In the world of mental health and therapeutic practices, labels can be limiting. It’s easy to dismiss a hypnotherapist as someone who simply induces relaxation or facilitates a deep trance. But the reality is much more complex. I’ve spent years studying and applying an array of therapeutic techniques and have encountered a prevalent, yet misguided notion: the idea that hypnotherapists are “just hypnotherapists” and should defer to psychologists or counsellors when dealing with serious issues like childhood trauma or Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD).
This blog is not just a defence of hypnotherapy but a clarion call to recognize the depth, breadth, and efficacy of the practice, especially when integrated with modern trauma-informed approaches.
Beyond the Stereotypes: The True Scope of Hypnotherapy
Hypnotherapy has long been pigeonholed as a supplementary technique, often perceived as less effective or less scientific than traditional psychotherapy. This perception is not only outdated but does a disservice to the many clients who have experienced profound healing through hypnosis. Modern hypnotherapy is far more than simply guiding someone into a state of relaxation. It is a sophisticated tool that can access the subconscious mind (a model of the mind but one that most understand, I’ll explain in another blog!), enabling clients to process and heal deep-seated trauma, rewire maladaptive emotional responses, and unlock new ways of thinking and being.
The Neuroscience of Hypnosis
Hypnotherapy is grounded in the understanding of how the brain works. Over the past 40 years, advancements in neuroscience have deepened our understanding of the brain’s plasticity and how experiences, particularly traumatic ones, shape neural pathways. Hypnotherapy, by accessing non-ordinary states of consciousness, allows us to work directly with these pathways. This isn’t pseudoscience; it’s the application of well-established principles of neuroplasticity, where the brain’s capacity to reorganize itself can be harnessed to foster healing and change.
Trauma and the Nervous System
In the case of trauma, particularly complex trauma (CPTSD), the nervous system becomes dysregulated. This dysregulation can manifest in a host of emotional and physical symptoms, from anxiety and depression to chronic pain and autoimmune disorders. Hypnotherapists, especially those of us who have studied the works of pioneers like Bessel van der Kolk, Ruth Lanius, and Gabor Maté, understand the intricate relationship between trauma and the body. We are trained to recognize how trauma resides not just in the mind, but in the body itself, and how crucial it is to engage both in the healing process.
Hypnosis offers a unique pathway to engage the nervous system directly, bypassing the logical, analytical mind to facilitate profound shifts. This is achieved through a bottom-up approach rather than a top-down method, which is commonly employed in traditional talk therapies.
In a top-down approach, therapy typically begins with the conscious mind. It involves cognitive processes like reasoning, analysing, and verbal discussion to address and reframe thoughts and behaviours. This method relies heavily on the client’s ability to consciously process and work through their issues, which can be effective for some but may fall short when dealing with deep-seated trauma or emotional responses that are not easily accessed or altered through logic alone.
In contrast, a bottom-up approach starts with the body and the emotional centres of the brain, particularly those areas that are responsible for our survival instincts and emotional reactions. This approach acknowledges that many of our responses to trauma and stress are stored in the subconscious mind and the body—areas not easily reached by conscious thought alone. Hypnosis works by accessing these deeper layers of the mind and body, directly influencing the autonomic nervous system, which governs our fight, flight, or freeze responses.
By engaging the subconscious mind and the body first, hypnotherapy can initiate change at the foundational level where trauma and emotional responses are stored. This method allows for the processing of traumatic memories, the release of pent-up emotions, and the re-patterning of automatic responses, which are often impervious to cognitive strategies. Therefore hypnotherapy is particularly effective for conditions like PTSD, phobias, and deeply ingrained habits or beliefs.
The benefit of a bottom-up approach is that it aligns with how the brain naturally processes and responds to trauma. Traumatic experiences are often stored in the implicit memory systems—those that operate outside of our conscious awareness. By working from the bottom up, hypnotherapy taps into these implicit memories, allowing clients to process and heal from trauma in a way that feels safe and non-threatening. This can lead to profound shifts in how individuals perceive themselves and their world, often resulting in long-lasting change that might be difficult to achieve through traditional top-down approaches alone.
