The huge difference between therapy and hypnotherapy

In fact, I get this question incredibly often: "Edwin, what's the real difference between that regular therapy at the psychologist's office and what you do with hypnotherapy?"

Well, I'll knock you right out of the dream: the difference is huge. It's the difference between pulling on a dead tree for years hoping that leaves will grow back on it, or simply watering the roots so that the tree will blossom again on its own.

Let’s take a closer look. Because once you understand how this works, you’ll also understand why you may have been struggling with that one problem for years, despite all those sessions with a psychologist.

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The illusion of thought

Let's start with what we call "regular" therapy. In most cases, we are talking about Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). This is the standard, the "golden rule" in mainstream care. If you go to the psychologist with a problem, there is a 99% chance that you will be dealing with this.

The basic idea behind CBT is simple: your thoughts determine your feelings. So, if we change your thoughts, we change how you feel. Sounds logical, right? It’s an interesting premise. You could say it’s true. But I’m telling you today: it might just as well be false.

Why do I say that? Just look at a small child. A baby who can't talk yet. That baby does not yet have a voice in its head that we can classify as a "thought. There is no inner dialogue yet that says, "Gee, how annoying that I'm hungry now, let me cry." No, that baby feels hunger. That baby feels pain. That baby feels fear, sadness, anger or disgust.

Have you ever given a baby a Brussels sprout? You’ll see that little face contort. Pure disgust. Is there a thought behind it? No. It’s an immediate, unconscious response. And that’s exactly the crux of the matter. We humans feel all sorts of things without any thought preceding them. Emotions are older, deeper, and more powerful than our words[1].

Why hypnotherapy is faster (The numbers don't lie)

When looking at effectiveness, we don't have to rely on my blue eyes alone. American Health Magazine once published an insane study on this. The results?

1. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: 72% result after an average of 22 sessions.
2. Hypnotherapy: 93% results after an average of only 6 sessions.

Let that sink in for a moment. That’s nearly four times fewer sessions for a significantly better result. Why is that? Because in hypnotherapy, we go beyond that level of cognition. We stop beating around the bush about the problem and go straight to the source.

Studies also indicate that adding hypnosis to another form of therapy, such as CBT, makes the effect stronger[2].

I did have a psychotherapist in my training who was used to pathways of 150, sometimes as many as 500 sessions per client. Can you imagine? After our training, she brought that average down to 12 sessions.

That's a world of difference.

Not just for the client's wallet, but more importantly for the satisfaction. Because say it yourself: as a therapist, do you get joy from a client who finally makes a little progress after 50 sessions? Or do you get happy about the transformation you see happen in one or two sessions?

Everything is hypnosis

Now I'm going to say something that will make many people gulp for a moment: therapy only works if hypnosis takes place.

Every time a therapy is successful (be it CBT, family constellations, or whatever), it is because the client went into a state of hypnosis. Into a trans-like state where the "critical factor" (that little voice that analyzes and blocks everything) goes aside for a moment and the unconscious comes to the forefront.

It is only at that moment that a suggestion from a psychologist sinks in. “Oh, is that what you mean!” And click—something changes. That “click moment” is a hypnotic moment.

Even a placebo can provide a "click moment," as long as someone is convinced that the medicine is working[3].

The cognitive piece falls away and the unconscious accepts a new truth. In hypnotherapy, we just don't do this by accident, we do it consciously and purposefully.

Even in forms of therapy in which you will draw, for example, drawing creates an altered state of consciousness, making a person more open to suggestions, as it does in hypnotherapy[4].

The imprint stages: Where it really went wrong

In hypnotherapy, we assume that something happened at some point in the past that is causing you to have a problem now. Whether you’re a worrier, a people-pleaser, a perfectionist, or someone who constantly pushes your own limits—there’s a root cause.

We distinguish three main "imprint stages.

1. The first stage (0 to 5 years): This is the most important. During this period, a child is mainly in the dominant Theta brain wave. Theta is the state of deep hypnosis. Everything a child hears, sees and feels in this stage goes directly into the unconscious as the absolute truth. There is no filter.

When Dad runs away or Mom is emotionally unreachable, the child draws a conclusion: "I'm not good enough" or "The world is unsafe." That's the program you're still running 30 years later.

2. The second stage (ages 5 to 12): The elementary school period. The influence of teachers and friends comes into play. This is where the first programs are often confirmed or expanded.
3. The third stage (Puberty): High school. A new environment, new social pressures.

People often say, “My childhood was fine; the problems didn’t start until high school.” But when we go into regression (back to the source), we almost always end up between the ages of 0 and 5.

The high school then was just the activating event. The problem had already been planned. It was only really activated there for the first time.

Regular therapy often sticks to that high school event, but we go deeper. We go to the root.

The hypnotherapist's toolbox

What makes hypnotherapy at the Hypnosis Institute of the Netherlands so powerful is that we don’t limit ourselves to a single method. Many therapists operate on a preconception: “It’s always systemic,” so they only do family constellations. Or: “It’s always trauma,” so they only use EMDR.

We say: life is one big hypnosis show. Nothing is "true," it's all programs. That's why we use whatever works. Regression, parts work (parts therapy), systemic work in hypnosis, and yes, we include the cognitive piece as well.

We adapt to the client. If the client comes with a systemic problem, we move in that direction. If there are different "parts" fighting in someone (the part that wants to lose weight versus the part that seeks comfort in food), we work with those parts. We are not stuck in a system; we use what is necessary to make that "click.

Conclusion: Make the choice for freedom

Ladies and gentlemen, the difference between regular therapy and hypnotherapy is simply the depth and speed. Want to spend years talking about why you feel the way you do? Go to the psychologist. Do you want to understand what program is running under the hood and rewrite that program so that you are truly free again? Then hypnotherapy is the way to go.

Do you think this is an interesting story? If so, please leave a comment.

Have a question you'd like addressed? Email me or find me on Instagram under "hypnosis king.

Keep shining, keep smiling.

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