Understanding and Managing Trauma With Age Regression Therapy

Traumatic experiences can happen to any of us, and they affect each person differently. In particular, traumatic events in which severe physical harm or death was imminent or occurred can trigger feelings of stress and panic that last for weeks, months, or even years afterward.

When the aftershocks of the trauma continue to cause distress, pain, and anxiety for more than one month following the incident, the phenomenon is referred to as post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD.

Often, trauma we experience in our youth may be completely locked away in our minds, depending on its severity, and manifests later in life through mental health issues or physical health issues. One of the ways we can face these past traumas to start the process of moving forward is hypnotic age regression therapy.

What Is Regression Therapy in Psychology?

Age regression therapy, which includes childhood regression therapy, is an approach that aims to shift the way that you recall painful or traumatic memories. Under the guidance of a professional therapist, you’ll be guided into a state of hypnosis and taken back mentally to the age at which the trauma occurred so that you can change your perception of the events that transpired and experience healing.

The Aim of Age Regression Therapy

What is the purpose of regression in psychology? The goal of revisiting earlier ages and time periods in our lives is to help uncover the root thoughts and feelings that may be causing imbalance and/or negativity in the present.

Childhood regression therapy is specifically aimed at helping you use your adult understanding of experiences you struggled with as a child. The hope is to help you develop more healthy responses to anxiety or stress triggers that developed through these childhood incidents.

The way you face these past experiences and the level of emotional intensity you’ll feel during an age regression therapy session depends on the level of hypnosis used.

You may be wondering, “What does hypnotherapy do?” or “What happens during hypnotic age regression sessions?”

Here is an overview of the levels of therapy you can expect in a session:

• Light Level or “Revivification”

In this stage of regression therapy, you’ll be guided into a state of light hypnosis that is somewhat similar to relaxation or meditation. While in this relaxed state, you will be prompted to try recalling past events. Often, people remember details in this state better than they would have in a state of full consciousness. While in this state of recall, you’re still aware of your present moment and that you are in a session with your therapist.

• Medium Level or “Pseudo-Regression”

While in a very relaxed state of consciousness, your therapist will help navigate your awareness to a younger age, intending to safely revisit events from that time. Picture it like viewing a movie of your own past. The experience can be more intense at this level of regression therapy, and you may be asked to notice details like the tastes and smells that accompanied the event. However, as in the light level, you’re still conscious of your surroundings, you have full control, and you’ll have awareness of your surroundings.

• Deep Level or Complete “Age Regression”

What is complete regression in psychology? The deepest level of hypnotic age regression is much more physical and emotional than the other two levels.

In a complete age regression session with an experienced and qualified therapist, you’ll be guided into a safe space where you can completely detach from your present surroundings. In these sessions, you’ll experience the childhood event again as if it were actually happening, along with the accompanying movements and emotions.

This level of age regression therapy can be the most confrontational and takes time to achieve safely after many sessions with your therapist. In our holistic approach to therapeutic regression sessions, we hope to help you reframe the event and transform the way the memory is recalled, as well as how it may manifest itself.

Regardless of the level of regression therapy you are in, supplementary activities can help you progress on your mental wellness journey. For example, journaling will help you keep a record of what you’ve learned, your thoughts, and your progress. Your therapist may even assign you specific trauma therapy journal prompts to help you get into the habit of therapeutic journaling.

Importance of Working with Qualified Therapists in Age Regression Therapy

What is the risk of regression in psychology? The risks lie in inexperienced therapists who do not have the credentials and make false claims about their practice. This could lead to the therapist accidentally introducing false memories. The other risk of childhood regression therapy is that emotional harm may be caused if you are not ready to confront your childhood memories.

There is a reason the human mind locks away traumatic memories like this, and it takes time, patience, and compassion to safely release trauma. It’s essential to work with a professional, licensed mental health counselor and qualified hypnotherapy practitioner who can safely assess your unique needs.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

In cases of trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), age regression therapy is not the only way to help you manage symptoms. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can also be used to help increase personal resilience and gain a new perspective.

What is CBT, compared to regression in psychology? As a solution-focused approach, CBT aims to identify potentially negative thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and to modify them so that you can experience and react to life’s ups and downs in a more reflective and less reactive way.

In the case of PTSD, there are three main strategies used in CBT for helping mend past traumas:

• Exposure Therapy

In contrast to age regression therapy, this strategy involves being exposed to the past event in a safe and controlled way through writing, mental imagery, or visiting the place where the incident took place. The therapist can observe your beliefs and feelings in connection with the event and help you modify the ones causing them distress.

• Cognitive Restructuring

Cognitive restructuring helps you gain perspective about a past event and make sense of the experience, to see it in a new light. In contrast to age regression therapy, this technique is used while in a state of full awareness. This process helps work through guilt associated with past trauma, especially.

• Stress Inoculation Training

Through step-by-step exercises, your therapist will work with you to manage how you react to the stressor. This strategy can also help you view your experiences more positively and feel more empowered and in control.

You may find that combining CBT with regression therapy in a holistic approach can help more than simply doing one or the other.

Face the Past Safely at Miami Hypnosis and Therapy

It is essential to choose a qualified and experienced therapist to help you face past trauma and find relief from post-traumatic stress disorder with cognitive behavioral therapy or hypnotic age regression therapy.

Anna Marchenko—the primary practitioner at Miami Hypnosis and Therapy—is a board-licensed hypnotist and counselor. As a highly trained therapist, Anna has a number of research-based therapeutic tools that can help you make a breakthrough in a shorter period of time.

Take the first step by scheduling a consultation to learn more about regression therapy and how it can guide you to come to terms with your past in a safe, constructive way. It’s never too late to reach out for help. We’re here to help you get started on a brighter path.

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