What is the Difference Between Talk Therapy and Hypnotherapy?

The primary difference between traditional “counselling” (often referred to as “talk therapy”), and “hypnotherapy” is that the latter has methods to deal directly with the client’s powerful subconscious mind. It has been estimated that the conscious mind accounts for 5 – 7% of our cognitive “power” or consciousness. The subconscious mind accounts for 95 – 93% of a person’s cognitive power. Beliefs, assumptions and values held subconsciously are incredibly powerful in shaping our self-worth, identity, experience, and ultimately our behaviours.

A hypnotherapist deals directly with the subconscious beliefs a client may have about themselves, other people, events in their life or their world view, which affect their experience in life and their behaviour. Dealing directly with the client at a subconscious level, changes in underlying beliefs, assumptions, and values can be served faster with hypnotherapy, and do not require as many sessions with a therapist over a prolonged period of time.

A well-known study on the effectiveness of hypnotherapy was conducted by Dr. Alfred Barrios. First published in The Psychotherapy Journal of the American Psychiatric Association, this peer-reviewed paper revealed findings that validated hypnotherapy as a clinical approach.

Reviewing over 2000 journal articles, Dr. Barrios discovered these facts when comparing traditional ”talk-based” psychotherapy vs. hypnosis:

Type of Therapy          Recovery Rates         Number of Sessions

Hypnotherapy                         93%                             6

Behavioral Therapy                  72%                             22

Psychoanalysis                       38%                             600

• Dr. Alfred A Barrios
• Hypnotherapy: A Reappraisal

A copy of this entire article, entitled “Hypnotherapy: A Reappraisal“, can be found at his website, http://www.stresscards.com/

Professional organizations have consistently reported on the value of hypnotherapy. The British Medical Association has been formally studying and verifying it since 1892.

In the 1950s, both the British Medical Association and the American Medical Association confirmed the efficacy of hypnotherapy as official policy. They claimed: “For the past hundred years there has been an abundance of evidence that psychological and physiological changes could be produced by hypnotism which were worth study on their own account, and also that such changes might be of great service in the treatment of patients.”

In 2001, the British Psychological Society reported that: “Enough studies have now accumulated to suggest that the inclusion of hypnotic procedures may be beneficial in the management and treatment of a wide range of conditions and problems encountered in the practice of medicine, psychiatry and psychotherapy.””

Other sources:

“The fact is, however, that hypnosis is a genuine psychological phenomenon that has valid uses in clinical practice…. The most frequent clinical uses of hypnosis include: breaking bad habits, overcoming insomnia, recalling forgotten experiences, and as an anesthetic for managing pain.”

• Clifford N Lazarus Ph.D.
  • The Truth About Hypnosis: Learn the facts and the fiction about clinical hypnosis
  • Posted Jan 29, 2013 in Psychology Today

Other studies:

[1] Vandevusse L, Irland J, Healthcare WF, Berner MA, Fuller S, Adams D. Hypnosis for childbirth: a retrospective comparative analysis of outcomes in one obstetrician’s practice. Am J Clin Hypn. 2007;50(2):109-19.

[2] Ginandes C, Brooks P, Sando W, Jones C, Aker J. Can medical hypnosis accelerate post-surgical wound healing? Results of a clinical trial. Am J Clin Hypn. 2003;45(4):333-51.

[3] Montgomery GH, Schnur JB, Kravits K. Hypnosis for cancer care: over 200 years young. CA Cancer J Clin. 2013;63(1):31-44.

[4] Faymonville ME, Defechereux T, Joris J, Adant JP, Hamoir E, Meurisse M. [Hypnosis and its application in surgery]. Rev Med Liege. 1998;53(7):414-8.

[5] Wik G, Fischer H, Bragée B, Finer B, Fredrikson M. Functional anatomy of hypnotic analgesia: a PET study of patients with fibromyalgia. Eur J Pain. 1999;3(1):7-12.

[6] Dahlgren LA, Kurtz RM, Strube MJ, Malone MD. Differential effects of hypnotic suggestion on multiple dimensions of pain. J Pain Symptom Manage. 1995;10(6):464-70.

[7] Jensen MP, Patterson DR. Hypnotic approaches for chronic pain management: clinical implications of recent research findings. Am Psychol. 2014;69(2):167-77.

[8] Barber J. Freedom from smoking: integrating hypnotic methods and rapid smoking to facilitate smoking cessation. Int J Clin Exp Hypn. 2001;49(3):257-66.

[9] Johnson DL, Karkut RT. Performance by gender in a stop-smoking program combining hypnosis and aversion. Psychol Rep. 1994;75(2):851-7.

[10] Elkins GR, Rajab MH. Clinical hypnosis for smoking cessation: preliminary results of a three-session intervention. Int J Clin Exp Hypn. 2004;52(1):73-81.

[11] Wynd CA. Guided health imagery for smoking cessation and long-term abstinence. J Nurs Scholarsh. 2005;37(3):245-50.

[12] University of Iowa, Journal of Applied Psychology, How One in Five Give Up Smoking. October 1992. (Also New Scientist, October 10, 1992.) 

[13] Kaminsky D, Rosca P, Budowski D, Korin Y, Yakhnich L. [Group hypnosis treatment of drug addicts]. Harefuah. 2008;147(8-9):679-83, 751.

[14] Frederick C. Hypnotically facilitated treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder: can it be evidence-based?. Int J Clin Exp Hypn. 2007;55(2):189-206.

[15] Anderson JA, Dalton ER, Basker MA. Insomnia and hypnotherapy. J R Soc Med. 1979;72(10):734-9.

[16] Allison DB, Faith MS. Hypnosis as an adjunct to cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy for obesity: a meta-analytic reappraisal. J Consult Clin Psychol. 1996;64(3):513-6.

[17] Clarke JH, Reynolds PJ. Suggestive hypnotherapy for nocturnal bruxism: a pilot study. Am J Clin Hypn. 1991;33(4):248-53.

[18] Pekala RJ, Maurer R, Kumar VK, et al. Self-hypnosis relapse prevention training with chronic drug/alcohol users: effects on self-esteem, affect, and relapse. Am J Clin Hypn. 2004;46(4):281-97.