Sometimes I answer questions on the social website Quora.com. In one of the discussions someone essentially asked “why is hypnosis different from therapy?” They essentially were challenging the idea that hypnosis doesn’t help anyone, and plain old talk therapy would be just as good. So I thought it was a great question, and I wanted to share my answer here on the bog because I think it could really clarify a question lots of people have.
It is true that hypnosis never cured anyone of anything. The fix comes from solid therapeutic strategies, the same as traditional talk therapy. The difference is that hypnosis allows the therapy to progress at a dramatically increased pace.
It is true that hypnosis never cured anyone of anything.
As an example from my practice; people with depression often have trouble with the skill of compartmentalizing their thoughts. They allow work thoughts to intrude when they are trying to sleep and they let past events come to mind when they are planning their future. So I could talk with them each week about the importance of compartmentalizing thoughts. But while I’m talking they are analyzing what I’m saying, and thinking of reasons why it won’t work and embarrassed that they have to see a therapist, and did they put the trash out this morning. But after a few weeks at one session, they will be focused and the stars will align and they will be focused and really hear and learn the principle of compartmentalization. And then progress is made.
In contrast, if a client agrees to hypnotherapy, I can jump right in to images of putting our problems in a glass case and telling stories that engage the imagination and creative thinking that are all designed to suggest and illustrate the concept of compartmentalization. The next week they come back, and they may not even know why but intrusive thoughts no longer bother them. There is an automaticity to this skill that lets us move on to the next step of treatment right away.
If you found this interesting, check out another post where I discuss some of the research that has been done on hypnosis
