Q: What is hypnotherapy and can it help in solving the problem of depression and OCD? Please give me some details and the procedure involved in hypnotherapy?

A:Hypnotherapy is a technique following from use of hypnosis for therapeutic purposes. Persons trained in hypnosis who specialise in treatment of psychological problems are best placed to deliver hypnotherapy. The techniques of hypnosis and hypnotherapy are specialised and only the trained persons should carry them out. It is a common myth in many societies,including ours, that psychiatrists or clinical psychologists can carry out hypnosis for treatment .There are a few psychiatrists and clinical psychologists who are trained in hypnosis and they can carry it out but not everyone can or should.The use of hypnotherapy is high in emotional or adjustment disorders,and less in specific disorders like OCD & Depression. It is unlikely to be of use in cases of clinical depression or OCD, as a single treatment method. If is to be used or considered as an adjunct or additional treatment, the usefulness and the suitability of the person concerned should be best decided upon by the hypnotherapist and the treating clinician. It may not be advisable to go for hypnotherapy for a case of Depression or OCD, without consulting a psychiatrist.Hope that information will suffice