Sha LéWilanteBSc Psyc, Adv DipHyp, Dip Psy,Dip Couns

Hypnotherapy and Mental Health

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Sha LéWilante

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TITLE ORGANISATION WHERE

Counsellor, Hypnotherapist, Psychologist

Private organisations Various organisations

Counselling & Psychotherapy Private Practice West & SW LondonEurope

Holistic Therapeutic Consultancy (Energy Healing, Colour, Crystals)

Private Practice International

Spiritual Medium Private Practice International Public Demonstrations & Workshops

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Today’s Talk:

Overview The Referral Ending

Who mightBenefit fromHypnotherapy

-Why Refer-Who to Refer-How to Refer

Questions& Answers

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

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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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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.

- 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?

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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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?

• Medication• Talking Treatments• 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.

Different Treatments

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Hypnotherapy:The Session's Focus

&how it may help

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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.

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.

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● 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

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How can I improve my mental health?

• Relaxation

• Physical Activity

• Setting goals

• Talking

• Taking up a hobby

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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.

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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.

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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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