If I were to tell you “I’m seeing a therapist”, what is the image that comes to mind? Most people think of traditional talk therapy with a psychologist taking notes while the person lays on the couch speaking of their problems. This image comes to mind because it is widely accepted in North America. You may then respond “How long have you’ve been going to therapy?”, understanding that traditional talk therapy can last for years.

Now if I were to tell you “I’m seeing a hypnotherapist”, what comes to mind? For many, they think of a hypnotist who swings a pendulum in front of the person’s eyes and tells them they are getting sleepy. Lo and behold, the person falls asleep. You may then ask “So you no longer have any issues falling asleep?”

Traditional talk therapy’s process is much more widely understood in North America than hypnotherapy’s. This is the main difference between these two situations. People understand that once you find a good therapist, you may be with them for years as together you navigate life with the issue at hand. Hypnotherapy, however, is thought to be a one time session that fixes the issue once and for all. Yes, hypnotherapy works quickly in comparison with traditional talk therapy, but it still requires multiple sessions and does require effort on the client’s part. The best way I can communicate the process of hypnotherapy to you is through a case study of mine.

Meet Dolores, a middle-aged working woman who’s kids have recently left the house. She found that she was feeling stuck in life, never getting ahead. This was having its toll on her and she found that she was starting to feel overwhelmed by life. This, in turn, left her with emotions too big for her to handle.

During one session, I had her imagine a house. To imagine that house was dirty and in need of a major cleaning. Room by room, she cleaned the house until it was sparkling. She felt relaxed and refreshed after the session and booked the next one in two month’s time.

Six weeks after this session, I checked in with her and she mentioned that life was still difficult. She was not feeling great, work was not going well and she was feeling so overwhelmed that anxiety was settling in fast.

Two weeks later, she comes to her session with a big smile on her face. She mentions that in the last 2 weeks, things have really turned around for her. She was called in for her check-in at work and she had a heart to heart with her boss. She mentioned that she felt stuck at her job, being passed up for promotions and she was having a really hard time. Her boss had reacted very well to this news and was excited that she was willing to take on more responsibility. Since the check-in, her boss was speaking with her more and offering her new assignments that would fast track her to a new position.

After telling me this story, she realized that her work had been bothering her for some time and that she “cleaned up house” when deciding to tell her boss how she felt. She had come round full circle between sessions and metaphorically cleaned up her house.

This is what hypnotherapy is. It is a suggestion planted during one session (sometimes metaphorical, sometimes literal) and sits at the back of the mind until action is taken. Dolores was simply told to clean and declutter the house in her mind. Six weeks later, she emptied her thoughts she’d been having about work, therefore cleaning up that part of the mind. It still required action from her part as only the suggestion of cleaning up was given.

Until the client becomes accustomed to finding the healing links or patterns on their own, hypnotherapy sessions provide a space to do so. These sessions allow the client to reflect on certain moments or aspects of their lives. Dolores knew she had spoken to her boss and that it led to her feeling much better, but she needed the following session to reflect on what she had done and how she had done it.