What hypnosis is and, is not…
Hypnotherapy has little to do with the image created by horror films or stage hypnotists. Swinging watches, mind control and dancing like a chicken are out – communicating with the deeper, wise part of your mind is in.
Very few of us ever stop and think really take a moment and consider fully the idea that we have within us, just below the surface or buried deep down, all the resources, wisdom and tools needed to heal ourselves and overcome all obstacles in our lives.
In a sense, hypnosis is like a therapeutic dialogue in which you actively participate in the healing process, tapping into hidden strengths and resources as you unlock your latent knowledge and abilities.
If most personal problems are due to a failure to communicate with your unconscious, then hypnosis is a process in which you are guided to bypass the critical factor – that part of you that pessimistically rejects ideas before trying them, the chattering, negative voice in your head that tells you that you will fail – allowing for direct communication with the subconscious – realm of emotions, memories, instinctual reactions, beliefs etc.
Once a sense of trust and rapport is established, change work happens at this deep level, shifting those unconscious beliefs and conditioned responses that held you back.
Time to debunk a few myths
Hypnosis is not like sleep, but a state of heightened awareness. You don’t ‘lose control’ or become at the mercy of a hypnotherapist. Hypnosis is an ongoing dialogue between you and the hypnotherapist, between you and your unconscious. Now, it may have become quite fashionable once again to talk about ‘covert hypnosis’ and ‘mind control’, but the simple truth is that no one can make you do anything against your will.
Once you decide to make a change, and call to arrange an appointment, it is your decision to allow yourself to relax and allow yourself to make the changes that you most desire while in a deep trance state.
What is it like to experience ‘trance’?
Many clients go into a trance without realising it until they emerge later refreshed and energised. Why? Because we all go into trances, or alternative, heightened states of awareness, everyday – driving to work, watching an engaging film, reading an enthralling book – so it is a familiar and comfortable experience.
People experience trance differently – many clients simply feel a sense of trust and well-being with the hypnotherapist and are led on a journey into their own experience; for others it is a relaxing, heavy sensation that spreads comfortably throughout their body as they drift into the state most conducive to make change happen. The more analytical enjoy observing themselves slip into an altered state, noticing the physical relaxation and barely perceivable changes only as their environment melts into the background and communication with your unconscious begins.
Hypnotherapy for inner balance
Hypnotherapy is not a quick-fix, one-size-fits all solution nor is it intrusive, spill-your-guts style therapy. By guiding you on an inner journey to resolve internal conflict, recast negative past experiences in a new light and facilitate insight and rapport between your conscious mind (the bit you call ‘you’) and the storehouse of memories, experiences and wisdom (your unconscious mind), you can achieve a sense of balance and inner harmony while enjoying the benefits that a profound sense of physical relaxation and mental and emotional release bring.
