Hypnosis for Anxiety, Depression and Stress reduction
While covering a wide range of conditions, the symptoms of anxiety are often severe enough to affect the daily function so much that the person will feel overwhelmed and sometimes unable to cope.
Whether there is a genetic predisposition, unresolved trauma or ongoing distress (like parenting or going through a life crisis), people suffering from high stress, anxiety or depression may find they are unable to help themselves no matter how strong and resilient they are.
Unfortunately statistics in Australia is alarming with:
- A whooping 45% of adults will experience a mental disorder at some time in their life (that is about 8.7 million people based on the estimated 2017 population).
- It also estimated that 1 in 5 (20%) of the population had experienced a common mental disorder in the previous 12 months (about 3.9 million people based on the estimated 2017 population).
- Of these, Anxiety disorders (such as social phobia) were the most prevalent, afflicting 1 in 7 (14.4%) of the population,
- followed by Affective disorders (such as depression) (6.2%), and
- Substance use disorders (such as alcohol dependence) (5.1%).
Source: 2007 National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing.
What is Anxiety?
Although anxiety is a natural body’s response to stress, occasionally it becomes extreme end goes beyond your control, with intense feelings of fear and worry and physical manifestations (life changes in breathing and heart rate, cognitive abilities and even panic attacks) lasting for weeks and months and interfering with daily life.
Types of anxiety disorders
As a practicing hypnotherapist I do not diagnose an anxiety disorder but I am trained to recognise and provide effective treatment for:
- Panic attacks
- Phobias and fears (whether it be a fear of a specific object, situation or activity)
- Social anxiety
- Health anxiety
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
How is Depression different?
If anxiety is an illustration of over-activated Flight or Fight response, depression, on the opposite, is corresponding with a Freeze body response. It is a natural state of lethargy and apathy and low moods that alters the way the person thinks, feels and acts. It can be a serious medical condition and requires attention and treatment, as one normally cannot “snap out” of depression all by themselves.
You may have both depression and anxiety at the same time and that sends the nervous system on a dangerous roller coaster. You may even need to take a medication combined with a therapy in order to ensure you stand on both feet and have the inner resource to make desired change.
Is stress making it even worse?
Sustained or chronic intense stress is bad for you and will make the symptoms of anxiety and /or depression worse. This is due to elevated hormones such as cortisol, your brain “stress hormone,” and lower levels of serotonin and other neurotransmitters, including dopamine, that is linked to depression.
Will hypnotherapy help with anxiety, depression and stress?
Hypnotherapy is a form of a solution focussed brief therapy that allows the client to experience a relief from the symptoms fast and transfer this success beyond the session and into the everyday life.
Calm and relaxed hypnotic state provides a safe environment for a deep exploration of causes of the symptoms, cognitive reconstruction and regulation of sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system.
In trance state you can successfully bypass the critical faucet of the mind and work with a deep emotional mind (aka subconscious mind) to discover effective solutions and accept benevolent post-hypnotic suggestions. Understanding of how the mind works and how one can influence it to control and change unhelpful thoughts, feelings and emotions can be the most empowering experience.
I can help you make sense of your reactions and navigate life more efficiently. In sessions, I combine evidence based interventions from a range of psychotherapies, Focussed Psychological Strategies and guided imagery to help you achieve your goals.
How does hypnotherapy enhanced with Cognitive Behavioural Therapy work?
Evidence tells us that in order to achieve sustained improvement, an individual will alter their behaviour by recognising their triggers, emotional response and existing behavioural patterns (aka copying strategies).
By interfering with unhelpful thoughts and emotions and developing benevolent response set (that is, more helpful mood, thoughts and actions), the person will develop capacity to make better choices. This is the foundation for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
But you can take it much further if you get your subconscious feeling mind on board. Combining hypnotherapy with cognitive behavioural therapy allows to reach the root of the problem and provide benevolent suggestion.
Another benefit of hypnotherapy for anxiety, depression and stress is that it normally allows to significantly reduce the number of sessions. I usually have between 4-8 sessions with clients who consult me for the use of hypnotherapy to treat anxiety and depression. So in the nutshell, not only this is effective, but it also often saves time and budget because the results are achieved faster.
As an added bonus you may expect a number of personalised recordings of hypno meditations and learning the skill of self-hypnosis.
What is involved?
It costs nothing to chat!
In the initial session we will first establish a therapeutic relationship and agree on the goals and global approach and estimated number of sessions. We may have a trial hypnotic session then.
Before each trance session we discuss in details and agree on the specific intervention to be carried out in hypnotic state and you will receive home assignments and support from me in between session.
It is my goal to assist you in discovering your unique solutions, and I am personal involved in making sure you are empowered to do that.