What is Clinical Hypnosis
Clinical Hypnosis is a technique used to make health or behaviour changes on a subconscious level, resulting in changes in the conscious mind. This includes things like reducing anxiety and depression symptoms, or fears, habits to make or break, and many other types of goals. When we combine Clinical Hypnosis with traditional therapy techniques, it is called Hypnotherapy.
What Happens During a Typical Therapy Session
In a typical Hypnosis session, our counsellor will ask you several questions ahead of time to establish your goals and discover any sensitive issues to avoid. For example, if you have a fear of water your therapist will avoid using ocean imagery. You then choose whether you’d prefer to sit comfortably or lie down. A typical session begins with deep breathing to relax the body and the mind while your therapist guides you through a very pleasant and peaceful relaxation process. Once you are deeply relaxed your practitioner will use therapy techniques to influence your subconscious mind. Finally, once the therapy portion is complete, you will calmly and comfortably be brought back into a more active conscious state of normal awareness. After your session you will feel relaxed, comfortable, and completely ready to carry on with your day. Most describe the experience as wonderfully relaxing and energizing. Depending on the goal, many see excellent results in one session, while others take up to three before noticing the changes.
How Do I Know If Hypnosis is Right For Me?
Hypnosis is an excellent option for people who have struggled making changes on their own or who haven’t seen results with standard therapies. It is also ideal for a person seeking to reduce stress.
If you are a person who feels you need relaxation in addition to achieving your goal, Hypnosis may be ideal for you.
You may be an excellent candidate for Hypnosis if:
- You are looking to reduce anxiety (such as from a fear of flying, public speaking, nervousness at work, social or dating anxiety), particularly if you notice uncomfortable physical symptoms (sweating, heart pounding, tummy troubles) in addition to the psychological discomfort
- You need additional motivation or help achieving a goal (such as weight loss, increasing exercise, lifestyle changes, quitting smoking, or another goal)
- You want to sleep better
- You want to reduce general stress or stress related to something particular (work, dating, family, and more)
How Can I Use Hypnosis to Improve My Health?
We often say that Hypnosis is “good for what ails you”. While it is used for traditional issues such as eating more healthily and quitting smoking, it can also be used creatively for issues that don’t seem to have a straightforward answer. Individual concerns can be as varied and unique as our fingerprints! While these are often emotional or psychological issues (depression, anxiety, fears, mourning), Hypnosis is also very effective for physical issues such as reducing pain or other physical symptoms. A popular use is for “tummy troubles”: issues with bowel movements (diarrhea or constipation), discomfort, nausea, and more. Our team has successfully used Hypnosis to reach goals related to everything from public speaking to successfully touching an eye to put in contact lenses! The possibilities are endless.
Why is Lauren Berger MSW an exceptional Hypnosis practitioner?
As a counsellor and social worker Lauren has a special interest in Hypnosis and ensures that each client’s experience is completely tailored to him or her. Lauren has been using Hypnosis for personal issues since childhood and has been using it professionally for nearly ten years. In that time, Lauren has developed many ways to ensure a relaxing experience, as well as specialized imagery and tools to help you reach your individual goal.
“I’m very proud of the success my clients have experienced over the years. There is nothing “cookie cutter” about a Hypnosis session with me; my goal is to make it completely tailored to your needs to have the best result as quickly as possible. Our relaxing and comforting environment at the Integrative Health Institute compliments this tool perfectly.” Lauren Berger MSW
Is there anyone who should not be using Hypnosis?
Most people benefit from using Hypnosis to help reach their goals. The clients who feel enormously skeptical to the point of not truly engaging are the ones that would want to use a different approach. No one can be hypnotized against their will, and so if you do not wish to engage in the Hypnosis treatment, it will not be effective for you.
Is there any other information I can access?
Check out these two links to articles that discuss hypnosis:
CNN.com
Not just for TV: Hypnosis legit part of comprehensive treatment plan
http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/18/health/hypnosis-treatment/
The Huffington Post
5 Science-Backed Health Benefits of Hypnosis
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/02/hypnosis-health-benefits_n_5523210.html
Lauren Berger is a Registered Social Worker providing counselling and psychotherapy at IHI. Check her out at www.laurenberger.ca, drop her a line at lauren@laurenberger.ca, follow her on Twitter: @LaurenBergerMSW, or sneak a peek at her Instagram: laurenberger_msw.
