Hypnosis is the state of trance and hypnotherapy is the therapy given while in a trance state. Trance is a very normal and natural state that we have all experienced everyday and a few moments of hypnotic trance can be worth an hour in an alert state. This means that hypnotherapy works faster and more effectively than other treatments.
How Hypnotherapy Works…
Hypnosis is a blend of physical relaxation and extreme mental alertness. Our normal awareness is like a wide beam torch, but when hypnotised, your awareness is similar to a laser beam, a very focused concentrated narrow beam. This is what enables hypnotherapy to work so well as there are no distractions while you work on the issue at hand.
What do hypnotherapists do
They enable you to enter the trance state while allowing you to have all the control. They provide suggestions to achieve your goals, reflect on your past, and to envision a new future, one that you choose. Hypnotherapy is not mind control and its not sleep. It is not being unconscious or in an altered state of consciousness.
You can only be hypnotised if you want to be. I am merely the facilitator and you control everything and if any inappropriate suggestion is made, you can simply ignore it or bring yourself out of trance. There is no risk to you. Hypnotherapy is a safe and gentle process. You can not get stuck in a trance any more than you can get stuck in a daydream. It will not alter your value, morals or beliefs.
Hypnotherapy uses power of the mind to create changes that are wanted. We use imagination, visualisation, metaphors, direct and indirect suggestions.
Hypnotherapy has evolved greatly from its earliest beginnings, as after all nothing stays still. Hypnotherapy is not about swinging pendulums and saying you will do this. Imagination and visualisation are of much greater benefit to you and bring profound changes. Everything in your room except for plants and animals are the product of someone’s imagination. It is said that without imagination we could not have got to the moon.
How Your Mind Works
Consists of three theoretical parts, that we call the conscious, the unconscious and the subconscious. They each perform different tasks and we can compare it to a computer.
- The unconscious is like the operating system that keeps our body functioning properly without any input from us, eg breathing blood circulating.
- The subconscious is like the hard drive, that stores all your memories and files from the day you were born. Its task is to protect you.
- The conscious mind is like the RAM, the everyday decision maker eg, what to wear, eat, drink etc. It is like a gate keeper analysing information, comparing, reasoning and explaining. In a hypnotic session we bypass the conscious mind to talk directly with the subconscious mind which is the area where all change happens.
After your hypnotherapy session
You may feel it hasn’t worked for you, yet you may have missed outside noises that should have distracted you. You are safe to drive and continue with your day as planned but feeling more relaxed than ever. You may notice change immediately, or it may take its time to process the new ideas. I recommend two sessions as a normal standard practice and if your issue is resolved in 1 session you can use it for any other issue for up to 3 months after your appointment.
Habits
Some habits you may just learn to live with, just accepting it as part of who you are, even though they might be sapping at your self confidence. Many people develop a habit of nail-biting or even serious addictions such as problem gambling, smoking or alcohol and drug. Others may develop a habit of eg being a worrier, or being anxious, or pessimistic; and put up with these for most of their lives.
Sleep disorders and sleep deprivation is a serious health issue that comes out of living with stress and insomnia can quickly become a habit. You may have developed a way of behaving with others without realising that it is destructive to you and them.
When is it time to get help? Consider:
- Is this a problem for you most of the time?
- Have you noticed an increase in that habit, are you doing it more?
- Does the habit stop you doing things?
- Does your habit make you feel good about yourself or bad?
- Is your habit causing you to miss out on things?
- Does your habit affect people around you?
I am a clinical hypnotherapist with many years experience and also a Registered Social Worker. I would love to help you create the life you want, the way it should be.