Happy New year! As the old year comes to an end and we welcome in the new so it’s time to review the hypnotherapy research of 2019. I went on to google scholar, put in ‘hypnotherapy’ limited the search to 2019, title only and excluded citations only and patents and pulled up 52 articles, and did the same for ‘hypnosis’ producing 132 articles. From these I’ve pulled out some of the most important for the clinical hypnotherapist, including what may be the single biggest, and best run, clinical trial of hypnotherapy.

Hypnotherapy research 2019 – Anxiety

Although the year saw several small scale trials the big event for hypnotherapy and anxiety was a systematic review and meta-analysis carried out by Valentine, Milling, Clark, & Moriarty combined the results of 17 trials into hypnotherapy for anxiety and found that hypnotherapy had a statistically significant effect over control measures. Further they identified that hypnotherapy had greater effect when combined with other psychological approaches. These findings provide good ongoing evidence for the effectiveness of hypnotherapy as a treatment option for anxiety.

Hypnotherapy research – Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

The biggest event of the year was the publication of the long awaited IMAGINE study findings. The IMAGINE study, with 345 participants is possibly the largest single hypnotherapy trial ever run. It compared gut directed hypnotherapy (GDH), both one-to-one and in groups, to a comparator intervention (educational supportive therapy). Hypnotherapy was found to be more effective than the comparator. Both 1-2-1 and group were about equally effective. This study not only adds weight to the ever-increasing body of evidence that hypnotherapy is effective for IBS but strongly indicates that group work may be a valid option for financially conscious health care providers considering providing a GDH service but put off by the cost.

In another landmark study Hasan, Pearson, Morris & Whorwell showed that GDH treatments can be delivered via Skype, although the treatment was less effective than in-person. Some of the same team showed improvements in the condition of children and adolescence with IBS in an uncontrolled trial (Hasan, Cruickshanks, Whorwell, & Vasant).

In addition, Krouwel, Jolly and Greenfield examined the barriers to the use of hypnotherapy by people with IBS providing important insights, which we explored earlier this year.

Hypnotherapy research 2019 – Pain

Although a number of individual studies were carried out the big news for 2019 was Thompson, Terhune, Oram et a’sl a systematic review and meta-analysis of previous trials into hypnotherapy for pain. In total they identified 85 studies covering 3632 participants. Overall, they found that hypnotherapy was beneficial to those with medium and high hypnotisability but of little value to those with low hypnotisability.

Hypnotherapy research – Pre-operative & operative

New ground was broken this year with successful work relating to the insertion of cannulas, where hypnosis was used to ease the experience for patients (Fusco, Bernard, Roelants et al).

Santosa, Sutanto, & Septiawan, investigated the effects of hypnotherapy upon anxiety, breathlessness and the cough response in relation to bronchoscopy (the insertion of a scope into the trachea and bronchi). The intervention group showed a significant decrease in anxiety and non-significant improvements in pain and cough response.

Hypnotherapy research – Smoking cessation

The highly prestigious Cochrane foundation updated a previous meta-analysis of 14 studies with 1926 participants in total. Hypnotherapy was found to be comparable to other methods (comparators) and on a subset of participants it was found to bring added benefit to other treatments.

Hypnotherapy research 2019 – Urinary incontinence

Komesu ran a trial of 152 women with urinary incontinence and split them into two, one group on medication and one with a hypnotherapy intervention. Although medication performed better at two months after treatment, no difference was found between the effectiveness of the approaches at 6 and 12 months, meaning that by the current state of the evidence hypnotherapy was comparable to medication at medium and long term, however medication was more effective in the short term. This suggests that there may be a place for hypnotherapy as an adjunct to urinary incontinence medication or for withdrawal from medication

The author – Matt Krouwel is a hypnotherapist and post graduate researcher into hypnotherapy at University of Birmingham (UK)

Hypnotherapy research - References

Barnes, J., McRobbie, H., Dong, C. Y., Walker, N., & Hartmann‐Boyce, J. (2019). Hypnotherapy for smoking cessation. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (6).

