Much of the image of hypnotherapy was formed during a period when psychodynamics was the main psychotherapeutic approach. Other approaches to psychotherapy have developed since. Examples of these are Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), and the various mindfulness-based approaches, such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) . These approaches have been brought into the hypnotherapy model of therapy. However, hypnotherapy still has a strong foundation in the psychodynamic.
Psychodynamics in hypnotherapy
There are many approaches and techniques in the modern hypnotherapist’s tool kit which have their roots in the psychodynamic. Here are a few examples:
- Regressions – Regression is psychologically travelling back to an earlier point in life. They may even go back to a previous life if this fits the patient’s belief system. This is done to uncover the origin point of a certain behaviour. As the patient retains much of their mature awareness during the regression they bring a more worldly-wise perspective to that experience. This allows insight into how the behaviours developed. Alternatively, it may allow the safe release of trapped emotional power.
- Parts therapy – In this the unconscious is perceived as made up of multiple different ‘parts’. Each part has a different role which has developed in response to life learning. Sometimes a part no longer works effectively. This is usually because life circumstances have changed but a part has not adapted. By engaging with the part, or several parts, the hypnotherapist attempts to get the part to adjust to the new circumstances and reintegrate in to the whole self. Parts can also become dissociated and may need help in becoming reintegrated within the whole.
- Inner child/ younger self visualisation – From a hypnotherapy perceptive the inner child, or younger self, represents a dissociated younger version of the self. The disassociation usually occurs due to some traumatic life experience, or period of difficulty. This dissociated younger self may need to be reintegrated into the person as a whole to help them become truly psychologically whole.
- Symbolic representations – There are many approaches which seek to initiate psychodynamic change using commonly understood metaphors. Good examples of this are visualisation approaches where people organise their inner world into boxes or by imagining cleaning a house. They may build a better mindset through the metaphor of constructing something or repairing it. Archetypes may be invoked by going on a quest to seek a wise person. Often such visualisations will be created in response to imagery which has been suggested by something the patient said.
Hypnotherapy claims a particular access to the unconscious which has led to the development of therapy techniques that look to create unconscious change without bringing things into conscious awareness. It is theorised that this means there is less conscious resistance to change.
Unconscious psychodynamic techniques
Occasionally a hypnotherapist will use a technique that is intended to create change unconsciously by initiating unconscious processing.
- Ideomotor response (IMR) approaches – An IMR is a small unconscious movement which the hypnotherapist can install in a patient via suggestion to aid with communication with the unconscious. Sometimes an IMR process will be used to create psychodynamic change. The therapist will install IMR indicators and then set the unconscious to make a change. Parameters intended to ensure safety will be given. Neither the hypnotherapist nor the patient is likely to be aware of what exactly is happening, but the IMR will let the hypnotherapist know when the change has been done.
- Amnesia – Suggestions for amnesia can be given for the therapy to make it unconscious. The therapy itself could be suggestions, visualisations or any other technique the therapist chooses. By making the patient consciously forget what has happened the work becomes unconscious and thus operates without conscious resistance.
For many people psychodynamic change may be their whole therapeutic journey. However, to achieve specific change it is usual in modern hypnotherapy to integrate direct change work, such as direct suggestions or behavioural techniques. Further, most hypnotherapists will start with direct change work unless psychodynamics are clearly indicated.
The author
Dr Matt Krouwel PhD is a hypnotherapist based in Birmingham (UK) and is a member of both the BSCH and the NCH. He has taught hypnotherapy students internationally about psychodynamics in hypnotherapy.
