What is Hypnotherapy?
Hypnosis enables the client to achieve a profound state of deep relaxation whereby mental stress and bodily tension is reduced and the client enters a trance state. Trance states are natural, and we all enter trance states such as daydreaming. In this relaxed state, the conscious mind is suppressed, and the unconscious mind is revealed. It is the unconscious mind that needs to change for lasting results to occur.
The Unconscious Mind
Think of the unconscious mind as the storage room of everything that is currently not in your conscious mind; it stores all your previous life experiences, your belief system, your memories, your skills, all situations you’ve been through, and all images you’ve ever seen. The best way to understand the unconscious mind is through the example of learning to drive. When you first learn how to drive, you wouldn’t be able to hold a conversation with anyone while driving as he would be focusing on the different moves involved; that’s because you are still using your conscious mind to drive.
A few months later, the driving process starts to become automatic without having to do any thinking. You drive on autopilot. The information and skills you need to drive is now in the unconscious mind.
Just like your body has got its defences against physical wounds and injuries, your unconscious mind has got its defences against emotional shocks and wounds. These are called unconscious defence mechanisms. The unconscious defence mechanisms’ main function is to protect your well-being and to help you overcome emotional shocks. This means that it represses traumatic memories with unresolved negative emotions and in the short term this protects us because at the time it was too painful to deal with. Longer term these unresolved issues start to surface as anxiety, depression and other emotional problems. Unresolved issues and emotions can affect behaviour now and take form of destructive, habitual or addictive behaviours. Until these emotions and issues are processed and healed, we tend to repeat these behaviours unconsciously, this is why you see people attract the same damaging relationships over and over, attract angry situations or continue to overeat, smoke, or have problems with drugs, alcohol etc. We also store beliefs about ourselves, and situations in our unconscious mind. Again, these beliefs may be extremely unhelpful. If you received little encouragement or praise growing up you may have low self-esteem, low confidence and try really hard to please everyone.
What you think and believe your unconscious mind will produce, if you plant weeds, you will get weeds, if you plant fruit, you will get fruit. Most of us have good and bad seeds and that is why sometimes our unconscious mind power will manifest failure, ill health and all kinds of misfortunes just as effortlessly as it will manifest happiness and abundance. If the bad seeds are identified and changed or modified you and your unconscious mind has the power to have a wonderful life.
The therapist will then use suggestions that will filter out negative emotions, events and beliefs that are causing problems now. It is possible for people to recall unknown traumatic events while under hypnosis, and the client and therapist work together to process the emotions in a variety of ways. Just a release can be healing. It is also possible for negative, unhelpful beliefs and habits to be replaced with positive ones so behaviour can change.
Hypnosis is safe, relaxing and effective.
You cannot get stuck in hypnosis.
You are safe, aware and in control.
It is totally possible to learn to hypnotise yourself.
Frequently Asked Questions Hypnotherapy
Hypnotherapy is a type of therapy that uses hypnosis to induce a state of deep relaxation, during which the therapist can suggest changes in a patient’s behaviour, thoughts, or feelings.
Hypnotherapy works by inducing a trance-like state in which the patient is highly responsive to suggestions. The therapist can use this state to help the patient access deeper levels of their consciousness and make changes to their thoughts, feelings, or behaviour.
Hypnotherapy can be used to treat a wide range of issues, including anxiety, depression, addiction, phobias, and chronic pain. It can also be used to improve performance in sports, academics, or work.
Hypnotherapy is generally considered safe when practiced by a trained and licensed professional. However, it may not be suitable for everyone, and there are some potential risks, such as false memories or triggering of trauma.
During a hypnotherapy session, the therapist will guide the patient into a state of deep relaxation and suggest changes to their thoughts, feelings, or behaviour. The patient will be fully conscious and aware throughout the session.
The number of hypnotherapy sessions needed varies depending on the individual and the issue being treated. Some people may see results after just one session, while others may require multiple sessions over a longer period of time.
The qualifications needed to become a hypnotherapist vary depending on the country or state. In general, hypnotherapists should have completed a recognized training program and be licensed or certified by a professional organization.
While most people can be hypnotized, some individuals may be more difficult to hypnotize than others. Factors that can affect hypnotisability include the individual’s level of trust in the therapist, their ability to focus, and their level of suggestibility.
Hypnotherapy may be covered by some insurance plans, but it depends on the policy and the reason for seeking treatment. Patients should check with their insurance provider to see if hypnotherapy is covered under their plan.
Yes, hypnotherapy can be done remotely via video or phone sessions. However, it may be less effective than in-person sessions for some people.
