A Hypnotherapy Case Study

July 16, 2010 by
Filed under: hypnotherapy

Hypnosis or hypnotherapy can help make very substantial changes in one’s life. The client is able to change the way they think about negative aspects of their past. This is done by accessing the subconscious mind. By doing this the client can be freed from the negative emotions that control behavior patterns.

A Case Study

I recently worked with a client that had an extreme fear of snakes. The fear was extreme enough to be seriously interfering with her life. She lived in a flat area that mostly consisted of drained swamps and lakes. Snakes were often seen in the area and frequently in her yard. She would spend the entire summer inside the house so she could avoid contact with snakes. People teased her and her husband made fun of her. In short, as soon as warm weather started, her phobia kicked in. Just thinking about a snake was enough to trigger a panic attack. This would create feelings of humiliation and she would feel inadequate as a human being, a wife and a mother.

While in the hypnotic state we did an affect bridge. An affect bridge is a technique in which the patient identifies the negative emotions and then regresses in time to a previous time they felt the same emotions. The regression continues until a time is reached when these emotions began. In this case, we discovered that as a child she was exploring an outbuilding on a farm with her sister. As her sister was leaving the building, a snake fell out of the door frame and down the back of her sister’s shirt. They both were terrified and ran to get help.

As it turned out, this particular snake was harmless but the imprint of the event was sealed in her subconscious mind and any mention of a snake brought back the feelings that she experienced at the time of the original event. This is called “regression to cause”.

Once the cause is discovered, it is the job of the hypnotherapist to reframe the incident and create a new imprint that is less threatening. In this case, the client maintained a healthy respect for snakes but stopped having panic attacks and was able to resume a normal life.

This same intervention is available to any person experiencing a fear or phobia that is interfering with effective functioning. Find a local hypnotist and schedule a consultation. Most hypnotists offer a free consultation.