In the third of our series on Behavioural Psychology in Hypnotherapy, we are going to look at integrating behavioural principles into hypnotic suggestions.
As we have seen in the first two blogs on this subject (Behavioural Psychology in Hypnotherapy: Classical and Operant Conditioning and Habit Formation and Techniques for Breaking Bad Habits), conditioning—both classical and operant—forms much of our behaviour, and we can change that behaviour with certain hypnotherapeutic techniques. We are now going to examine these techniques in more detail.
Suggestion is key here. We can associate a behaviour we wish to change with an unpleasant feeling or emotion.
An experienced hypnotherapist will use metaphor to create strong sensory images. It is important that these are crafted for the individual client, using metaphors which evoke strong emotions in that particular person.
Here is a scenario which a hypnotherapist might use with a client who wishes to stop biting their nails. The therapist might say: “If you raise your fingers to your mouth to bite your nails, you will notice a strong taste of (whatever the client has said they dislike) in your mouth, and this will encourage you to put your fingers down.” The therapist can reinforce this and extend the story by then adding a positive feeling—for example, they might say: “As your fingers return to your lap, you will be flooded with a feeling of well-being and calm, and images of a sunlit wood will appear in your mind, calming you further.” Here, the hypnotherapist will find out what the client likes most and integrate this into the session. So, we would not use this suggestion if the client was afraid of woods!
It is helpful at this stage to introduce the idea that the desired behaviour is going to become normal. The therapist might say: “Every time you want to bite your nails, you will…” (experience both the negative and the positive response).
This technique can be further developed by something called future pacing, which encourages the client to see themselves dealing with their problem as it arises in different situations in the future, and enjoying the success that comes with this.
As we know, many undesirable behaviours are ingrained and appear to the client as automatic and uncontrollable, so seeding the notion that these behaviours can be controlled is important. Here, we can use techniques which encourage reflection and slow down the rush of thoughts and behaviours common in habit formation. If the therapist successfully evokes the emotions and feelings associated with success, then a conscious desire becomes linked to subconscious drive in a very powerful way.
We also want to seed the idea that these changes are normal and sustainable. Often, introducing the notion that the desired behaviour feels natural and good, while the undesirable behaviour feels somehow wrong and unpleasant, can become part of the mix.
Another technique that can reinforce behavioural change is called anchoring. This involves using a physical cue by which the client can recreate the positive feelings and perceptions of good behaviour in everyday life. You can often see professional sportsmen and women doing this before an important point in a game—they may touch a part of their body, tap their head, or their wrist, for example, to get themselves into the best mental state. Linked to this are affirmations: a short, pithy phrase which sums up where the client wants to be. The client can learn an affirmation during the hypnotic session, and then repeating it will call up the positive state when needed.
As we have seen, much of the behaviour we have discussed is habitual, perceived as automatic or unchangeable. Because of this, consistency is an important part of successful change. Regular hypnotic sessions are usually necessary, as are techniques such as anchoring and affirmations outside of these sessions. Over time, this can change neural pathways to new ones that are more positive.
To sum up: hypnotherapeutic intervention can be a very effective way of changing behaviour. Its relaxation and deepening techniques can change the client’s brainwaves to those which make the subconscious more susceptible to new ways of thinking and behaving. Suggesting how the client will feel once the unwanted behaviour has been conquered helps strengthen new neural pathways. This is often called visualisation, but should include all the senses. It is closely linked to imagining future success through future pacing, which again strengthens the new neural pathways. Then there are the techniques that help the client outside of sessions; these include anchoring and affirmations.
All these techniques have been proven to be successful in changing habits.
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I hope this overview has helped clarify how information is processed during hypnosis and its implications for therapy. Feel free to reach out with any questions, or let me know if there are topics you would like me to explore further.
Coming Next
Next time, we will move on to another series. In this, we will look in more detail at the role of personality and individual differences in successful hypnotherapeutic interventions. We will start by investigating hypnotisability as a trait.