Can hypnosis be used to help with trauma, PTSD and CPTSD?

The perception that some people have of hypnosis is that it is only useful for short-term fixes: a boost to self confidence perhaps, or to cure a fear of flying. Hypnosis can certainly help those kinds of issues,  however in this article I’d like to discuss my work with using hypnosis to help people with more deep-rooted problems, such as trauma, abuse, PTSD and CPTSD.

My own journey as a therapist lead me to hypnosis when I became aware of the tremendous power of hypnosis as a therapeutic tool. Having spent many years as a psychotherapist using talking therapy I decided to do additional training in hypnosis after personal experience showed me that hypnosis has the power to “unstick” things that cannot always be solved by talking alone. I had a problem of my own, and a friend used hypnosis to cure me if that problem instantly.

Feeling stuck

Many clients who call me have already tried long term talking therapy and perhaps made some progress but still feel stuck. It is at this point that hypnosis can be  highly effective, since it talks directly to the unconscious mind, slowly helping the client to re-frame and to move obstacles that may be standing in the way of their recovery. To misquote the well-known TV commercial, hypnosis reaches the parts that other therapies cannot reach.

And this is why I feel hypnosis can be so effective in treating trauma and PTSD. Such deep-seated emotional pain is likely to have many faces. We do the work and get some relief, even a lot of relief, but then something happens and we find ourselves being triggered again. It feels like we a blocked in some way, or even resistant to healing. This is why I use hypnosis in combination with traditional talking therapy; I find hypnosis enhances the effectiveness psychotherapeutic techniques such as inner child healing, regression therapy, timeline work.

How does hypnosis combine with talking therapy?

Usually clients come to see me to fix a specific problem they are having, let’s say they have a driving test or a flight coming up and they feel nervous. They have heard that hypnosis is effective at helping those problems; perhaps they read a magazine article or had a friend that tried hypnosis and was pleased with  the results. However other clients, perhaps a far larger group, want to go deeper, they do not want to fix the problem, they want to address the root causes of what is driving their unhappiness and unease. Its likely these clients have had significant traumatic events in their life that leave them feeling with a whole range of interconnected and complex issues that may include (but not be limited to:

Often (though not always) such clients know what lies at the bottom of these problems but have either never addressed them with a therapist, or else have done some therapy, made some progress but still feel there is “work to be done”. They may be the victims of childhood abuse, abandonment, trauma or a relationship with a narcissistic partner. They may even have been diagnosed, (or diagnosed themselves), with PTSD or CPTSD. These clients are looking for me to provide more medium to long term therapeutic care, and a mixture of hypnosis and talking therapy.

A supportive environment

I provide a warm, inviting and supportive environment for all my clients and this is certainly the case when I see people who have suffered trauma, PTSD or CPTSD. I’m mindful of the need to proceed at a pace that the client will be comfortable with. and sometimes of the need to simply provide a safe environment where the client can share their experiences and work through them.

Can I work with you online?

PTSD and trauma can indeed be treated online, using both talking therapy and hypnosis. I am happy to see you face to face at my therapy room in S Albans, Hertfordshire, or to work with you online, whichever is most convenient. I am always happy to discuss your options for treatment or answer any questions you may have, just contact me by email, phone or WhatsApp using the buttons below, or clicking here