5 Uses for Hypnosis

5 Uses for Hypnosis

Hypnosis has existed, in one form or another, as long as records have been kept, according to the American Society for Clinical Hypnosis (ASCH). Modern clinical hypnotherapy dates back to the late 1700s, and its use as a reliable therapy has dramatically increased since 1958.

What Is the Training for a Hypnotherapist?

For many people, hypnotherapy may require a leap of faith or, better yet, understanding more about their hypnotherapist’s training and approach to helping them. While there are no accredited universities or colleges that offer official hypnotherapy programs, professionals in the healthcare field find a way to learn this increasingly popular therapeutic method to add it to their training roster.

Health professionals who train in hypnotherapy include psychologists, dentists, physicians, social workers, masters prepared nurses, and family and marital therapists.

5 Uses for Hypnosis

The range of uses for hypnotherapy is broad and varied, touching on physical, psychological and mental health conditions. From chronic pain or depression to acute and sudden illness, health professionals frequently recommend hypnosis to treat patients or clients.

It may help anyone considering hypnosis to take a more in-depth look at the following 5 uses for hypnosis:

1. A Treatment for Fears and Phobias

A phobia is an unreasonable or irrational fear of just about anything imaginable. People struggle with these issues every day; often paralyzed with this overwhelming fear. Common fears that grip phobia sufferers include spiders or arachnophobia, enclosed spaces or claustrophobia, snakes, heights, the fear of flying, and the fear of leaving home, which is called agoraphobia.

Hypnotherapists work with patients, while therapeutically hypnotized, to trace possible reasons for their fears and work to find ways to resolve them.

2. Smoking Cessation

Smokers who are finally ready to quit smoking, once and for all, often need reinforcements. The CDC notes that quitting smoking usually takes multiple attempts, regardless of how committed the smoker is to cessation, before finally giving up cigarettes and nicotine completely. A healthcare professional who uses hypnotherapy may help their client by creating a relaxing atmosphere while working to understand the stress factors in the client’s life that cause them to return to smoking when they consciously want to stop.

3. A Weight Loss Tool

People who struggle with weight loss sometimes feel like their lives are out of control when it comes to food. A qualified hypnotherapist can help clients learn more about their relationship with food and why the compulsion is so strong, in spite of their desire to develop a healthy perspective about food.

4. A Confidence Booster

Many people suffer from low self-confidence and often need objective assistance in making improvements. Sometimes it takes a dramatic life change, such as the need to interview for a new job or pursue a new life partner, to inspire someone to boost their self-confidence. A qualified hypnotherapist can help clients tap into their best qualities and properly acknowledge them.

5. Anesthesiology for Surgery

Surgeons sometimes employ hypnotherapists to supplement anesthesia. In some rare cases, hypnotherapy has been used as the only anesthetic during a surgical procedure, according to the ASCH. Surgeons have used hypnosis in procedures such as gall bladder removal, amputation, cesarean, and hysterectomy. Patients with allergies and sensitivities to chemicals in anesthesia can still have life-saving and health-improving surgeries that might not have been possible without hypnosis.

Hypnosis Can Change People’s Lives for the Better

When searching for a qualified professional who practices hypnosis, and by having trust in the therapy, patients can see vast improvements in their heath and everyday lives.