James Podhorodecki

What is Existential Hypnotherapy?

Existential hypnotherapy is a unique approach to psychotherapy that integrates existentialist philosophies into the powerful therapeutic approach of hypnotherapy. Firstly, existentialism is a Franco-German philosophy that originated in Paris around the mid 20^th century. Many philosophers have since been labelled as existentialist prior to its genesis, since existentialism covers varied facets of perception, ontology, phenomenology and metaphysics. The existentialism type that James implements into his hypnotherapy is philosophically grounded in the chief tenant that existence precedes essence. This means that we firstly exist, and that the fragments, traits, personas and characteristics that form our identity are second to who we primarily are. Of course there is some variability in this, since there are aspects of ourselves that we cannot change, that are part of our initial existence – that being socio-economic background, physical characteristics like height, eye colour etc. But for the most part, when we consider our consciousness, we firstly exist, and then apply natures to ourselves that fit with our initial facticity. By asserting that we firstly exist and that the majority of characteristics positive or negative are then applied unconsciously or consciously it means that responsibility is rendered a particularly powerful key to overcoming and working through aspects of ourselves that we wish to change, control, or release.

Beginning from an existentialist ideology means that power, control, will, and responsibility are the focal therapeutic points for the patient. We find that these facets falter under typical co-morbidities that run tandem to numerous neuroses. When we realise that we are the creators of our perception, and that our perception is what colours our world, we regain control over our being and our psychological framing. This means that addictions, weight loss, phobias, the pursuit of success and confidence are all adaptable to the state of our perception.

Existentialism focuses on the prospect that there is no inherent meaning to life other than the freedom we utilise to create our own. We are all creators of our lives, but we often find ourselves swept up into habits, thought patterns, events and situations that do not benefit the person that we know we would like to be, or the person we know we can be, or more aptly – the person we truly are.

Existential hypnotherapy works by facing and overcoming these divergent external forces that interrupt our journey. Neuroses like depression, anxiety, PTSD etc. are particularly responsive to existential hypnotherapy since they often represent a force within ourselves that has gone astray from our ideal and true self. In this way, existential hypnosis seeks to separate the symptoms from the individual and integrate the whole self through gestalt acceptance. We are perpetually creating our reality at every moment. We are faced with choices both internal and psychological, and external and physical moment to moment. Regaining the power to be able to train and control our perception of ourselves and the world we experience means that we can put our energy into sources that we prefer over the sources that we don’t. If vaping, smoking, gambling, drinking, unhealthy food, drug use, fear, guilt, pain, lack of motivation, gaming, doomscrolling, loneliness, relationships, insomnia, nightmares, infidelity, or grief are disrupting one’s ability to live as their best self, then there is a reason that one is leaning on these damaging habits or thought patterns. Existential hypnotherapy can help unlock what is causing one to rely on addictive substances or negative cognitive patterns and from that step we can have master of them.

By returning one’s willpower to themselves the patient realises that through self-mastery comes freedom.

Your mind is the key to your ideal reality.