What is the difference between hypnotherapy and psychotherapy?
Article by Tony Sokol
Psychotherapy and hypnotherapy are both essential and effective tools for overcoming issues of the mind, mental state, and social interactions. In many ways, they are related practices with different approaches, but similar goals. They also get comparable results but with varied time frames.
According to a 1964 study, most often attributed to “American Health Magazine,” hypnotherapy has a 93% recovery rate after 6 sessions. Psychoanalysis scores a 38% rate of recovery after 600 sessions, while Behavior Therapy has a 72% recovery rate after 22 sessions. While this may not be a concrete fact now, as new data is compiled, but overall, hypnotherapy tends to succeed more quickly, and is less expensive. But why?
Psychotherapists work with the subconscious through the consciousness, which is slower and more complex. A hypnotherapist communicates with the subconscious mind directly. Hypnotherapy gives speedy access to underlying causes and offers insights into how the brain can stimulate alternative behavior. Because it deals directly with the thought processes which cause problems, hypnotherapy produces changes and results faster. The suggestions help change or modify habits or behavior, and can help increase focus or get rid of recurring issues, like panic attacks or phobias.
Psychotherapy, which is also known as talk therapy, helps people gain insight into their difficulties, understand motivations, and find coping mechanisms or ways to change their thinking and behavior. The practice explores feelings, beliefs, thoughts and events in a structured way. It is based on an interpersonal relationship between a patient and their therapist. Hypnotherapy has its roots in psychotherapeutic techniques. A hypnotherapist challenges limiting beliefs, the core of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and helps adjust negative and dysfunctional thinking.
It is not always necessary to use cognitive psychotherapeutic methods to explore underlying issues. The hypnotic state achieves quick and lasting change for many problems.
Psychiatrist Milton H. Erickson revolutionized hypnotherapy in the 1940s by analyzing the nature of trance and how people accept suggestions. Hypnotic suggestions changed from direct instructions to metaphors leading the unconscious mind to change unwanted behavior on its own, giving more control to the patient. Through this, hypnotherapists have the ability to bypass the conscious critical faculty.
The Psychotherapy: Theory, Research & Practice paper “Hypnotherapy: A reappraisal,” by Alfred A. Barrios, found clinical evidence contradicting many misconceptions surrounding hypnotherapy. The paper concluded hypnosis is not mostly used “as a means of direct symptom removal. Nor is its main use as an uncovering device. The current trend is to use hypnosis to remove the negative attitudes, fears, maladaptive behavior patterns, and negative self-images underlying the symptoms." The paper found hypnosis to be effective because "the incongruent perceptions, beliefs, and attitudes are kept from interfering with the suggestion and thus with the conditioning.”
A hypnotherapist gives new knowledge and training to change unwanted behaviors and eliminate unwanted beliefs. During a hypnosis session, a person will focus on specific concerns they want to improve. A person may want to work on feeling less depressed, becoming more productive, decreasing pain, stress management, and dealing with phobias.
Many hypnotherapists resort to creating powerful hypnosis audio sessions, based on their unique experience with their clientele and niche. You can find these sessions on their websites or you can always ask them to record your sessions during your hypnosis sessions as well. Listening to hypnosis audios has proven to be very effective post sessions.
On HypnoCloud online platform you may find various hypnosis audio sessions to suite your unique needs. On our hypnotherapy online platform hypnosis audios are created by hypnotherapist Elena Mosaner and other qualified hypnotherapy practitioners.