Hypnosis involves taking a person into an altered state of consciousness which really involves slowing down your brain waves. When we are awake we are in a beta brainwave state, meaning our brainwaves are active and we feel alert.

If you were to close your eyes, take a couple deep breathes and relax, you would go into an alpha state.

This is a place of relaxation, no worries, fears or frustrations, heightened intuition, inspiration, creativity, and inner consciousness. It is a state where it feels as though there is limitless time and space where we have expanded awareness and where we learn more effectively. This is also a light hypnotic, or meditative, state.

Some people may even enter into an even deeper theta state which is familiar to people as it is the state you pass through right before you fall asleep where you know you are not asleep yet but you may feel as though you are dreaming.

In an alpha or theta state, we have access to the subconscious mind. The subconscious mind contains all of our beliefs, our history and is the seat of our creativity and emotions.

Hypnotherapy, therefore, involves using this state to help a client to overcome a problem or achieve insight into an issue.

Using Hypnotherapy, a client is able to:

• Explore and change beliefs,
• Alter behaviours,
• Understand and change the imprint of past experiences,
• Gain insight into an issue,
• Tap into the creative mind and find solutions to problems that were previously elusive,
• Understand where emotions stem from and change how they respond to events,
• Be receptive to suggestions to enhance your well being and health.

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/

Please see Differences between Talk Therapy and Hypnotherapy for more studies and sources.

A hypnotherapist with the Registered Certified Counselling Hypnotherapist (RCCH) credential has done double the amount of classroom training and supervised practicum hours as a practitioner with the RCH designation. A Counselling Hypnotherapist has a broader skillset when it comes to theories of human functioning, special considerations in human and cultural diversity, transpersonal approaches to therapy, ethics and professional performance standards within the limits of the therapist’s expertise, and more.

The first step is to become a member and submit documentation showing the training you do have. From there, we can recommend and provide the training modules required to fill out your training to achieve your desired credential. When you join, do your best to match up your training with our detailed Standards of Practice and then select the membership level that is one level below your desired credential.

Hypnotherapy training is an excellent way to deepen your therapy and give your clients potent results. Many of our trainings are open to therapists and practitioners of other modalities. Check out our Calendar of Events and consider joining as an Associate Member to receive 15% off trainings and workshops.

To find a skilled hypnotherapist in your area, search our Member Directory and add keywords that describe your issue.

(Did you know that many hypnotherapists also work virtually online or over the phone. Yes, it’s true! Many clients report a greater sense of calmness and relaxation when doing hypnotherapy in the comfort and safety for their own home. All you need is a headset that connects to your phone, laptop of computer so you can sit back and relax and listen to the soothing voice of your therapist.)

CACHE provides the same benefits as many of the top hypnotherapy associations with the added advantages of a modern interface, industry-leading educational requirements and a focus on enhancing the professional reputation of our modality. Not only do we offer accredited schooling, digital learning and professional development, health and insurance programs and more, we are committed to excellence, innovation and leadership in the wellness field.

On the CACHE website, go to the navigation bar and select Member’s Area>Renew or Upgrade Membership Level. Login to your profile, renew at your new level of credential, and upload your documentation. Congratulations!