The Clinical Experience and Integration of Hypnotherapy
*This post is Part 3 of 3-part series: You can review Part 1, and Part 2!
So now that we've reviewed a bunch of important stuff about clinical hypnosis, let's talk some more about clinical hypnosis!
At this point, especially if you've also perused Part 1 and Part 2 of this series, you may find yourself wondering what to expect from a hypnotherapy appointment.
Well, the answer to that question follows!
Initial Assessment:
The initial assessment is the key to everything - hypnotherapy is only as effective as it is personalized to the patient. So my goal is to get to know who I'm working with as well as I humanly can - what your care goals are; what your Ayurvedic constitution is; your medical history; what makes you tick; what you value; what your desires and aspirations are; what your fears and aversions are; how it is that you learn, and how it is that you understand the world around you.
This assessment informs everything we do with therapeutic trance and hypnosis as a team. What approaches and wording I select; how I offer healing and positive suggestions and at what precise moments; how anchor the benefits of the work we do to the days and weeks and months that follow.
There is no substitute for knowing the person you're working with - and that actually goes both ways! So on that note, I'll also offer that transparency about myself and my approach is also high on my priority list, and you can hold me to that. I invite my patients to ask me anything about my approach (and hypnosis in general) anytime, and I will answer.
Environment and Setting:
There is such a thing as a non-therapeutic treatment environment. Ever had an appointment in a conventional doctor's office? I'll wait while you internalize that.
...
Okay, great.
So, what makes for a therapeutic environment?
Well, a lot. There are sensory considerations, such as light, ambient sound, temperature, and so on. I have control over these when it comes to my practice/office space, but obviously not so much if I'm working with someone via telehealth - in that situation, I have to make suggestions (double entendre totally intended) about my patient's environment and allow them to optimize to the best of their ability.
And there are emotional associations with the space in question, and this is especially pertinent when it comes to telehealth and environments that I don't have direct influence on - it's definitely harder to relax and drop into the awareness of subconscious function and wisdom when traffic is blaring noisily by, or when someone is sitting in a room where they routinely argue with a loved one.
Features of the ambient environment can make it easier or more difficult to drop into therapeutic trance, and easier or more difficult to receive therapeutic suggestions. It's for real.
Appointment Structure:
If you're at all familiar with my approach, then this is the most predictable thing I'll say in this entire series of posts: you can expect your appointment to be structured and tailored to you and your needs the very day of.
That's all there is to it. Any history I need to gather, I'll gather with your guidance and some thoughtful questioning. Seeing me in-person and need a pulse reading or pulse update? We'll do that.
And then we'll get to work. It may be the kind of day where you would benefit from some structure and formality in the hypnotic process; no problem. We'll work in structure and formality, with an intentional, discrete induction, clear trance ratification and deepening, lots of in-trance and post-hypnotic suggestions, and then some re-alerting.
Or it might be the kind of day wherein a more conversational approach is called for. So we'll do that, and all of our therapeutic work will just sort of blend into whatever spontaneous and real-time conversation we might be having. And before you know it, there will be some positive suggestions coming your way, and maybe even some direct questioning of the subconscious mind while you are in therapeutic trance.
In either case, there will be a thorough and complete re-alerting, and an opportunity for you to ask any questions at all that you might have.
You might also get some assignments for self-practice as we wrap up.
And no matter what, your treatment will be personalized, soup to nuts, based on constitutional factors, whatever needs you express, whatever subtler needs that I read, and more. There could be some integration with meditation and/or pranayama and/or other practices, too. And there will be progression from one visit to the next, and you will develop more proficiency and command over your own trance and hypnotic process as we go. It's very empowering.
Integrating Hypnosis with Your Current Treatment Plan:
Easy for me to say, but integrating hypnosis into any existing treatment plan you might have (either with us at The Buddha's Medicine or with care plans from other providers, or both) is a seamless process.
It's our job to do that here, so that's what we do. Need us to communicate and/or coordinate with other providers? No problem. Wondering if we document and track your progress and key insights? We do that every single visit.
Above all, we ensure that your treatment and care are as unified and cohesive as possible.
What does that mean with respect to your health goals and intentions? It means whatever you want it to! My role is to adjust and customize as you need. In the hands of a qualified health professional, hypnotherapy is a safe modality that can be integrated with a whole multitude of others. There are no potential interactions with other therapies; only complementary effects and benefits.
Resources for Those Interested in Clinical Hypnosis:
In case you'd like to investigate further, here are some resources I recommend:
The American Society of Clinical Hypnosis
The Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis
A demonstration of Ericksonian-style hypnosis (one among many approaches)
If you're curious about whether hypnotherapy might be beneficial to you and your health, be in touch. If you're considering becoming a patient, I encourage you to take advantage of a completely free 15-minute consultation - that's an opportunity to meet, share a bit of your story, and ask any questions you might have. If you're an existing patient, you know how to get ahold of me, so don't hesitate!
Dr. Matt Van Auken, MD, MPH
Dr. Matt is an Ayurveda-trained, triple board-certified physician.
