Techniques for Hypnotherapists

Posted on April 25, 2007 in Hypnosis by byronb

If you are a therapist, self hypnosis and hypnotherapy might go hand in hand when you are treating your patients.  They can be used with each other as complementary therapies and might help you to achieve greater success with your clients.One option is to have the patient learn self hypnosis prior to starting hypnotherapy.  While they could receive a tape or a CD to listen to at home, by teaching them the actual process without the assistance of recordings you can really empower them.

The theory behind that is if a client comes to you for help with one issue, say over eating, they can learn the process of self hypnosis.  That way, if in a few months or even a few years they decide to tackle another problem, maybe their smoking or drinking habit, they will not have to return to you, but instead will already have the skills that they need to fight the problem.You also want to get your patients to a place where they feel that they were the ones responsible for making the change.  That way they can rely on themselves instead of being codependent on a therapist.  With this thinking, they can take charge of their lives and tackle other goals and problems that they may be facing.

Of course, teaching self hypnosis in one session can be a bit of a challenge.  Here are a few suggestions:

• First, you might start out with Chevreul’s pendulum and explain the connection between the mind and our bodies.  That way, they understand the connection between imagining their bodies relaxing and their bodies actually doing so, as it is always an inevitable response.
• Next, you can do a short eyes closure induction and then a sway test while standing with your patient.  This should prove to them the connection between their mind and body, since they can feel the relaxation for themselves.
• Next, you can have the client sit down and do a short landscape induction.  This can help with the client’s imagination.  Afterwards, you can use the self change hypnosis induction and post hypnotic suggestions.

Afterwards, you can then encourage a patient to do the first element of the self-change hypnosis induction themselves, and you follow up with the rest of the steps.  This allows the patient to experience hypnosis for a second time in one session.  Lastly, you can do a third round of hypnosis where the patient does all of the self-change hypnosis induction and gives themselves post hypnotic suggestions.

By using the self change hypnosis technique, it is almost fool proof for the client to learn.  The easier it is for them to learn and remember, the more likely they will be to try it for themselves once they have left your office, and the more likely they will be to see results.
There may be some clients who have difficulties with the whole procedure, and for these clients multiple sessions may be required to master the technique.  Once learned, however, they can use it to tackle any problem or challenge that they may be facing.

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