Medical Support Hypnotherapy, simply put, is the application of hypnotherapeutic procedures to medical conditions.

Hypnosis is a very natural, yet altered state of mind. Its a state of mind that people typically go into and out of several times a day. This state of mind is characterised by a narrowing of attention, or narrow focus of attention. The attention is so focused, that a person typically loses track of time and loses track of himself. It has been found that people become more suggestible when in a hypnotic trance.

If you have ever been so focused on your driving while driving down the freeway that you missed your exit, then you have experienced a hypnotic trance. Another example is if you have ever driven somewhere and when you reached your destination you could not remember how you got there. These are both examples of being hypnotised. In these cases, you were hypnotised by the driving.

Other common examples of everyday trance experience is when you walk along the beach and allow yourself to become entranced by a beautiful sunset. Or if you find yourself entranced by a beautiful piece of music or get lost in reading a good book. Other times, you may find yourself lost or entranced by day-dreaming. Other people like to become really focused on a game of tennis or downhill skiing.

A person who is in a hypnotic trance and very, very relaxed discovers that their other than conscious mind becomes very open to suggestion. A person in this state, even though they are open to suggestion, is always in control and can not be made to do anything that they do not want to do.

Typically in the standard hypnotherapy session, suggestions can be given for self confidence, stop smoking, improved performance, etc. In a medical support hypnotherapy session suggestions can be given for pain control, rapid healing, increased immune system response, pain free child birth, remaining calm in the dentist chair, and even surgery without anesthesia. In a very relaxed state, the parasympathetic system predominates. This system plays a huge factor in health and healing and is very open to suggestion by a mind/body connection that science is just now beginning to understand.

Please note that we never work with a person using these techniques without the approval of your medical doctor.

Return here periodically to see more articles which go into greater depth about what kind of medical conditions can be supported by the use of hypnotherapy and how.