Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy – C.B.H. What is it?
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (C.B.T.) has been around for many moons and with the addition of Hypnotherapy, becomes C.B.H. an even more effective methology.
The history of each application is readily available, so I will stay with the every day, current discussion of their uses. Considering the efficacy of the combination, we can consider their effectiveness.
Many studies deduce that the combination, over a variety of issues, has proven to be at least 70% more effective than straight CBT. (Kirsch, Montgomery and Saperstein, 1995), to quote just one.Beck, in his original text book on CBT includes a whole chapter on mental imagery (Beck, Emery et al, 2005.) Referring mainly to the power of the imagination. When hypnosis is added there is a greater “expectation” for success and a quicker feeling of the possibility to change because of the immediate relaxation benefit.
Mindfulness and Meditation, as employed in Buddhism, incorporates hypnosis. In early childhood many negative suggestions are given and received, and recorded in the subconscious mind.
Negative put downs, such as “You are so stupid” “You will never make anything of your life” become accepted as facts within the computer of the deeper mind, laying a basis for self esteem, or lack of it, whereas so often they are fictitious and totally damaging to the ever absorbing child’s brain.
The subconscious mind has no ability to reason, that’s one of the functions of the conscious, to accept or reject suggestion.
Hypnotherapy, by relaxing the conscious mind, not as deeply as sleep, but the first phase of brain wave activity from Beta to Alpha, opens up the mind to accept any suggestions, as long as they are for the well being of the individual. Earlier negative suggestions, which can of course be very powerful, can be reversed, and the person’s perception of living, altered to a satisfactory degree.
I would point out at this stage that all hypnosis is guided self hypnosis and will not get anywhere without the full agreement of the subject. Safety and rapport have to be established prior to sessions.
Some people are more susceptible than others, it is the therapist’s job to assess and adapt the process to each individual’s needs and responses.
When people are worried or stressed they often lose their sense of wellbeing and dwell more in the past, and old patterns. Amplifying these in an ABC process, Activating event, Beliefs and Consequences, instilled in the deeper realms of the mind, acted upon without realisation of the hidden influences. How was your child hood?
The process of dehypnotising can be very enlightening, whether or not the regression to the original event is necessary.
Please contact me if you wish to further discuss the subject and any of its forms, it is a deeply misunderstood art and there is so much more fascination in its unravelling!