What is Clinical Hypnosis?
Updated: Sep 26, 2022
Think of the last time you were daydreaming, mesmerized by a song, or immersed in a movie. Driving down the highway and time seems to move quickly, or you arrive at your next exit before you know it.
You might have been spontaneously hypnotized.
Despite common knowledge and myths, clinical hypnosis is not a magic trick, mind control strategy, or swaying pendulum show. It’s an evidence-based technique that puts you in a trance state to help you cope with psychological and physical challenges.
At Lifespan Counseling Omaha, we offer clinical hypnosis and other services to teens, adults, and older adults. We have an experienced clinical hypnotist on staff, certified by the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis. She uses clinical hypnosis to treat anxiety, depression, trauma, sleep problems, and beyond.
Whether you are tired of trying it all or interested in exploring a non-traditional approach, we can help.
Let’s collaborate to achieve the transformation you seek and build a wholesome life.
Call 402-575-5577 or contact us to book a consultation.
What Is Hypnosis?
Hypnosis is a natural, altered form of consciousness where you are profoundly relaxed and concentrated. You may experience it as you are lost in thought, absorbed in a task, or driving mindlessly.
What Is Clinical Hypnosis or Hypnotherapy?
Clinical hypnosis of hypnotherapy is the implementation of hypnosis to manage mental health challenges and other conditions.
During a clinical hypnosis session, a certified hypnotherapist guides you with verbal cues and mental imagery to engage your subconscious, offer suggestions, and create change.
The purpose of clinical hypnosis is to help you tap into your thoughts, feelings, sensations, and behaviors with receptivity. You will be calm, aware, and open to shifts that will support your well-being.
Hypnotherapy can be used in tandem with other therapeutic modalities, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), to enhance treatment outcomes.
Do You Need Clinical Hypnosis?
Clinical hypnosis can help you address a wide range of mind-body challenges, including:
Anxiety
Depression
Eating disorders
Low self-esteem
#Pain (e.g., #fibromyalgia, headaches, irritable bowel syndrome, post-surgical pain)
Panic attacks
Performance issues
Phobias
Side effects of cancer treatment/chemotherapy (e.g., nausea, vomiting)
Sleep problems and insomnia
#Smoking Cessation
#Trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Unhealthy or problematic habits (e.g. overeating, undereating)
And more
If you or someone in your family is experiencing any of the above issues and struggling to cope, clinical hypnosis can help.
Hypnosis can also be an excellent therapeutic option if you are not in crisis but interested in a self-discovery tool. You can use it to explore unconscious thoughts and motivations and learn more about yourself.
How Does Clinical Hypnosis Work and How Can It Help?
Clinical hypnosis allows you to enter an intense state of focus and ease, where you are more open to accessing your inner world and welcoming suggestions. This technique can help relieve distress, break an unwanted habit or line of thinking, and gain personal insight.
Before starting clinical hypnosis, you will meet with our #hypnotherapist to discuss your concerns and goals for the session. Together, you will identify what you’d like to work on and your hopes for the treatment. Our therapist will also walk you through the process and answer your questions.
Once you are ready, you will go through the following steps:
1) Induction
First, you will be encouraged to settle down, soothing your mind and body. Your hypnotherapist will guide you to focus your attention with breathwork, guided imagery, progressive muscle relaxation, and other techniques tailored to your situation.
2) Deepening
As you calm down, your therapist will lead you to deepen your relaxation and concentration, using vocal cues and further visualization. For example, they might count down, narrate, or help you paint a mental picture of yourself resting.
3) Hypnotic Suggestions
Entering this trance-like state of consciousness may make you more receptive to suggestions. Once there, your therapist will use specific wording and mental images to explore your experiences and suggest changes in beliefs, thoughts, emotions, sensations, or behaviors.
These changes aim to help you ease your symptoms, manage stressors, or modify problematic patterns that may be interfering with your life—all depending on your goals.
For example, suppose you are struggling with low ##self-esteem. In that case, we may examine the limiting beliefs and unconscious thoughts fueling your pain, find out what’s triggering them, and replace them with more realistic and compassionate ones. You will have the opportunity to share as much as you are comfortable with, and we will offer feedback and direction.
4) Return to Consciousness
In the end, your therapist will gently prompt you to come out of the hypnotic state and return to the room. Keep in mind that you will be safe, aware, and in control during the entire session and will remember what happened once you emerge.
Hypnosis cannot make you think or do anything you don’t want to. While your hypnotist will guide you, you will be in the driver’s seat, tapping into your subconscious without force.
Clinical Hypnosis at Lifespan Counseling Omaha
Lifespan Counseling Omaha offers therapy and medication management to individuals of all ages. We provide clinical #hypnosis in person and online to children, teens, and adults living in Omaha, Elkhorn, Gretna, Lincoln and nearby areas.
Our mental health specialists deliver comprehensive, patient-centered care that is accessible and easy to navigate. We are all about immediate openings and quick responses without waitlists or complicated procedures.
Janet Bock, our psychiatric nurse practitioner and certified hypnotherapist, has 30+ years of experience working with clients ages five and up. Her specialties include depression, anxiety, autism, post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder, sleep disorders, and other conditions. You do not need to be a client of Janet's for medication management or psychiatric care to access her hypnotherapy services.
Clinical hypnosis sessions typically last one hour. Some people find relief after one session, while others might require more. Janet will meet with you or your loved one to assess your issues and help you determine the frequency and amount of sessions that would suit your needs.
Book a Consultation for Clinical Hypnosis
We are here for you.
If you are ready to try clinical hypnosis, call 402-575-5577 or contact us to book a consultation today.
Have you tried hypnotherapy yet?
- No, but I would love to!
- Yes!
- I am not sure it would be for me.