In essence, the bottom-up approach of hypnotherapy complements and often enhances the therapeutic process by addressing the roots of emotional and physiological dysregulation, providing a more holistic and effective path to healing.
The Integration of Modern Therapeutic Approaches
Hypnotherapists are not confined to the tools and techniques of hypnosis alone. Many of us have extensively studied other modalities and modern approaches to therapy, often outpacing traditional educational curricula. Take, for instance, the ground-breaking work of Pat Ogden in sensorimotor psychotherapy or Daniel Siegel’s contributions to interpersonal neurobiology. These approaches emphasize the importance of the body-mind connection and the role of the nervous system in emotional regulation—principles that align seamlessly with hypnotherapeutic practice.
Moreover, the works of pioneers like Francine Shapiro, who developed Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and the somatic experiencing techniques pioneered by Peter Levine, have expanded our toolkit as hypnotherapists. These approaches underscore the importance of non-cognitive, experiential processes in healing trauma—something hypnotherapy is uniquely equipped to facilitate.
The Power of Non-Ordinary States of Consciousness
One of the most compelling aspects of hypnotherapy is its ability to facilitate non-ordinary states of consciousness (NOSC). These states, often misunderstood or overlooked by traditional therapists, are crucial for accessing the subconscious mind, where much of our trauma and maladaptive patterns reside.
In traditional talk therapy, clients may struggle to access deep-seated emotions or memories due to the protective barriers of the conscious mind. Hypnosis, however, can bypass these barriers, allowing for a more direct and potent therapeutic experience. This isn’t about taking shortcuts; it’s about working smarter, not harder, by engaging the client’s mind at a level where real change is possible.
Challenging the Status Quo: A Personal Encounter
I recall attending the World Congress on Complex Trauma, eager to exchange ideas with leading experts in the field. However, I quickly noticed the subtle (and sometimes not-so-subtle) disdain directed at hypnotherapists by some psychiatrists and psychologists. It wasn’t until I began discussing topics like epigenetics, the impact of early life experiences on the nervous system, and the long-term effects of abandonment that attitudes began to shift.
Suddenly, the conversation became more collegial, more respectful. It was a clear reminder that the divide between hypnotherapy and other therapeutic disciplines is often based on ignorance, not evidence. When these professionals realized that my understanding of trauma, neurobiology, and therapeutic techniques was as deep as theirs—if not deeper—they began to see hypnotherapy in a new light.
The Depth of Our Training and Expertise
It’s crucial to address the misconception that hypnotherapists are less trained or less knowledgeable than their counterparts in other therapeutic fields. While it’s true that the standard training for hypnotherapists can vary, many of us go far beyond the basic certification. We immerse ourselves in the latest research, continually updating our knowledge to stay at the forefront of therapeutic practice.
For example, I have personally studied in-depth how trauma dysregulates the nervous system, the role of attachment in psychological development, and even the effects of medications like SSRIs on conditions such as Post-SSRI Sexual Dysfunction (PSSD). This is not surface-level knowledge; it’s a deep, nuanced understanding that I bring to my practice every day.
More Than “Just” Hypnotherapists
Hypnotherapists are far more than the narrow definition the term might suggest. We are skilled professionals with a deep understanding of the human mind, body, and the intricate interplay between the two. We are well-versed in modern therapeutic approaches and neuroscience, equipped to handle complex cases, including those involving severe trauma and CPTSD.
The next time someone says, “This isn’t a job for a hypnotherapist,” I encourage them to reconsider. Hypnotherapy, when practiced with expertise, is not just a viable option—it’s often the key to unlocking profound, lasting change. Let’s move beyond the labels and recognize hypnotherapy for what it truly is: a powerful, science-based approach to healing that deserves its place alongside other therapeutic modalities.
In the end, we are not “just hypnotherapists.” We are dedicated, knowledgeable professionals who facilitate deep, transformative healing in ways that standard counselling or psychotherapy often cannot. It’s time the world recognized that.
