Hypnotherapy for Negative Self-Talk

Negative self-talk is not changed by drowning it out with affirmations. An approach from cognitive therapy is to notice the pattern, check whether the harsh judgment is actually true, and practice a more accurate alternative. Hypnosis can help with the third step, rehearsing the new response until it comes more easily, as long as the first two steps come first.

What is negative self-talk?

The Wikipedia article on intrapersonal communication describes negative self-talk as inner speech that focuses on bad aspects of the self, sometimes in an excessively critical way, and notes its links with stress, anxiety and depression. It describes three commonly recommended steps for countering it: become aware of the negative patterns, challenge the truth of overly critical judgments, and foster more positive patterns of thought.

What patterns should you look for?

Cognitive therapists call them cognitive distortions. The Wikipedia article on cognitive distortions traces the idea to Aaron Beck’s cognitive model and the psychologist Albert Ellis’s rational emotive behavior therapy, with Beck’s student David Burns later describing common distortions for a general audience. Three of them:

• All-or-nothing thinking: either a total success or a complete failure. Burns suggested thinking in shades of gray instead.
• “Should” and “must” statements: such as a concert pianist thinking they should not have made so many mistakes. Burns noted these tend to produce guilt and upset with yourself.
• Catastrophizing: giving the worst outcome far more weight than it deserves, or treating something uncomfortable as unbearable.

How do therapists change it?

Through cognitive restructuring. In this approach, therapist and client look at a specific stressful situation, identify the automatic thought, and build a more realistic one. The article gives the example of a student who believes his “worthlessness” causes rejection, and who works toward a thought that separates what he can control from what he cannot.

The article also describes ways to test a distorted conclusion: examining the evidence for and against it, testing it in a real situation, and asking whether it would really matter as much as it feels, even if it were true.

Can hypnosis change the inner critic’s script?

Not by trying to silence the critic; trying to push a thought away tends to make it come back more often. It fits better after you have written down a typical harsh thought and a more accurate replacement. A session can then:

• Rehearse the trigger: picturing the situation where the critic usually starts, such as a mistake at work or a look in the mirror.
• Practice noticing: catching the first harsh sentence.
• Rehearse the replacement: hearing the more accurate thought in your own words, calmly and repeatedly.

This is a way of practicing cognitive restructuring, not an alternative to it, and it has not been tested as a stand-alone treatment for self-talk.

When is it more than a habit of thought?

If self-criticism is constant, comes with low mood, hopelessness or loss of interest, or includes thoughts of harming yourself, it may be part of depression. See a doctor or licensed therapist; the NHS guidance on depression lists talking therapies such as CBT among its treatments. In the United States, call or text 988 if you are in crisis. Outside the United States, contact your local emergency number or crisis line.

A plan for two weeks

1. Write down three harsh thoughts each day, with the situation.
2. Label the distortion: all-or-nothing, “should,” catastrophizing or another.
3. Write a more accurate version after checking the evidence.
4. Rehearse the accurate version in a short self-hypnosis routine each evening.
5. Notice the change: how often the harsh thought appears and how much you believe it, rated from 0 to 10.

This article is general information, not medical or psychological advice; talk with a licensed clinician about your own situation.