Look into my eyes……
There has always been an element of scepticism around hypnosis / hypnotherapy. Some people think that when they receive hypnotherapy the therapist ‘takes control of their subconscious’. Some people still believe that a hypnotherapist can ‘insert a suggestion deep into a person’s subconscious and reactivate it days or even months later with a trigger word’. Some people are also afraid that ‘they will become stuck in a state of trance’ or that hypnotherapy is a type of ‘magic’. None of this is true. Most of these misconceptions come from the stage hypnotist…..
The person having hypnotherapy is not asleep; they are fully aware of their surroundings. They are in a relaxed state; similar to when they are watching an easy TV programme or when they drive to the same place each day and wonder when they arrive ‘how did I get here’.
In therapy, what hypnosis usually involves is a person experiencing a sense of deep relaxation with their attention narrowed down and focused on appropriate suggestions made by the therapist – the conscious control of the mind is inhibited and the subconscious mind awoken. Since the subconscious mind is deeper-seated, more intuitive than the conscious mind, this is the part which has to change for the person’s behaviour and physical state to change.
Take for example someone who has a fear of spiders. They will try everything consciously to overcome their fear. They will fail as long as the subconscious mind retains the fear. Progress can be made only by reprogramming the subconscious so that the deep-seated instincts and beliefs are removed or altered.
I would suggest that hypnosis is ultimately self-hypnosis. In a hypnotherapy session you are always in control and you are not ‘made’ to do anything. The therapist merely helps to facilitate the experience of hypnosis.
Hypnotherapy can help with many emotional, physical and psychological issued. It can be used to relieve pain – some people have hypnotherapy before birth or before a dentist appointment. It can help people overcome addiction. It can also help with anxiety, depression, panic attacks, OCD, IBS, psoriasis and eczema, insomnia. We can also support people who have fears or phobias or have life goals, such as stopping smoking and weight management. The list is endless.
One of the reasons I love to use hypnotherapy is that the treatment is not invasive; you don’t have to relive any painful experiences. Hypnotherapy is also a wonderful brief therapy; you don’t keep coming back for years.
If you’re interested in finding out more, just get in touch.