Posts

Hypnosis not for TV

hypnotherapy is a natural and healthy state of deep relaxation

Hypnosis not for TV but for clinical settings

Hypnosis is not for TV. “You’re back in the room”; ITV’s latest game show which features contestants being hypnotised by “master hypnotist” Keith Barry and longtime presenter Philip Schofield begins this weekend.

For decades, the hypnotherapy profession has worked hard to legitimise itself and leave the parlour trick stage hypnosis image in the past. With so much research into the efficacy of hypnosis in medical and psychological worlds, the public is now to be treated to ridiculous tricks performed by people most likely role playing and making hypnosis appear to be more magical than empirical.

Now, some in the public (and sadly some in the profession) will see a programme like this as a bit of fun and nothing to become agitated over. Some might even see this programme as positive press for hypnosis. I, however, see this programme as something very different.

In my practice, as with many other professionals, all the people I work with have genuine issues that they want to change. The decision to see a hypnotherapist is not always an easy one due to the portrayal of hypnosis as being some odd occult practice. When a person seeks out a mental health professional they are not looking for a sideshow act.

As professionals it is our duty to put the welfare of our clients and potential clients at the forefront of everything we do. This programme is potentially detrimental to them and so we must speak out. Programmes like this give a false idea of what hypnosis is, and I call upon all my fellow professionals and those with an interest in mental health to take to social media to voice your disquiet about this extremely tasteless and damaging form of entertainment. Let the public know what hypnosis is used for therapeutically and how programmes like this set the profession back in recognition terms, by years.

Remember there are no stage surgeons and there is a good reason for that, they are health care professionals who are take client care seriously. Should hypnotherapists see their profession in any less of a light?