Hypnotherapy
What is hypnotherapy?
Hypnotherapy is a therapeutic technique which has been used in various forms for many years, since the ancient Egyptians and their sleep temples.
It involves accessing a state which is completely natural, which some people call the subconscious, trance or hypnosis.
It is similar to the “hypnopompic” and “hypnogogic” states (the state we are in just before we go to sleep and just after we wake up)
It is also similar to the “flow” state, where we’re deeply absorbed in an activity, whether it’s running, swimming, writing, painting, dancing, singing, reading or watching a film.
This state is quite relaxed and imaginative – you may notice that this happens naturally when you’re deeply absorbed in something relaxing or creative, or when you’re in a state somewhere between being awake and asleep.
Hypnotherapy can be particularly beneficial with issues rooted in anxiety, because it involves accessing a relaxed state and engages the parasympathetic nervous system, taking us out of fight-or-flight and into a more restorative, restful state.
Hypnotherapy can also be very helpful with deeply rooted habits, thoughts or behaviours. These may feel automatic, unconscious or very difficult to shift. Hypnotherapy can help create movement here because it can access deeper levels of our mind which are outside our conscious awareness.
Hypnotherapy is perfectly safe – I use hypnotherapy only with your consent and only for your therapeutic benefit. I might give you recordings to take home and use between sessions.
Find out more about my approach.
What it isn’t!
Hypnosis isn’t magical or supernatural. It is a natural state, which can be used therapeutically.
Our mind goes into this state naturally at times throughout the day. Have you ever been on the internet and suddenly hours have passed? This is a type of trance, although perhaps not one which tends to be therapeutic.
Hypnotherapy also isn’t a trick. Stage hypnotists are often a bit like magicians, they can use sleight of hand and tricks to make things appear magical, or to make it appear as though the person is under the hypnotist’s control when they are not. Hypnotherapy isn’t like this.
I can’t make you do anything you don’t want to do. I can’t control someone else or their mind, hypnotherapy is not mind-control.
If you’re relaxed or absorbed (perhaps halfway to falling asleep or engrossed in a book, film, work, sport or something artistic), if someone asked you to do something which went against your values, something which didn’t sit right with you, or that you just didn’t feel like doing, of course you would say “no thanks” or words to that effect. It’s exactly the same in hypnotherapy.
If it’s not something you’re on board with, your mind won’t accept it, whether you’re in trance or not.
I also won’t offer anyone hypnotherapy without talking to them about it and making sure they’re consenting to it.
Lastly, I won’t be swinging a pocket-watch or saying “you’re feeling very sleepy”, I promise!
I won’t have covered everything, so if you do have any questions or concerns please do get in touch with me.