What is Hypnotherapy?
Hypnotherapy is a form of complementary therapy that utilises the power of positive suggestion to bring about subconscious change to our thoughts, feelings and behaviour.
The process itself aims to alter our state of consciousness in a way that relaxes the conscious part of the mind while simultaneously stimulating and focussing the subconscious part. This heightened state of awareness – reached using skilled relaxation techniques – allows me, as your therapist, to then make appropriate suggestions.
What can hypnosis be used to treat?
Hypnosis can be used to help treat a wide range of issues such as:
- Fears and phobias
- Physical conditions such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome, skin conditions and migraines
- Anxiety and stress even help to improve depression
- Panic attacks
- Tinnitus
- Fertility
- Insomnia
- Lack of confidence
It can also be used as a tool to:
- Manage pain
- Improve performance at work or in sport
- Improve birth outcomes
When Hypnotherapy is used in conjunction with CBT or NLP or both we take the techniques that work best for you and concentrate on them. Almost like instead of buying a suit off the peg you have one tailor made – finding the right combination of therapies is like having a suit tailor made for the mind.
Hypnotherapy is a form of complementary therapy that utilises the power of positive suggestion to bring about subconscious change to our thoughts, feelings and behaviour.
Frequently Asked Questions
Opinions vary on the exact definition of this natural state of mind contrary to what many people believe, hypnosis is not always a trance state or a sleep state even though a person in hypnosis may appear to be sleeping.
Hypnosis is really a natural state of mind and is an important part of everyday life. Whenever our mind wanders, daydreams or is focused on something, such as reading a book, driving a familiar route or watching a film we are in a state of hypnosis.
Brain scans on people who are in hypnosis state show that brain wave activity moves from a Beta state to an Alpha state, and sometimes a Theta state. This is not dissimilar to the pattern of brain activity during meditation.
Do we give up control of our mind to someone else when we are reading a book or watching a film? In situations like this you are in a hypnotic trance, although you still have the power to emerge from that state if wished. Whatever or whomever hypnotises you; you always have the power to resist.
When you realise that you are the one in control, when you decide how deeply into hypnosis you wish to go, then you become aware of what hypnosis is. A hypnotherapist is a guide and helps you on a journey, but the change can only be made by you.
Often the realisation that you are in control, and that you can make change yourself is very empowering. You will find that the more often you are going into hypnosis, aware that you are doing it, the more you realise how easy it is to let go, secure in the knowledge that you can always stop a session when you want to.
Hypnosis is a natural state of mind; people are often surprised that they hear every word and could get up and walk out of the room at any moment. Unless you enter a deeper state, you may not seem any different, just very relaxed.
It’s similar to drifting off to sleep at night, that stage when you are not quite awake and not quite asleep, you may feel a sense of weightlessness or you may feel heaviness as all your muscles relax.
Everyone experiences it differently, as a therapist I will be able to reassure you and help you relax and enjoy the experience.
As your hypnotherapist I will take a detailed history and with some conditions I may request permission from you to write to your doctor, to let them know you are having hypnotherapy.
I will then discuss your goal and what you would like to see or feel at the end of your sessions. Using a range of different techniques I will relax you, make you feel comfortable and work with you towards achieving your goal.
After a session you may feel uplifted, lighter and very relaxed. Often change is very subtle, as I will be working with your subconscious mind, and you may just notice a very positive shift in how you are feelings