Hypnotherapy explained
Hypnotherapy never fails to amaze me. I know and understand how it works and I have experienced it myself, but the great impact it can have on people, in sometimes a relatively quick amount of time is something that still impresses me.
It’s normal and understandable to have questions about hypnotherapy and the process you, as a client, would undergo. I get asked these questions a lot, so hopefully you will find this useful. If, however, you have more questions then please feel free to get in contact.
What is hypnosis?
In our mind we have two parts, our conscious mind and our subconscious mind. Our conscious mind is our learning mind and our present mind. Our subconscious mind is essentially our storage facility, so it holds all the information we have ever taken in, including all our past experiences. Hypnosis is merely a deep state of relaxation which allows your subconscious to be accessed, rather than the conscious.
So, if that’s hypnosis, what actually is hypnotherapy?
Hypnotherapy is when a qualified therapist creates that deep state of relaxation and works with the subconscious to change whatever it is the client wants to change.
Can hypnotherapy work on everyone?
No therapist can ever say that it does, or ever say that a cure can be guaranteed. Like with any other therapy, there will be people who benefit more from hypnotherapy and others who don’t. There’s no hard and fast rule. However, hypnotherapy holds the potential to be beneficial for a wide variety of people, with a wide variety of situations they want to change.
How effective is hypnotherapy?
For the right person, at the right time, with the right therapist, hypnotherapy can be hugely and highly beneficial. It really does depend on so many things that really, this is the kind of question that would need to be discussed on an individual basis.
When can I expect to see results?
This depends very much on what issue or perception you want to change, adjust or resolve. For some, they may start to see changes relatively quickly, after a session or two, but some, with more complex and complicated issues, may take some time. It really depends on the journey we embark on together and what it is you need.
Who can have hypnotherapy?
Most people can have hypnotherapy, however, there are some situations or conditions that would mean that either it’s not advisable for someone to have hypnotherapy, or that someone might need to get their doctors permission prior to starting a course of treatment. Anyone from the age of about seven, upwards, can have hypnotherapy. I currently work only on adults.
What can hypnotherapy help with?
Lots of problems can be helped or improved with hypnotherapy. Some of the areas I can work with people on are:
- Anxiety
- Childbirth
- Emotional Issues
- Fears
- Habits
- Infertility
- Pain Management
- Panic Attacks
- Physical Health Issues
- Phobias
- Quit smoking
- Relationship Issues
- Self confidence
- Self esteem
- Stress
- Weightloss
- Achieving a specific event (such as a speech at a wedding, or a job interview)
As you can see, hypnotherapy can potentially help with many different issues and many different types of issues, and this list is not exhaustive.
Can I get stuck in hypnosis?
No. You can choose to open your eyes at any time. Some people do find they become so relaxed that they go to sleep, but you’ll always wake up when you’re ready too.
Am I still in control?
Absolutely. Like previously mentioned, you make the choice to enter into hypnosis, and equally, if you choose to stop for whatever reason, you are completely able to do so.
What does it feel like to be in hypnosis?
That varies person to person, as each person’s experience is different and unique. For me, when I was having basic hypnotherapy, I found that I felt relaxed and distanced from the everyday world, but that it felt quite peaceful to be that way. I also felt more in touch with myself and my thoughts and feelings. Other people experience things slightly differently, but given hypnosis can only be achieved by using relaxation, there are some definite similarities.
Is it safe for someone with mental health issues?
This entirely depends upon the mental health issue that someone has. Sometimes hypnotherapy can be beneficial, but other times it’s not advisable to try. If you want to know more, then do feel free to drop me an e-mail or get in contact to discuss this further. In most cases, when someone with mental health problems does want hypnotherapy, if I feel it would be ethical to work with that person, then I will advise they get the ‘ok’ from their GP or mental health practitioner first.
Will you make me dance like a chicken?
I don’t know why, but I get asked this more than anything else, especially by friends. The answer is no, I won’t. I’m a hypnotherapist in order to help people to feel better, not anything else. However, I think this question is linked to something deeper, which is the worry that I will somehow make you do or feel something you don’t want to. Your subconscious will only take on board information that sits comfortably with you and that fits with you as a person; it will essentially reject anything else.
Some people want to bring someone along with them to ensure that I don’t do anything like this. You are more than welcome to bring someone, however, it shows a lack of trust and I personally would rather work with you to earn that trust and find a way for you to feel safe. I don’t believe that any kind of therapy can be as beneficial as it could be if there are trust issues between the therapist and the client.
If you have any questions that are not answered, or you wish to enquire about having hypnotherapy, then please feel free to drop me an e-mail or give me a call.