Having been in talk therapy on and off for 10 years, I have a pretty good idea of what works for me and what doesn’t. I’m more of a Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) person than a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) person, I like therapists with experience in Internal Family Systems (IFS), and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). ) I am endlessly curious about.
But there are so many treatments for my twin’s mental health struggles with depression and anxiety, and integrative therapy can have a complementary impact on more traditional psychotherapy approaches. There’s a growing cultural awareness that I’m willing to try everything once. Recently, that meant trying hypnotherapy.
I recently visited a beautiful place Rancho de los Caballeros While researching what activities are available at this Dude Ranch Resort in Wickenburg, Arizona, we discovered a hidden gem available at the spa: hypnotherapy sessions with a certified clinical hypnotherapist.
I had heard that hypnotherapy can help with smoking cessation and other health-related issues, but I found research that scientifically supports the effectiveness of hypnotherapy for anxiety. Research published in 2019 Open Access Macedonian Medical Journal found Hypnosis helped study participants with anxiety who didn’t use drugs, like me.
Clinical trials published in 2023 International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis They studied 34 participants over an 8-week period, randomly assigning some participants to weekly therapy sessions and listening to daily mindful hypnosis tapes, while placing others in a wait-list control group. The researchers noted “clinically significant differences” between the two groups over time, indicating that “hypnotherapy is an effective intervention for treating depression, as well as improving psychological flexibility and self-compassion in patients with major depressive disorder.”
Intrigued and hopeful, I applied. I will now share with you what I learned from this powerful experience about hypnotherapy for anxiety.
How hypnotherapy works
Going into a hypnotherapy session, I was nervous that I would be in a situation where I would be vulnerable and sensitive. However, my fears quickly dissipated.
My hypnotherapist, Kathy Higgins Peterson, CCHt, welcomed me warmly, made me tea, and led me into a dimly lit room with flickering candles and soft humming. And there was also a high massage bed for me to lie on. She invited me to take off her shoes and relax under her blanket. Already, this was the most comfortable therapy session I have ever experienced.
We first got to know me by Higgins Peterson asking me a few personal questions, including what I wanted to work on that afternoon. Before employing hypnotherapy, a hypnotherapist must “understand the complexities” of the problem you’re facing, says Dr. Sera Lebel, a clinical psychologist who owns and practices hypnosis at NY Health Hypnosis. That is important. Then, “the therapist brings you into a relaxed state and works with you toward specific goals using techniques similar to guided mediation, but very specific to you and your issues,” Dr. Levelle says. He explained and added: By working directly with your unconscious mind and removing blocks, you can tap into your inner motivation for change. ”
“It’s like guided meditation” is exactly how I describe my experience with hypnotherapy. After sharing your mental health issues, it’s time to stop talking and start listening. Higgins Peterson slowly began pulling me deeper and deeper into my subconscious.
I felt myself falling into a sleepy, almost unconscious state, my limbs becoming heavy and my breathing slowing. As I relaxed, Higgins-Peterson narrated the visuals for me to imagine, but here are the ones that stand out to me: She described the stars falling from above my head and slowly flowing down my body until they reached my hands. I tightened them up whenever I needed to keep myself centered. I felt myself clinging to those stars as she guided me through different moments of my life and waves of emotion washed over me.
What are the benefits of hypnotherapy for anxiety?
In my experience, the benefits of hypnotherapy for anxiety have been significant. Throughout my session, my hypnotherapist talked about forgiving myself for what my anxiety was fixating on, and reframing mistakes and past choices as lessons I had learned and internalized.
This sounds so simple, but it felt so profound as a deeply relaxed state helped me understand it. I thought back to past relationships, career decisions, and other big life choices I’ve doubted or been hard on myself since then. By accepting the decisions I made as lessons, I was able to let go of the self-judgment that resurfaced daily and instead see myself as a person on a lifelong journey of growth and learning.
A lasting effect of the hypnotherapy experience was the star visual that Kathy gave me, which helped me manage anxiety in moments of real crisis. A few weeks ago, while riding my bike in the evening, I suddenly had a severe panic attack, so I stopped the car and tried every breathing and counting technique I knew to calm myself down.
Star! I remembered.
It was only when I held these stars tightly in my hands that I was drawn back into the extreme relaxation of the hypnotherapy session and finally felt some sense of relief. In that deeply relaxed state, a real psychological connection seemed to be occurring.
“There is a large body of literature demonstrating the effectiveness of incorporating hypnosis in the treatment of anxiety disorders,” says Dr. Levell. “However, if the roots of anxiety are not addressed through other treatments, hypnosis that does not complement other methods may have its limitations. For example, adding it to CBT can cut the number of treatment sessions in half and reduce its effectiveness. Some studies have shown that it tends to be twice as powerful.
I got it. I know it’s bad to cancel regular therapy sessions, but knowing I can see the stars when I need them is a comfort in itself.
Who should try hypnotherapy and who should avoid it?
If you are interested in hypnotherapy and think it might help you, from my experience I recommend you give it a try. In just one session with her, I unlocked a level of self-reflection and connection with myself that I had struggled to reach for a long time. As Dr. Levell said, getting in touch with your unconscious in a calm and supportive environment and examining the mental obstacles you’ve been facing is a practical and demonstrably effective way to help manage your anxiety in real time. I learned a lot of tools.
“Just as most people can benefit from meditation, almost everyone can benefit from hypnotherapy,” agrees Dr. Lebel, with one exception. However, some research suggests that this population may also benefit if proper training and guidelines are in place. ”
