The NHS is only just coming forward now to suggest hypnotherapy as a possible solution to Irritable Bowel Syndrome, as stress is usually a trigger hypnotherapy comes into its own with teaching a client how to manage stress and therefore their IBS.

As if it didn’t already have shaky standing as it is then organisations like the American Medical Association (AMA) withdraw approval within days of giving it regarding Hypnotherapy, I wonder if this is because as with any therapy success depends on so many different variables such as; Client state of mind at the time of treatment, rapport between client and therapist, secondary gain opposed benefits of recovery- the list is the same regardless of the therapy used.

It also needs to be stated that it is a matter of public record that hypnosis has massive clinical benefits, which were documented by doctors back in the late 1800’s. (http://www.rebhp.org/articles/Hypnosis-Medical-Scientific-Article.pdf)    It was the government’s decision to keep hypnotherapy as a private/holistic therapy as they didn’t foresee a need for doctors being involved in mental health concerns of their patients.

This, for all intents and purposes, has allowed the benefits of the therapy to be marred by the image portrayed by stage hypnotists – the truth is anyone chosen by a hypnotist has a choice at every step. Even though the people on stage are in a hypnotic state, they could decline any or all suggestions being made by the hypnotist. The hypnotist has, in fact, increased the person’s confidence and has removed any fear of being on stage that they may have had before stepping up. 

How effective is hypnotherapy compared to other talking therapies?

After surveying over 2000 journal articles, Dr. Alfred Barrios came up with the following recovery rates:

Type of therapy                        Recovery rates                          Number of sessions

Hypnotherapy                                    93%                                                      6
Behaviour therapy                              72%                                                      22
Psychoanalysis                                   38%                                                     600

(To clarify Psycho-Analysis is long term therapy- potentially having more than one session a week, Counselling is supposed to be a short-term therapy focusing on behaviours)

According to numbers released by the HSCIC a mixture of therapy including counselling, CBT and Psychotherapy saw:

• The England mean average recovery rate was 44.8 per cent (189,152 of 421,744 referrals).
• Patients suffering from a range of anxiety and stress-related disorders⁹ have a slightly higher recovery rate at 47.8 per cent (80,608 of 168,718 referrals) than for patients suffering from depression¹⁰ at 44.6 per cent (38,509 of 86,268 referrals).

(http://content.digital.nhs.uk/article/6829/Psychological-therapy-big-differences-in-recovery-rates-across-England)

Still shocking considering the recovery rate using Hypnotherapy.

Talking therapies are far and wide the go-to choice for GP’s or physicians to refer those with emotional issues and even though the statistics speak for themselves hypnotherapy still struggles to be seen in a positive light. Having recently had a client book in with me because 18 private sessions with a counsellor had seen them spiral into an even worse anxious state, I wanted to look deeper into recovery rates of the therapies GPs recommend- and I think you may agree that the 6 sessions that you will get on the NHS might not be anywhere near enough. Even more concerning to me as a therapist is the amount of people admitting that they stopped counselling not because they felt better- but because they were getting nowhere. Of course counselling has a place helping people learn how to self help and give coping strategies. Talking things through with a trusted individual is a time honoured therapy- I just question if it is superior to Hypnotherapy which speaks directly to the Subconscious who’s primary role is to protect us, and which is 30,000 times more powerful than the Conscious mind.

You may be surprised to find out that neither Counselling or Hypnotherapy counselling are regulated by the government, and this could well be one of the reasons GPs can’t refer to a hypnotherapist, because people with limited qualifications can pin on the “Therapist” badge without that education or experience they could go on to have limited success, causing bad press for those who can and do help others.

I had an unpleasant experience with a Hypnotherapist years ago, which made me reconsider training as one. It was within the first day of a year long course I realised how powerful Hypnotherapy could be in the right caring hands. I later attended another year long course to become a Clinical Hypnotherapist, every technique I use I have had practiced on me- so I know exactly how it works- everyone is different, and results may vary client to client.

The measure of a good therapist in any area is making sure that each client is treated holistically to the highest standard possible. I hope I meet and exceed the expectations of my Clients.                       If you are looking for a qualified therapist look no further than the General Hypnotherapy Register (GHR) or Hypnotherapy Directory, all their members are qualified to a high standard, have all the relevant insurances or are required to be members of a regulatory body.

Please do check the qualifications and insurance of any therapist you are interested in seeing before booking a session – we are here to help you and will be happy to provide details to reassure you.

If you would like to speak to me regarding Hypnotherapy please contact me at karenlee@blossomhypnotherapy.org or visit www.blossomhypnotherapy.co.uk