At first glance, Hypnosis and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy seem like distinct therapeutic approaches, each with its own strengths and limitations. However, what if we could combine the two to create Cognitive Hypnotherapy?But is it even possible to integrate the two?Since problems that people face are a result of their thoughts and behaviours which could be conscious as well as the subconscious, resolution of problems require a shift at both the conscious and the subconscious levels. There are different approaches to therapies that focus on these levels separately.One of the most popular approaches to deal with conscious thoughts and behaviours is CBT. And the approach that deals with unconscious thoughts and automatic behaviours is Hypnotherapy. What is CBT?Beginning with CBT first, CBT stands for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. It is a systematic approach to Psychotherapy, which is growing in popularity as an effective psycho-therapeutic method to help people deal with various kinds of emotional and psychological issues.Its effectiveness as a mode of therapy has been more extensively researched than any other approach to psychotherapy. Its treatment sessions are brief and highly structured.Where is CBT effective?CBT can help people overcome and deal with a wide range of issues. Some of these problems include:AnxietyPanic disordersAddictionsEating disordersObsessive Compulsive DisordersFears and PhobiasPost-traumatic Stress DisordersSocial PhobiaDepressionPersonality disordersChronic aches and pains, etc.What are the limitations of CBT?CBT focuses on changing the cognitive thought process & behaviours of an individual. It isn’t rocket science and most of the steps are relatively simple. In fact, many of the principles and suggestions may seem like common sense.Requires persistence, focus and hard workThe problem with CBT is that the actual application of the principles & suggestions is far from easy. Using CBT to help yourself requires a lot of personal efforts, diligence, repetition and determination. It is a lot like developing a new skill or a habit. It requires persistence, focus and hard work.Unconscious thought processesAnother limitation of CBT is that there are times when the thought processes that need to be challenged or disputed may be unconscious; that is, the individual may not be aware of his/her unhealthy cognitions (an example of this can be phobias, anxiety, OCD). So in such instances, identifying the negative beliefs and attempting to change them through challenging and disputation can become a tedious and long-drawn procedure which can lead to some of the clients giving up on therapy after a certain point in time.Awareness is not equal to changeAlso, even if the client is aware of the thought processes, awareness does not necessarily lead to change. For example:I may be aware of the fact that I have a phobia of cockroaches, and I may even admit that my phobia is irrational and ridiculous, yet every time I look at a cockroach I still jump!The same could be true for smoking and other addictions. I might be aware that smoking is destroying my health, yet I may be unable to quit. And even if I do quit, the chances of relapse or substitution can be very high because there might be an unconscious positive intention associated with the addiction.So, in such cases, simply disputing or challenging the idea might not work. One can use exposure therapy in case of phobias but it may require a lot of time.So is there a way to overcome these limitations?This is where the usefulness of Hypnosis comes into play.What is Hypnosis?Hypnosis is a state of hyper-suggestibility. In simple words, Hypnosis is a state in which a person is open to receiving suggestions and are naturally able to respond to these suggestions effectively.Thus Hypnosis can be very useful in helping people beco...