Have you heard of hypnotherapy and the many ways it can help you gain the ability to enhance your overall health? Want to sleep better? Hypnotherapy can help. Want to lose weight? Hypnotherapy can help. Have anxiety, depression, or IBS? Hypnotherapy can help. But wait, why when you go to look for hypnotherapy treatment on the internet is hypnosis coming up? Are they the same thing? Or are they different?

In this article. We will be answering the question: What is the difference between hypnosis and hypnotherapy?

The Difference Between Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy

Hypnosis and hypnotherapy are not synonyms. The two terms do not carry the same definition. Although it is very important to point out that hypnotherapy and hypnosis are connected and related to each other.

Want to know exactly how hypnosis and hypnotherapy are connected, and what each word means?

Definition of Hypnotherapy and Hypnosis

Here is the definition of both hypnotherapy and hypnosis:

  • Hypnotherapy: Hypnotherapy is a holistic treatment provided by practitioners with specialized training and certification for treating people with hypnotherapy. According to a study published in the Western Journal of Medicine, hypnotherapy can be a good adjacent therapy alongside psychotherapy because it can lead to an increase in psychological insight and wellbeing.

  • Hypnosis: When the NIH aims to provide a definition of hypnosis, it provides the following definition through the words of Dr. Spiegel hypnosis is, ". . . a state of aroused, attentive, focal concentration with diminished peripheral awareness".

Essentially, hypnotherapy is a treatment option while hypnosis is the state of being that enables hypnotherapy to be beneficial for many conditions and wellness needs - one cannot exist without the other. Hypnotherapy and hypnosis may not carry the same definition and have different overall roles, however, the two terms are interlinked.

Hypnotherapy VS. Hypnosis a Quick Comparison

Wanting a quick comparison of Hypnotherapy compared to the hypnosis? Check out this chart below:

Hypnotherapy

What is it?
A form of therapy.

Effects:
Hypnotherapy has been shown to have long-term positive effects on PTSD, depression, and even the ability to stop smoking.

Qualifications:
Hypnotherapy is regulated by most states and certification and training is needed to provide such treatment to others.

Hypnosis

What is it?
A state of mind as a result of hypnotherapy.

Effects:
Hypnosis is not a state of mind that lasts long-term. At the end of a hypnotherapy session, and the state of hypnosis has ended, so does its effects.

Qualifications:
Hypnosis being a state of mind does not require any qualifications. Similar to meditation, you can learn self-hypnosis.

Wanting to Give Hypnotherapy a Try?

If you find yourself wanting to give hypnotherapy a try or wanting to know more about it: visit the Heal.me network of practitioners to find the closest hypnotherapist near you.

More Information

Want more information on hypnotherapy? Check out these other resources:

References

Hypnosis for Medical Purposes. (2016, March 22). Retrieved January 3, 2019, from https://nccih.nih.gov/research/blog/hypnosis-for-medical-purposes

Vickers, A., Zollman, C., & Payne, D. K. (2001). Hypnosis and relaxation therapies. The Western journal of medicine, 175(4), 269-72.Retrieved January 3, 2019, fromhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1071579/