Hypnotherapy for PTSD: A Comprehensive Guide by Dr. Patrick Watson
When something happens to us, we remember it and learn a particular behavior in response to what happened. Each time something similar happens, our physical and emotional reactions attached to the memory are repeated. Sometimes these reactions are unhealthy. In hypnotherapy for PTSD, Patrick Watson PhD at Mindset Solutions guides you to remember the event that led to the first reaction, separate the memory from the learned behavior, and replace unhealthy behaviors with new, healthier ones.
During hypnosis, your body relaxes and your thoughts become more focused. Like other relaxation techniques, hypnosis lowers blood pressure and heart rate, and changes certain types of brain wave activity. In this relaxed state, you will feel at ease physically yet fully awake mentally, and you may be highly responsive to suggestion. Your conscious mind becomes less alert and your subconscious mind becomes more focused and able to accept positive suggestions. Some people respond better to hypnotic suggestion than others.
Here is how Hypnotherapy can help with the symptoms of PTSD
- Relaxation and stress reduction – Hypnotherapy involves inducing a state of deep relaxation. This can help clients with PTSD manage anxiety, stress and emotional arousal commonly associated with this disorder. By teaching clients to achieve this relaxed state, hypnotherapy helps clients develop better coping mechanisms for handling their symptoms.
- Hypnotherapy renders the subconscious mind more accessible during the trance-like state. This is helpful in uncovering and exploring underlying emotions, memories and beliefs related to traumatic events. Hypnotherapy assists in addressing unresolved trauma by facilitating deeper exploration of the experiences and emotions that contribute to PTSD symptoms.
- Hypnotherapy helps in reframing or reinterpreting traumatic memories or experiences. By accessing the subconscious mind, clients may be guided to reprocess traumatic events, allowing for a different perspective or understanding. This reframing process can help clients to reduce the intensity of emotional responses associated with the trauma and foster healing.
- Hypnotherapy facilitates desensitization and recall of traumatic memories in a controlled, safe environment, allowing clients to gradually confront and process their traumatic experiences, reducing the emotional distress and physiological reactions associated with those memories.
- Hypnotherapy techniques are employed to address specific symptoms of PTSD, such as nightmares, flashbacks, insomnia and anxiety. Clients can learn relaxation techniques, self-hypnosis and guided imagery exercises to manage or alleviate these symptoms.
Hypnosis will help clients:
- Reframe the problem
- Become relaxed, then absorbed (deeply engaged in the words or images presented by a hypnotherapist)
- Dissociate (letting go of critical thoughts)
- Respond (comply with a hypnotherapist’s suggestions)
- Return to usual awareness
- Reflect on the experience
Take the First Step towards Healing: Connect with Dr. Watson Today!
Hypnotherapy with Dr. Watson can help you safely access your memories, examine and reprocess them and better understand your feelings about the trauma you carry. Hypnotherapy can help you identify your triggers and work with you to mitigate your reactions and feelings toward them. The work helps reduce and prevent unhealthy dissociation and reduce anxiety as you reframe your memories and feelings surrounding past traumatic experiences. The ultimate goal is to help you recover control over your life. Contact us today.