Hypnotherapy is a very misunderstood subject. It is easy to see why when you combine non-objective reporting with a sensationalist bias, and the fact that the word itself, hypnotherapy, is actually pretty much meaningless. 

If someone said to you that they were on medication, this would need some clarification. Such as what medication, what is being treated, how long for and what side effects might be expected? Similarly, with hypnotherapy we need to ask what kind of hypnotherapy, is it Ericksonian therapy, Precision Therapy, Suggestion Therapy, Metaphor Therapy? And so on. 

The common denominator of these approaches is the utilisation of the hypnotic phenomena, again something which in itself is a pretty meaningless concept. Every one will experience hypnosis in his or her own manner. Similarly the experience is usually different each time that a person enters hypnosis, which makes the concept of some sort of set hypnotic state a non-sense.

True, there are many indicators that would signal that a person is entering the hypnotic state, but of this long list only a few need to be present in order to say that yes, a person has entered hypnosis and therapy is ready to begin. It is also true to say that these indicators may change from session to session, as the client becomes more confident and experienced in working within the hypnotherapy framework.

You should be beginning to realise by now that there is more, much more involved in hypnotherapy than simply reading a prepared script in order to guide a person into hypnosis. It is very important when selecting a therapist that you assure yourself that they have (a) been properly trained and (b) are experienced and knowledgeable in the problem area for which they are being consulted.

There are too many poorly trained therapists of all disciplines in practice, some having completed barely minimalist training courses. Consider that in the same street you might find two hypnotherapists. One has completed a short distance learning course that involved reading the equivalent of a book and answering some very basic questions in order to pass an ‘exam.’ He accepts all and every client that come through his door and offers them all exactly the same ‘treatment’ irrespective of problem, personality or expectation.

Next door you find therapist number two, he has studied diligently, trained under supervision, has a good understanding of basic human psychology, knows how to tailor a treatment to suit the client and is knowledgeable in the problem areas for which he is offering assistance. Also, and very importantly, therapist number two also knows when it is appropriate to refuse treatment and to refer a particular client on to a more appropriate health care profession. How do you tell the difference? Very difficult, which is why caution is highly advisable when selecting a therapist.

A good starting point is to ask advise from a reputable Association. In the UK we suggest the General Hypnotherapy Register.

They will also be able to offer advice on choosing a therapist and advice on treatment options available. 

(Note: inclusion of an organisations details in this article should not be taken as an endorsement of this article)

In general hypnotherapy provides a way of helping people deal with emotional problems and is an excellent means of assistance where stress and stress related conditions are involved.

When employed by a properly trained and experienced therapist it also has several advantages when used to treat post traumatic stress disorder. It may also be useful in cases of psychosomatic illness and as a complement to medical treatment in the case of various physical conditions.

Many techniques are used and these are tailored to meet the needs of individual clients. The experienced hypnotherapist can offer a range of methods to suit the problem and the individual. As well as working with the more traditional ‘hypnotic trance’, there are methods which do not use formal trance. These include stress management techniques, visualisation and therapeutic metaphor.

Techniques such as Hypno-analysis aim at uncovering the roots of a problem. 

Sometimes "suggestion" hypnosis is used to improve confidence etc. 

Hypno-healing can also be used, this involves activating the body’s own natural responses in order to promote healing. This can help post operative recovery and can facilitate pre-operative suggestion therapy.

Hypnosis is a consent state. Therefore to be most effective the client must genuinely wish to resolve the problem and be willing to co-operate with the therapist. The usual experience in hypnotherapy is that of a mildly relaxed state in which the patient experiences a heightened state of awareness. It has nothing whatsoever to do with "artificial sleep" or other erroneous definitions offered in many published media. These definitions are generally based on early misconceptions about hypnosis. Most people can achieve hypnosis and there are few that cannot benefit from it in some way.

Therapy can be provided to help a wide range of emotional, psychosomatic and physical problems. These include Stress, Tension, Inability to Relax, Anxiety, Headaches, Panic, Habit control (smoking etc.), Insomnia, Pain management & Nervous Indigestion. This list is by no means exhaustive. Individual hypnotherapists may have specialist expertise in particular areas. As always where physical conditions are involved a medical check-up as early as possible is essential.