Flik, C. E., Laan, W., Zuithoff, N. P., van Rood, Y. R., Smout, A. J., Weusten, B. L., … & de Wit, N. J. (2019). Efficacy of individual and group hypnotherapy in irritable bowel syndrome (IMAGINE): a multicentre randomised controlled trial. The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology, 4(1), 20-31.

Fusco, N., Bernard, F., Roelants, F., Watremez, C., Musellec, H., Laviolle, B., … & Branchu, P. (2019). Hypnosis and communication reduce pain and anxiety in peripheral intravenous cannulation: Effect of Language and Confusion on Pain During Peripheral Intravenous Catheterization (KTHYPE), a multicentre randomised trial. British Journal of Anaesthesia.

Hasan, S. S., Cruickshanks, P., Whorwell, P. J., & Vasant, D. H. (2019). OWE-09 Outcomes of gut-focused hypnotherapy in school children and adolescents with severe refractory Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

Hasan, S. S., Pearson, J. S., Morris, J., & Whorwell, P. J. (2019). Skype hypnotherapy for irritable bowel syndrome: effectiveness and comparison with face-to-face treatment. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, 67(1), 69-80.

Komesu, Y. M., Schrader, R. M., Rogers, R. G., Sapien, R. E., Mayer, A. R., & Ketai, L. H. (2019). Hypnotherapy or Medications: A Randomized Non-Inferiority Trial in Urgency Urinary Incontinent Women. American journal of obstetrics and gynecology.

Krouwel, M., Jolly, K., & Greenfield, S. (2019). How do people with refractory irritable bowel syndrome perceive hypnotherapy?: Qualitative study. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 45, 65-70.

Sadat Madani, S. A., & Tavallaii Zavareh, A. (2019). The Effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Hypnotherapy in Reducing Symptoms and Treatment of Anxiety. Health Research Journal, 4(1), 16-22.

Santosa, T. B., Sutanto, Y. S., & Septiawan, D. (2019). Hypnotherapy Effectiveness in Bronchoscopy to Control Anxiety, Breathlessness and Cough. Jurnal Respirologi Indonesia, 39(1), 21-30.

Thompson, T., Terhune, D. B., Oram, C., Sharangparni, J., Rouf, R., Solmi, M., … & Stubbs, B. (2019). The effectiveness of hypnosis for pain relief: A systematic review and meta-analysis of 85 controlled experimental trials. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews.

Valentine, K. E., Milling, L. S., Clark, L. J., & Moriarty, C. L. (2019). The Efficacy of Hypnosis as a Treatment for Anxiety: A Meta-Analysis. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, 67(3), 336-363.

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Hypnosis for smoking

Hypnotherapy can be said to be:

The use of a hypnotic trance in combination with suggestions, imagery and techniques from psychotherapy to create change.

When using hypnosis for smoking cessation a hypnotherapists is likely to use all of these.So, let’s examine these elements one at a time.

Hypnosis for smoking – The hypnotic state

Every hypnotist has their own style and preferences when it comes to inducing the state of trance. These can be short and direct to the slow and gentle. Most Hypnotists will tailor their choice to the person presenting to them. Usually the hypnotist will recognise that for many of their clients this is their first experience of hypnosis and as such some will be apprehensive, excited or curious. Following the principle of ‘informed consent’ you are likely to be offered a chance to ask questions.

The hypnotic trance for most people will not be quite what you expect, many people describe it as relaxing. Generally you will be;

1. Aware of what is being said to you and vaguely aware of what is going on around you.
2. Able to move if you choose, but probably you will be so relaxed that you do not want to.
3. Able to recall most of what was said when you were in the hypnotic state.

For more information about hypnotherapy in general please go to What is a hypnotherapy session like?

Hypnosis for smoking – The use of suggestions & imagery

Once in a hypnotic state the hypnotist is likely to deliver some suggestions to help you become a non-smokier. Hypnotic suggestions for hypnosis for smoking are new ways of thinking. Your mind is going to learn more rapidly in the hypnotic state, so these suggestions become a part of you. Typically suggestion could be;

• “You have no desire to smoke.”
• “You have left smoking in the past.”
•  “With every day which goes by you will find you forget about smoking for longer and longer periods of time.”

