An Autistic Perspective on Hypnosis & Therapy

How learning hypnosis transformed my life and the ways autistic people respond differently in therapy

About 1 in 100 to 1 in 36 people are autistic. This means every person in clinical practice will likely encounter diagnosed and undiagnosed autistic clients. Over 70% of autistic people experience mental health challenges, especially anxiety, depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder. When autistic clients do present in therapy sessions they usually have a marked difference in the way they perceive the world and respond to questions, interactions and presented techniques.

In this presentation, I share how learning hypnosis transformed my life from first encountering hypnosis and the wrong reasons I wanted to study the topic, through to discovering that since childhood I had already been using hypnotic techniques without realising it and on to the a-ha moment that was truly life-changing that offered me the tools to navigate the seemingly alien world I inhabited.

My presentation will not only delve into my personal story with hypnosis but also offer insights from my professional experience working with autistic individuals in therapeutic settings. From understanding their unique perspectives and how they can respond differently to techniques and interactions and common traits and how these can present as strengths and challenges.

Autistic hypnotherapy trainer Dan Jones began working in mental health in 1997 before transitioning to working with families and now mainly shares knowledge online. His interest in hypnosis started in 1993. He has been a hypnotherapist since 2001 and hypnotherapy trainer since 2004. Dan is author of 35 books, has 100k eCourse students and runs a number of YouTube channels, including a 100k subscriber therapeutic sleep stories channel and an educational channel for therapists.