Anxiety and panic is the subconscious mind’s way of alerting us that something inside is not right. Often times feelings of panic are just symptoms. In psychotherapy, one can explore the reason for the presence of those symptoms. Hypnosis often times is used in conjunction with psychotherapy to help discover the root cause of those feelings of anxiety and panic. Once the root cause or event is uncovered while in a hypnotic state, the patient can focus more clearly on addressing those issues in Psychotherapy (“talk therapy”).

Psychotherapy can assist individuals in finding the events, situations or sources of their depression. By entering into a hypnotic state the person is able to safely explore the subconscious mind that stores memories and the root cause of their depression. After uncovering these memories they can then bring them into the light and deal with them effectively. After they are dealt with these memories and events are not forgotten, but simply placed in the proper perspective.

Therapists often utilize psychotherapy and hypnosis to help their patients explore memories, emotions, and past situations that might have affected the patient in a harmful way. Hypnosis is a very effective tool to heal the symptoms related to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). It can help relieve some of the most common symptoms as: difficulty sleeping, feeling irritable, anger outbursts, trouble concentrating, and hyper vigilance. Hypnosis can help heal PTSD symptoms by inducing a deep state of relaxation. The processing of the event happens much easier through the relaxed and safe state offered through hypnosis. Through hypnosis traumatic events such as those below can uncovered and then, addressed through “talk therapy” (psychotherapy).

• Interpersonal violence (such as being mugged or unexpectedly attacked)

• Combat violence

• Sexual assault

• Sudden and unexpected death of a close family member

Phobias are unfound or illogical fears of objects or events. It is thought that phobias are learned or conditioned responses from early childhood experiences. Many individuals have experienced the emotion of being frightened but many prefer to forget about it and try to overcome the emotion of fear. However, when they experience a similar event, fear erupts again. A phobia is more than a simple fear, or being afraid. It is to be totally terrified of the stimulus. Hypnosis is used to take a person back in time where forgotten memories are recalled. Once the conscious mind is aware of the repressed memory the person can deal with the past event with more understanding, and learn new coping mechanisms during psychotherapy. Hypnotherapy Can Treat These Common Phobias as:

• Heights

• Snakes

• Bugs

• Injections or needles

• Clowns

• Small spaces

Dementias such as Alzheimer’s disease can devastate families, and those individuals affected who are able early on to recognize they are faced with the disease. The natural process of aging also creates change, which often leads to fear, sadness and depression for individuals and families.

Psychotherapy or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, can help elders and their family members who may have difficulty with the transitions of aging to manage their emotions, achieve enjoyment and meaning to their lives, and find new support systems.

• Stress-related problems

• Substance Abuse

• Social isolation

Bereavement Counseling is often recommended as elders face the loss of their spouses, children grieve the loss of a parent, and elders feel the emptiness as their friends and companions pass on.

The hypnotic trance enhances a person’s ability to remember events that otherwise cannot be recalled. Through hypnosis, an individual can gain access to a large amount of information stored in their subconscious. Some information called “repressed memories” blocks normal functioning. Regression is the process by which the therapist guides an individual back through the time of particular event that needs to be examined. This process helps people remember specific details of an event, to observe it objectively and to understand its meaning and significance. The hypnotic trance enhances one’s ability to remember events that they could otherwise not recall. It is important that hypnotic regressions are performed by highly skilled mental health professionals, as not to create “false memories.”

Hypnosis helps executives in the entrepreneurial and business sector focus, allowing the unconscious mind to eliminate obstacles that are getting in the way of corporate success. When removing mental barriers to success, individuals can achieve a greater sense of purpose in their work life. Dealing with job responsibilities, co-workers, managers, and clients can lead to stress and anxiety, which result in declining job performance. Hypnosis can help workers achieve a greater sense of calm and well-being resulting in increased productivity. Through visualization and relaxation, those who have not had tremendous career success can imagine what success might feel like. Tapping into personal strengths connects people to those emotions that boost their confidence. Hypnosis has been shown to enhance the pathways in which individuals store information, providing new ways of remembering important data and keeping mentally sharp. This can enhance self- confidence and decrease anxiety.

Hypnosis is a state of heightened awareness and relaxation that can be self-induced. It is commonly used by athletes in a variety of sports as a stress management technique and can also accelerate many aspects of mental training. Sports performance relies on the subconscious mind and its connection between the conditioned mental response and a muscular action. Neural impulses passed from the brain to the muscular system during imagery may be retained in memory, and through hypnosis can be perceived as if the movement had occurred. There is growing evidence to suggest that in addition to heightened performance, the combination of imagery and relaxation can accelerate the rehabilitation process following sports injury or surgery.