AUTHORITATIVE SERIES: ARTICLE #6
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Hypnosis vs. Hypnotherapy: What’s the Real Difference?
(And Why It Matters If You Want Deep, Lasting Change) People often confuse hypnosis with hypnotherapy. They think it’s all the same thing: Close your eyes, someone talks, and bam — you’re changed. But real hypnotherapy goes much deeper. And knowing the difference could mean the difference between short-term relief… and real, lasting resolution. Let me show you what I mean. What Is Standard Hypnosis (Direct Suggestion)?
Direct suggestion hypnosis is what most people imagine when they hear “hypnosis.” You go into trance, and the practitioner gives you positive suggestions: “You no longer crave cigarettes.” “You feel calm in social situations.” “You eat slowly and stop when satisfied.” And if your subconscious already agrees with the suggestion — if you’re doing this for yourself, without inner conflict — then those words can work like magic. |
Dave Elman, author of Hypnotherapy, helped shape modern clinical hypnosis.
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This is why suggestion-based hypnosis often works well for:
But what if the subconscious doesn’t agree?
What if there’s something deeper going on?
That’s where standard hypnosis runs out of road.
- Smoking cessation (when the client truly wants to quit)
- Public speaking nerves
- Exam stress
- Habits the client is motivated to change
But what if the subconscious doesn’t agree?
What if there’s something deeper going on?
That’s where standard hypnosis runs out of road.
The Dave Elman Approach: “There Is No Effect Without a Cause”
Dave Elman — one of the great pioneers of medical and clinical hypnotherapy — said something simple, powerful, and true:
“There is no effect without a cause.”
If someone has a symptom that keeps returning — whether it’s vomiting, panic attacks, insomnia, or compulsive behaviours — and direct suggestion isn’t working, there’s a reason.
The mind isn’t broken.
It’s protecting something.
And until that “something” is brought to light, no amount of suggestion will truly resolve it.
That’s where regress-to-cause hypnotherapy comes in.
Dave Elman — one of the great pioneers of medical and clinical hypnotherapy — said something simple, powerful, and true:
“There is no effect without a cause.”
If someone has a symptom that keeps returning — whether it’s vomiting, panic attacks, insomnia, or compulsive behaviours — and direct suggestion isn’t working, there’s a reason.
The mind isn’t broken.
It’s protecting something.
And until that “something” is brought to light, no amount of suggestion will truly resolve it.
That’s where regress-to-cause hypnotherapy comes in.
Regress-to-Cause Hypnotherapy: Getting to the Root
In regress-to-cause work, we don’t just cover the symptom with new suggestions.
We go deeper — gently, safely — to find out why the symptom is there in the first place.
We follow the emotion.
We let the subconscious guide us.
And we uncover the original moment when the belief or response was “installed.”
Here’s a real example.
In regress-to-cause work, we don’t just cover the symptom with new suggestions.
We go deeper — gently, safely — to find out why the symptom is there in the first place.
We follow the emotion.
We let the subconscious guide us.
And we uncover the original moment when the belief or response was “installed.”
Here’s a real example.
A Case Study: The Woman Who Vomited Monthly
One of my clients came to me with an unusual problem: Every month, she’d get sick.
Nausea. Vomiting. Anxiety.
Doctors couldn’t find a medical cause.
Because it wasn’t medical. It was emotional.
In hypnosis, we followed the feeling back — and found the root.
As a child, every month on payday, her parents would drink too much. Loud fights would erupt. Chaos. Fear. A deep sense of not being safe.
Her young mind linked “this time of the month” with dread. With danger.
And her adult body kept the score — even though she didn’t consciously remember why.
Once we uncovered that memory and helped her subconscious realise:
“That’s not happening anymore. You’re safe now.”
— the vomiting stopped.
She didn’t need to fight it.
Her body just… stopped reacting. Because the alarm had been switched off.
One of my clients came to me with an unusual problem: Every month, she’d get sick.
Nausea. Vomiting. Anxiety.
Doctors couldn’t find a medical cause.
Because it wasn’t medical. It was emotional.
In hypnosis, we followed the feeling back — and found the root.
As a child, every month on payday, her parents would drink too much. Loud fights would erupt. Chaos. Fear. A deep sense of not being safe.
Her young mind linked “this time of the month” with dread. With danger.
And her adult body kept the score — even though she didn’t consciously remember why.
Once we uncovered that memory and helped her subconscious realise:
“That’s not happening anymore. You’re safe now.”
— the vomiting stopped.
She didn’t need to fight it.
Her body just… stopped reacting. Because the alarm had been switched off.
Hypnotherapy Isn’t About Forcing Change — It’s About Releasing It
If you’ve tried to “fix” a symptom and it keeps coming back, it may not be stubbornness or failure.
It may be your subconscious still doing its job — based on old, outdated information.
Hypnotherapy (done properly) helps update that information.
It doesn’t overwrite or suppress — it resolves. Gently. Permanently.
If you’ve tried to “fix” a symptom and it keeps coming back, it may not be stubbornness or failure.
It may be your subconscious still doing its job — based on old, outdated information.
Hypnotherapy (done properly) helps update that information.
It doesn’t overwrite or suppress — it resolves. Gently. Permanently.
If You’ve Been Stuck…
You don’t need more willpower. You need a way to go deeper — to find the why behind the what.
That’s what I help people do every day.
I offer a free 15-minute consultation, via video call, so we can talk about whether this approach feels right for you.
You don’t need more willpower. You need a way to go deeper — to find the why behind the what.
That’s what I help people do every day.
I offer a free 15-minute consultation, via video call, so we can talk about whether this approach feels right for you.
(And if you book it, please show up — it matters.)
Coming soon in this series:
- Why You Can’t Sleep — Even When You’re Exhausted
- The Real Role of the Subconscious in Healing
- Why Hypnosis Isn’t “Mind Control” — And What It Really Feels Like