Does Hypnotherapy Work?Hypnotherapy in Burnaby

A Deep Dive into its Efficacy and Benefits

When people think of hypnotherapy, their minds might conjure images of swinging watches or stage performances. But hypnotherapy is far more than entertainment; it's a legitimate and increasingly popular approach within modern mental health care. As a complementary treatment in trauma therapy, counselling, and even couples counselling, hypnotherapy has helped many individuals unlock the root of their emotional pain and start healing.

So, does hypnotherapy work? The short answer is yes—for many people, it absolutely does. Hypnotherapy is not a magic trick, but a focused and deeply relaxed state where the mind becomes more open to positive suggestions and healing insights. By accessing the subconscious mind, hypnotherapy can change the subjective experience for individuals dealing with trauma, anxiety, depression, and relationship struggles to a positive one.

Hypnotherapy helps clients access thoughts and feelings that are often buried under layers of emotional defenses. When used in trauma therapy, hypnotherapy provides a safe, controlled environment where individuals can revisit traumatic events and reframe their meanings, often bringing about profound healing.

At our clinic offering counselling in Burnaby, we’ve witnessed the transformative effects of hypnotherapy on a wide range of concerns. It complements traditional therapy beautifully, allowing clients to achieve breakthroughs more quickly.

How does hypnotherapy work? The Science Behind Hypnotherapy

Scientific studies support the efficacy of hypnotherapy in numerous areas, including pain management, phobia treatment, and trauma recovery. Functional MRI scans have shown changes in brain activity during hypnotherapy sessions, particularly in areas related to attention and emotional control. This proves that hypnotherapy doesn’t just feel like it’s working—there’s measurable neurological activity that backs it up.

For trauma survivors, hypnotherapy offers a non-invasive way to process painful memories without re-traumatizing the individual. Because hypnotherapy engages the subconscious mind, it bypasses the critical voice that often hinders progress in talk therapy. This makes it an excellent complement to traditional therapy modalities, particularly in treating trauma.

Applications in Trauma and Therapy

Trauma can deeply imprint itself on a person’s mind and body, sometimes lying dormant until triggered by a life event. Hypnotherapy provides a unique approach by working directly with the subconscious mind to process and resolve trauma. As part of a trauma therapy program, hypnotherapy is used to guide individuals through their experiences with compassion and safety.

Through hypnotherapy, clients are often able to recall memories that conventional therapy couldn't reach. They can see their past from a new perspective, replacing shame or fear with understanding and self-compassion. Therapy that incorporates hypnotherapy often leads to emotional breakthroughs that significantly reduce symptoms of PTSD, anxiety, and depression.

One client was experiencing a lot of anxiety after a car accident. When the therapist asked her to imagine where the anxiety is in her subconscious mind, she took the therapist back to the moment when her faviourite teddy bear was thrown away by her parents. She was only 5 in that scene. When she gets easily startled by loud noises that she couldn't drive without fear on the road, the therapist invites her to visit the loud noises that bothered her the most in a hypnotherapy session, she was able to identify the source of the scary loud noise actually came from her witnessing a cow being killed due to an illness when she was only 7 visiting her grandma's farm. These are memories that stored so deep down in her subconsciousness and would not have been retrieved and resolved with other conventional therapy method.

In addition, for those who are scared of revisiting the past or found the past traumatic memories to be too emotionally triggering, going through hypnotherapy means you don't need to re-experience what happened in order to achieve a therapeutic result. Our brain organizes events in a metaphorical way in our subconscious mind where only hypnotherapy can access and retrieve those information.

This client experienced a remarkable shift after just a few hypnotherapy sessions. Integrating hypnotherapy into regular therapy sessions, particularly trauma therapy, allowed clients to unlock suppressed emotions and rebuild their sense of safety.

Couples Counselling and Hypnotherapy

Hypnotherapy isn't just for individual concerns. In couples counselling, hypnotherapy can help partners understand one another more deeply and work through emotional blocks. It’s not uncommon for unresolved trauma to interfere with relationship dynamics. By addressing personal trauma through hypnotherapy, each partner can bring a healthier version of themselves into the relationship.

