How CBT Hypnotherapy Training Can Be Part of an Integrated Hypnotherapy Approach

Having just completed a fabulous CBT-hypnotherapy workshop, thanks to the participation of everyone involved, it reminded me of just how much I love working with clients using a CBT-hypnosis approach.

It was also a reminder of just how adaptable it is within a more integrative hypnotherapeutic way of working.

On the course we had students from different hypnotherapy backgrounds, each with their own way of working, and each with a personal preference for what they want to bring to the therapy room in terms of their values, backgrounds, personalities and preferences.

CBT-hypnotherapy combines Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) principles and techniques with hypnosis, allowing clients to work with thoughts, beliefs, emotions and behaviours in a more experiential way.

Whilst CBT is sometimes seen as a very set or structured way of working, exploring together how we can use it in a way that fits with our wider experience and preferences was a reminder of how adaptable it is.

I tend to use CBT-hypnosis in a very holistic way, which fits with other skills I draw on, including solution-focused hypnotherapy, mindfulness, NLP, metaphorical story telling and somatic hypnosis. Often, I draw on a more CBT-hypnotherapy approach in session 2, taking care to weave in CBT to my other sessions. During the workshop, we explored how CBT could become an integral part of a more solution-focused way of working or how it might be successfully combined with regression techniques and a focus on exploring our clients’ past experiences.

The workshop also reminded me of how CBT-hypnosis is very different to CBT as a stand alone talking therapy. I’m sure the term CBT on steroids was used at some point during the workshop! And this sums up perfectly the level that hypnosis can take CBT to.

Instead of simply talking about change, clients experience change.

Instead of having to rely on real-life exposure, clients can experience imaginal exposure.

Instead of talking through suggestions with clients, they are often in a far more relaxed, creative and receptive frame of mind which makes it easier for them to accept those suggestions.

CBT Hypnotherapy Training: Developing an approach that fits with your values and preferences

CBT-Hypnosis isn’t the easiest skill to learn, and we discussed the importance of practicing following the workshop and ensuring that skills are tested out and developed. Whilst it’s not the easiest approach, it’s one that completely transforms a client’s practice and if you’re interested in moving away from strictly scripted approaches to client work, this is one skill you’ll probably want to learn.

For practice yesterday we relied on two resources. The first was ABCDE structure, which provides a clear way to explore a client’s thoughts, feelings and responses, and to help them work towards a reframe and new desired outcome. The second was a “script” in the broadest sense. More accurately, it’s a “fill in the blanks” list of prompts which, after talking to the client, therapists can simply complete using the client’s own words. Once you’ve learned the technique, there’s no need to rely on the script at all, so it’s a great skill if you want to advance your practice and learn to work in a more natural, responsive way.

The workshop also brought up some interesting conversations around when CBT-Hypnosis might not be the best approach for clients, and I shared my experience of working with neurodivergent clients who have found a very strict, traditional approach to CBT not only unhelpful but damaging in some cases. This brought us back to how to work in a way that’s respectful, flexible and, by combining CBT with hypnosis is not only highly effective but different to what we might usually understand in a CBT-approach.

CBT Hypnotherapy Training: Frequently Asked Questions

What is CBT-hypnotherapy?

CBT-hypnotherapy combines principles and techniques from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy with hypnosis, creating a more experiential approach to working with thoughts, beliefs, emotions and behaviours.

How is CBT-hypnotherapy different from CBT?

Both approaches can work with thoughts, beliefs, behaviours and emotional responses, but hypnosis allows many CBT interventions to become more experiential. Rather than only discussing or intellectually exploring change, clients can rehearse new responses, experience imaginal exposure and engage with therapeutic suggestions within hypnosis.

Can hypnotherapists train in CBT-hypnosis?

CBT-hypnosis training can help qualified hypnotherapists incorporate CBT principles and techniques into their existing way of working. Rather than replacing other hypnotherapy skills, CBT can become another therapeutic framework that can be integrated into client work.

For details of our next CBT-Hypnosis workshop, please get in touch, or you can work towards your Diploma in CBT-Hypnosis in a self-paced way here.