Hypnotherapy Therapy: What to Expect

Knowing what to expect when trying a new holistic treatment like hypnotherapy, it can be helpful in preparing you for the experience. One way to do this is to learn about what hypnotherapy treatment is like. There are three aspects of what you can look forward to experiencing hypnotherapy treatment - what happens before your first visit, on your first visit, and what happens on all the further occurring hypnotherapy treatment sessions.

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Before the First Treatment

Before your first hypnotherapy session, you will find yourself on the path to finding the right hypnotherapist for you. There are a few different types of hypnotherapy, so before you experience your first session of hypnotherapy, here are three questions to ask yourself:

  1. Why do I need or want to try hypnotherapy?

  2. What would I like to achieve by going through hypnotherapy treatment?

  3. What type of hypnotherapy do I feel most comfortable doing?

Once you have chosen a hypnotherapist and set your first appointment with them, you will probably find yourself asking now what? What will happen during my first hypnotherapy session?

First Treatment

During the first hypnotherapy treatment, a few different things will occur:

  • Questions: Any questions you have about hypnotherapy, hypnosis, and the hypnotherapist - This will be a great time to ask and get your answers.

  • Overview: You may find that your hypnotherapist will spend some time explaining how hypnotherapy works and how it impacts the brain.

  • Goals: Your goals and why you are seeking hypnotherapy will be discussed.

  • Values: Your values may be something that the hypnotherapist asks you about to further understand your needs.

  • Health history: Depending on the type of hypnotherapist, your health history may be used to gain an understanding of not only your needs but how hypnotherapy may best serve you.

  • Past history: Your past is also important. What you may have gone through emotionally, mentally, physically. The more information you wish to give the hypnotherapist, the easier it will be for them to develop a treatment plan that not only meets your needs but also takes into consideration your personal past and personality.

  • Hypnotizability: Each person has a different level of hypnotizability. It is one of the mechanics of hypnotherapy and how it works. The hypnotherapist will likely assess your personal level of hypnotizability.

All of these elements together in your first session of hypnotherapy will help the hypnotherapist to create and structure a treatment plan that meets your goals for wellness while also considering your past, personality, and hypnotizability level.

It is also a time for you to evaluate how you feel around the environment of the hypnotherapist office, as well as if you feel and see a rapport building between yourself and the hypnotherapist. This is important because of how a person's level of hypnotizability plays in how hypnotherapy works, so does rapport. The hypnotherapist will also be evaluating and looking for a sense of rapport building.

You are in Control

You are in control. That?s right. In a hypnotherapy session whether it be the first or the 10th session. You are in control. A hypnotherapist cannot control your mind. The hypnotherapist is a guide and a facilitator of a treatment process. But you are always in control of yourself (Insert em dash) mentally and physically.

Follow Up Hypnotherapy Sessions

As you go through you follow up hypnotherapy treatments to meet your goals - no matter if it for depression, smoking, PTSD, sleep or something else, you will no longer need to do the interview process, or provide a health history as you did during the first hypnotherapy session. As you continue hypnotherapy treatment you will find yourself getting closer and closer to the goals you set out to achieve in your first session.

Wondering exactly what happens in a hypnotherapy session?

3 Parts of a Hypnotherapy Session

There are three parts to a hypnotherapy session:

  1. Induction: In the first part of hypnotherapy the person undergoing hypnotherapy treatment is lead into a state of hypnosis. Being in a state of hypnosis feels calm and relaxed.

  2. Session: In the second part of a hypnotherapy session, the person choosing hypnotherapy will hear direct, indirect, or storytelling type suggestions to help them achieve their goals.

  3. Transition out of Hypnosis: In the third part of a hypnotherapy session, the person in a state of hypnosis is slowly transitioned out of the relaxed and calm essence of hypnosis.

Hypnotherapy and Five FAQ

Wait, what about frequently asked questions when it comes to what you can expect during hypnotherapy treatment? From what to expect to pay for hypnotherapy, how long a hypnotherapy session is, and how many sessions you will need, read more: 5 FAQ Hypnotherapy Sessions and Expectations

Hypnotherapy: What to Expect YouTube Videos

Here are four videos on what to expect during a hypnotherapy session:

  1. What happens during a typical hypnosis appointment?

Watch the video 

  1. What to Expect from Hypnosis/Hypnotherapy

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  1. What to Expect In Your First Hypnotherapy Session

Watch the video

More Information

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

References

Jensen, M. P., Adachi, T., Tome-Pires, C., Lee, J., Osman, Z. J., & Miro, J. (2015). Mechanisms of hypnosis: toward the development of a biopsychosocial model. The International journal of clinical and experimental hypnosis, 63(1), 34-75. Retrieved January 7, 2019, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4220267/

Vickers, A., Zollman, C., & Payne, D. K. (2001). Hypnosis and relaxation therapies. The Western journal of medicine, 175(4), 269-72. Retrieved January 7, 2018, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1071579/