Which therapy will suit you best: Solution Focused Hypnotherapy or Cognitive Behavioural Therapy?
Have you ever attended a hospital or GP appointment and been told you are an “ideal candidate for CBT” – Cognitive Behavioural Therapy?
You’ve probably heard of it and not known what it is; perhaps you’ve been referred for talking therapy by your Doctor because you’ve got anxiety or are experiencing low mood, depression or struggling to sleep.
Quite often, GPs will refer to talking therapy (which is very likely CBT) alongside prescribing Antidepressants. It is becoming more commonplace for Doctors and Consultants to refer women for CBT for things like perimenopause symptoms, Postnatal Depression and PMS/PMDD, as the impact stress has on our hormones is becoming more recognised and acknowledged.
When it comes to overcoming personal challenges and improving mental health, both CBT and SFH work well for those who are seeking help with their mental health; both are talking therapies, and both share a focus on identifying and changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviours to achieve positive outcomes, but SFH incorporates hypnotherapy techniques and a more forward-looking approach to solutions.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, pioneered by Dr. Aaron T. Beck, has existed since the 1960s and is widely acknowledged as a beneficial treatment for Anxiety and Depression. In comparison, Solution-Focused Hypnotherapy (SFH), developed by David Newton some 30 years later in the 1990s, and is a relatively modern therapy.
While both therapies aim to help individuals navigate their difficulties and change their thought patterns, they do so through distinctly different methods and focuses.
It is worth comparing them to determine which talking therapy suits you best.
Let’s have a look at how they work and how they may better suit some individuals to help them meet their needs.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
CBT is a structured, goal-orientated therapy that primarily focuses on identifying an individual’s negative and challenging thought patterns and behaviours.
At its core, CBT actively encourages clients to analyse thoughts and behaviours.
By utilising techniques such as thought, memory or reasoning pattern restructuring and behavioural experiments, individuals learn to reframe their thinking and alter their behaviours.
One hallmark of CBT is its exploration of past experiences.
By understanding the roots of their issues, clients can address underlying problems that contribute to their thoughts and/or behaviour patterns.
This conscious work often requires a commitment over several weeks or months, making it typically a longer-term therapy option.
Solution Focused Hypnotherapy (SFH)
In contrast, Solution-focused Hypnotherapy (SFH) focuses on a preventive and future-oriented mindset. SFH is a much more modern therapy that utilises elements of CBT, NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming), SFBT (Solution-Focused Brief Therapy), and evidence-based practice found in ongoing neuroscience research.
Instead of concentrating on a client’s problems, negative thoughts, or behaviours, SFH encourages clients to devise solutions and set goals for their future, changing their thoughts and behaviours to those they would prefer.
SFH acknowledges a client’s past but does not linger on past traumas; instead, it helps clients visualise and reinforce these changes at a deeper level through a combination of psychotherapy (talking therapy) and hypnotherapy (deep relaxation).
The hypnotherapy utilised during SFH sessions is not analytical or regression.
Instead, the hypnotherapy part of the session strengthens positive changes. It enhances the processing of solutions identified through the psychotherapy part of the session, enabling clients to achieve their desired outcomes more effectively and efficiently.
This method often leads to quicker, permanent improvements, making it an excellent choice for those seeking progressive therapy that does not require going back over past traumas but does enable them to focus on the best version of themselves and their preferred future; which is usually one with considerably reduced anxiety and they are better able to reframe their stress so they cope better and is much more manageable.
Key Differences Between CBT and SFH.
While both CBT and SFH have proven to be effective therapeutic methods, they cater to different preferences and needs.
CBT is particularly beneficial for individuals who want to actively review and challenge their negative thought patterns and behaviours.
SFH benefits those who want an active, forward-thinking approach to challenging their thought patterns and behaviours.
The key difference is that it offers problem-free conversation that enables them to think and behave in a way that encourages them to focus on the future they want. Looking towards the best version of themselves encourages them to think about their best hopes for their future.
This approach may appeal to those who prefer a relaxed, forward-focused approach incorporating hypnotherapy and visualisation.
Understanding how both therapeutic approaches work will help you choose the right therapy and, in turn, the right therapist.
Both approaches offer valuable tools for personal growth and healing. Knowing what you want to achieve and how you would prefer to work during your therapy session, if you want problem-free, future-focused conversation and not spend your sessions looking back, will tell you that SFH will be the right therapy for you.
