Does hypnotherapy work?

Often (understandably) people ask me; “Does hypnotherapy work?”. What can I say, except, ‘Yes’, and for some, that’s enough. But I can hear others thinking, ‘Well, she would say that, wouldn’t she?’

So don’t just take my word for it. The good news is that there is a lot out there and new evidence coming out all the time.

Hypnotherapy and science

David Spiegel, a professor of medicine at Stanford University, won a prestigious award for his research into stress and health. He is a long-standing champion of hypnosis as a valid technique to help in a variety of clinical and medical conditions.

Professor Speigal has used brain scans to show that the brains of hypnotised people respond differently to the brains of people who are not hypnotised. For example, people were asked to look at a coloured image and imagine it in black and white. Those who were pretending still used the colour-processing part of their brains. People who were hypnotised to see the image in black and white seem to actually see it that way. The colour-processing part of their brain stays inactive.

And an experiment in the UK on hypnotic pain control shows similar changes in brain function in hypnosis. Have a look at this video.

Interviewed by The Stanford Daily, Professor Speigal explained his views about hypnosis:

“There are people who think hypnosis is just a bunch of mumbo-jumbo, and it isn’t. It’s the oldest Western conception of psychotherapy. My main way of dealing with it is knowing that to advance medical care you need facts, not opinions. My way of standing up to it is to do the research, publish it in mainstream journals and let people read the work and decide if we have enough evidence to support our claims.”

You can also download this free ebook on 101 proofs that hypnosis works. It is written by Dr Richard Nongard of Subliminal Science and used here with permission. Skip through the ads for his hypnosis training to find the studies.

 

What does hypnotherapy work for?

I use hypnotherapy to help people with a wide variety of presenting issues. Those who want to quit smoking, reduce fears, phobias and anxiety, stop unwanted habits, and more.

Professor Spiegel thinks there is a bright future for hypnosis. He said he would like to see:

“people use [hypnotherapy] as a regular technique to help them focus better, think better and manage stressors better. I use it as a therapeutic tool, but a lot of what I teach patients virtually anybody can learn.

[hypnotherapy] used as a teaching and learning technique that most people know how to do“

And also:

I think there’s a lot we learn from helping people manage pain and anxiety and focus their attention. I’d like to see it not as just some weird historical footnote but as a standard technique.”

What do I think?

I really like Professor Spiegel’s emphasis on hypnosis being something that anyone can learn. I’ve said this elsewhere on this site … hypnosis is not something I ‘do to you’ but something you learn to do for yourself. It’s not mind control or a series of ‘off-the-shelf’ solutions, but a way of helping you find the right way forward for you.

And Professor Spiegel is right, it is easy! So please contact me for an appointment if you want to try it for yourself.