Hypnosis aids Fertility

Addendum: April 2, 2006 . . . Sonja Parker, the hypnotist discussed in the article, tells me that she did indeed refer a number of research articles on fertility and hypnosis to the physician (note that sometimes these are used by physicians seeking greater understand and other times a person’s opinion is so solid and negative that only those supporting their preconceived notions are paid any attention to). Sonja does give the encouraging news that she is getting a number of medical referrals for her work with hypnosis and fertility.

As most of the regular readers here know, hypnosis can be very effective for a wide variety of issues . . . sometimes in ways that just can’t seem to be explained. However, there is one issue for which hypnosis has been proven to be effective for many couples and that is for fertility issues. More and more couples in our modern society are facing infertility challenges. This is in part due to more folks beginning their families at a later age than in the past as well as because of additional stress related to living in a modern society. While hypnosis has been helpful for some folks facing physical impairment or obstacles to pregnancy, it is more effective for folks who have stress-related infertility (often physical impairments are also stress-related).

The Durango Herald published recently on the use of hypnosis for infertility and fertility:

The effectiveness of the mind-over-matter approach to solving problems is clearly evident in the use of hypnosis in treating women who have difficulty in becoming pregnant, according to a Durango hypnotherapist. "Studies indicate that ‘infertile’ women utilizing mind-body techniques have a 42 percent to 55 percent conception rate compared to a 20 percent rate for those using in-vitro fertilization alone," Sonja Parker said in an interview. "Decreased levels of depression, anxiety and anger also were noted." Parker, a certified hypnotherapist with a decade of experience in California and now Durango, uses hypnotism to treat emotional, weight, smoking and phobias. She is a certified hypnotist with additional certificates in hypnobirthing and hypnofertility. … In treating women for infertility (she works with couples as well), Parker asks women to commit to six sessions, each with a different focus. Hypnosis is not a magic wand, she said. "Most ‘infertility’ is caused by stress, although there are physical problems," Parker said. "I use the mind-body connection to dispel stress." In North America, more than 1 million women seek help for infertility, with most turning to conventional methods, usually drugs or in-vitro fertilization. Some women feel there is something wrong with them, Parker said. There is pressure from family or friends wondering why the couple hasn’t had children. "All this pressure builds in our consciousness," Parker said. "Hypnotism clears up doubts because it works through the subconscious, which controls the body more than we want to admit." Hypnotism, a state in which the conscious mind is distracted, is familiar to everyone, Parker said, noting that a person can be in a noisy crowd but be oblivious of surroundings because he or she is "somewhere else." An induced hypnotic state requires a willing subject with minimal level of intelligence and the ability to follow simple instructions, Parker said. The trance state – depending on the subject – is brought about by such methods as counting down, concentrating on relaxing the body from head to toe or by rapid induction such as snapping the fingers. Once hypnotized, a subject can be lead through a "script." A woman who is stressed over her mother could be asked to imagine herself a tiny person traveling through the womb where the subconscious mind can clear up debris and pinpoint the reasons for the problematic relationship with her mother. "The subconscious mind directs the body," Parker said. "The subconsciousness knows what the body needs and knows how to take care of it." Hypnotherapy instills a sense of control, allowing the patient to increase the chances of conceiving naturally or enhancing the success of medical assistance, Parker said. … Techniques that patients learn in hypnofertility sessions can be applied to other issues for the rest of their lives, Parker said.

Contrary to the full article, I would suggest there are a number of hypnotic approaches appropriate for fertility issues. The medical doctor who stated he is unaware of any studies showing efficacy for hypnosis is insinuating that there aren’t any but he obviously hasn’t done his homework as there are a number of very strong studies from peer-reviewed journals that show a very definate link to hypnosis helping with many infertility issues.

The article also implies that the NGH is the best organization to contact for hypnotists. There are a number of organizations. I would suggest looking to the individual hypnotist instead as many organizations of lay hypnotists do not vette and only a very few have competence screening for practitioners. Personally, I favor SET or similar organizations that have competence-based training.

For more on fertility and infertility issues and hypnosis, see some of the earlier posts here at Life of Brian:

If you are in Taipei and wish to consult with me about hypnosis or focused trance for fertility or even hypnobirthing, feel free to contact me to arrange a series of sessions. You can also browse my trancework webpages at http://www.briandavidphillips.com for more information and to download the free relaxation and guided imagery MP3s.

All the best,
Brian

Brian David Phillips, PhD, CH [phillips@nccu.edu.tw]Executive Director, Society of Experiential Trance
Hypnotherapist, Hypnosis Trainer
Associate Professor, NCCU, Taipei, Taiwan
http://www.briandavidphillips.com

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