensed therapist or councilor.

I have 7 certificates well pronounced on my wall, all for hypnosis training. Most of my clients do take time to look these over. So, I feel comfortable with them knowing what I am and what I am not.

As as side note, all of my sessions are audio and video recorded. To protect myself, and make the client more comfortable.

Rick

Hey... sorry I missed out on the 6 pages of conversation, and I'm just jumping in now... but I wanted to mention that before I moved to Philly, I was in grad school in NY, and the psychology program that I was in over there had hypnosis as an elective. I took the class and it was quite amazing. Since it was in the psychology program, it was coming from the approach of using hypnosis within psychotherapy treatment. I just look at it as another way to draw out the unconscious. After I am done with school, I would love to obtain cerfication in hypnosis. If I plan to practice analysis, I think it would be an excellent skill to have, as it could be benefiicial for many patients.

Pinksoil,

>>"After I am done with school, I would love to obtain cerfication in hypnosis. If I plan to practice analysis, I think it would be an excellent skill to have, as it could be benefiicial for many patients. "

I think that would be a wonderful thing for you to do to help your clients. The more tools you have in your tool belt to help your clients - the better.

Rick

Pinksoil,

>>If I plan to practice analysis"

If you don't practice analysis, what are you going to do?

Rick

practice as a councellor or a psychologist
(i'm surmising on the basis of her other posts on different threads)

New research came out yesterday on hypnosis for pain management. It's titiled "MRI Study Shows How Hypnosis Eases Pain: Presented at ENS" In this study they talk about hypnosis for acute pain. I have had wonderful success with those with chronic pain as well. Arthritis, Fibro seem to be the two common one's for me.

http://www.docguide.com/news/content...2572FF005C30DF

Rick

Rick~
Got a question here... in 2 months I am going to be flying for the first time. I am 39 yrs old and scared of heights and they got me by a window all the way down ( I have layovers on the way down and way back) and one time on the way back. How can I get myself to enjoy the ride rather than to experience anxiety and all that crap. Hope this wasnt too hard a question.. thanks !!!
Beth

Thanks for sharing Rick! As you and some others know, I have intense pain from fibromyalgia and have had 4 sessions so far with a therapist for hypnotherapy for pain management.

I have not seen him in three weeks, but have been practicing the deep breathing. One of the things we discovered is that i have a lower intensity of pain if I imagine the part of my body that hurts is not attached to me.

This can be weird, but I came back from New Hampshire yesterday and before I left I went to a place called Diana's bath. It's a 0.6 mile walk in the woods to where there are rock formations with baths that have water coming down the mountain.

I first connected with my Source as I walked into the woods and asked for assistance in being able to walk to the location - I said that even if I am in intense pain I don't care i just want to get there. It was rough but when I got there, I laid on a rock in the sunlight and meditated with deep breathing for about a half hour. It was a beautful, inspired, glorious experience. I felt one with the earth and had such joy.

When I walked back it was mostly down hill which wasn't bad, but when I hit the spot that was a steep incline I started to feel the really intense pain, so I practiced trying to imagine my butt and legs weren't connected to me (kinda weird when your walking on them!). The pain was still there - but by golly it wasn't as intense!!!!

Oh happy days, the hypnosis seems to be starting to work.

Tranquility

SweetSunshine,

To deal with fears you need to understand why you have the fear. People who have fears generally don't like to talk about them let alone experience them. But, to get over the fear you need to get into "it's head". What don't you like about it? Why don't you like it? What will happen if...? Instead of running from it, you need to dive into it..... understand it...... overcome it......

When did you first remember having this emotion? Why? Is it a rational fear?

Through hypnosis we can "talk" to your sub-conscious and ask all of these questions. Get the answers, and figure out how to move on in life without this fear having a hold on you anymore.

You can also visualize yourself having a WONDERFUL, SAFE, HAPPY, RELAXING, flight. Only positive. ONLY POSITIVE. That will help some as well.

Rick

Tranquility,

Thanks for sharing your wonderful experience.

Those who have experienced relief through hypnosis, please tell us your story. I'm sure their are many on this forum that have questions that are afraid to ask. If your story touches them, or shows them a path to a better life, that would be a wonderful thing.

Rick

I posted this last night on the pain forum and figured I'd post here as well to keep the thread alive.......

Awesome appointment tonight! Brief background for first time readers: I have chronic pain from fibromyalgia and have started going for hypnotherapy treatments for pain management.

Tonight was sooooooooo relaxing, cool, and funny

Went under in my favorite way, which is laying on a grassy bank by a river with the sun and the trees and birds. A boat comes floating down the river that I climb into and float down the river on the water

My hip has been horrendous so that's where he concentrated. Once I had sufficiently relaxed so that I was melting into the chair, he began a visualization of me becoming so small that I could go inside my brain. In my brain there was a control room and inside were all switches to control various things. There was a knob to control pain that went from 0-10. I imagined turning up to 10 and the pain increased and then down to zero. It never decreased as much as I would like, but I'm at the beginning and I did notice a difference.

The next visualization made me laugh out loud. I concentrated on the pain in my hip and then he told me to visualize it as a shape or object and with a color. I immediately thought of a devil with a pitchfork and bright red! It was funny. Then I had to picture it getting bigger and bigger and the pain got worse. Then picture it getting smaller and the color fading until it was like a black and white picture. I pictured it turning into a tiny white angel.