Imagery used is often motivational. The hypnotherapist may invite you to imagine all the benefits you are enjoying as a non-smoke. Typical examples might include;

• See the money you save building up.
• Imagine the holiday it will pay for.
• See yourself enjoying your new found health.
• Imagining being around (i.e. still alive) to see grand children or great grand children.

Psychotherapy approaches

Approaches from psychotherapy have been incorporated into hypnosis for smoking work over the years. Many of these are out of favour today. However, many hypnotherapists will use them as a small part of the therapy.

• Aversion therapy – This is the combination of an unpleasant stimulus with the unwanted behaviour. Some hypnotists used to transform the taste of the cigarettes into something unpleasant, but this had limited success.
• Psychodynamic exploration – This is looking at the root cause of the smoking behaviour and may include regression to early smoking experiences. Again this is currently out of favour as it is often seen as a slow way to approach the problem. However it is likely that you will spend a little time discussing it prior to entering hypnosis

You may also wish to read:

The cost of hypnotherapy to quit smoking

How to find the right therapist

Dr Matt Krouwel PhD is a hypnotherapist with over 25 years experience. He has helped hundreds of people to become non-smokers. He is a member of both the BSCH and the NCH

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Pretty much every hypnotherapist in the world says they are an expert at stop smoking hypnosis. So how are you going to tell who is the right one for you? In this blog we are going to look at the main things to look for when considering a hypnotists for stop smoking hypnosis.

1. Qualifications and professional membership to conduct stop smoking hypnosis

Obvious perhaps, but there are so many different hypnotherapy qualifications how can you be expected to judge between them? So here is your easy guide, don’t bother! let someone else do it for you and that someone is the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council ( CNHC ). The CNHC is an independent government body who set a standard for many complementary therapy professions. Most of the major training schools ensure that their qualifications are sufficient to meet CNHC standards.  Membership of the CNHC indicates a certain level of training. In short, if the hypnotherapist is on there list of hypnotherapists they are trained. If they are not CNHC registered not probably best to leave them alone.

2. How they talk about stop smoking hypnosis on their website or Blog

Once you have found 2 or 3 local hypnotherapists who advertise for stop smoking hypnosis it’s worth taking a more detailed look at their website and blog. What are you looking for? You are looking for their information about stop smoking, with the question in mind;

‘Have they dedicated time and effort to stop smoking hypnosis?’

It’s that simple, the person who has put the most time and effort into writing about stop smoking hypnosis is probably the most passionate on the subject.

3. Experience and stop smoking hypnosis

In short, don’t worry too much about it. Although for complex emotional issues I would strongly advise a more experienced hypnotherapists stop smoking hypnosis is pretty straightforward.

Best of luck with your stop smoking hypnosis

For more detailed information about hypnotherapy itself please go to What is a hypnotherapy session like?

The author – Matt is a hypnotherapists in Birmingham with over 16 years experience of helping people to quit smoking and teaching stop-smoking hypnosis.

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Thinking about being hypnotized to quit smoking? Well naturally you want to know what it costs, so I’ve done some of the leg work for you.

The first thing I discovered is that a lot of hypnotherapists are surprisingly coy about this fact. Many will tell you their regular session rate (£60-£140 typically) But I know as a hypnotherapist myself that many have a special rates for smoking cession work which tends to be a longer, more intense session than normal, so I dug a little deeper and have found a range of;

£130.00 – 235.00 to be hypnotized to quit smoking*

However the vast majority of hypnotherapists charge around:

£120-200.00

If you want to be hypnotized to quit smoking, you may also like to know

• Most hypnotherapists appear to work on a single session basis, but this session can be anything from 1 hour to 4 hours.
• Prices vary around the country with the highest being in central London.
• Within any area the prices can vary substantially between therapists so it is worth looking around

more info –  Considering hypnotherapy to quit smoking?

