Hypnotherapy to block past out?

Hi Clareyangel,

I am sorry to hear you are going through tough times.

In terms of hypnotherapy "blocking things out" - I don't think this is something to aim for, or something that is possible or desirable to achieve. Hypnotherapy can, however (in the hands of an experienced and ethical practitioner) help release disturbing emotions safely and gently begin to heal past traumatic experiences. Other approaches such as EFT and some types of psychotherapy can also help to get relief from disturbing memories from the past.

The counsellor who suggested to you to "push thoughts away" may have been well-meaning but, in my opinion, misguided - this kind of strategy can only work short term - the more we push thoughts away, the more they will tend to intrude, to creep in, whether in dreams at night or in flashbacks during the day.

So I would suggest to find a qualified and well-regarded hypnotherapist (a personal recommendation can be a good start) who is experienced in work with trauma and speak with them over the phone in the first instance, to get some sense of whether you would feel comfortable with that person.

Masha

The counsellor who suggested to you to "push thoughts away" may have been well-meaning but, in my opinion, misguided - this kind of strategy can only work short term

My guess is that it was a CBT therapist who said this, or something like it, and I agree with you, Masha, that it is a sticking plaster rather than a cure. Useful in getting through a day, but ultimately not enough for any spiritually minded person to get through a life. You know, I mean, why are you here, exactly?

Claryangel, the fact that you are having this stuff come up now is that you need to have it COME UP to move forward. Pushing it down is pushing part of yourself down and will block your progress.

Any kind of humanistic counselling, friend listening, healing, journalling, will be of huge assistance to you at this time, to help you to talk it out of yourself and help you to integrate it.

PM me if you want a non-hypnotic chat.

Hello,

I am a qualified clinical hypnotherapist and as such would never suggest or attempt to repress, thoughts or feelings unless is was part of a specific strategy to help you move forward. For instance in a session WE (client and I) would work together on the issues which were arising and try to find the route cause of them, once this is established we would then use a variety of techniques to help you move forward and remove the power of the situation which is causing such negative responses in the present. If however it is going to take more than one session and the emotions/memories are so intense that you could not function until our next meeting then we would look at for instance putting them (the emotions etc which we are dealing with) into a box which you can lock until our next meeting when we can safely work on them again. Allowing you to function at a manageable level until our next meeting which would certainly be within 1 week but no more than 2 weeks away. This is the only time such a repression of thoughts and emtions etc should occur.

Hypnotherapy can be a very effective tool in helping people to come to terms with situations and circumstances which have arisen in the past and cause a negative impact on their present. It can often take less time to become comfortable through hypnosis than it can with standard counselling techniques, but you do need to find a practitioner who is properly qualified and experienced in dealing with situations such as yours.

Have a look on the Hypnotherapy Society website or similar members site for reputable hypnotherapists in your area I would always recommend chatting to a few on the phone to find one who you have a good initial bond with as this can be cruital to you getting to the nitty gritty because the trust between you will be eaily developed.

I hope you find this information useful a I am sure that you will have success in overcoming your difficulties as one of the hardest parts of becoming the person you want to be is admitting you are having difficulties and seeking help to move on from them. So well done.

IMO a good therapist/counsellor will not tell you to 'push down' or 'repress' thoughts and feelings, a good therapist/counsellor will go trhough these thoughts and feelings with you and help you to find a place within yourself where you can heal these thoughts and feelings. Learning short-term coping strategies is one thing, proper 'healing' another... Sometimes the painful stuff is needed, we need to work through it all to grow and move on properly. If you push things down instead of dealing with them, they almost always come back to bite you at a later point, or cause an underlying stress or tension in your life.

I would suggest looking for another counsellor or therapist who would be willing to work through things with you at your own pace... 'ignore it and it will go away' is not a good strategy (in my opinion).

These thoughts and feelings are coming to the surface for a reason. They don't wish to be stuffed down, they wish to come up for release and healing.

If you want to "push thoughts away" guess how the universe will respond ... by giving you more thoughts to push away 🙂

There are many wonderful, fast and effective ways to deal with such emotional issues - and the release can be very satisfying. Try to find a therapist/environment you feel safe to open up in and let loose!

Warmest Regards.

Hi ClareyAngel,

I can only agree with what everyone else has said.

The memories of the past cannot be removed. They can be suppressed or repressed, but that serves little use apart from allowing them to, potentially, cause related health issues without actually being aware of what is causing the issue.

Certain techniques such as EFT, Hypnotherapy etc., as already mentioned, can work to break the emotional feeling that is attached to the memories, so rather than you remembering them and them bringing up negative emotions, it would simply be like watching a film... you can see it but it has not real feeling to it.

I wish you all the best for getting things back on track. I know it's not always easy, but it is possible.

All Love and Reiki Hugs