The last visualization was that I was walking on a forest path and I had a back pack that was getting heavier and heavier. It was full of all the negative thoughts that I need to discard - and ideas, behaviours, or irational thoughts that I needed to be rid of. The path came out to a beautiful pasture that had a hot air balloon in it. I had to go to the balloon where I found a box that was locked - when I unlocked it there was nothing in it and I was to start unloading my backpack into the box.

Once I unloaded it I could either untie the ropes or pick up an axe nearby and cut the ropes to watch the balloon and all my issues float away. It was way cool!!

When he brought me out it took awhile to become grounded because I was so relaxed and at ease. The first thing I said was "can we do that again"? He laughed and asked which part and I said "all of it"!!

I'm only at the beginning of this but so far I have been able to use some of these skills to control road rage and help me walk into the woods this past weekend. Of course I had the worse pain ever yesterday after that walk, but it was worth it and the pain will subside a bit again.

If you have never experienced hypnotherapy and have the opportunity too I would highly recommend it - my mind has not been so clear and free in many years!

-Tranquility (and certainly tranquil tonight)

That sounds so wonderful. Thanks for sharing it with us.

I have had similar relaxed, nearly a floating feeling after guided imagery with a psychologist and it sounds similar to what you describe. It is an awesome feeling!

Every time I read this thread I really miss the therapist I was seeing!

Back in college, I had a psychologist who wanted me to do a hypnosis session with him. I hesitated because of all the crap out there that makes hypnosis sounds scarey. I would never hand control over to someone else like the movies make out hypnosis. He said that that is not what it is. It is just a relaxed, more focused experience. He did progressive muscle relaxation and had me say two phrases over and over again. He claimed that I said the phrases for about a minute each but it seemed longer to me because I didn't have any thing else on my mind by that point.
I now use a visualization thing to help myself to go to sleep. I also read of the idea of a chalk board that has your negative thinking written on it. I imagine it sitting next to the pond that is my place. Then, I have an eraser and erase the statements. I like that part. I like to watch the words be erased. Then, I write a positive affirmation on the board. If you can tell, I memorized the basic plot and do it without a tape. I shortened it though because the words are too long for me. Since I have gone on an imaginary walk to the pond a lot, I have actually made up a version for each of the seasons. But, the chalk board one has to go back to the original version which was fall. I like the visual aspect of the chalk board. I sometimes feel like I have a peice of chalk in my hand when I do it too. I'm not sure if this is hypnosis, but it feels the same to me. The idea from the book had more suggestions in it. I found that it was too wordy for me. I might try it tonight though and see if I can get into the habit of listening to the book's version. I did like some of it.

Thanks great Hopeful! What I've learned is that when you go through hypnosis you are always in control and if you want to stop you can.

Also that hypnosis is really self-hypnosis, it's just that you have someone helping you learn it. So eventually I'll be able to do this on my own. Right now I do better if I'm concentrating on someone else speaking.

Imagery is self-hypnosis and the ones you describe are wonderful - thanks for sharing!

Tranquility

Echoes,

I'm sure there is a hypnotherapist in your area that would love to work with you.

Rick

Hopefull,

That is a wonderful example of self-hypnosis. You can make any changes you need to make it exactly the way you need it right then. That is the magic of doing self-hypnosis over listening to a CD.

If you don't mind, I might have to use your visualization with some of my clients. I think they would like it.

Rick

Hi all -

Update on this week's hynotherapy session. He tought me a few "quick induction" methods that I can do myself that will help me relax real quick. The one that worked the best was to do a deep belly inhalation with my eyes open and then exhale with them closed. I do that until I feel like I can't open my eyes anymore.

Then we worked on a method for pain management. He brought me under using the boat method I like. I felt like I went under much deeper than ever today - I've been practicing meditation so I think this helped. Then he had me stretch a muscle in my neck until it hurt. I then concentrated on that muscle, pretending it was not part of my body (this works the best for me) while I was in my tranquil spot in New Hampshire.

Before he even said it I felt it. He told me that when I felt a change in how the muscle felt to nod my head. I had already felt the change. So he brought me back out of it and asked what it felt like. I was stretching my neck to one side until it was uncomfortable and then as I practiced the skills it slowly became less tense and then all of a sudden my neck just stretched even more and the muscle was relaxed. Pretty cool!

He said I'm doing very well. He said it usually takes a few weeks for people to get the breathing down right and I already had that. Also, he said it usually takes a few weeks to feel the difference in the muscle and I felt that. So that's cool. We are going to keep working on it. He said that eventually I should be able to do this when I'm not in a meditative state. So, if I'm exercising and in pain I should be able to control the pain with my thinking.

I'm hopeful!

Tranquility

Tranquility,

I am so glad you are having wonderful results with hypnotherapy.

On a side note, I used the boat drifting down a river type induction with a client today. She loved it.

Thanks Rick

Hey Rick - I'm glad you tried the boat method. The part I like the best is when you get in the boat and ride down the river and it has a gentle rocking motion. I find myself rocking side to side

Tranquility

I used other techniques along with that one. But your right, she liked the rocking the best.....

Rick