In one couples therapy session, the wife was invited to describe what made her unhappy. She was only able to list out to the therapist all the arguments she had with her husband over time. However, in a hypnotherapy session, she visualized an unrenovated empty house with no window or door to represent her unhappy marriage. When the therapist invites her to rearrange her image, make changes of her empty home as needed. She was invited to explore the meanings of each item she put in this empty home and discuss about them with her husband. Eventually she was empowered and found a way to decorate her "empty house", opened a window in the empty house and set up some lights to make it bright. This translated into real life a better communication with her husband because now she finally understand what she really wants in her marriage. The lighting and window is a powerful hope that she carries into the rest of her marital life.

Couples' therapy that includes hypnotherapy may also work on trust, communication, and intimacy. When both partners are open to exploring their subconscious patterns, the results can be transformative. Hypnotherapy, combined with couples counselling, creates a holistic pathway to relationship repair and growth.

We have worked with numerous couples at Nuway Counselling in Burnaby who chose to integrate hypnotherapy into their couples' therapy sessions. The outcomes have been inspiring, showing improved emotional intimacy, conflict resolution, and mutual support.

The Misconceptions About Hypnotherapy

One of the biggest barriers to hypnotherapy is misunderstanding. Many people believe hypnotherapy involves losing control or being unconscious. In reality, clients are aware and in control throughout the session. Hypnotherapy is more about guidance than control. The therapist serves as a facilitator, helping the client tap into their inner resources.

For those who have experienced trauma, this sense of control is crucial. Hypnotherapy empowers clients to become active participants in their healing. Far from being passive, clients are engaged in the therapeutic process, making choices and discoveries that shape their journey.

One teenager dropped out of school at the first semester of grade 12 due to depression. He was emotionally abused by her step mother since he was 6 years old and feeling extremely anxious and not trusting when he first came to our therapy room. Incorporating hypnotherapy or clinical hypnosis in counselling therapy, the client gave us a power image of himself being a knight riding on a white horse and killing or destroying all the obstacles along his way using his sword and riding toward a bright shining sun. He was eventually one year delayed in his study. But he caught up in the following year and completed high school.

A girl in her late 20s had marriage anxiety created a power image in hypnotherapy to become her own best friend; so she was able to battle the feeling of abandonment that was created in her childhood where she was left in her room alone while her parents had to work in the living room.

Their success story underscores the importance of integrating hypnotherapy into a well-rounded therapy plan. It wasn’t just about recovering from trauma, but about rediscovering joy, confidence, and connection through consistent therapy and hypnotherapy.

How to Know If Hypnotherapy is Right for You

If you're undergoing counselling in Burnaby or considering therapy for trauma or relationship challenges, hypnotherapy might be a beneficial addition. It’s suitable for those who are open-minded, curious, and ready to explore deeper emotional layers.

Whether you're in individual counselling, trauma therapy, or couples' therapy, hypnotherapy can act as a catalyst for faster and deeper healing. The decision to try hypnotherapy is a personal one. Some individuals notice results after one session, while others require multiple sessions to see significant changes. Like all therapy, consistency and trust in the process are key.

We offer free consultation for you to decide if hypnotherapy is right for you.

Final Thoughts: Hypnotherapy Works When Integrated Thoughtfully

In conclusion, hypnotherapy does work—especially when it’s thoughtfully integrated into an overall therapy plan. Whether you’re facing the aftermath of trauma, navigating relationship struggles, or simply seeking a more peaceful mind, hypnotherapy can offer a powerful and safe route to healing. Combined with trauma therapy or couples counselling, it often unlocks growth that talk therapy alone might take longer to achieve.

At our clinic for counselling in Burnaby, we believe in the holistic power of therapy. That includes integrating approaches like hypnotherapy and EMDR to meet each client’s unique needs. From trauma therapy to couples' therapy, the benefits of hypnotherapy are far-reaching and deeply personal.

So, does hypnotherapy work? For those who are willing to embrace it, the answer is a resounding yes.

MS. Bessie Wang, the clinical director and supervisor at Nuway Counselling. She can answer more questions regarding hypnotherapy for trauma treatment.