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Hypnosis has a very long history, and its general perception has evolved over time. Nowadays, hypnosis is in the process of recovering its credentials, even if it is still often associated with an imaginary of films and comedy stage ("I want you to sleep"). It is thus increasingly used in the medical environment (for example in anesthesia or chronic pain relief), and its therapeutic application is now recognized and its effects studied by neurosciences (more than 15,000 articles published on Pubmed, the reference site for medical research).
But what is hypnosis?
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Hypnosis has many definitions, but it is generally defined as an altered state of consciousness, sometimes called a trance. But more generally, it is a natural state that we experience through different forms many times a day without realizing it: when daydreaming, when captivated by a great book or movie, when listening to music you like, when you drive a few kilometers without thinking about it, when you admire a beautiful landscape, etc...
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Understand everything about hypnosis
David Badower, hypnotherapist in Sarajevo and online
Hypnosis as a therapeutic tool​
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Advances in neuroscience and psychology have highlighted the fact that automatic behaviors and emotions are central to our interpretation of the outside world and our cognitive decision-making (see, for example, the books Descartes' Error by Antonio Damasio or Thinking Fast and slow by Daniel Kahneman). According to some researchers, even 90% of our brain activity is unconscious.
The hypnotic trance, by slowing down the frequency of brain waves and refocusing attention, is a way to access these unconscious mechanisms. It allows us to navigate, to learn and to promote change by creating new paths. Indeed, the human brain has a hard time distinguishing between what imagination and reality, so by deepening the ability to imagine, the hypnotic state also allows one to change perspectives and to project oneself into new behaviors, abilities or perceptions.
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"You use hypnosis not as a cure, but as a means of establishing a favorable climate in which to learn."
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Milton H. Erickson
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Then, what is Ericksonian hypnosis? ​
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Ericksonian hypnosis simply means the approach is inspired by Milton Erickson (1901-1980) , considered as one of the greatest therapists of the last century and founding father of modern hypnosis. According to Erickson, the unconscious mind is a benevolent force. Thus, each person has within them the resources to face their sufferings and solve their problems, and this without necessarily the conscious mind being involved. He has also been a strong influence for many types of therapies (strategic family therapies for example) as well as for NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) which is often used in coaching.
In a few words, Ericksonian hypnosis as a therapeutic tool is:
- Brief, solution-oriented therapy , where the focus is on the How (how to get better) rather than the Why.
- A co-creation with the client , which implies flexibility and an adaptation of the practitioner to the character of each person.
- A non-directive approach , with the use of indirect suggestions and metaphors rather than direct orders, which makes it possible to find a way towards the unconscious minds of each one and to overcome the resistance of the conscious mind.
Be aware that this does not mean that you are passive: hypnosis as I practice it is an active process, which often generates emotion and requires commitment and movement. And often surprise. So you can do hypnosis sitting or standing, with your eyes open or closed, diving inside yourself or traveling through space and time.
FAQs
After this introduction, there are probably some additional questions you have, whether you've experienced hypnosis before or are thinking of trying. Below are some answers to these questions.
Do not hesitate to contact me if you ever wish to discuss it.
Can anyone be hypnotized?
As explained above, hypnosis is a natural state. Simply, each person can reach this state at their own pace, so some may be "in a trance" quickly and deeply while others will need to take a different path to achieve the same effects. It is one of the strengths of ericksonian hypnosis as it adapts to the needs of the person to achieve the goals, rather than applying a rigid process.
Will I lose control? What are the risks of hypnosis?
You do not lose control but instead live and participate in a dream-like experience in which you are active. During this, the hypnotist acts as a guide who sheds light on certain aspects.
Moreover, there is no risk of getting stuck in hypnosis. There are also no adverse effects as long as it is done carefully and ethically.
Can you hypnotize yourself?
For most professionals, hypnosis actually consists of helping people self-hypnotize by directing their attention to their environment, their own sensations. Moreover, it is common for training in self-hypnosis to be an important part of the work carried out during the session.
What are the limits of therapeutic hypnosis?
Hypnosis is generally not recommended for psychoses unless there is strong follow-up with a larger team of doctors and therapists.
Furthermore, I am neither a doctor nor a psychiatrist and therefore cannot give medical advice. Hypnosis cannot therefore replace medical treatment.
For example, in the treatment of chronic pain, hypnosis does not cure the pain itself but has the role of helping to manage the intensity of the pain and the emotions that come with it.
How does a therapy work?
Hypnotherapy is a brief therapy that adapts to everyone's needs. This is the reason why there is no formula to define beforehand the number of sessions necessary, even if the whole therapy generally lasts between 2 and 10 sessions.
Thus, the first session is used to define the framework of the accompaniment, to dig into the problems and to determine a support strategy according to the identified objectives.
The following sessions can be shorter and exercises (trance training type) can be given between each of them.
In any case, I'm available to discuss between sessions in case you need it.
What are the stages of a session?
The duration of a session is around 1h15, and begins with the determination of the session objective.
Once the objective is clarified, it is usually followed by a hypnotic induction, until a satisfactory hypnotic state is reached.
The work with the conscious and unconscious minds can then begin.
Finally we get to a wake-up phase and a discussion on the experience and the next steps.
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Applications of hypnosis
Il y a de nombreuses raisons pour que vous vouliez travailler avec l'hypnose, que ce soit pour une thérapie ou du coaching. En voici certaines, contactez-moi si vous souhaitez vous renseigner sur d'autres sujets sur lesquels vous souhaiteriez travailler