Hypnotherapy for Better Health: The Power of Your Mind for Transformation

Hearing the word hypnosis might conjure mental images of a Las Vegas magician swinging a pocket watch, syrupy voice murmuring “you are getting sleepy” before making their participant start quacking like a duck.

It can be a fun parlour trick to witness while on vacation, but hypnosis is not a form of mind control. No one can actually make you start to quack. 

Hypnotherapy, which uses hypnosis, is a form of mind-body therapeutic modality and is usually guided by a professional. Even though the guide helps lead you through the experience, you are still in the driver’s seat. 

Before you’re ever hypnotized, your therapist will sit down with you and discuss your goals to create a client-centred plan that you are both happy with.

What is Hypnosis for Hypnotherapy?

Robin Popowich is a registered clinical hypnotherapist with ARCH. She explained that hypnosis is a form of deep relaxation where your brain waves slow to the state just before you fall asleep or wake up. 

Although your brain waves are close to the sleep stage during hypnosis, it’s important to note that you are not unconscious. While some people may go too deep into relaxation where they stop responding to their therapist’s prompts during hypnosis, a professional hypnotherapist is trained on how to maintain a “productive” state of mind conducive to this type of therapeutic approach.

There is no way to describe how it feels to be hypnotized, Popowich told me. “Can you describe how it feels to sleep?” she asked. When I struggled to come up with an answer, she continued that the only commonality people experience is feeling relaxed.

Not sure where to go for mental health support? Read The Health Insider’s article: Mental Health Resources across Canada

What Can Hypnosis Help Me With?

Hypnotherapy is promoted to address a wide variety of issues from ADHD symptom management to trauma relief. 

ARCH, the accrediting registry for qualified therapists, lists concerns you can bring to a hypnotherapist:

Hypnotherapists specialize in certain issues, so it’s essential to find one with expertise in your area of need. ARCH includes the specialization of each therapist on their mini profile. You can search by need to ensure you’re seeing one who is appropriate for your health issue(s).

People with severe mental illness should be cautious about trying hypnosis, especially if they experience hallucinations or delusions, according to Cleveland Clinic.

Insider Tip: Clinical Hypnotherapy may be included in your workplace benefits plan under “Health & Wellness Spending Account” or health insurance plan under “Alternative Medicine”. Talk to your insurance provider for details.

Beware: Unregulated Industry

Hypnotherapy is an unregulated industry in Canada. Anyone throughout the country can take a quick hour long online course and call themselves a hypnotherapist. Popowich said most groups of hypnotherapists don’t even require a criminal background check.

ARCH has the highest regulations for association and has low fees for therapists to join. If the therapist isn’t registered with ARCH, Popowich suggests asking why not.

It’s always a good idea to read reviews of the therapist’s practice and double check their accreditation closely to ensure you have a qualified, capable, and trustworthy individual treating you. 

Again, your hypnotherapist cannot make you do anything you don’t want to while under hypnosis, but a bad experience can make you trust other therapists less.

Self Hypnosis

Myth: Not everyone can be hypnotized.
Truth: Some people are more susceptible to hypnotic suggestions than others and may experience a deeper state of relaxation than others. Nerves can get in the way of relaxation and make it harder to experience the benefits. Avoiding caffeine before your session might help you relax.

If you’re uncomfortable with the idea of someone else hypnotizing you, self-hypnosis is a safe alternative, “even when done by inexperienced people. There are no reported cases of harm resulting from self-hypnosis,” wrote HealthLink BC. Be aware of your surroundings before starting self-hypnosis.

During self-hypnosis, you can make suggestions or set intentions for yourself, or you can use audio as a guide.

Achieving a trance-state is easier than you might think. If you’ve ever done something with such ease that you don’t remember doing it, you may have experienced what is often referred to as a trance. 

Think about walking to work and realizing you’ve arrived without much time passing. A trance is simply “a state of being so deeply absorbed in something as to be unaware of one’s surroundings.”

Taking Advantage of the Brain

There are many theories as to why we dream, but one popular theory is that dreams allow us to process emotions and events we’ve experienced. “It’s not an accident that in hypnosis one of the signs we look for is rapid eye movement,” Popowich said.

With hypnotherapy the belief is that the dreams are being more successfully and productively created and processed by one’s own imagination, as a result of the added guidance of the therapist. “So, we’re taking advantage of what the brain naturally does,” she said.

The process of imagination has been well-studied and researchers have found that while the mind can tell your brain what is real and what is fiction, your brain cannot tell the difference on its own. 

During hypnosis, the part of the mind that would normally tell you what is real and what isn’t is quiet. “We can have our clients imagine things. We can have them imagine things the way they wanted them to go, imagine them changing their past experiences,” Popowich said. Your brain acts like what you imagined really happened.

Your brain now thinks it has accomplished the task you set out to achieve, and doing it in real life should logically become easier. 

Hypnotherapy may or may not be right for you and your goals. Either way, if you do pursue hypnotherapy, remember that your health matters and it’s important to find the right health care professional with whom you feel comfortable and whom you trust.

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The information provided on TheHealthInsider.ca is for educational purposes only and does not substitute for professional medical advice. TheHealthInsider.ca advises consulting a medical professional or healthcare provider when seeking medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment.