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Counselling, Psychotherapy and Hypnosis
‘Hypnotherapy’
is so well known these days that it is seen as something different
to psychotherapy
and counselling. In reality, hypnotherapy is simply psychotherapy
or counselling applied in and around the medium of hypnosis.
But it goes further than that. As you will know if you have read from
the start of this article, hypnosis occurs in all situations, not
just in hypnotherapy. It occurs in a conversation with a friend, the
doctor’s surgery, when playing sport, and in every single type
of therapy and counselling.
Therefore, if you are providing psychotherapy or counselling of any
kind, knowledge of hypnotherapy will help you be so much more effective
with your clients, and prevent you using ‘natural hypnosis’
in a negative way against your clients (albeit unknowingly).
Counselling and Psychotherapy Problems are Often 'Unconscious'
Problems such as panic attacks, phobias
and addictions are maintained in part by the unconscious mind. In
counselling and psychotherapy, people often say things like: ‘I
know it’s silly but I just can’t help it!’ (their
conscious mind).
The part of them that is ‘doing the problem’ is the unconscious
mind. To be effective in helping people, we therefore we need to create
change on the unconscious level – with hypnosis or hypnotic
language. If we attempt a cure purely on the conscious level we may
find we can’t actually change the experience.
Knowing why you have a problem can be interesting but it rarely changes
the experience. Phobics, for example, are more interested in getting
rid of the phobia than in speculative wanderings as to why they might
have it!
In this situation, we need to teach the unconscious mind other ways
of responding.
Problems can often be seen as attempted solutions that don’t
really work.
For example, if someone is shocked at school when a fellow pupil unexpectedly
vomits, their unconscious mind may try to keep them away from what
is perceived as a dangerous situation by making them scared, or even
terrified of vomit. They may then start to avoid any situation where
it might happen – a phobia!
Here, the unconscious mind is trying to be helpful but needs to be
taught a more flexible approach. This can be done through the skilled
use of hypnotherapy.
When you start to see how hypnosis operates in your own life then
start to use it in a directed fashion you will begin to notice the
benefits. From overcoming fears and old ‘learnt limitations’
to controlling pain and creating more energy, hypnosis is a way to
really thrive, develop and enjoy your life.
If you currently practise counselling or psychotherapy and would like
you know a little more about hypnosis, you might like to check out
the following:
Hypnosis
Workshop (UK) and Hypnotherapy
Diploma Course (UK)
If you want to learn more about self hypnosis, see our free course
at Hypnosis
Downloads.com
We hope you've enjoyed this article. If you have any comments, or
suggestions for additions to the article, please email us here.
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