I do a lot, probably too much lurking in Facebook groups and I keep seeing questions like can hypnotherapy cure BPD? Can hypnotherapy cure CPTSD? Interesting questions that I thought would make an interesting post so I am going to stop lurking for a bit and answer them.
There Are No Guarantees
I would never claim to be able to cure anyone of any condition, any hypnotherapist who claims to be able to cure a condition like BPD or CPTSD should be avoided. They are either lying or don’t understand hypnosis. They definitely don’t understand the conditions they are claiming to cure. As a hypnotherapist my role is to guide my clients, to help them find their own answers and resources. I cannot wave a magic wand and fix someone, hypnotherapy doesn’t work like that. If you’re looking for a magic pill or quick fix without any effort on your part you will be wasting your money on hypnotherapy.
It is a presupposition that everyone has the resources they need within them, my job is to help the client find their own answers and resources. This can be done conversationally without a deep state of trance. If a client is committed to change, stable enough to focus, open and honest I do believe I can help them.
I Work With The Client Not Their Condition
Everyone is different, just because someone has been diagnosed with a condition like borderline personality disorder doesn’t mean they are beyond help. I have worked with clients that have official BPD, EUPD and CPTSD diagnoses and helped them get the results they wanted. I have worked with clients that have no official diagnosis, found them far more resistant to change and much harder to deal with.
I have an excellent track record and am very proud of the results the vast majority of my clients have achieved. After working with thousands of clients there have probably been three, maybe four that I couldn’t help and none of those clients disclosed any diagnosis to me.
Client Success
I see all my clients as individuals. Treat them with unconditional positive regard. I am completely present during sessions and I have empathy. After completing the stress and anxiety program one client recently said, “With Mark’s guidance and insights we were able to focus on the core issues of what is behind our anxiety. The awareness of self and the tools shared via the program have been life saving.” A large part of the success my clients experience is due to these qualities which I attribute to the amount of healing work I have done on myself.
I would probably have been diagnosed with a personality disorder myself before I began my healing journey. I suffered with severe anxiety, relationship issues, I acted out, I had a poor self image, I was emotionally dysregulated, I suffered with dissociation and I had a vicious inner critic. I committed to getting better and through hypnotherapy I did.
Solution Focused Therapy
I make sure my clients and I are clear on what they want to get from hypnotherapy, at the beginning of both my programs I ask my clients to create S.M.A.R.T goals. Goals are essential for successful therapy, if you don’t know where you’re going you’re never going to get there. Without goals any kind of therapy is going to be never ending, like peeling an onion.
Hypnotherapy Can Help With The Symptoms Of BPD
The symptoms of BPD include; fear of abandonment, fear of rejection, unstable relationships, unstable self image, poor self image, emotional eating, substance abuse, dissociation, rage, anxiety and emotional dysregulation. Hypnotherapy can help with all of these symptoms.
Inner Child Healing Hypnotherapy For BPD & CPTSD
Borderline personality disorder and complex post traumatic stress disorder can both be caused by growing up in dysfunctional and abusive environments. As a child we need what are known as good enough parents. A good enough parent will provide unconditional love, unconditional acceptance.
Most parents will parent the way they were parented, they have their own unhealed trauma and toxic shame which means they cannot give their children the good enough parenting they need. Inner child healing hypnotherapy as we do on my inner child program will allow a person to release toxic shame and become a good enough parent to themselves. Read more about this in my blog post, how and why everyone should do inner child healing.
After completing the inner child program many people report; improved relationships, improved self image, better emotional regulation, reduced anxiety and increased confidence. If you’d like to learn how to use inner child healing with your clients see my practitioner course here.
Inner child work is going to be highly effective for anyone that feels ready for it, not everyone does feel ready. If a client does not want to do the inner child program hypnotherapy can be used to help each of these symptoms individually.
Hypnotherapy For Self Image & Confidence
You can’t be someone you don’t perceive yourself to be. Hypnotherapy can help a person improve their self image and become the person they want to be because it makes visualisation very easy. Your mind can’t tell the difference between a real or imagined event, just by visualising yourself the way you want to be you will create new neural pathways in your brain. The more you visualise yourself that way, the stronger those pathways will become.
Hypnotherapy For Anxiety & Emotional Regulation
Hypnotherapy can be very relaxing and the more you take time to relax the easier it will become to relax. When a child grows up in a dysfunctional environment the emotional part of their brain (the amygdala) increases in size. This causes issues with emotional regulation. A regular relaxation practice such as hypnotherapy can actually help a person to re-regulate their brain and increase their ability to regulate emotions.
A Focused State Of Attention
Hypnosis is a focused state of attention which means regular hypnosis can improve a person’s ability to focus, to become more present and mindful. Similarly to mindfulness meditation, hypnosis allows a person to separate themselves from their thoughts and feelings. With regular hypnosis a person can reduce negative self-talk and become less controlled by their emotions.
Systems Theory
By changing one part of a system we change all parts of the system. By changing self image, reducing anxiety, increasing confidence, etc. a person will notice an improvement in other parts of their life. By addressing just one symptom a client will often notice a reduction in other symptoms. For best results I advise my clients to do both the inner child program and a few one to one hypnotherapy sessions.
Hypnotherapy cannot cure BPD, CPTSD or anything else but if applied skill fully by a competent therapist a committed client will find it helps.
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