What Makes Hypnotherapy an Effective Tool for 12 Step Programs?
Hypnotherapy can be a very effective adjunct to any 12 Step Program. Whether you are a member of Alcoholics Anonymous, Overeaters Anonymous, Alanon, or any other 12 Step Program, Hypnotherapy can help to remove subconscious resistance to recovery. It can effectively reinforce the work you are doing with your sponsor and prevent relapse during times of those “peculiar mental blank spots” that the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous speaks of.
What is My Personal Experience?
My name is Beverly. I am a grateful, abstaining, recovering member of the 12 Step Program of Overeaters Anonymous. I have been a member of Overeaters Anonymous since 1977. I have been abstinent from compulsive overeating since March 26, 2006 and have maintained a 70 pound weight loss. Through working the 12 Steps of Overeaters Anonymous and finding a Higher Power of my own understanding, I have not only kept my weight off, but I have also not had the desire or the need for excess food to cope with life, one day at a time, for a very long time. I am also very familiar with other 12 Step Programs and have an extensive understanding of the concept of addiction being a mental obsession coupled with a physical allergy.
Why does Hypnotherapy Work with 12 Step Programs?
Hypnotherapy works so well with 12 Step Programs because it works with the 88% of the mind (which we call the Subconscious Mind), that is comfortable with the disease or addiction, simply because it has been in your life for so long. The Subconscious Mind will much more readily accept a negative known (addiction/disease) than a positive unknown (recovery), and Hypnotherapy can assist the Subconscious Mind to accept recovery as a brand new positive.
Together we will work with many cognitive tools during our sessions together, while supporting the work you do with your sponsor between sessions. During the hypnotherapy portion of the session, we will be doing guided imagery to reinforce whatever step you are working on, as well as to help you form a concept of a Higher Power that works for you. Our sessions together will be custom designed to fit your needs and flexible enough to address any issues or challenges that come up as you “trudge the Road of Happy Destiny”.
Can Hypnotherapy Benefit New Comers as Well as Old Timers?
Whether you are a newcomer to 12 Step Programs, a long-time member in recovery, or someone who continues to relapse, adding Hypnotherapy to your program could be just what you need to help you with those difficult times. I can help you because I am not only a Certified Hypnotherapist who has completed training in “Hypnotherapy and the 12 Steps”, I also have personal experience with relapse and recovery.
Is Hypnotherapy a Violation of Tradition 10, (“<Alcoholics Anonymous/Overeaters Anonymous/Alanon, etc.> has no opinion on outside issues; hence the <A.A./O.A./Alanon, etc.> name ought never be drawn into public controversy”)?
I will never approach a member of a 12 Step Program nor solicit my services during or outside a meeting. If a member of a 12 Step Program wishes to add Hypnotherapy to his or her recovery program, they must approach me. There is a disclaimer included in my “Agreement for Services” regarding Hypnotherapy as an outside issue to 12 Step Programs. As a long-time member of 12 Step Programs and in compliance with the ethics of my profession, I do my best to adhere to the 12 Steps and 12 Traditions.
What about Anonymity and Confidentiality?
Anonymity with regards to Hypnotherapy sessions ensures that I will never disclose that my client is in a 12 Step Program. Confidentiality ensures that nothing my client says during a session will ever be disclosed, the only exception being my legal obligation to report any likelihood of harm being done by the client to themselves or someone else.
