Gut-Brain Insights Presented by GI Psychology
Megan Losik, LCSW, explains how clinical hypnosis uses focused attention—similar to everyday trance states—to help shift pain perception and improve digestive symptoms.
Hi, I’m Megan Losik. I’m a licensed clinical social worker with GI Psychology. In this video, we will discuss gut-directed hypnotherapy and how it can be useful in treating a variety of gastrointestinal conditions. When people hear the word hypnosis, they often think of entertainment. Stage hypnotist snaps his finger and an audience member clucks like a chicken. Stage hypnosis is very different from clinical hypnosis.
In clinical hypnosis, the clinician teaches the individual to enter a state of focused attention called trance. Trance is a very normal state of mind for everyone, such as when somebody drives and gets to their destination without remembering many of the details of the drive. Hypnosis just helps us enter that state on purpose, and once in trance, an individual may become more open and receptive to suggestions given by the therapist. Which can help alter negative thought patterns as well as promote specific outcomes, such as changing the intensity of a pain sensation within their digestive system.
Hypnosis is helpful all on its own, but research suggests that its efficacy is actually stronger when combined with CBT, which we will explore in our next video.