How Hypnotherapy may help with mental health problems

1. Sha LéWilante
BSc Psyc, Adv DipHyp, Dip Psy,Dip Couns
Hypnotherapy and Mental Health
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2. Sha LéWilante
2
TITLE ORGANISATION WHERE
Counsellor, Hypnotherapist,
Psychologist
Private organisations Various organisations
Counselling & Psychotherapy Private Practice West & SW London
Europe
HolisticTherapeutic Consultancy
(Energy Healing, Colour, Crystals)
Private Practice International
Spiritual Medium Private Practice International Public
Demonstrations &
Workshops

3. 3
Today’sTalk:
Overview The Referral Ending
Who might
Benefit from
Hypnotherapy
-Why Refer
-Who to Refer
-How to Refer
Questions
& Answers

4. What forms can mental distress take?
Below is a chart of thinking, feeling and
behavioural changes before, during
and after treatment.
*taken from my own case studies
What Is Mental Illness?
Mental illness is very common. About 1
in 4 people in Britain has this diagnosis,
but there is a great deal of controversy
about what it is, it’s causes, and how
people can be helped to recover.
Mental illness affects:
•
The way you think
•
The way you feel
•
The way you behave
People sometimes refer to mental or
emotional distress rather than mental
illness because of it’s stigma.
Types of Mental Health Problems
4

5. What causes Mental Illness?
A wider debate is taking place
about the causes of mental
illness, and whether peoples
personality is shaped by the
life experiences they have
gone through or if genes play
a part. Some may be more
vulnerable to mental health
problems.
•
Difficult family
background
•
Hidden feelings
•
Stressful life events
•
Biochemistry
•
Genes
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6. How is Mental Health assessed?
Psychiatrists have classified mental illness into
different categories or diagnoses. But there are
limits to diagnosis. Labels can become damaging.
It is possible to recover from mental illness as some
people do. Sometimes even emerging stronger from
the experience. Others can get worse.

7. -
A feeling of well-being
-
The ability to create a functional, happy, contended, meaningful life
-
The ability to develop and sustain relationships (friendships, familial, work)
-
A healthy outlook on life
-
A feeling of significance
-
The ability to feel emotions
-
Some cognitive ability to assimilate information
-
An acknowledgement of the impact you have on your environment & others
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What constitutes good Mental
Health?

8. Community Mental Health
Teams
What to do
1. Contact your GP
2. Find out about support groups in
your area
3. Discuss psychological support like a
talking therapy
4. Gather information about available
services in your community that
can support you with everyday life
& tasks
CMHTs support people with mental
health problems living in the
community, and also their carers.
There may be support groups in your
community that can offer further
information.
A GP or hospital doctor can refer
people separately for assessment for
community care services. Day centres,
housing, support groups, advocacy
services, social clubs, befriending
schemes, and welfare rights.
What might help
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9. According to Medilexicon's medical dictionary,
mental health is:
"emotional, behavioural, and social maturity or
normality; the absence of a mental or behavioural
disorder; a state of psychological well-being in
which one has achieved a satisfactory integration
of one's instinctual drives acceptable to both
oneself and one's social milieu; an appropriate
balance of love, work, and leisure pursuits".
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What is Mental Health?

10. •
Medication
•
TalkingTreatments
•
ECT (Electroconvulsive
therapy)
•
Friends and relatives
•
Your local community
•
Spiritual Associations
(church, groups)
It is helpful to encourage
people to seek education
regarding their own
treatment.
DifferentTreatments
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11. Hypnotherapy:
The Session's Focus
&
how it may help
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12. How can Hypnotherapy help?
● Most people find the ability to relax
quite a chore.
Even though their thoughts are
often disturbing and upsetting, they
find that when trying to relax that
thoughts tend to rise up to the
surface.
● Someone suffering from severe
anxiety can learn how then to work
on the process of controlling their
thoughts.This is where
Hypnotherapy can be very helpful.
● Teaching the client self-hypnosis is a
great empowering intervention.
They can then experience first-hand
how much in control they are of
their own mental and physical
responses.
If your client is on an anti-anxiety
medication or other anti-
psychotic, you could do a tester
of a 10 minute relaxation and ask
them to practice on their own.
● Hypnotherapists can often be
overly-concerned about
contraindications.Whilst
understandable, it is often
unnecessary.The client will be in
control.When in doubt, go slowly
and cautiously.
● If their medication is making
them unresponsive or they are
falling to sleep, you could always
record a CD of the session and let
them practice at home.

13. Hypnotherapy Session:A General Guide
1.Dispel any myths
about Hypnotherapy
2. Explore any
concerns the client
may have in regards
to the process
3. Discuss your clients
expectations
4. Ensure that you and
your client are clear
about the possible
outcomes.
5. Agree on initial
sessions and not a
one-off.
●
● 6. Discuss self-
hypnosis and
their dedication
to practice at
home
● 7. Explore
medication,
prescribed or
otherwise.
● 8. Contractually
agree that no
alcohol or drugs
will be used
before the
session.
● 9. Liaise with
their doctor or
other health care
profession if
necessary

14. How can I improve my mental
health?
•
Relaxation
•
Physical Activity
•
Setting goals
•
Talking
•
Taking up a hobby
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15. Evidence based practices
● With alternative medicines and holistic practices growing, and the number of people
training to treat mental and physical disease growing, it has become more necessary
for conventional practice to seek evidence for cures and treatments.
● Studies have shown that corporations will put financing behind practices that have
evidence to back up theory.
● Hypnotherapy is in the process, and has been for many years, of regulating the
practice and is working diligently to secure it's status.
● At this time, cognitive behavioural therapy is approved by the NHS in the treatment
of almost every mental health disorder.
● What is lacking in this 'evidence based theory' is the exploration of alternatives, or
what the medical field sees as 'holistic practice'.
● For instance, yoga and relaxation have been proven to lower blood pressure and
lessen anxiety.Yet it is neither prescribed, regulated nor recommended by any health
care practice.
●

16. Evidence based practices
● It will take consistent and focused research and a collaborative effort for
organisations to begin to consider the holistic practices that have proven to be useful,
sometimes in conjunction with conventional interventions.
● Whilst Hypnotherapy is more accepted throughout the medical profession, there is
still few cases where it has been recommended by a general practitioner.
●
●

17. Evidence based practices
● It is helpful to have some training in mental health interventions. Many
Hypnotherapists do have some training in other areas of mental health, yet some
come from varying professional backgrounds.
● It is highly recommended that as part of your CPD that you take courses in mental
health.
● Learning more about your clients history, other therapies past and present and
liaising with their general practitioner (obviously with their consent) will go toward a
successful outcome.
●
●

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