Most people know that hypnotherapy involves helping clients through suggestions while they are relaxed and hypnotic. In reality, several types of hypnothic suggestions can be made.
Ideomotor hypnothic suggestions
This involves encouraging a client to make a small automatic gesture, such as raising a finger or moving an arm; conversely, the movements of the body part can also be inhibited, as in the case of ocular catalepsy or immobility of the arms.
Suggestions for perceptual experiences
When we suggest to the client that their hand or limb has become hot, heavy, numb or cold, we speak of ideosensory suggestion; other suggestions can be made in terms of the senses for taste, smell, hearing and sight.
Suggestions for complex experiences
Bringing the client back to relive an early memory (“age regression”) or bringing it into the future (“age progression”) are complex experiences; other suggestions include warp time to speed it up or slow it down. Hypnotherapy typically emphasizes mental and physical relaxation, with suggestions to encourage positive changes in behavior, thinking, and feelings, while using guided imagery techniques to explore possible problems and integrate responses. positive solutions.
Post-hypnotic suggestions
Each of the above suggestions can also be given to clients to take place after the hypnosis session. Clients also learned to use self-hypnosis to repeat relaxation - and to give each other positive suggestions!