The Healing Power Of Hypnotherapy

During my first 10 years working as a psychotherapist, I had the privilege of listening to the life stories of thousands of clients. My clients experienced hardships that included domestic and community violence, personal and family substance abuse, learning disabilities, poverty, sexual abuse, co-dependent relationships, self-destructive behavior patterns, and societal oppression due to their race, gender, ethnicity, government, primary language, sexual orientation, and more.

The anger that I observed reached homicidal levels and the sadness reached suicidal levels. And despite any flaws in our nation's mental health system, I can humbly and first handedly state that mental health services have saved many, many lives. I have witnessed the powerful - though often prolonged - power of healing that good psychotherapy can nurture. But after 10 years working in the mental health field, I had provided thousands of psychotherapy sessions and attended plenty more of my own. I had also been a student of meditation, metaphysics, and various forms of non-denominational spirituality from a soul-evolutionary perspective for nearly 20 years. Through this integrative work, I became keenly aware that healing often requires more than just talking.

With a desire to sharpen my tools I pursued hypnotherapy training. When I enrolled in a hypnotherapy certification program, little did I know that my relationship with my work and my clients would change forever. My healing work would soon draw from a level of human strength that goes well beyond the psychological, but into a place that is commonly referred to among hypnotherapists as the superconscious - a portion of the psyche that contains a profound level of inner wisdom, strength, connection to divine power in the universe - a portion of the human energy system that is driven not only to survive, but to thrive!

What hypnosis is:

Hypnosis is a state of relaxation very similar to meditation. When you think about levels of relaxation, there is a continuum. On one extreme end is our fully alert (Beta) state of mind. In western culture, we are conditioned from a very early age to utilize this active, left brained side...think, analyze, multi-task, get things done quickly. This active state of mind is also where we experience stress! A little further along the continuum, our biorhythm slows down a bit and we start to relax (Alpha state). We regain a sense of perspective and our stress levels decrease (e.g. looking at the ocean, sitting quietly for a few minutes, taking a few deep breaths, dazing off a bit). Still further along the continuum, our brain waves slow even more (Theta). We begin to daydream or even experience a light state of sleep. Hypnosis begins in the alpha state and shifts into the theta state, however it occurs before we actually fall into a deep state of sleep (Delta). Contrary to popular myth, being hypnotized does not mean being put to sleep, nor does it involve a loss of control.

But how does relaxing help us heal through hypnosis?

1. In a state of hypnosis, people often access information ">How Much Hypnotherapy Does It Take?

Hypnotherapy is not psychotherapy. The work is very goal focused, can be intense, and often involves some rather rapid-fire healing and clearing. Having a clear understanding of the issue can be an important way of moving the process along. Some people are able to get really good results in one session, but that is not the norm. I find that many people are able to resolve a single issue in 4-6 sessions spaced 2-4 weeks apart. The more complex the issues, the more sessions will be required.

Finding a Good Hypnotherapist ">Author Bio

Matthew Engel, LCSW, CHt -

Psycho-Spiritual Growth: Psychotherapy, Hypnotherapy, Past Life Regression, Intuitive Readings, Classes, Workshops, Talks & Media Appearances.

"Empowering you to access your inner Light!"

Contact me to sign up for my free e-newsletter.

http://www.matthewengel.com