Does this sound familiar?…

• Do you find yourself repeating patterns that you want to change, but are unsure of where or how to begin?

• Do you find yourself constantly overwhelmed, anxious, numb, or on “autopilot”?

• Have you been having gastrointestinal issues (ex. IBS), muscle tightness or pain, headaches, chronic fatigue, or other physical symptoms?

• Do you find yourself replaying memories or emotions, feel like your life is stuck on a repeating loop, or have no memories of the past at all?

• Do you find that your symptoms get in the way of building and maintaining relationships or functioning in other areas of life?

Therapy can help you move forward.

What is Trauma?

Trauma is something that a person can experience when things happen to them that are beyond what their nervous system can handle or what their coping skills can offer. Events that cause trauma to the nervous system can vary from person to person and not everyone who has been through a hard event or series of events end up developing trauma disorders such as PTSD or C-PTSD. Trauma can have profound effects on the mind and body, often affecting one’s self-esteem, sense of self, and view of the world.

What is PTSD?

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder can arise when the brain struggles to process and recovery from witnessing or experiencing traumatic events such as a natural disaster, accident, violence or abuse, or wars. It is a diagnosable trauma disorder in the DSM 5 (Diagnostic Statistics Manual).

What are the symptoms of PTSD?

1) hyperarousal: being on edge, easily startled, irritability, trouble sleeping

2) avoidance - effort to avoid reminders of the events such as avoiding certain places, people, activities, or even songs or smells

3) re-experiencing - nightmares, flashbacks, or intrusive thoughts about the trauma

4) negative mood - feelings of shame, guilt, detachment, or negative beliefs about oneself and the world.

What is CPTSD?

Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder results from experiences of repeated or prolonged exposure to traumatic events where a person feels unable to escape the situation(s). It can develop from chronic trauma, particularly during childhood. CPTSD can manifest from experiences such as child abuse or neglect, human trafficking or captivity, domestic violence, or living in war zones for example. The condition develops when the brain and body struggle to process and adapt to sustained stress or danger, leading to profound changes in emotional regulation, self-perception, and interpersonal functioning.

What are the symptoms of CPTSD? What is the difference between PTSD and CPTSD?

The symptoms of PTSD and CPTSD are similar. In addition to the PTSD symptoms, those with CPTSD may experience more struggles with emotional regulation, negative self-concept, or interpersonal difficulties.

Hypnotherapy for Trauma Reprocessing

We use Crisis And Trauma Clinical Hypnotherapy (CATCH), which is specifically adapted to treat people suffering from the most difficult trauma symptoms. Similar to EMDR, this life saving treatment has proved to be extremely effective at eliminating PTSD symptoms within a short period of time. All sessions follow a manualized 6 session protocol that lasts 1.5 hours each.

Trauma symptoms can be caused by unprocessed feelings associated with traumatic experiences. When these feelings are too much for the mind to handle, it gets stored in the body on a cellular level. This is why those with trauma commonly experience body related issues such as digestive issues (IBS), muscle pain & tension, tightness, shaking, and even higher risk for developing autoimmune issues. Talk therapy (while may be helpful for some), can sometimes cause trauma survivors to feel like they’re stuck in a loop - making them feel worse.

Hypnotherapy allows you to safely and effectively access the subconscious mind, where all of these locked and unprocessed emotions and memories are stored, and reprocess them in a way that resolves symptoms and minimizes distress. You can expect to feel a significant reduction in emotional and physical symptoms at the end of the 6 session treatment.

Our intervention is not content based, which means you do not have to share any events or traumatic memories with your therapist. This is a trauma informed process where you are in control the entire time. You can choose to share what you are experiencing or keep it private, the results are the same regardless of what you choose.

What is the Effectiveness of Hypnotherapy for Trauma Treatment?

Research literature for the application of hypnotherapy for the treatment of trauma, specifically PTSD, has been shown successful for decades. The CATCH hypnotherapy intervention was originally developed and used for the treatment of PTSD in active duty military soldiers and veterans - with significantly positive results. If you are interested in learning more about this topic, please refer to the list of research articles here:

1. Rotaru, T. Ștefan, & Rusu, A. (2015). A Meta-Analysis for the Efficacy of Hypnotherapy in Alleviating PTSD Symptoms. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, 64(1), 116–136. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207144.2015.1099406

2. Carter, C. (2011). The use of hypnosis in the treatment of PTSD. Retrieved from https://www.hypnosisaustralia.org.au/wp-content/uploads/journal/AJCEH_Vol33_No1_MAY05.pdf#page=88

3. Bisson, J. I., & Andrew, M. (2009). A new hypnotic technique for treating combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder: A prospective open study. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, 58(3), 316–328. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20509071

4. Abraamovitz, I., Barak, Y., Ben-Avi, I., & Knobbler, H. Y. (2008). The efficacy of hypnotherapy in the treatment of PTSD symptoms as measured by the Posttraumatic Disorder Scale. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, 56(2), 121–128. Retrieved from https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00207140802039672

5. Shakibaei, F., Harandi, A. A., Gholamrezaei, A., Samoei, R., & Salehi, M. (2008). Hypnotherapy in the management of pain and reexperiencing of trauma in burn patients. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, 56(2), 233–242. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18307128

6. Van Etten, M. L., & Taylor, S. (1998). Comparative efficacy of treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder: A meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 5(3), 126–144. Retrieved from https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/handle/2027.42/35192

7. Spiegel, D. (1990). Hypnosis and trauma: A history of physical abuse and dissociative symptoms in Vietnam veterans with PTSD. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 147(2), 246–251. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2211565