Hypnotherapy with Harley Sears

One of the advantages of using hypnosis for weight loss is that it's a brief and pleasant process, with often long-lasting results. Hypnosis helps by enhancing your confidence, commitment, and motivation. Studies have shown that incorporating hypnosis into a lifestyle program can double your weight loss. Researchers also found that participants who use hypnosis can maintain their weight loss longer. This research suggests that hypnosis can be especially helpful for long-term weight management.

Hypnosis has proven to be a "highly effective" intervention for reducing anxiety. Researchers at the University of Hartford in Connecticut analyzed 15 studies (incorporating 17 trials) where hypnosis was used for anxiety reduction. The findings showed a 79% reduction in symptoms. The study also showed an 84% reduction in anxiety symptoms in 7 of the trials. This analysis suggests that hypnosis may be more effective than standard interventions for anxiety.

Hypnosis has shown to be a safe, side-effect-free way to improve troubled sleep. In a study measuring brain wave activity, researchers found that hypnosis boosts not only deep sleep quantity but also improves deep sleep quality. Study participants slept 67% more and saw their "deep sleep" time rise by roughly 80% after hypnosis. The research team observed that slow-wave activity during the deep sleep was "significantly enhanced" following hypnosis.

Studies confirm that hypnosis is highly effective at reducing pain intensity in individuals with chronic pain. According to research, hypnosis "drastically reduces severe pain in hospital patients." After receiving a single 15-minute session, patients reported an immediate reduction in pain, similar to what one might expect from an opioid painkiller. Patients also reported a significant decrease in the perceived need for pain medication.

By the time a couple enters counseling, their problems have typically reached a boiling point (the average couple is unhappy for six years before seeking help). Common issues include arguments, jealousy, infidelity, forgiveness, and trust. While traditional counseling focuses on the consciousness between a couple, hypnosis can be a powerful way of breaking through defense mechanisms and delves below conscious dynamics to the underlying issues. Couples hypnotherapy offers an affordable, alternative approach to developing healthy habits for building and sustaining long-lasting love.

There is sufficient evidence to show that hypnosis can help those who suffer from headaches and migraines manage their symptoms and may also prevent triggers that cause headaches. One study examined whether hypnosis could reduce medication usage and migraine duration in a program of six sessions. They found that the number of patients in the hypnosis group who experienced complete remission from migraines was 43.5%, compared to 12.5% from the medication group.

Of all complementary approaches, hypnosis is uniquely effective in alleviating symptoms of menopause. A report commissioned by the North American Menopause Society showed hypnosis significantly decreases hot flashes in both frequency and severity and reduces hot flashes by as much as 74%.

People with gastrointestinal problems (irritable bowel, inflammatory, bowel, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's) often find relief through hypnosis. Studies have shown that "gut-directed hypnotherapy" helps to reduce abdominal pain, bloating, bowel dysfunction, and improves quality of life. On average, 75% experience "significant" relief and 80% continue to feel better for up to 6 years. Hypnosis is now considered a primary intervention recommended by the American Gastroenterological Association. Given how closely the gut and brain interact, functional gastrointestinal disorders are now called "disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBI)."

Feeling stressed or worried can negatively impact the outcome of a medical procedure. Hypnosis offers a non-invasive, non-pharmaceutical way to tap into the mind's natural ability to reduce stress and pain. In clinical trials, those who received hypnosis reported far less pain and anxiety, suffered fewer complications, and recovered faster than those who received standard care.

Numerous studies have demonstrated that hypnosis is especially helpful when dealing with stress-related skin problems (acne, psoriasis, eczema, and hives). Hypnosis can also decrease pain and inflammation and limit behaviors such as scratching, skin picking and hair pulling.