Hypnotherapy is commonly practiced in India and Europe and is becoming more and more mainstream in North America but you may still be hesitant to the idea of using it. Before committing to any therapy, it is important to do your research to know what would work best for you. If you are interested in following the path of hypnotherapy, this article is written for you.

Benefits of using hypnotherapy

There are many benefits to using hypnotherapy in comparison to other therapy methods.

Drug free therapy: No drugs or medication are required for hypnosis. In fact it is preferred, when possible, to not be under the influence of drugs during the session. This allows your mind to function properly during the session. Hypnosis works with the mind to help rid the body of the dis-ease. Bonus: because hypnotherapy is drug free, there are no physical side effects.

Works faster than more traditional approaches: While following a hypnotherapy program, the hypnotist works with the patient to find the root cause of the issue in as little as 1 to 10 sessions. Traditional therapies can take years.
· Hypnotherapy was a 93% success rate after an average of 6 sessions.
· Psychoanalysis was a 38% success rate after an average of 600 sessions.
· Behavior Therapy was 72% successful after 22 sessions.(Alfred A. Barrios, Ph.D. presented in the journal, “Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice (1970)” & published in American Health magazine).

The patient is always in control: Did you know that all hypnosis is self-hypnosis? This means that the patient is always in control, whether in trance or not. Hypnosis works because the hypnotist gives the patient positive suggestions. Should one of those suggestions not be agreeable, the patient simply ignores that suggestion, or internally changes it to be agreeable, and continues on with the session.

You finish your session feeling refreshed: 15 minutes of hypnosis is equal to four hours of sleep. Even after a root cause session, you awaken feeling refreshed.

Hypnotherapy can be paired with medical drugs to increase their effectiveness while lowering the amount required, reducing the negative impact they have on the body: Hypnotherapy makes for a wonderful pairing with other scientific fields such as dentistry, surgery, child labor and more. In France, a randomized controlled trial conducted between 2017 and 2019 compared hypnosis and placebo during AFl ablation. The results were: (A) Compared with the placebo group, patients from the hypnosis group had significantly lower visual analog scale score assessing global pain. (B) Morphine requirements were significantly lower in the hypnosis group compared with the placebo group (link to trial results).

Downsides of hypnotherapy

Hypnotherapy is not regulated in North America: Although I consider this to be a good thing as it does not limit hypnotherapists to follow strict guidelines, it does mean that people attending weekend courses can call themselves hypnotherapists. Be sure to find a certified hypnotist.

You may experience a headache when coming out of trance: If brought out of trance too quickly, the patient may experience a hypnotic headache. Simply let your hypnotist know they can perform an exercise to alleviate it.