anti stress

Finding Credentialed Hypnotherapy Washington DC

By April Briggs


Health care professionals have differing opinions on the value of most types of therapy used in modern medicine. In most cases, what is a good fit for one patient is not for another. When considering hypnotherapy Washington DC practitioners have had varying thoughts on its effectiveness, for smoking cessation for example.

Those who have used the nicotine patch for help to stop smoking have had some degree of success as well. Some therapists will combine the two for a greater degree of successful outcomes. Some medications used for smoking cessation may have detrimental side effects. Sessions with a trained hypnotherapist can be used alone, thereby assuring the patient of not trading the addiction of smoking to an addiction to prescription medicine.

He or she should be a duly licensed psychotherapist who has taken additional training to be certified in hypnotherapy. It is not a method used exclusively by those with a doctorate. Someone with a masters degree in social work or psychology may be equally qualified if trained. There are cases in which a patient does not respond to hypnosis.

This therapy, to date, has been most helpful when used as palliative care for terminal patients. It can ease the pain and decrease the nausea experienced by some receiving chemotherapy. Used concomitantly with prescription pain medication, it can be effective for cancer patients.

Hypnotherapy is also used to control obesity. It has had some success with overweight individuals. In some cases a family practice doctor can be certified to provide it. The patient must be open to the idea that it will help. It should also be reinforced at regular intervals, with additional sessions to remain in effect.

In cases where repressed memories are being expressed as current disorders, hypnotherapy can be used to uncover those traumatic memories. For example a near-drowning incident at the age of two can be the root cause of a fear of water in the patients adult life. When it can be recalled the therapist can help the patient in understanding it from an adult perspective.

Research has shown that those in the final stages of cancer are helped with nausea and pain by being hypnotized. It has a calming effect and, coupled with medication, provides relief. More structured research must be done to confirm these findings. A study using cancer patients receiving hypnotherapy and a control group not receiving it will show the validity of hypnotherapy.

The state of being under a hypnotic trance is not fearful as it once was. It is simply a state of very deep relaxation. Some people remember every word spoken during that time. Others do not. The therapist can suggest things that will serve to advance the therapeutic goals set by him or herself and the patient, who will then carry them out when awake.

There are some other areas in which hypnosis has proven effective. One of these is to reduce stress. Over time, stress leads to heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity and sleep disorders. Hypnosis puts the patient into a relaxation mode, which can help him learn to relax under other circumstances.

The overall conclusions on hypnotherapy seem to indicate it is useful in many cases. There are some people who cannot be hypnotized. Those who can do not view it as a mysterious event. The deep state of relaxation is pleasant and opens their mind to suggestions that will assist in their progress.




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