Induction

Hypnotherapy begins with the induction stage, using techniques like following a pendulum with one's eyes or focusing on a spot on the ceiling to begin to slip into a state of deep relaxation and calm. The therapist will use a soothing voice to guide the client to close their eyes and prepare to go into a trance.

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Deepening

Next, the therapist uses verbal cues to guide the client to conjure a peaceful place, often a place out in nature, real or imaginary. Some therapists will ask the client if they want to call in protection in the form of a spiritual energy or protective force to be with them throughout the session. The therapist will then guide them deeper into trance by having the client imagine descending down a staircase or gentile hillside, until they reach the bottom of relaxation. The client is now in a hypnotic state.

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Suggestion

In the hypnotic state, the client's focus is heightened, self-judgment is decreased, and it is easier to process strong emotions with less resistance. As the brain is less defensive, the client is more capable of receiving suggestions from the therapist, often in the form of positive ideas, affirmations, or coping strategies.

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Regression

Many hypnotherapy sessions involve guiding the client back to a previous time of their life. The therapist may have the client bring up a feeling associated with the pattern they want to change, or having them recall a past event. The therapist may use techniques such as tapping the forehead to guide them back to a previous point in time. The client then regresses mentally to a previous age or developmental stage. The theory is that many of our behaviors, beliefs, and traumas reside deep in the psyche, in the subconscious or unconscious mind. The client may feel they are back at that age or time the event happened, and will be more capable of recalling specific and vivid details of those times and events that the psyche may have been blocking out to protect the client.

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Reprocessing

As the client is revisiting past memories, experiences, or emotions, they are more capable of seeing new or different perspectives, bringing in more details, nuance, wisdom, and insight, and are capable of reframing or reprocessing these early traumatic experiences, giving them new meanings, beliefs, and behaviors. It is in this place where a client is capable of breaking maladaptive habits like addictions, recover from chronic pain, reparent the inner child, and many more positive outcomes. 

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Emergence

After the client has reprocessed their maladaptive behavior or beliefs, the therapist guides them out of the hypnotic trance, often counting up from one to ten. The client emerges out of trance will full recall of their experience of hypnosis, what was learned in the experience, and are capable of putting new skills, beliefs, and behaviors into actions. Clients may feel emotionally drained or groggy following a session. It is recommended that the client be gentile with themself for the rest of the day as they continue to process. ​​​

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Contraindications

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Hypnotherapy is not recommended for clients experiencing the following:

• Active psychosis, hallucinations, or schizophrenia-spectrum disorders

• Active substance intoxication - use of substances is highly discouraged during hypnotherapy

• Severe dissociative episodes and disorders

• Lack of consent and understanding of the hypnosis process

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Although clients may retrieve memories of harm and abuse in their sessions, these memories can not be used as evidence of a crime and can not be used as evidence in court.