Hypnotherapy is a therapeutic treatment that has been around for thousands of years. The first references to it come in ancient Greek and Egyptian texts referring to 'Sleep Temples' which were places of healing where hypnosis was used to solve problems. It has also been mentioned in ancient Chinese medicine and is known to have been used by many pre christian belief systems including druidism and other shamanistic religious groups.
Franz Mesmer (1713-1815) is widely recognised as being the Father of Hypnosis. He introduced hypnosis or mesmerism as it was called at that time after him.
From the 1700's on, many respected medical figures displayed an interest in the study of mesmerism and tried to introduce it into their practise. Unfortunately this at times led to ridicule and resulted in occasional resignation as in the case of John Elliotson who was known for introducing the stethoscope into the UK.
However, it wasn't until the mid 1800's when figures such as Freud (1856 - 1939) and Jung (1875 - 1961) began to show an interest in the subject, that hypnosis began to be taken seriously as an important therapeutic tool, particularly in the treatment of somatic disorders.
In America at this time, Milton Erickson (1901 - 1980) was establishing a strong reputation for himself as an authority on clinical hypnosis and many of his techniques are still used by therapists today.
In 1955, the British Medical Society officially recognised hypnosis as a respectable medical technique and the American Medical Association and the American Psychological Association did so in 1958.
Hypnosis is today, a well respected therapeutic treatment. It is particularly effective in the treatment of anxiety related disorders and pain relief, particularly in childbirth and in surgery as well as dental treatments. It is also an effetive tool in the treatment of phobias and habits such as smoking.
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