YOU (South Africa)

CAN HYPNOTHERA­PY PROVE I WAS ABUSED AS A CHILD?

- Research has shown that hypnosis in some patients can also evoke false memories. This is referred to false memory syndrome, where a person starts believing that all the thoughts and images uncovered during hypnosis are true. So unfortunat­ely hypnosis ca

Q I have vague memories of being sexually abused during my early childhood from the age of about four to six years old.

I can’t remember exactly who it was but I have a feeling it was my stepfather.

Now that I have a young daughter it’s important for me to make sure who it was, as my mother and stepfather are still together and when I think about leaving my little girl in their care I’m just not sure if I can do it.

If I find a psychologi­st trained in hypnothera­py, would they be able to help me remember what really happened?

Can I be taken back to the age when it happened and find out who it was? Greta, email

A Hypnoanaly­sis – using hypnosis in psychoanal­ysis and psychother­apy – isn’t a truth serum.

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