Benefits of Hypnotherapy
By Harold L. Burke, Ph.D.
Hypnosis, hypnotherapy, clinical hypnosis, medical hypnosis
Hypnosis is a technique that may help an individual to enter an extremely relaxed but focused state. This state is usually altered from what the individual was in prior to the hypnotic induction, but it is a very natural and common state in our lives. For example, have you ever been driving for a long period on a fairly monotonous highway only to realize that you had missed your exit and could not really remember the last 5-10 minutes? You were actually in an altered state. You were still able to drive the car but were not fully processing information at a conscious level. As another example, recall the last time you were sitting quietly and enjoying a fireplace only to realize that 20 minutes later you had lost track of time and had not really thought about anything. Your mind seems to have “been elsewhere.” This relaxed and dreamy condition was also an altered state in which time seemed to pass without conscious awareness.
Such a hypnotic state has several advantages in the context of medical treatment. First, the relaxation itself may be therapeutic especially if symptoms of anxiety or stress are present. Second, such a state gets the conscious mind “out of the way” in a certain sense so that subconscious processes of healing can occur. That is, sometimes an individual’s conscious mind with all of its preconceptions, worries, and doubts gets in the way and prevents the individual from clearly “seeing” the solution to problems. At other times the conscious mind may actually prevent the body from utilizing its amazing control mechanisms to re-establish balance. At still other times, an individual’s preoccupied mind may have “forgotten” successful strategies used in the past. Hypnosis can assist the individual in recalling and reinstituting such strategies for current problems.
A particularly vivid example of the use of medical hypnosis is during medical procedures (e.g., surgery, child birth) that would usually be very painful. Many patients have experienced the amazing absence of pain during such procedures with hypnosis as the primary anesthesia. In many cases, there is also less bleeding and faster healing when hypnosis is used. These examples speak volumes about the miracle that is the human body (including the nervous system) and the intimate connection between mind and body. In fact, they really demonstrate that we really cannot separate mind from body.
We do not fully understand how hypnosis works, but we do know that it can be very effective for treating a number of symptoms and for assisting individuals in living more productive, happier lives. It is a well-proven technique accepted by the American Medical Association, the American Psychological Association, and the American Psychiatric Association. However, it is strongly recommended that you see a licensed mental health practitioner if you are interested in hypnotherapy. Please be careful about seeing lay hypnotists without licenses. Most of them have had no or very little formal medical/psychological education and training and are simply not qualified or competent to diagnose or treat mental illnesses or medical conditions. At times, they may be able to assist some individual in achieving certain goals; but they are not able to place hypnosis in the proper medical context as can licensed mental health practitioners (e.g., clinical psychologists, physicians). For example, you may request hypnosis to improve your sleep. A lay hypnotist may assume incorrectly that you cannot sleep because you are anxious, and she/he will proceed on that basis. However, if your insomnia is actually a symptom of a major depressive episode, she/he will probably not be very effective in relieving your insomnia and will have completely missed your primary problem—depression. It should be added that the distinction between anxiety and depression is not always an obvious one, and many patients simply do not readily admit to being depressed.
Is hypnosis “mind-control,” and can it be used to “make” someone do something against her/his will?
Hypnosis is not “mind-control,” and it cannot be used to “make” someone do something against her/his will. It is even doubtful that someone can even be hypnotized against his/her will. This has been repeatedly demonstrated. Medical hypnosis or hypnotherapy is conducted within the context of a therapeutic alliance in which both the client and the doctor have clearly agreed upon the symptoms to be treated and the treatment modalities. During the hypnotic induction, the client clearly hears what is being said and processes that information at several different levels. Even if the clinician were to suggest something against the client’s values or wishes, the client simply would not cooperate. Furthermore, a doctor may sometimes request yes-no responses during the hypnotic state. However, she/he will almost always give the client the opportunity to respond with a signal indicating, “I do not wish to respond.” Please do not confuse medical hypnosis or hypnotherapy with theatrical (entertainment) hypnosis. Hypnotized individuals in those settings clearly wish to be “allowed” the opportunity to be less inhibited, exhibitionistic, or in some cases “sexy.” Also, please do not let Hollywood’s portrayal of hypnosis in movies color your understanding of medical hypnosis or hypnotherapy.
PLEASE NOTE: At this time, the Hypnotherapy service is unavailable. Please see here for our other services.
At the Brain Therapy Center, Dr. Harold Burke is fully qualified to utilize hypnotherapy to treat symptoms and medical conditions. He received postdoctoral-level training in hypnotherapy from Dr. Eleanor Field (a leading practitioner, consultant, and trainer of doctors in the applications of hypnosis to medical practice) and Dr. Ernest Rossi (an internationally-recognized clinician, author, and leader in the field of hypnosis). Dr. Burke has utilized hypnotherapy at the Brain Therapy Center, at pain-management clinics, and in operating rooms.
Tel: +1-805-449-8777