TRAUMA is an emotional response to a terrible event in someone’s life.
The causes of trauma are many and can be a vehicle accident, a violent act or even a natural disaster. Some people have even been traumatised by the public tumult surrounding COVID-19.
The way hypnotherapy sees trauma is that, after a traumatic event the subconscious mind develops a protection mechanism. Basically, it attempts to steer the person away from the terrible event happening again by setting off alarm bells every time something it sees as a similar threat is sensed.
Trauma can be incredibly debilitating, and the person can be set on edge and live in fear of many situations which in fact are not going to be harmful. You might say that the person’s inbuilt alarm system is on a hair trigger.
This over-protective behaviour is seated in the subconscious mind – and it is incredibly difficult to change a subconscious pattern. This is because once the subconscious enacts a behaviour that it believes is working to protect you, it will continue that pattern.
Through hypnotherapy, we are able to reach the subconscious and work to change the pattern with one that is more appropriate.
This process does not include taking the person back to the event that caused the trauma. That would have the effect of re-traumatising the person. Instead, through direct communication with the part of the subconscious that oversees the traumatic response, we are able to change that pattern.
As humans, we are constantly changing – are you the same person you were as a child? As you were two years ago? No, we are constantly learning new behaviours to adapt to whatever life throws our way!
The good news is that unhelpful behaviours, including trauma responses, are learnt. Therefore, new and more helpful behaviours that don’t include trauma responses can also be learnt.
