Hypnotherapy
Hypnosis or the trance state is a natural state of mind, sometimes mistakenly thought of as sleep, unconscious or losing control. However it is a totally natural phenomena which may happen naturally many times a day when such as when you are daydreaming or deeply absorbed in a book or film.
I prefer the term’ focused awareness’ or ‘concentrated absorption’ where the critical conscious mind is silenced, allowing access to the subconscious mind, in a simple process of deep relaxation of mind and body. When the conscious mind is relaxed in this way the subconscious part of the brain becomes open and receptive to positive suggestions to making desirable changes.
Hypnosis is always safe, very relaxing and enjoyable and will generally leave you with enhanced feelings of relaxation and well being for long after the session ends. The client is always in control during a session and the therapist role is that of a facilitator gently guiding the client into a deep state of relaxation sometimes called the trance state.
Below I have included some additional information about Hypnotherapy which is taken directly from the General Hypnotherapy Register’s Website
What is Hypnotherapy?
Psychological therapy and counselling (sometimes referred to as the ‘talking cure’) is the treatment of emotional and psychological disorders, unwanted habits and undesirable feelings, using psychological techniques alone. The aim of all such therapy is to assist people in finding meaningful alternatives to their present unsatisfactory ways of thinking, feeling or behaving. Therapy also tends to help clients become more accepting both of themselves and others and can be most useful in promoting personal development and unlocking inner potential.
There are many forms of psychological therapy but Hypnotherapy is distinctive in that it attempts to address the client’s subconscious mind. In practice, the Hypnotherapist often (but not exclusively) requires the client to be in a relaxed state, frequently enlists the power of the client’s own imagination and may utilise a wide range of techniques from storytelling, metaphor or symbolism (judged to be meaningful to the individual client) to the use of direct suggestions for beneficial change. Analytical techniques may also be employed in an attempt to uncover problems deemed to lie in a client’s past, or therapy may concentrate more on a client’s current life and presenting problems (referred to as It is generally considered helpful if the client is personally motivated to change (rather than relying solely on the therapist’s efforts) although a belief in the possibility of beneficial change may be a sufficient starting point.
Regardless of the techniques employed, perhaps the most important thing is that a client should expect to feel comfortable and at ease with their therapist. This is of particular importance in Hypnotherapy, in which the value of the treatment is greatly enhanced when there is confidence in the practitioner. For this reason it is recommended that a single session only is initially booked, leaving the client subsequently free to decide if they wish to proceed with more.
Unlike many other psychological therapies, Hypnotherapy is generally considered to be a fairly short-term approach in which beneficial change, if it is to occur, should become apparent within a relatively few sessions.
Who may benefit from Hypnotherapy?
Again, the answer to this question is ‘virtually everyone’. Given that hypnotherapy can be utilised to access a person’s inner potential and that probably no one is performing to their actual potential, then this answer is literally true. However, it is not just potential which Hypnotherapy is well placed to address but also one’s inner resources to effect beneficial change. In this regard, it is the innate healing capacity of our own body that may be stimulated by Hypnotherapy.
Consequently, the list of problems which may be amenable to Hypnotherapy is far too long and varied to catalogue but certainly includes: stress, anxiety, panic, phobias, unwanted habits and addictions (e.g. smoking, overeating, alcoholism), disrupted sleep patterns, lack of confidence and low self-esteem, fear of examinations and public speaking, allergies and skin disorders, migraine and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Additionally, it has proved of value within surgery, where normal anaesthetics have not been practical, in the wider sphere of pain management and in the areas of both sporting and artistic performance enhancement. As an adjunct to other counselling techniques, it can also assist in helping to resolve relationship difficulties and be useful within anger management strategies.