The evolution of Cognitive Behavioural theories of hypnosis
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)
In a nutshell, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) is one of the most highly recommended psychotherapies as indicated by NICE (National Institute Excellence), and is in itself is a combination of therapies that includes cognitive and behavioural therapeutic approaches.
CBT as it is more commonly referred to is a highly tailored approach to the clients presenting issues, that takes the view that our thoughts, feelings and behaviours are all interlinked. When one of these domains is out of balance is it is said there is an equal and opposite impact to all the other connected domains. The theory goes, incremental correction to one unbalanced domain has a positive affect to all the connecting domains.
If we change our behaviour we also change our thinking, if we change our thinking we can also change our feelings.
Hypnotherapy
Hypnotherapy has more of a nuanced past, historically the process of hypnosis was considered as putting subjects into a ‘trance’ like ‘state’ and then affecting change by communicating direct to the subjects unconscious / sub conscious.
In the story of Hypnosis, scientific research studies moved on from this ‘trance’ state theory, with an updated view the subject is not actually being put into any type of hypnotic trance. What is happening adopts more of a common sense view of hypnosis using the naturally occurring mechanisms of the subjects own psychological and physiological states. What do these naturally occurring states means?
- Physiological State – we refer to the focus on out body and its parts, the senses and the feelings they generate.
- Psychological state – we refer to how we think, feel and act, and our emotions and behaviour
To fully round off the picture, the non-state view of hypnosis became formalised into the cognitive behavioural theories of Hypnosis, or practiced as cognitive behavioural hypnotherapy, denoting the cross over of domains between CBT.
It is also worth to point out, that all other interpretations of hypnosis are alive and kicking and CBT practitioners deliver CBT without any hypnosis or reference to hypnotherapy and is a stand alone therapy in its own right.
The therapy I am providing covers the domain of hypnotherapy with the approaches of cognitive, behavioural therapy.
