Hypnotherapy for Stress Management

(This blog was originally posted on July 29, 2014)

Photo courtesy of Microsoft

    Many things in our lives can trigger a stress response. Driving in heavy traffic, dealing with quarreling children, anxiety about finances, moving, changing jobs and death of or separation from a spouse are just a few incredibly stressful life events. Even typically “happy” occasions such as getting married or having a baby are often overwhelming and, yes, stressful. Fortunately, hypnotherapy and therapeutic guided imagery can help manage that stress so you can get on with living and enjoying your life.

     When people seek hypnotherapy for stress-management, one of the first things I do is help them understand how and why they experience stress and respond in an undesired way in the context of John Kappas, Ph.D.’s Theory of Mind. Once they achieve a very deep state of hypnosis, I gradually introduce specific aspects or qualities of those triggers so they can become used (desensitized) to whatever is causing the stress or anxiety. In so doing, this process also creates a new mental script in their subconscious minds that emphasizes a state of relaxation and their ability to control how they perceive and respond to this negative stimulus. I incorporate the clients’ own words in individualized hypnotic scripts to reinforce this state of deep relaxation and increase their motivation to continue to manage/control their stress when they return to an alert and aware state.

     I also use therapeutic guided imagery to reinforce this new known (relaxation) and help them block the stress from getting into the clients’ conscious and subconscious minds. For example, they can visualize, imagine, picture or pretend that they are wearing a thick coat of armor or are covered in an invisible shield of energy that repels and dissolves the stressor. Alternatively, the therapeutic concept of a double-bind reinforces the relaxation response, whereby the harder they try to experience stress or any other kind of negative emotion about the stressor the more relaxed they will feel.

     Finally, when they are in an alert state, I teach these clients how to recreate the same relaxed and calm demeanor they experienced during hypnosis by activating a subconscious anchor. This is achieved by drawing a deep breath while pressing or rubbing the thumb and index finger together, and then releasing the breath on the word “calm.” The Emotional Freedom Technique is another effective tool to help manage stress.

     Contact me today for more information about how hypnotherapy can help you manage stress in your life!

 Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a certified hypnotherapist based in Southern California. She graduated with honors from the Hypnosis Motivation Institute in 2005. For more information about Calminsense Hypnotherapy®, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/

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