Once we move away from the image of stage hypnotism, it becomes possible to consider the idea of using a therapy that draws on our own immense ability to effect physical changes by thinking differently about our own bodies. Medicine is underpinned by scientific fact. And no one wants a doctor who doesn't understand the foundations of the human body and disease processes. But making someone feel better often involves the patient understanding the principles behind their illness and changing their beliefs about it.
Everyone is different: some patients like medication, some don't. Some want an integrated approach and some think any kind of "therapy" is the devil's mate. Hypnotherapy is just one example of a number of different therapeutic options, some of which are available on the NHS, that address the patient's own ability to bring about physical changes to improve their wellbeing.
Some therapies, such as cognitive behavioural therapy, have been incorporated into mainstream medical practice in recent years and acquired quasi-conventional medical status, with funding underpinning their availability. But others, such as hypnotherapy, haven't yet pushed through into mainstream medicine.
Hypnotherapy has, however, already been widely accepted as having a valuable place in the training of medical students and there's no doubt that it works. It's often particularly successful where conventional medical management is ineffective, for example in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). As a GP, it's useful to be able to be aware of a range of options to enable a patient to make an informed choice, but we rely on the NHS to commission less conventional therapies such as hypnotherapy in order to be able to offer them to our patients.