How can hypnotherapy heal trauma?

Recently, I read the sharing from APA Division 30 about how hypnotherapy improves the symptoms of trauma. It has truly enlightened me about something I have believed in and practiced for years. I hope to share this article with you all too.

APA Division 30 is formally known as the American Psychological Association's Division of Psychological Hypnosis. It is one of the divisions within the American Psychological Association (APA), which is the largest professional organization of psychologists in the United States. Division 30 is specifically focused on the study and promotion of hypnosis and its application within the field of psychology.

Original article:

Hypnotherapy induces a state of deep relaxation, which may be useful for healing from trauma.

Trauma is a universal human experience. A traumatic event may involve anything from interpersonal abuse to a natural disaster to the sudden death of a loved one.

When people struggle to process traumatic events or experiences, it can lead to certain mental health conditions or symptoms, such as depression, anxiety, insomnia, flashbacks, and more.

Hypnosis, also called hypnotherapy, is a state of deep relaxation and focused concentration. It’s a type of mind-body treatment for trauma.

A trained and certified hypnotist or hypnotherapist guides you into this deep state of focus and relaxation with verbal cues, repetition, and imagery.

When you’re under hypnosis, this intense level of concentration and focus may allow you to ignore ordinary distractions and be more open to guided suggestions to make changes to improve your health.”

Through the help of a hypnotherapist, you may be able to heal certain symptoms related to trauma you’ve experienced.

Is hypnotherapy effective in treating trauma?

Certain studies have shown hypnotherapy to be helpful in the treatment of trauma symptoms, as well as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), in some instances.

A meta-analysis of six studies on hypnotherapy found that hypnotherapy significantly reduced participants’ PTSD symptoms of intrusion and avoidance. Regardless of the nature of the trauma, participants who received hypnotherapy experienced a reduction in their symptoms.

However, not all studies used the same type of hypnotherapy, which compromised the findings.

Another study found that hypnotherapy can help reduce insomnia in those with combat-related PTSD. In fact, the study found that hypnotherapy, as an additive treatment, decreased intrusive and avoidance symptoms of PTSD and improved sleep.

Researchers have also found that hypnotherapy may be able to reduce depression symptoms. A study comparing the effectiveness of cognitive hypnotherapy, which is hypnosis combined with cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), versus CBT alone, found that cognitive hypnotherapy was more effective in reducing depression, anxiety, and hopelessness.

All info retrieved from the psychcentral.com, read more for the complete article:

https://psychcentral.com/health/hypnotherapy-trauma?fbclid=IwAR2Wcv0ha47Acn10yNZJyfMIDvjntdEGB949yPbI01ja1xxU-JnWfXi7l-U#hypnotherapy-for-treating-trauma