Someone commented on one of my social media channels that hypnosis is not backed up by credible scientific evidence.
It made me smile because they were a student at university. I’d never met them, nor had they been to my clinic. It seemed they had not yet done the research module during their studies.
Let’s be clear hypnosis has been used for thousands of years with references going back to the Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics.
Scientific hypnosis journals include the European Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, Australian Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, and of course, there are many more.
When you look at the medical and psychological databases you will find many published, peer review research papers on hypnosis.
I am a clinical hypnotherapist and medical hypnotist with a degree and doctorate in the subject. I have spent decades reading hundreds of books on hypnosis by respected doctors and psychological practitioners and my bookshelves are full of them.
So yes, hypnosis, hypnotherapy and medical hypnosis are real and used in clinical practice every day all over the world. It is an essential clinical tool for healthcare practitioners.
I’ve worked with over 30,000 patients and helped over 10,000 people overcome addictions with hypnosis. Day in, day out, I work in my clinic with hypnosis.
Hypnosis is regularly used in medical settings in anaesthesiology, pain control, dentistry, immunology, psychiatry, wound healing, lowering blood pressure, sexual dysfunction and more.
In mental health we use clinical hypnotherapy to eliminate anxiety, depression, phobias, and eating disorders. We use it for mood stabilisation, recovery from trauma, particularly post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as to overcome fear of public speaking, social phobias, speech disorders, bullying and building confidence.
Hypnosis can also be also used in education to help people and children learn better and perform comfortably in exams.
In business various forms of hypnosis are used including work performance and managing work situations.
There are many kinds of hypnosis according to what it is being used for. There are also many levels of training of practitioners, from short courses in education, to several years in those who completed therapeutic doctorates.
Whilst hypnosis itself is not a therapy, it facilitates a physical, mental and emotional state which allows the practitioner to suggest to the unconscious mind changes to the body and mind.
Because the conscious mind is so small it is often unable to make the changes that need to be made in your life. Hypnosis allows us to access your unconscious mind which is much larger and more capable of implementing changes.
It is important, however, that the practitioner of hypnosis is trained by professionals. Because hypnosis allows such dramatic changes to happen very quickly, the hypnotist must know exactly what they are doing.
Also check that the practitioner is actually qualified and regulated by professional associations that have a code of ethics. All health professionals should be monitored by their supervisors regularly to ensure we practice ethically and efficiently.
It is a misconception that hypnosis is a controlling mechanism. As professionals we use hypnosis to help you, not control you.
Plus, hypnosis is a very pleasant experience when carried out by a qualified professional.
Call our central booking for your FREE telephone consultation with Dr Tracie O’Keefe DCH. Phone 0403 398808.
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