Hypnotherapy
What is Hypnotherapy?
Hypnotherapy is the use of hypnosis for therapeutic purposes. Unlike other therapies hypnotherapy works at the unconscious level allowing you to achieve the changes you want and to allow you to move forward with your life. Hypnotherapy will allow you to access resources within yourself to achieve your required outcome. Hypnotherapy can generally help with any problem you are finding hard to handle on your own - thoughts and actions you would like to banish or acquire, or emotional suffering that is too overwhelming or has gone on for too long. Some physical problems can also be treated effectively by hypnotherapy.
Hypnosis is similar to daydreaming; it is an altered state of awareness where you will have a focused attention. Everyone enters hypnotic trances regularly every day, when the conscious mind closes down and the unconscious processes recent events. Daydreaming is a good example of this trance state. Whilst in a trance you can hear everything around you and you can bring yourself out of the trance at any time.
In normal everyday life the left side of the brain is primarily in control (the conscious analytical side) but when we are induced into a trance state, the right side (the creative side) is allowed to become the dominant side. This allows the unconscious to absorb suggestions or new concepts directly.
The unconscious mind controls all the major body functions e.g. breathing, heart and body movement. All our learning is through the unconscious mind and every thing we have learned is within our unconscious. The unconscious uses abstract non-sequential thinking such as dreaming, feelings and memories etc.
The conscious mind uses sequential thinking by means of logic, words and numbers etc. The conscious mind can only process seven plus or minus two pieces of information per second; whereas, the unconscious mind can process millions of pieces of information per second.
Have you ever arrived at a destination and thought "How did I get here?"
That is an instance where the unconscious mind is doing the act of driving while the conscious mind is elsewhere.
What happens in a session?
Hypnotherapy is a very effective way of helping people remove ‘blocks’ which have been holding them back from achieving their goals. Your subconscious mind stores everything you experience and the hypnotherapist can guide the patient into a level of relaxation enabling them to release and clear old negative patterns. You can, therefore, work through issues seeing them from a better perspective, reframing old negative situations into positive experiences.
During hypnosis you will be in control at all times and can come out of the altered state at any time in the same way one can snap out of a vivid daydream; in fact the hypnotic state can feel as if you are dreaming and is a natural form of consciousness which many people experience on a daily basis. Because your mind is more open to change, you and I can work together to achieve lasting results. During a hypnotherapy session we will discuss the problem in order to decide upon the most appropriate mode of treatment. I will then relax you into a hypnotic state making suggestions relating to the issue in hand.
When in hypnosis you will find your mind is active, you will hear every sound in the room and you will be able to resist suggestions if you so desire.
At the end of the session you will remember everything that has happened when you open your eyes, feeling calm, relaxed and re-energized.
Hypnotherapy is a powerful tool often practised in the following areas: sports performance, weight loss, relationship issues, panic attacks/phobias, problems with confidence, smoking cessation, alcohol addiction and dentistry amongst many others.
The hypnotherapist acts as a guide to help you make the changes you have decided to make. Your conscious mind will be guided to a state of deep relaxation – similar to daydreaming. To induce this state of relaxation the hypnotherapist may use various techniques such as deep breathing, muscle relaxation, or imagery.
From there the hypnotherapist can use numerous methods to teach your subconscious new ideas and patterning. Common methods include visualization, guided imagery and suggestions. At times you may listen and participate silently as the hypnotherapist guides you. Other times you may be a more “active” participant, answering questions and giving feedback to the hypnotherapist.
When the proper suggestions and imagery have been completed, you will be gently emerged. Most often people feel rested, relaxed and refreshed after a hypnosis session.