Evidence

No approach to therapy is a cure-all. 

However, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), developed by psychiatrist Aaron T. Beck in the 1960s, has developed a reputation as a “gold standard” treatment. It is often considered one of the most effective and widely used therapies for treating anxiety. It appears to be a first-line intervention for people with any kind of emotional difficulty and some physical difficulties.  

CBT is one of the strategic psychotherapies I use with hypnosis in my practice. CBT focuses on identifying and challenging negative thought patterns and behaviours that contribute to anxiety. It teaches people practical skills to manage their anxiety and gradually face their fears in a controlled manner. CBT gets people to explore their thoughts and to question whether they are valid or helpful.

CBT focuses on giving the client a new range of skills consciously. But at a lot times even though people have the skills, they find it difficult to apply them. Most people face an internal conflict between what they have decided to do (consciously develop & apply skills) and their automatic behaviour or existing habits (subconcious). This makes these skills very tiring. 

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for social anxiety involves collaborative goal-setting and identifying negative thoughts. For example, the client may believe, "Everyone is judging me." Therapy includes examining evidence for these thoughts, challenging them and reframing them realistically. Behavioral experiments like gradual exposure help test negative beliefs, such as attending a small social gathering. Homework assignments reinforce learning. Therapy concludes when goals are met, with potential follow-up sessions to maintain progress.

CBT equips individuals to manage social anxiety by changing thought patterns and behaviors in real-life situations.

CBT takes persistence, focus and hard work. 

• Hypnosis is deeply relaxing, calming and a pleasurable experience. Individuals are more open to learning new ways of thinking and behaving. Therapy is all about learning. We can address and resolve emotional problems easier in hypnosis, fix distortions in thinking and improve physical functioning. The best part is that these changes become automatic. So you don’t even have to think about them.

• A limitation of CBT is that, at times, the thought processes that needs to be challenged and changed may be unconscious and the individual is not aware of his/her unhealthy cognitions – such as anxiety. So in such instances, identifying the negative beliefs and attempting to change them can be challenging, tedious, confrontational and a long-drawn procedure.

• In hypnosis, the busy, critical, analytical and conscious mind takes a back seat. And this is where I, as a strategic hypnotherapist, can address the unconscious part of your mind that is running the issue. The client's more open and receptive to suggestions and new ways of doing things.

• Awareness does not equal change. Even if the client is aware of the thought processes, awareness doesn’t necessarily lead to change.  The same could be true for smoking and other addictions. I might be aware that smoking is destroying my health, yet I may be unable to quit. 

• Hypnosis is different from other psychological methods because it addresses the cause and other contributing factors directly at the subconscious level in the person’s mind, where their memories, habits, fears, associations, negative self-talk and self-esteem germinate.