As life in general becomes more stressful, and our opportunities for 'de-stressing' seem to be diminishing, more and more people are suffering the types of conditions Hypnotherapy exceeds in relieving; anxiety/stress, depression, IBS, sleep problems, addicitions, eating disorders, to name just a few. And yet, many suffering from these conditions do not seek the help of a Hypnotherapist, preferring often to turn to medication whether the results are what they hoped for or not.
One of the main reasons for Hypnotherapy not being sought is that Hypnotherapy still remains a mystery for many. One perception is that this type of therapy IS mysterious, somehow magical, and that the Hypnotherapist can somehow take over your mind and make you do things against your will. Unfortunately this mis-conception is often also shared by the media who love nothing more than a juicy Hypnosis story that appears to uphold these incorrect beliefs.
The first step to demystifying Hypnotherapy is understanding that Hypnosis is a completely natural state! We actually go into a Hypnotic state several times a day, in fact there is evidence to suggest we spend large parts of our day in this natural state! How many times have you got to work in your car and had no recollection of driving there? (Of course, you would have been immediately aware had another car suddenly pulled out on you). How many times have you been preparing a meal, listening to the radio, thinking about your day, with only half an ear on the story your child is telling you about what happened in school that day? (Of course, if your child suddenly announced little 'Johnny' had punched them in the tummy you would become immediately fully aware of the story). How many times does your mind wander to what you would do should you become the winner of the enormous Euro Millions Jackpot up for grabs at the moment?
In all these instances you were in a Hypnotic trance! The only difference between this and the state you enter when receiving Hypnotherapy is possibly the depth of trance, and the content. During Hypnotherapy the Hypnotherapist guides you through a relaxation process similar to that practiced in yoga or meditation, and then will usually encourage you to imagine pleasant places or images - my favourites are a sun drenched white beach with palm trees and a hammock, with the ocean sparkling like a million diamonds as the sun glances off the tops of the waves as they gently lap the edge of the sand; or a country garden, lush and green where your feet sink into the moist, springy grass, the song of distant birds fill your ears and the fragrance of hundreds upon hundreds of beautifully coloured flowers fill your entire being......As your mind fills with these wonderful images the Hypnotherapist continues to talk to you about your goals, your hopes, your dreams, reminding you of the beliefs your 'real self' has - rather than the self doubt or negative belief system many people habitually live with. Quite often the Hypnotherapist will tell you a nice story - much like the ones we were told as children when parents and teachers wanted to teach us not to 'cry wolf', or to 'work hard or you may end up living in a house that could get blown away by a wolf', or to not 'talk to wolves in the forest' (funny how so many wolves appear in these stories, as adults we tend to have our own wolves to deal with in day to day life!)
Generally the belief is held by the general public that for Hypnosis to work the subject must be in a near sleep state - it would therefore surprise the majority to learn that the University of Liege in Belgium have carried out many operations using Hypnosis instead of general aneasthetic and the patients are fully aware of their surroundings and the people around them at all times! It is only necessary for the subject to be in a relaxed, focussed state (ie. Hypnotised!) for the treatment to be successful.
Mystery solved!! Hypnotherapy is the client relaxing; listening to gentle music; imagining pleasant images and listening whilst the Hypnotherapist makes positive suggestions to you and often tells you a story!
Generally speaking, a good Hypnotherapist will also de-mystify the way the mind works by explaining how it works to the client. An understanding of how and why we develop the problems/conditions/addictions etc that we do is often a huge relief ('I'm so glad you explained that to me - I no longer feel like some kind of freak/abnormal/silly for having my problem now that I know this' are often repeated comments made by clients), and a great step towards resolving the issue and making sure it stays resolved.
When visiting a Solution Focused Hypnotherapist a typical session is usually made up of half talk, half Hypnosis. The talking part explores what you would like to achieve, how you would like to achieve this, what skills/knowledge/abilities you already have awareness of that will help you achieve your goals and the life you'd prefer for yourself. We'd then use Hypnosis to make sure your subconscious is working to the same agenda that your conscious mind is, by making the suggestions you, as the client, have come up with during the talking part.
Is this Mysterious? Magical? Mind Controlling? Of course not....it's what we do every day of our lives but done in a more focused, productive way.
.....Of course, many that have experienced Hypnotherapy would say the results are Magical.....but I'll let you make your own mind up about that since only YOU can be the boss of your own mind!
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