What is Clinical Hypnosis
Hypnotherapy, also referred to as clinical or consulting hypnosis, is the application of hypnosis with the authorization and under the supervision of licensed medical professionals as an aid to enhance wellness. By communicating directly with the subconscious mind, hypnosis is used to address a wide variety of physiological, emotional and behavioral issues.
Working in Cooperation with the Medical Field
As clinical hypnotherapists, we do not independently work with medical conditions, diagnose, treat or prescribe. We do not practice psychotherapy, we teach and train our clients how to shift limiting beliefs, reach their goals and enhance their wellness using hypnotic techniques.
We only faciliate, enhance and support wellness around diagnosed physical, mental and emotional symptoms with the authorization and under the supervision of medical doctors, physicians, psychiatrists, psychologists, nurse practitioners. Working with licensed medical practitioners enables us to help enhance the wellness of their patients around symptoms of stress, sadness, worry, sleep quality, fear and a wide range of mental, emotional and physiological issues.
Please note we do require a physician’s authorization before initiating work on diagnosed conditions and work only under physician guidance. Working in close cooperation with your medical team enables us to ensure your progress in an optimal manner.
Targeting the Source
Most therapeutic methods, such as counseling, cognitive behavioral therapy and coaching, work on a conscious level. The conscious mind, however, represents merely the tip of the iceberg. The efficiency of hypnosis lies in its ability to work at a subconscious level, thereby directly targeting the source. Hiding underneath the surface of our conscious mind, the subconscious represents the largest part of our mind.
The Subconscious Mind
While the conscious mind is only capable of holding a small amount of information at any given time, the subconscious mind, on the other hand, stores everything we have learned and mastered through the course of our lives. It also stores our memories. When we first learn to drive a car or operate a complicated piece of machinery, we consciously strain to analyze, memorize and implement each step in a specific sequence. After years of experience and practice, we no longer need to consciously analyze the different actions needed. The control has been handed over to our subconscious mind and we can drive seamlessly from one location to another, while reflecting on perfectly unrelated topics. This illustrates the power of our subconscious mind and the fluidity with which it controls our behaviors most of the time.
The Functioning of the Brain
The brain is the control center of the nervous system, our body’s decision and communication center. The central nervous system comprises the brain and the spinal cord, while the peripheral nervous system is made of nerves. Together they control every part of our daily life, from breathing and blinking to helping us memorize facts for a test.
The Role of the Limbic System in Emotions
The limbic system, often referred to as the emotional brain, comprises the hippocampus, amygdala, anterior thalamic nuclei, septum, limbic cortex and fornix, which support and control a variety of functions including our emotions, fears,
behaviors, long-term memories and olfaction. The thalamus is a gateway that transfers all sensory information to the brain for processing, and determines whether or not to send the information to the cortex for conscious consideration. The hippocampus is in charge of transforming information into memories, which are then transformed into neural pathways and stored for future reference. The basal ganglia are a group of nuclei, which receive most of this information from the cortex and translate them into a variety of functions, including voluntary motor control, procedural learning relating to routine behaviors and habits, eye movements and cognitive and emotional functions.
The Role of the Hypothalamus in Motivation
The hypothalamus links the nervous system to the endocrine system. Among many other functions, it plays an essential role in our motivation and controls our body temperature, hunger, thirst, fatigue and sleep.
The amygdaloid region of the brain, or amygdala, is part of the limbic system and involved in a wide range of behavioral functions.
Among its primary role is the processing of our emotional reactions, such as anxiety, fear, desire or exhilaration. Because of this, it is said to participate in our emotional memory and affects the way we relate to the world and to each other.
The Role of the Prefrontal Cortex in Cognitive Behaviors
The prefrontal cortex is primarily implicated in planning complex cognitive behaviors, mental functions and personality expressions. It is regulates our decision making process and moderates correct social behavior. The basic activity of this part of the brain is considered to be the orchestration of thoughts and actions in accordance with internal goals. It holds executive functions in its ability to differentiate among conflicting thoughts, determine good and bad, better and best, the consequences of activities and the advantages of working toward defined goals.
The Role of Neural Pathways in Behavioral Habits
It is estimated that the brain counts around one hundred billion neurons. These billions of neurons connect with one another in complex networks. Called neural pathways, they allow communications to occur in the brain via neurotransmitters, producing different thinking, feelings, and behavioral actions. All our physical and mental functions depend on the establishment and maintenance of these networks. Our habits and skills, such as nail biting or playing a musical instrument, become embedded within the brain in frequently activated networks. When we stop performing an activity, the neural networks for this activity fall into disuse and may eventually disappear. When neurons are either over or under used, the chemistry of the brain changes and neurological or psychiatric disorders can occur.
The Transformational Role of Hypnosis
Hypnosis techniques address the currently held behaviors specifically. When old negative behaviors are correctly addressed, room is created for new positive behaviors to be formed. Healthy and beneficial positive emotional associations are brought forward, initiating new routines for the mind to focus on. Once former negative behaviors are reduced and released, active techniques are used to find, create and maintain new emotional balance. Hypnosis allows us to communicate directly with the subconscious mind, thereby enabling us to correct, rectify and release a wide variety of issues having resisted other modalities and approaches.