[cloudyday]

Hi,

I don't know if this belongs here or not, but has anyone here experienced hypnotherapy? My t is sending me to a hypnotherapist to help me deal with some eating disorder issues. I am just wondering what this is all about. I mean, I totally trust my t, and he says that other clients he has sent to this woman have been helped. I just don't know what to expect. Any insight would be welcome.

[ECHOES]

I did not go far with it, but what I did experience felt very relaxing and I liked it. I would do it along with my regular therapy if my T would agree.. and if I could afford it.

Are there specific concerns that you have?

There is a member here, Rick61701, who is a hypnotherapist and would be a great person to PM

[Rick61701]

Cloudyday,

Do you still have any questions about hypnotherapy that I can answer for you?

Rick

[cloudyday]

Hi, Rick,

Thank you so much for responding. I had my first session with a hypnotherapist on Tuesday. I had no idea what to expect. I had had a bad experience with hypnosis as a teen and was a bit scared it was going to be like that. It was nothing like I expected. It was more like a state of mediation or guided imagrey. I go back on Tuesday and we are going to work on my issues for going in the first place. I think that last Tuesday was just to get me introduced to the whole process. It felt safe and it was enlightening.

[Rick61701]

Cloudy,

Meditation and guided imagery are both hypnotic states..... It's a wonderful place to be.

Rick

[ECHOES]

Hey Rick, good to see you here.

I do guided imagery and autogenic, but neither feel as good as when I did guided imagery/hypnotherapy with a psychologist. I used to feel so wonderful after a session, light, floaty, peaceful... I can't seem to recapture that on my own.

I see an analyst now for therapy and that's what I want, but I would like to be able to get to that place of relaxation and peacefulness too.

Any suggestions?

[sunrise]

I would like to try guided imagery too. I didn't know you could do it on your own. A few sessions ago my therapist was recounting an experience of his in some sort of mind-body training (I think it was Feldenkrais) and as he described it to me, he said the words of the guided imagery his instructor had used, and I had a really positive reaction to it. I loved hearing his words and wanted to let go and relax into them. But he was just recounting his experience to me, not doing this as therapy with me. So I had to draw back. But it opened my mind to this sort of experience, which I had never been drawn to before. In a way, it is a little scary, as I feel very close to my T, and this might make our interaction even less cognitive (and I think we need to hold onto the cognitive to balance things out). And it kind of showed me his "power" over me (not sure that is the right word), that he could just speak a few sentences to me and there I was, ready to lay down everything.

[Rick61701]

Echoes,

My apologies for me being gone quite a bit. My business is very very busy.

I teach all of my clients, other then my smoking cessation clients, self hypnosis. Self Hypnosis is an ART... Just like any other art the more you use it the better you are at it. If you Believe you can achieve the same "level" alone as when with your being lead, and you practice alot, you will achieve it.

Rick