Hypnotherapy: The Path to Total Healing for Indonesia's Traumatised Generation

After reading various self-help books such as “Set Boundaries”, “Find Peace”, “You Are the One You’ve Been Waiting For”, and “Attached”, as well as undergoing talk therapy and play creative art therapy, I felt ready to stop running from the trauma I had experienced. I was prepared to confront my painful past, validate the feelings from that time, move forward, and truly heal old wounds.

However, it did not feel sufficient. I wanted to delve deeper into the subconscious. On a friend’s recommendation, I met Shareen Jethnani, a certified hypnotherapist practising in Jakarta.

Shareen began her career in Human Resource Development after studying at UNSW Sydney. Her journey then transformed her into a certified professional coach (EMCC) and certified hypnotherapist (CPHt), accredited by the Indonesian Board of Hypnotherapy (IBH).

She has worked intensively in this field for the past three years. Her approach is firmly rooted in real-life experiences, emotional work, and a deep understanding of human behaviour. Her specialisation focuses on emotional healing: trauma, anxiety, overthinking, relationship patterns, self-esteem, and inner child work. Shareen also helps many high-functioning individuals who appear “fine” on the outside but feel trapped or unfulfilled internally.

Hypnotherapy is a therapy that accesses the subconscious through deep relaxation and high focus. It is not sleep, nor is it the entertaining stage hypnosis. During sessions, clients remain fully aware, merely in a state of extreme relaxation and focus.

Clients do not lose control and will not be commanded to do anything against their personal values or beliefs. True transformation comes from the client’s willingness to face, feel, and release long-held burdens.

Hypnotherapy works by bypassing access to the analytical mind, directly touching the subconscious where emotions, patterns, and beliefs are stored. It is there that real and lasting change occurs.

This therapy is most effective for issues rooted in subconscious patterns or “blueprints”: anxiety, fears, trauma responses, limiting beliefs, bad habits, and emotional triggers. For severe clinical conditions like schizophrenia or severe bipolar disorder, hypnotherapy is not used as a standalone treatment but can serve as a supportive tool when combined with appropriate medical/psychiatric care.

Generally, all ages can undergo hypnotherapy. For surface-level issues, some clients notice changes after 1-2 sessions. For deeper patterns like childhood trauma, an average of 3-6 sessions is needed for stable and lasting change.

The goal is not mere temporary relief but to rewire responses to life. It takes about 40 days to build new habits and 120 days to shift core beliefs. Clients with deep issues are usually recommended sessions every 10 days to maintain consistency through the initial 40-day transformation phase.

One of the biggest stigmas surrounding hypnotherapy is the misconception that clients “lose control” or are unconscious. This is untrue. Clients are fully aware and never forced. Transformation arises from the client’s own willingness.

Over nine sessions with Shareen, I rediscovered many past memories. Flashbacks were very clear and accurately captured the key events that shaped my current coping mechanisms.

Erasing those memories took time and was not easy. As Carl Jung said: “Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.” Over those seven months, I gradually made the subconscious conscious, forgave the past, accepted it as it was, and sought meaning behind why various things happened.

After seven months, my behaviour began to shift. I started to identify triggers more quickly, regulate emotions, and set healthy boundaries. Besides being a hypnotherapist, Shareen also became my coach. She helped me discover my life purpose.

This experience was truly transformative for me. I only hope that others struggling in Indonesia can gain similar access. Currently, the number of certified hypnotherapy practitioners in Indonesia remains limited.

Data shows fewer than 500 professional hypnotherapists spread across Java, Sumatra, and Bali. Many other regions still have very limited access. There is no specific government subsidy programme for this therapy. Low public awareness and stigma remain major barriers.

For this reason, the government needs to take concrete steps. Subsidise hypnotherapy certification for practising psychologists and counsellors. Help subsidise session costs for sufferers of anxiety disorders, trauma, PTSD, mild to moderate depression, and other emotional issues that require serious help. This is a long-term investment: adult healing means increased productivity and reduced mental health burdens.

Mental health is not a luxury. It is a basic right for Indonesia’s generation striving to heal. By opening access to affordable hypnotherapy, Indonesia can rebuild the foundation for the 2045 golden generation. Mentally healthy people = a strong nation. Hypnotherapy is not magic. It is the science of healing. It is time for Indonesia to stop hesitating and start acting.