Question:

Why is it difficult for some people to address deep-seated traumas in therapy?

Answer:

Mainly because the subconscious mind doesn’t think or listen to logic. It just reacts to stimuli.

One of the guys who trained me used to use a horse-riding metaphor. His wife was riding a horse one day and got spooked by a plastic bag rustling in a bush and bolded. He was on foot and had to run after them. Once he caught up with them and found out what happened. He knew there was no point telling his wife (the conscious mind) off for something the horse (the subconscious) did reflexively. The rider knows there is no attack, but the horse is too busy reacting to worry about what the rider thinks. This is normally a good thing. For example, when driving, if the car in front suddenly stops, you want to react by stomping on your own breaks rather than have a lengthy internal dialogue thinking about what the red lights on the back of the car you are following mean, and what you should and shouldn’t do about that. This is true of therapy, your conscious mind knows it’s not under attack, but the subconscious reacts to protect itself regardless. This is why hypnotherapy is so much more effective than other talking therapies, it’s going directly to the subconscious without bothering to go through the conscious. Hypnotherapy bypasses the analytical conscious mind and engages directly with the subconscious, which is where trauma-related beliefs and reactions are stored. By accessing this deeper level, hypnotherapy can create lasting shifts because it reassures the subconscious in a language it understands, through emotions, imagery, and sensory experiences.

Ultimately, the reason these things stick around is a misguided attempt at self-preservation.

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