I have had training in hypnotherapy from some of the leading hypnotherapy trainers and experts—including psychologists and other mental health professionals who were trained by the highly influential hypnotherapist Milton H. Erickson, MD.
I view hypnosis as a way to enable a person to intentionally enter a natural altered state of consciousness so that the unconscious mind can be utilized to achieve desired effects. People vary in how easily or deeply they experience hypnotic trance. For most people it is a relaxing experience that is more similar to daydreaming or meditation than to sleep or being put under anesthesia.
Although direct suggestion by the therapist can play a role in hypnotherapy, modern hypnotherapists use hypnosis to facilitate clients’ access to their own personal resources that can help with a problem. These could include one’s imagination, memories, the ability of the mind to affect the body, and learnings from past experiences.
I typically employ hypnotherapy selectively to help with specific issues, rather than using it as the primary therapeutic method. The exception would be in working with problems such as smoking. (See the webpage on my smoking-cessation program.)
I often provide audio recordings of the hypnotic inductions so a client can benefit from repeated listening at home. Often I teach a brief self-hypnosis procedure that enables clients to create their own suggestions to assist them with whatever issues they wish to address.