Hypnotherapy and PTSD Healing with DeTrauma Technique (DTT)™ | QHHT Perth Hypnosis with Elena

Understanding Different Types of Trauma

Trauma can be classified into different categories based on various factors, including the nature of

the traumatic event, the developmental stage of the individual, and the duration and severity of the

trauma. Here are some common classifications of trauma:

1. Acute Trauma: refers to a single traumatic event or a series of events that occur within a short timeframe. Examples of acute trauma include natural disasters, accidents, physical assaults, or witnessing violence. Acute trauma can have immediate and intense

effects on individuals, often leading to a strong stress response and potentially developing

into post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

2.Complex Trauma: refers to prolonged and repetitive traumatic experiences, typically occurring during childhood or within relationships characterised by power imbalances and chronic victimisation. It involves multiple traumatic events that are

interpersonal in nature, such as physical or sexual abuse, neglect, or prolonged exposure to

domestic violence. Complex trauma can result in significant and long-lasting psychological,

emotional, and relational difficulties, and is often associated with complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD).

3.Developmental Trauma: refers to traumatic experiences that occur during critical periods of a person's development, such as early childhood or adolescence.

These experiences can have a profound impact on the individual's psychological, cognitive and social development. Developmental trauma can lead to disruptions in attachment, self-regulation, and interpersonal functioning, and may contribute to long-term emotional and behavioural difficulties.

4.Vicarious Trauma: also known as secondary trauma or compassion fatigue, occurs when individuals who are repeatedly exposed to others' traumatic experiences, such as healthcare professionals, first responders, or therapists, experience trauma-related symptoms themselves. This type of trauma can result from empathetic engagement with trauma

survivors and can manifest as emotional distress, intrusive thoughts, or a diminished sense of

well-being.

5.Historical or Intergenerational Trauma: refers to

trauma that has been passed down through generations, often as a result of systemic or

collective experiences of violence, oppression, or cultural trauma. This type of trauma can be

experienced by communities or specific cultural or ethnic groups and may have a lasting

impact on their collective identity, beliefs, and behaviours.

De Trauma Technique (DTT)™ help release trauma, calm the mind and support lasting PTSD recovery at QHHT Perth Hypnosis with Elena. If you’re reading this, you may be navigating the aftermath of a traumatic event, or living with symptoms of Post‑Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). In your journey toward healing, you may have heard about therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) or EMDR, but what about hypnotherapy for PTSD?

What is PTSD and why does it persist?

PTSD arises after exposure to a traumatic event (actual or threatened death, serious injury, sexual violence, etc.). Symptoms often include intrusive memories, nightmares, avoidance of reminders, negative mood and cognitions, and heightened arousal. Even long after the event, the brain and nervous system can remain “wired” into a state of threat, making everyday life feel unsafe and draining.

Traditional talk therapies address many of these features; however, the sub-conscious mind and the body’s nervous system responses often hold onto the trauma in ways that conscious talk cannot fully access. This is where hypnotherapy and trauma-informed approaches become powerful: they can facilitate access to the deeper layers of memory, belief, habit and body-response, and thereby support integration of the trauma from a different vantage point.

Healing PTSD with Hypnotherapy and the DeTrauma Technique (DTT)™.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can deeply affect how a person feels, thinks and experiences the world. While trauma may leave lasting imprints on the nervous system, modern approaches like Hypnotherapy and the DeTrauma Technique (DTT)™ have been found to offer profound and lasting relief.

Understanding Trauma and the Brain

Trauma doesn’t just live in our memories, it imprints itself in the body and the brain. Studies have shown that trauma can alter neural activity, stress responses and even emotional regulation systems.

Bremner et al. (2010) found functional brain imaging alterations in patients treated for trauma-related conditions, revealing how deeply mind-body interactions affect recovery.

These findings help us recognise the importance of addressing both the conscious and subconscious levels of the mind when treating trauma, something Hypnotherapy and the DeTrauma Technique (DTT)™ are uniquely equipped to do.

Why this approach works | bridging brain, body and mind

As mentioned earlier, Trauma is not just “in the mind”, it lives in the body, nervous system and neural networks. When someone experiences a traumatic event, the brain’s threat-response systems (amygdala, hippocampus, prefrontal cortex) can become “locked” in a loop of intrusion, avoidance, hyper-arousal and dysregulation. Hypnosis offers a unique doorway into that system:

• In trance, the brain’s sub-conscious becomes more accessible, enabling therapeutic suggestions, imagery and resources to reach deeper layers of experience.

• Trauma-informed hypnosis supports nervous-system regulation (moving from freeze/flight/fight towards rest, regulation and integration).

• A meta-analyses show that hypnotherapy produces large effect sizes for PTSD symptom reduction, and that the effects tend to be stable over time.

• When combined with CBT, resource-building and trauma-informed frameworks, hypnotherapy becomes even more powerful as the Bryant et al. study shows, the combination reduced re-experiencing and avoidance more than standard care.

By integrating body, brain and mind through the DeTrauma Technique you benefit from a holistic pathway that honours the depth of trauma, creates safety and fosters transformation.

