Trauma-informed Conversational Hypnosis
I am certified in Strategic Conversational Hypnosis, also called Psychotherapy of Reassociated Traumatism (PTR), developed at the Milton Erickson Institute of Belgium. This solution-focus approach helps to desensitize traumatic experiences & phobias, by changing the way our subconscious records them. You’ll find below the frequently asked questions regarding hypnotherapy.
WHAT IS HYPNOSIS?
Hypnosis refers to a modified state of consciousness, during which the individual is somewhere between being awake and asleep. It’s a natural state that we experience on a regular basis, for example when we read a book we’re passionate about, when we drive and lose track of time, when we’re ‘lost in our thoughts’, or when we watch a fire. This hypnotic state, also known as a ‘hypnotic trance’, can be used in a therapeutic context, accompanied by a hypnotherapist using suggestions, memories and body sensations. It is also possible to induce your own hypnosis, known as self-hypnosis.
Contrary to what performance hypnosis would have us believe, you don’t lose control when you’re in a state of hypnosis. A person cannot be hypnotized if they don’t wish to be, and hypnosis is based on active collaboration with the therapist.
WHAT IS HYPNOTHERAPY?
Hypnotherapy is a form of therapy that uses hypnosis to help individuals achieve a heightened state of focus and suggestibility, which can facilitate positive changes in behavior, thoughts, and feelings. Hypnotherapy is a cooperation between the therapist and the client. It’s not something a therapist is doing to their patient.
CAN ANYONE BE HYPNOTIZED?
Hypnosis is a state of altered consciousness which can be induced during a session, but which can also occur spontaneously (when carrying out a meticulous task, or when one’s full attention is riveted on a film, for example). It can therefore be said that everyone can be hypnotised, i.e. that everyone has the ability to enter hypnosis. However, not everyone enters hypnosis in the same way, and the level of suggestibility varies. Factors such as willingness, trust in the therapist, and the ability to concentrate can influence the ease of entering a hypnotic state.
WHAT IS PSYCHOTHERAPY OF REASSOCIATED TRAUMATISM (PTR) / STRATEGIC CONVERSATIONAL HYPNOSIS?
PTR conversational hypnosis – also called Strategic conversational Hypnosis, is a gentle yet powerful tool for transformation. By working specifically with your unconscious mind, it enables you to untangle knots, stresses, shocks and traumas that are deeply rooted within you.
By working specifically with your unconscious, this approach can be used for all problems linked to a painful past (complicated relationships, traumas, sexual abuse, incest, accidents…) but it is also a valuable tool in the case of psychosomatic symptoms, nightmares, flashbacks… It can also be beneficial in treating phobias, addictive or destructive relationships, chronic/psychosomatic physical pain, bereavement, or trauma related to pregnancy, childbirth, abortion or miscarriage.
This approach has been developed by the Gérald Brassine at the Milton Erickson Institute of Belgium. It’s a solution-focus approach that helps to desensitize traumatic experiences & phobias, by changing the way our subconscious records them. We can’t change the past events. But we can change the way they impact us in our everyday life. Our brain does not make the difference between an imagined experience and an actual one.
So by exploring a memory under hypnosis, it is possible to desensitize painful past events, emotionally or physically, and free yourself from any symptoms that may have arisen as a result. This tailor-made work is inspired by you. You remain in control at all times, as hypnosis is not the result of suggestion, but rather the use of your memory and imagination.
WHAT CAN HYPNOTHERAPY TREAT?
By working specifically with your unconscious, this approach can be used for all problems linked to a painful past (complicated relationships, traumas, sexual abuse, incest, accidents…) but it is also a valuable tool in the case of psychosomatic symptoms, nightmares, flashbacks… It can also be beneficial in treating phobias, addictive or destructive relationships, chronic/psychosomatic physical pain, bereavement, or trauma related to pregnancy, childbirth, abortion or miscarriage.
Based on the approach of Gabor Maté, I consider that “trauma is not what happens to you; it is what happens inside you as a result of what happens to you“.
If talking therapy is be one way / step to heal from a trauma, this approach does not fit everyone’s needs. Sometimes, talking is not enough, and sometimes it’s too much. By using hypnosis, we will work together to help to free yourself from the weight and symptoms of past traumas and phobia. Those are protections put in place by your unconscious to protect you in case of danger. Through hypnosis, we’ll tell your unconscious that these protections are no longer always necessary in certain situations.
HOW MANY HYPNOTHERAPY SESSIONS WILL I NEED?
The number of sessions needed varies depending on the individual and the issue being addressed. Some people experience significant improvement in just a few sessions, while others may require more. We are unique in our healing journey.
I always start with a first 90-min session, because some people need more time than other to be hypnotized, I want to be sure we won’t have to rush and have a debriefing time at the end. Depending on the needs and client, we can keep doing with 90-min session or 60 min. You can schedule a session here.
WHAT HAPPENS DURING A HYPNOTHERAPY SESSION?
The session can take place in person or by video call, in a seated position. I begin by explaining what conversational hypnosis is, answering your questions and allaying your fears to reassure you if necessary. Next, I invite you to experience hypnosis by recalling a pleasant, reassuring memory, “the right moment”.
Using your imagination, I help you to transform what needs to be transformed in order to change the recording and perception of your trauma. This transformation allows you to change the resonance the trauma has in your life. For example, you can transform images, sounds, smells and sensations, or desensitize traumatic memories. You’ll learn how to break free of the frozen state, release anger and get rid of the petrifaction and tetany often associated with trauma. Using the hypnotic state and dissociative protections, we work gently, deeply and reassuringly. Imagination has incredible power: our brain doesn’t distinguish between reality and imagination, sending the same signals to our organism. This is why transformations through imagination are so effective, bringing lasting changes to emotions, sensations, as well as biological and hormonal levels. This new perception of trauma infuses every cell in your body, reprogramming your thought patterns and bringing about lasting changes in your relationships with others.
WILL I LOOSE CONTROL DURING HYPNOTHERAPY?
No, individuals under hypnosis remain in control and aware of their actions and surroundings. They cannot be made to do anything against their will. Moreover, we are always talking during the session. This allows us to go even deeper in hypnosis.
You don’t lose control, you gain it: you learn to put suffering at a distance, and control of the autonomic nervous system is facilitated.
IS HYPNOTHERAPY ALSO POSSIBLE ONLINE?
Yes, hypnosis is possible in person as well as online. The effects are exactly the same, as soon as you have a good internet connection, and you’re in an environment in which you feel safe and where you won’t be disturbed.