What is Hypnotherapy?
Hypnotherapy is a practice that consists of inducing a person into a trance state that can be used to access the information contained in the subconscious mind both to "read" it and to "rewrite" it. The purpose of these sessions is to understand the underlying causes of the different problems that the patient may have, which – according to hypnotherapy – are different from those that we can identify with the conscious mind and originate when the subconscious mind develops conclusions associated with emotions.
An example of this would be a person who suffers from social anxiety, and whose condition actually originates from experiences of rejection in childhood, from which the subconscious mind concluded that in order to avoid the suffering associated with rejection the best strategy would be to prevent, at all costs, interacting with people who may reject you. Then, the mind generates a series of symptoms and limiting beliefs that are intended to prevent the person from interacting with others, which are experienced as social anxiety. Once these beliefs – and the role they play for the patient – are identified, we can proceed to reframe the situations that generated them and rewrite those limiting beliefs with new and more adequate beliefs and habits of thought and action.
But how is this done? From the discoveries by Dr David Spiegel at Stanford University in the United States, we have been able to understand that when a person enters a trance state, different areas of the brain see a change in their activity. In a simplified way, those parts of our brain that are responsible for limiting us reduce their activity, and those that are responsible for creating new beliefs, patterns and habits increase their activity, allowing patients to change their beliefs easily and quickly. Through the guidance of the hypnotherapist, the patient will be able to identify and re-wire their limiting patterns, changing them for new resources that allow them to achieve whatever it is they desire.
Therefore, hypnotherapy is not a magical cure for all problems, but a system that allows us to re-wire our neural connections in order to better achieve what we want.
What is the state of trance or hypnosis?
From the brain scans performed by Dr Spiegel, we have been able to scientifically understand that hypnosis or trance is a state of physiological change. That is to say, that it is not simply our consciousness that is altered, but also the electrical neuronal activity in our brain. There are three different changes in such brain activity identified to date: First, the brain's conflict resolution centre slows down: allowing us to focus on making the changes we want in our lives and beliefs rather than investing our energy in how to do it; that is, we are moving from thought to direct action, making the changes we want instead of focusing on the problems we have.
Second, a connection is generated between the executive function centre of our brain and a region known as the insula, which is responsible for the connection between the mind and the body, the control of pain and the development of anxiety, as well as body awareness and perception. This change increases the flow of information between our mind and our body.
Finally, a disconnection is generated between the areas of executive function and self-perception: this increases the brain's ability to create new beliefs, since it limits the functionality of the brain structure that is responsible for limiting us by telling us what is not possible, something which is associated with that voice that we have inside that tells us "you can't", "you are not capable", "you don't deserve it."
What is RTT®?
RTT® stands for Rapid Transformational Therapy. It is a school of hypnotherapy that has detached itself from the old persistent dogmas in hypnotherapy and has embraced the new times, using the latest scientific information available in the areas of hypnotherapy and hypnosis, cognitive psychology, neuroscience, neurolinguistic programming and other modalities of traditional and complementary psychological therapy.
RTT® is based on the known functioning of our mind, our brain and our body to achieve the best possible results. Unlike other currents of hypnotherapy that simply install suggestions, in RTT® sessions the limiting beliefs held by the subconscious mind are identified, the situations that originated said beliefs are reframed and new beliefs are installed in their place, applying various techniques that involve different aspects of our psyche such as the inner child, our mental relationship with the people who have harmed us, our relationship with our own parents, our relationship with ourselves and others.
RTT® also stands out in that the depth of trance always allows the person to be in control of the situation and even remember the entire content of the session. What's more, after the session each patient receives a short personalized recording that they should continue to listen to for at least three weeks to wire-in the new beliefs, instead of simply listening to the transformational suggestions once during the session as is common practice. In addition, RTT® is in a constant metamorphosis that allows it to be continuously updated based on new scientific and statistical discoveries, many of them researched by the RTT® school itself.
By working with a certified therapist and an RTT® Associate, patients can be sure that there has been extensive preparation and examination by the school, and that the therapist meets the monthly update requirements provided by the school, meaning that the sessions offered are the result of continuous training and updating.
What to expect from the session?
The session will last for approximately two hours, during that time the patient will be introduced to the therapeutic process and any existing doubts regarding hypnosis will be covered. Once in a trance state, and always aware and in control, the patient will be guided to identify the underlying causes of their problems, as well as to reframe these limiting beliefs and install new and better patterns and habits in their place. At the end of the session, the patient will receive a short audio that must be listened to for at least 21 days to wire-in these new patterns of thought and action. At the end of these 21 days of therapeutic process, the patient may make use of a follow-up call to evaluate their progress and, if necessary, draw up a roadmap with the next steps to be taken.
How many sessions are necessary to treat an issue?
Unlike traditional psychotherapy, hypnotherapy requires fewer sessions, since it uses more direct and transformational tools. Although each individual and each case is different, about one to three sessions may be needed to work on the same presenting problem. This fully depends on the complexity of the issue presented and each individual patient. Although most patients do not require more than one or two sessions, there are cases where three or more should be performed. But in no case are we talking about dozens of sessions, as can be expected from other psychotherapeutic methods.