The author – Matt is a Hypnotherapist in Birmingham with 25 years experience of helping people to quit smoking. He charges £200.00

*figures found from a review of Hypnotherapists search of the hypnotherapy-directory website for Birmingham UK

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If you are considering hypnotherapy to help you stop smoking there are a few things you may want to know, such as:

• What to expect
• Does it work
• How to get the right therapist

What to expect from hypnotherapy to stop smoking?

Hypnotherapy is the art of using imagery and suggestion to create unconscious change, it can be very powerful and is most effective when the unconscious change reflects the person’s conscious desire. Most hypnotherapists use relaxation or focusing exercises to guide the client into a trance before delivering personalised suggestions to help;

1)      Break habits

2)      Enhance motivation

In addition, most hypnotherapists will look at your personal history of smoking and address any aspects of this as well as addressing any concerns you have about life when become a non-smoker.

Practical matters

• How much should it cost? Work to stop smoking is usually £100-150 in the UK with the exception of London.
• How long will it take? Most therapists do either an intense 1 session intervention, of about 1.5hrs or 2 sessions of 45-60 minutes each.

Can hypnotherapy help me to stop smoking?

Thousands of people in the UK have used hypnotherapy to help them stop smoking. A recent study found hypnotherapy to be more successful than Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) (Hasan et al 2014), and there is broad evidence from Randomised Controlled Trials (RTCs) in support of it (Tahiri et al 2012)

Hypnotherapy is however not a miracle cure; it usually builds on your own motivation and drive to succeed, helping rather than doing the whole job for you, you will need;

• To have some idea of why you want to stop smoking.
• To have some idea of what you are gaining when you stop smoking.

How to get the right therapist

To get the therapist who is right for you should consider;

• Are they a member of a professional body such as the British Society of Clinical Hypnosis (BSCH)?
• Do they talk about hypnotherapy to help you stop smoking on their website?

Best of luck in finding the hypnotherapists for you and in your decision to stop smoking.

The author – Matt is a Hypnotherapist in Birmingham with 16 years experience helping people to stop smoking.

Reference

Hasan, F. M., Zagarins, S. E., Pischke, K. M., Saiyed, S., Bettencourt, A. M., Beal, L., … & McCleary, N. (2014). Hypnotherapy is more effective than nicotine replacement therapy for smoking cessation: results of a randomized controlled trial. Complementary therapies in medicine, 22(1), 1-8.

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How does hypnotherapy work to help me stop smoking weed?

Hypnotherapy is the art of using psychological techniques in the state of hypnosis to help create the changes a person wants in their lives. With cannabis use this means;

• Deconditioning habits – Reducing the effect of trigger such as certain places, people or times of the day.
• Cognitive change – Replacing old thoughts and changing the relationship to thoughts.
• Enhancing motivation – Enhancing your reasons for making the change.

Change is usually created in one session, with follow up support as necessary.

Will it help me stop smoking weed?

Interestingly people who smoke cannabis have been proven to be excellent at achieving hypnotic change, this is thought to be primarily due to the openness to experience which is helpful in hypnosis being common amongst weed smokers (Franzini & McDonald 1973, Kelly et al 1978).

What do I need to know to stop smoking weed?

If you are considering using hypnotherapy to stop smoking weed, then you should consider

1. What are my reasons for becoming a non- weed smoker?
2. What ‘pattern’ of weed smoking do I have, when, where, with who?
3. How serious about becoming a non-weed smoker am I?
4. When am I going to make the appointment?

The author

Dr Matt Krouwel PhD is a hypnotherapist in Birmingham with over 25 years experience of helping people with habits, addictions and dependencies.

Email mattkrouwel@gmail.com or call 0778 909 7741.

Reference

Franzini, L. R., & McDonald, R. D. (1973). Marijuana usage and hypnotic susceptibility. Journal of consulting and clinical psychology, 40(2), 176.

Kelly, S. F., Fisher, S., & Kelly, R. J. (1978). Effects of cannabis intoxication on primary suggestibility. Psychopharmacology, 56(2), 217-219.

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