Hypnotherapy for PTSD | What Research Shows

A growing body of evidence supports the effectiveness of hypnotherapy for PTSD and trauma recovery. A Meta-analysis by Rotaru & Rusu (2015) found that hypnosis significantly alleviates PTSD symptoms. The review, which analysed 47 studies, revealed strong and lasting effects, including stability at 4-week and even 12-month follow-ups. The authors concluded that hypnosis appears to be effective in alleviating PTSD symptoms, supporting its integration into trauma-focused therapeutic care.

Another important study by Bryant et al. (2005, 2006) explored how combining Hypnotherapy with Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) produced better outcomes for patients with acute stress disorder. Over a 3-year follow-up, those who received CBT and Hypnosis reported significantly less re-experiencing and avoidance symptoms compared to those receiving supportive counselling.

Patients who received CBT and CBT/hypnosis reported less re-experiencing and less avoidance symptoms than patients who received SC. These findings point to the long-term benefits of early provision of CBT in the initial month after trauma.

These findings support the integration of Hypnotherapy as a complementary treatment for trauma, helping clients not only process memories but also rebuild a sense of safety and empowerment.

How the DeTrauma Technique (DTT)™ Enhances Healing

The DeTrauma Technique (DTT)™ offers a structured and compassionate way to process traumatic imprints without re-traumatisation. It focuses on calming the nervous system and helping the subconscious reorganise distressing experiences into resolution.

By combining this with Hypnotherapy, clients can safely access and release the emotional charge associated with trauma while reinforcing new patterns of calm and resilience.

At QHHT Perth Hypnosis with Elena, I have found that integrating the DeTrauma Technique (DTT)™within hypnotherapy sessions allows clients to feel grounded, supported and empowered throughout their healing journey.

This integrative process helps to:

• Reduce emotional reactivity and flashbacks

• Improve sleep and relaxation

• Rebuild inner safety and confidence

• Restore balance between mind, body, and spirit

The combination of Hypnotherapy and the DeTrauma Technique (DTT)™ provides a deeply transformative pathway for those seeking relief from trauma and PTSD.

By working directly with the subconscious mind and calming the nervous system, clients can gradually release the past, restore emotional balance, and move forward with renewed strength and peace.

Who can benefit and when to consider hypnotherapy for PTSD?

Hypnotherapy with the DeTrauma Technique may be particularly helpful for you if:

• You experience intrusive memories, nightmares, flashbacks, avoidance or hyper-arousal linked to trauma.

• You find talk therapy alone is not accessing the deeper layers of your trauma, or you feel “stuck” in a trauma loop.

• You are able to establish safety, trust and willingness to engage in hypnotic and imagery-based work.

• You are working with a trained, trauma-informed hypnotherapist (not all hypnosis is suitable for trauma).

• You understand that healing often involves regulating the nervous system, not just changing your thinking.

If you are ready to begin your journey of healing from trauma, contact QHHT Perth Hypnosis with Elena to explore how Hypnotherapy and the DeTrauma Technique (DTT)™ can support your recovery.

qhhtelena.com.au

Hypnotherapist & Counsellor

Perth, WA 6050

References

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.

Bremner, J. D., et al. (2010). Functional brain imaging alterations in patients with trauma-related conditions. Biological Psychiatry, 68(11), 1023–1031. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2010.07.018

Bryant, R. A., Moulds, M. L., Nixon, R. D. V., Mastrodomenico, J., Felmingham, K., & Hopwood, S. (2005). The additive benefit of hypnosis and cognitive-behavioral therapy in the treatment of acute stress disorder. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 73(2), 334–340. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-006X.73.2.334

Bryant, R. A., Moulds, M. L., Nixon, R. D. V., Mastrodomenico, J., Felmingham, K., & Hopwood, S. (2006). Hypnotherapy and cognitive behaviour therapy of acute stress disorder: A 3-year follow-up. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 44(9), 1331–1335. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2005.04.007

Courtois, C. A., & Ford, J. D. (2013). Treatment of complex trauma: A sequenced, relationship-based approach. New York: Guilford Press.

Figley, C. R. (Ed.). (1995). Compassion fatigue: Coping with secondary traumatic stress disorder in those who treat the traumatized. New York: Brunner/Mazel.

Herman, J. L. (1992). Trauma and recovery: The aftermath of violence—from domestic abuse to political terror. New York: Basic Books.

Kirmayer, L. J., Gone, J. P., & Moses, J. (2014). Rethinking historical trauma. Transcultural Psychiatry, 51(3), 299–319. https://doi.org/10.1177/1363461514536358

Levine, P. A. (1997). Waking the tiger: Healing trauma. Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic Books.

Porges, S. W. (2011). The polyvagal theory: Neurophysiological foundations of emotions, attachment, communication, and self-regulation. New York: W. W. Norton & Company.

Rosendahl, J., Alldredge, C. T., & Haddenhorst, A. (2023). Meta-analytic evidence on the efficacy of hypnosis for mental and somatic health issues: A 20-year perspective. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1330238. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1330238

Rotaru, T.-Ș., & Rusu, A. (2015). A meta-analysis for the efficacy of hypnotherapy in alleviating PTSD symptoms. International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, 63(2), 116–136. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207144.2015.1099406

van der Kolk, B. A. (2014). The body keeps the score: Brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma. New York: Viking.

Yehuda, R., & McFarlane, A. C. (1995). Conflict between current knowledge about posttraumatic stress disorder and its original conceptual basis. American Journal of Psychiatry, 152(12), 1705–1713. https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.152.12.1705