PTSD and Hypnotherapy

This morning's article in the Northwest Herald on PTSD and returning veterans and my recent visit to South Carolina have reinforced my belief that regression hypnotherapy can be very powerful in helping these veterans recover a sense of balance in their lives and a place of belonging, now that they are back home.

My study and work with a retired osteopathic physician in 1992-93 trained me to conduct regression hypnotherapy sessions with the toughest of cases.

It's important for readers to know that I am not a psychologist or a doctor or a counselor or a social worker or a therapist or any of those other things. I don't have a long alphabet of initials hanging off the end of my name. What I am, is a regression hypnotherapist.

The late Dr. Irene Hickman (1915-2002), my trainer and mentor, said this about "talk" therapy. "Talk therapy will cure any problem, every problem, as long as the client and the therapist live long enough and the money doesn't run out." Do you know people who have been in "talk therapy" for years and who don't seem to have made much progress in their recovery?

How does regression hypnotherapy work?

In the state of hypnosis (relaxation), many clients will go back to the root cause of the problem they are experiencing, such as sleeplessness, anxiety, anger, reactions to sudden or loud noises, memories of traumatic experiences encountered previously, including during wartime. The key is re-experiencing the emotions of the event(s), and releasing those emotions. And going back through the key elements of the experience 3-4-5 times (within 20-30 minutes), letting go of remaining emotions.

The "thread" or connection is broken by letting go of the emotions while hypnotized. Then, once awakened (well, not "awakened", since they weren't asleep, but you know what I mean), most clients will react or behave differently, more peacefully, without the former emotional attachment to the traumatic event.

Regression hypnotherapy doesn't involve multiple sessions over extended periods of time. Very often, one session is sufficient for significant improvement. If a client wants to return for another session, fine.

For information, contact me at gus@gusphilpott.com or at 815.338.2666 or via Skype (gus.philpott).

To read today's Northwest Herald article, go to www.nwherald.com/2011/01/03/invisible-scars/aitvom8/

For information about a South Carolina organization serving returning veterans with PTSD who are suicidal, contact www.hiddenwounds.org/