Hypnotherapy
How will Hypnotherapy or Hypnosis help me?
While you may think of hypnosis as something you see only in the movies or novels, hypnosis is used in real life as part of the treatment plan for people with numerous health ailments ranging from depression to gastro-intestinal disorders. Based on research showing that hypnosis can help people manage – and in many cases recover from illness, hypnosis is becoming a more common part of many patients’ recommended health treatment.
Is there evidence that hypnosis works?Yes. While there are plenty of examples in the scientific literature attesting to the usefulness of clinical hypnosis, a study published in the journal Gut is noteworthy. The study involved 204 people suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). Treatment consisted of 12 weekly sessions of hypnosis (lasting about one hour each). Fifty-eight percent of the men and 75 percent of the women reported significant symptom relief immediately after finishing treatment. More than 80 percent of those who reported initial relief were still improved up to six years later. Fewer than 10 percent of the participants tried other treatments after hypnotherapy.
(Gut, November 2003).read more here...
NLP & CBT
NLP is the practice of understanding how people organise their thinking, feeling, language and behaviour to produce the results they do. NLP provides people with a methodology to model outstanding performances achieved by geniuses and leaders in their field.
A key element of NLP is that we form our unique internal mental maps of the world as a product of the way we filter and perceive information absorbed through our five senses from the world around us.
Neuro: Each individual has established their own unique mental filtering system for processing the millions of bits of data being absorbed through the senses. Our first mental map of the world is constituted of internal images, sounds, tactile awareness, internal sensations, tastes and smells that form as result of the neurological filtering process. The first mental map is called ‘First Access’ in NLP.
Linguistic: We then assign personal meaning to the information being received from the world outside. We form our second mental map by assigning language to the internal images, sounds and feelings, tastes and smells, thus forming everyday conscious awareness. The second mental map is called the Linguistic Map (sometimes known as Linguistic Representation)
Programming: The behavioural response that occurs as a result of neurological filtering processes and the subsequent linguistic map
read more here...
What is cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT)?
Cognitive therapy
Our 'cognitive processes' are our thoughts which include our ideas, mental images, beliefs and attitudes. Cognitive therapy is based on the principle that certain ways of thinking can trigger, or 'fuel', certain health problems. For example, anxiety, depression, phobias, etc, but there are others including physical problems. The therapist helps you to understand your current thought patterns. In particular, to identify any harmful, unhelpful, and 'false' ideas or thoughts which you have that can trigger your health problem, or make it worse. The aim is then to change your ways of thinking to avoid these ideas. Also, to help your thought patterns to be more realistic and helpful.
Behaviour therapy
This aims to change any behaviours that are harmful or not helpful. Various techniques are used. For example, a common unhelpful behaviour is to avoid situations that can make you anxious. In some people with phobias the avoidance can become extreme and affect day-to-day life. In this situation a type of behaviour therapy called 'exposure therapy' may be used. This is where you are gradually exposed more and more to feared situations. The therapist teaches you how to control anxiety and to cope when you face up to the feared situations. For example, by using deep breathing and other techniques.
Cognitive behaviour therapy - CBT
This is a mixture of cognitive and behaviour therapies. They are often combined because how we behave often reflects how we think about certain things or situations. The emphasis on cognitive or behaviour aspects of therapy can vary, depending on the condition being treated. For example, there is often more emphasis on behaviour therapy when treating obsessive compulsive disorder (where repetitive compulsive actions are a main problem). On the other hand, the emphasis may be more on cognitive therapy when treating depression.
What conditions can be helped by CBT?
CBT has been shown to help people with various condition - both mental health conditions and physical conditions. For example:
- certain anxiety disorders including phobias, panic attacks and panic disorder
- depression
- eating disorders
- obsessive-compulsive disorder
- body dysmorphic disorder
- anger
- post-traumatic-stress disorder
- sexual and relationship problems
- habits such as facial tics
- drug or alcohol abuse
- some sleep problems
- chronic fatigue syndrome / ME
- chronic (persistent) pain
As a rule, the more specific the problem, the more likely CBT may help. This is because it is a practical therapy which focuses on particular problems and aims to overcome them. CBT is sometimes used alone, and sometimes used in addition to medication, depending on the type and severity of the condition being treated.
read more here...
