Hypnotherapy and Erectile Dysfunction Info

By: Dr. Greg Harms

Thinking about hypnosis in Chicago for erectile dysfunction? Are you a man struggling with performance anxiety? Hoping to make positive changes in your love life?

If the answer is yes, you wouldn’t be alone. A lot of guys turn to natural approaches when trying to work through issues that can interfere with intimacy.

My name is Dr. Greg Harms. I’m a licensed clinical psychologist, certified hypnotherapist and board-certified drug and alcohol counselor (See bio here).

My hope in writing this piece is to share insight about erectile dysfunction and hypnosis for men around the windy city.

Let’s take a closer look at an issue that is not often talked about and widely misunderstood.

The central question you may have is – can hypnosis help with my erectile issues while reducing performance anxiety?

The straightforward answer to that question is no – not as a standalone approach.

The operative word is standalone.

That said, when counseling is combined with mindfulness-based approaches like hypnotherapy, there is research that shows it may help.

This page is designed to help you understand how hypnosis, when used as an adjunct to counseling, can be beneficial for sexual challenges, including ED.

But before we get there …

Get a Medical Exam First

To begin with, you need to know that erectile dysfunction (ED) can be a sign of a serious medical problem. It is, for this reason, you must consult with your physician to rule out potential causes.

There are far too many causes to list on this one page. To make things simpler, here is a link to the Mayo Clinic’s ED education page; a well-respected Medical Center that has published insightful information on this topic.

And so, the bottom line is this. If you are struggling to get or maintain an erection, you need to talk to your doctor first. Don’t hold anything back. Just be upfront about the issues you are experiencing.

If you don’t have a physician, visit your insurance provider’s website and conduct a search. You can also look at the Web MD Physician Directory.

Lifestyle, Psychological and Emotional Causes

Assuming there are no medical causes for your challenges around performance anxiety, it’s possible your ED problems may be connected to lifestyle issues, psychological challenges or emotional difficulties (or a mix of all three).

Examples include:

Not feeling confident about pleasing a mate
Worries about being able to maintain an erection
Not feeling assertive enough
The use of substances that may impact sexual performance
Depression or anxiety (or both)
Existing relationship problems
A previous bad experience that is tainting new ones
Not having much of a sex drive
Self-confidence and self-esteem challenges

For all of these issues, it is best to work with a qualified, licensed mental health professional. Doing so allows you to develop healthy strategies for working through.

I’ll have more to say on that in a big. But for now, let’s talk about hypnosis and ED.

Hypnotherapy and ED

Let’s dispel something right now. Hypnosis is not what you may have seen on television or in movies.

If you think someone is going to swing a watch and put you to sleep, think again. Instead, hypnotherapy is really nothing more than a mindful activity where you are taught helpful relaxation skills.

Examples include:

Helping you to create calming mental imagery
Teaching you relaxation techniques (self-hypnosis)
Skill-based learning approaches to help calm your mind
Helping you learn the basics of mindfulness-based stress reduction, also known as MBSR.
Reinforcing commitments that you have made to yourself for healthy lifestyle changes.

CBT for Anxiety

When mindfulness-based approaches, like hypnosis, are combined with traditional counseling techniques, like cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), you give yourself the best chance at long-term success.

Anxiety counseling that includes a CBT component may help you by:

Identifying automatic negative thoughts
Recognizing thought distortions
Uncovering fears that lead to self-fulfilling prophecies
Creating healthier thinking patterns
Increasing confidence by learning healthy affirmations
Unpairing the past so that you can live in the present

Sexual Performance, Counseling and Hypnosis

We know from lots of clinical research that CBT based counseling has been helpful to men who struggle with sexual anxiety issues, including performance issues.

We also know that when CBT concepts are reinforced with mindfulness-based approaches (like self-hypnosis), many people respond well.

At its core, all relaxation hypnosis is really self-hypnosis. It’s not something someone does to you but instead, a skill you learn from a trained professional.

What to look for in a Hypnotherapist:

If you are seeking hypnotherapy for performance anxiety and intimacy issues, it’s important that you work with the right type of person.

Here’s what to look for:

Licensed Psychologist
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC)
Licensed Medical Doctor or Psychiatrist

It helps if the person has training around health psychology, human sexuality, and stress management.

Some clinicians use various approaches to help men learn coping strategies that are designed to reduce anxiety and stress. Examples include the use of biofeedback or teaching you the basics of autogenic training and meditation.

In my case, I use biofeedback because it provides a something a way to assess stress and anxiety changes.

Where to Find a Therapist

Finding a qualified therapist in Chicago to help you with your sexual anxiety issues is possible. We’ve listed the top 5 hypnotherapists in Chicago for your consideration.

We’ve also listed several professional websites below to visit as you conduct your search.

Psychology Today (type in zip code)
AASECT (input your location details)
National Board for Clinical Hypnotherapists

Bringing It All Together

Performance anxiety, erectile dysfunction and confidence issues are common for many men, particularly as they age. See this page from the University of Wisconsin Urology Department.

If you are having problems with sexual functioning, make an appointment with your physician and share what’s going on. If there are no medical issues occurring, it may make sense to work with a therapist.

Lifestyle changes, stress reduction, and mindfulness-based approaches like hypnotherapy may create the lasting changes you are looking for.

I hope the material I’ve shared here was helpful to you. To learn more about how counseling may create positive changes in your life, call us at 773.528.1777