As demand for mental health services soars in Ontario, hypnotherapy emerges as a viable alternative to traditional therapy. In the last few years, Ontario residents have been confronted with a tough situation. Lengthy wait times to access free services often stretch from months to over a year. While some can afford to access therapy through private means, navigating the system is challenging for those facing barriers like costs.
Hypnotherapy is an affordable therapeutic practice that involves inducing a state of focused attention and deep relaxation in a client, allowing access to their subconscious mind.
Allan Clews, a certified hypnotherapist of Toronto Hypnotherapist, said that contrary to popular misconceptions, the person does not lose control during hypnotherapy. Rather, their conscious mind shifts to the background while their subconscious mind becomes more receptive to suggestions for positive change.
“It’s a deeply healing state. Your subconscious mind wants what is best for you – it doesn’t want you to remain broken,” Clews says.
In contrast to traditional psychotherapy, hypnotherapy adopts a directive approach – it guides a client with suggestions concerning their problems.
“In psychotherapy, the practitioner is discouraged from being very directive and telling the client what to think, telling the client how to feel, telling the client what to do – it’s the therapist’s role to listen more than to speak,” explains Luke Chao, a hypnotherapist and founder of The Morpheus Clinic for Hypnosis.
According to a 2022 survey by CMHA Ontario, 43 per cent of people are finding it difficult to access mental health services.
This is where looking into alternative therapies, like hypnotherapy, becomes part of the conversation.
“There’s too much demand and not enough to supply. If we can’t reduce demand, we have to increase supply,” Chao says.
In hypnotherapy, the therapist takes the lead, allowing everyone in the group to participate simultaneously, whereas in psychotherapy, it typically involves one-on-one sessions between the client and therapist. Chao says, this difference in dynamics could bring greater accessibility and potentially address the demands within mental health services.
At the forefront of pioneering efforts to address mental health crisis, Toronto Hypnotherapy Mandala Institute brings mental health support to communities. Andrew Nolan, a certified hypnotherapist, says their mission is to make mental health culturally specific and effective. Through grassroots initiatives, they empower individuals and communities to bridge the accessibility gap.
Amidst the crisis, a shift is underway. Increasingly, people turn to hypnotherapy as a viable alternative. Nolan says, “We’re seeing more people looking at other avenues for healing, and other frameworks that actually are going to get them the results they need.”