Clinical hypnosis refers to a specific state of awareness used to assist clients in reaching their goals or alleviating distress. It is one technique among many that can be helpful for some clients at certain points in therapy.
Many have heard of people using clinical hypnosis to stop smoking or deal with a phobia; however, it is also used to treat things like anxiety and stress. In other environments, such as medical practices or hospitals, it is used by doctors to treat things like headaches and as an alternative to chemical anesthesia.
There are some common misconceptions about this type of treatment, mainly due to confusion between clinical hypnosis and stage hypnotism for entertainment purposes. In clinical hypnosis, you don’t do or say things contrary to your personal values. You’re also not under the control of the therapist. In actuality, the therapist is there to help guide you in focusing your thinking and attention so that healing can take place.
For more information about clinical hypnosis, you can visit the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis (ASCH), through which I received my training.
I’m always happy to discuss how clinical hypnosis might be useful for both current and future clients. Please feel free to get in touch if you’d like to schedule some time to chat.