By Azeeza Rawat
Edited by Humairaa Mayet & Imaan Moosa
Treating mental health goes beyond psychotherapy and medication. Practitioners in the fields of Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), tapping and hypnosis share their experiences about how these alternative methods can help mental health.
Most people who have sought treatment for any mental health issues have probably contacted a psychologist or a psychiatrist for either therapy or medication. I have done both, and while I can honestly say that both have helped me in different ways, sometimes it didn’t feel like enough. I would still be too anxious to sleep at night and wake up exhausted. Every so often, I would still have panic attacks before presentations and have extreme bodily sensations that I felt I could not control. So, I began to look for supplementary resources to help with my anxiety.
I started listening to hypnosis CDs years ago. Soon hypnosis became a form of meditation for me. But what exactly is hypnosis?
Treating mental health with hypnotherapy
Dr. Sherona Rawat, a clinical psychologist with a postgraduate certificate in Clinical Hypnosis, shares her expertise with To EmpowHER.
Hypnosis is a state of focused attention, reduced visual perception and a heightened susceptibility to suggestion, Dr. Rawat says. Hypnosis can help in changing the focus away from a negative stimulus such as chronic pain or to assist in changing one's susceptibility to think negatively by vocalising positive suggestions in their presence during a hypnosis session.
After a few years of listening to generic hypnosis recordings, I had a few sessions with a trained hypnotherapist for my public speaking phobia. This was a totally different experience for me as the script was tailored specifically to what I needed. The great thing was the hypnotherapist provided me with a recording of the session, and I was able to repeatedly listen to the hypnosis session at home. While hypnosis is not a once-off miracle, after incorporating this hypnosis recording into my daily routine, I felt some of the anxiety around the public speaking lift.
Hypnosis can also change one’s mental state to positively affect one’s physical health. Dr. Rawat shares with us a beautiful success story.
“I have an ex-patient who fell pregnant after we had done hypnosis for fertility after her gynecologist had done bloods that indicated that she was already menopausal, despite her young age. She now has a beautiful son.”
Success stories like this, as well as my own experience with hypnosis, are my main motivation for recommending hypnosis to people. But even those in the mental health field are unaware of how to begin the process of hypnotherapy to treat mental health.
Dr. Rawat suggests that “it is best to contact a mental health professional registered with the respective boards who is also trained in clinical hypnosis.”
It is important to note that hypnosis is not the best choice for everyone, and it is contraindicated in combination with certain psychiatric diagnoses.
Therefore, it is important to note that while hypnosis is known to benefit people dealing with mental health challenges, it can do harm to individuals who may require therapy or medication first. Hypnosis will not replace these treatments for severe mental health disorders.
Dr. Rawat advises, "Hypnosis can be used as part of the therapy process or as a stand-alone technique."
“Certain medications can interfere with the process and so can certain pharmaceuticals and recreational drugs, such as marijuana.
It is best to seek advice from an expert in the field and allow them to design a unique treatment program for you and your situation or problem.
If it is contraindicated in your circumstance, they will also inform you of such.”
While hypnosis has been one of the tools I’ve used for my anxiety since I was a teenager, a few people who have tried it have complained that they found it difficult to concentrate during the sessions, or that they felt that they “should be doing something.”
Although one of the benefits of hypnosis is teaching focus and how to quieten the mind, EFT tapping may be an option for people who are looking for something shorter and more physical.
Photo: Verywellmind.com
Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) tapping as "a form of energy psychology"
I started EFT tapping a few months ago when I was struggling with migraines, fatigue, and a bit of burnout. Still, on medication and still seeing a therapist, I used EFT tapping as part of my self-care routine. I found EFT tapping videos on YouTube for almost everything: pain, insomnia, anxiety, and self-love. After a session of tapping, I visibly feel looser and calmer. Although just like hypnosis, I can imagine that seeing an EFT practitioner would help tailor the sessions to my exact needs.
Dr. Tammi O’Flynn
Dr. Tammi O’Flynn, an EFT tapping practitioner who is also a doctor of phytotherapy (herbal medicine), is eager to introduce EFT tapping to more people.
Dr. O’Flynn describes EFT tapping as a form of “energy psychology” that allows us to easily “rewire” our neural pathways and balance our energy systems to achieve joy and freedom on all levels: body, mind, and spirit, and can help with the management of PTSD, pain, depression, anxiety, cravings, addictions, academic performance, sports performance, etc.
New to this treatment, I was also eager to know exactly how EFT Tapping can improve one’s mental well-being. Dr. O’Flynn explains that ‘the tapping’ part refers to the technique whereby we physically tap along the body's energy meridians. “These are some of the same points that are used in other disciplines such as acupuncture and shiatsu. Activating these meridian points sends a message to the amygdala in the brain to relax and come out of the ‘stress response’”.
In my experience, tapping these points on one’s hands, chest, face, head, and side is accompanied by the use of sentences or affirmations, which one repeats after the practitioner. The script is based on the intention of the tapping, for example, some may use it for sleep, others for anxiety or pain.
The latest research is proving that when you use EFT Tapping to shift your unconscious beliefs and emotions, you shift the chemicals being released into the body. In doing so, you are literally able to shift your nervous system, as well as your digestive and endocrine systems, your hormones, your energy levels and more! says Dr. O’Flynn.
Photo: Greatist.com
As a wonderful example of this evidence-based treatment, Dr. O’Flynn shares an important study with To EmpowHER:
“The most remarkable study regarding Tapping and stress hormones was a landmark study by Dr. Dawson Church published in 2012 in the prestigious Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease.
“The study found that EFT Tapping lowered cortisol significantly more than traditional talk therapy or resting. A 2020 replicated study by Dr. Peta Stapleton showed similar results, with a 43 percent decrease in cortisol levels, often known as the ‘stress hormone’”.
While one can try out EFT Tapping on their own or through YouTube videos, Dr. O’Flynn recommends that “[if] you are wanting to go a bit deeper and really uncover the root cause of an issue, or work with trauma, I suggest you get in touch with a qualified practitioner”.
And like hypnosis, EFT Tapping can be used alongside therapy and medication.
Dr O’Flynn advised To EmpowHER that medication should be used to support someone who is not coping WHILE undergoing therapy or EFT/Tapping. Too many people are on medications hoping that the medication will ‘fix’ them. This is not the purpose of the medication… it is rather there to lend support until such time as the underlying challenges have been dealt with. However, it is important to note that according to Dr. O’Flynn, EFT is a complementary therapy and does not preclude other interventions.
As I see it, mental health is so varied that a restricted combination of only therapy and medication is bound to leave some people feeling like something is lacking. Instead of dropping the medication and therapy, how about adding to it? Many treatments can be used together, and sometimes we find the best combination for us when we are open-minded and exploratory.
You can learn more about Dr. Rawat and Dr. O’Flynn using their contact details below:
Dr. Sherona Rawat’s contact details:
Instagram: @dr_srawat
Facebook: drsheronarawat
Dr. Tammi O’Flynn’s contact details:
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