Natural Hypnosis is distinguished from Clinical Hypnosis in that it uses the natural tendencies of the mind to enter altered states of awareness. It makes use of natural processes to induce and develop hypnotic learning. Natural Hypnosis is based on the work of the American Psychiatrist Milton Erickson. Erickson believed that the mind must make sense of all incoming data, and used personal stories and metaphor to bring about the re-evaluation of a clients predicament. Natural Hypnosis does not require the client to pass into an unconscious state, but refocuses the attention onto the inner processes and enlists the co-operation of internal parts of the personality to bring about behavioural integration. All outcomes of Clinical Hypnosis can be achieved with the natural approach without the so-called resistances put down to non-hypnotisable clients.
All of the therapeutic techniques used are result directed. Successful therapeutic change is measured behaviourally, in practice, in the environment that the person lives in. Thus, sometimes for full recovery interventions are necessary within the whole family dynamics.