FAQ's
It is perfectly natural that you may have questions about hypnotherapy.
1. What is hypnotherapy and how does it differ from hypnosis?
Hypnosis is a totally natural state of mind. When under hypnosis you will feel very relaxed, just like that wonderful feeling when you are tired, lying in your bed, and you are so overcome with comfort that you wish the moment could last forever. Through simple hypnotic, relaxation techniques you can easily attain this state at which time it becomes easy, with the help of a trained hypnotherapist,
to visualise yourself becoming healthier, happier, more confident, a
non-smoker. Whatever it is that you want to be!
Absolutely. The routines used are completely safe. You enter hypnosis via a deep relaxation technique and your exit is safe and controlled at all times.
3. Will I be under the hypnotist's power?
No. You are in charge. You cannot be made to do anything and you cannot be taken into hypnosis against your will. It is your experience, you are in control.
4. What if I can't be hypnotised?
You can. Everyone can. As long as you wish to enter hypnosis, you will. It's an easy, enjoyable and thoroughly relaxing experience.
5. Will I be asleep under hypnosis?
No. You are fully awake and alert, aware of everything that is happening throughout the session.
6. What does it feel like?
You already know what hypnosis feels like. You have experienced natural hypnotic states throughout your life, when watching TV, daydreaming or driving for example. These are pleasant, dreamlike states when we drift off.
During the hypnosis used during your sessions you can enter these same, natural states deliberately and with awareness. It is a systematic method that allows you to enter a safe, trance-like state, in which one can communicate directly with the unconscious mind and deliver beneficial corrections. These are tailor-made for your individual needs.
You will also be given techniques for self-hypnosis to further your practice
7. What is the difference between hypnosis and hypnotherapy?
Contrary to popular belief, hypnosis is not a state of deep sleep. It does involve the induction of a trance-like condition, but when in it, the patient is actually in an enhanced state of awareness, concentrating entirely on the hypnotist's voice. In this state, the conscious mind is suppressed and the subconscious mind is revealed. The therapist is able to suggest ideas, concepts and lifestyle adaptations to the patient, the seeds of which become firmly planted.
The practice of promoting healing or positive development in any way is known as hypnotherapy. As such, hypnotherapy is a kind of psychotherapy...hypnotherapy aims to re-programme patterns of behaviour within the mind, enabling irrational fears, phobias, negative thoughts and suppressed emotions to be overcome. As the body is released from conscious control during the relaxed trance-like state of hypnosis, breathing becomes slower and deeper, the pulse rate drops and the metabolic rate falls. Similar changes along nervous pathways and hormonal channels enable the sensation of pain to become less acute, and the awareness of unpleasant symptoms, such as nausea or indigestion, to be alleviated.
(taken from Dr Hilary Jones (1998) Doctor, What's the Alternative? Hodder and Stoughton: London)
8. How does hypnosis work?
Hypnosis is thought to work by altering our state of consciousness in such a way that the analytical left-hand side of the brain is turned off, while the non-analytical right-hand side is made more alert. The conscious control of the mind is inhibited, and the subconscious mind awoken. Since the subconscious mind is a deeper-seated, more instinctive force than the conscious mind, this is the part which has to change for the patient's behaviour and physical state to alter. For example, a patient who consciously wants to overcome their fear of spiders may try everything they consciously can to do it, but will still fail as long as their subconscious mind retains this terror and prevents the patient from succeeding. Progress can only be made be reprogramming the subconscious so that deep-seated instincts and beliefs are abolished or altered.
(taken from Dr Hilary Jones (1998) Doctor, What's the Alternative? Hodder and Stoughton: London)
9. What does hypnotherapy involve?
Hypnotherapy is a two way process between the therapist and the client, a professional partnership. A person cannot be hypnotised unless he or she agrees and co-operates - this cannot be stressed enough. Also whilst hypnotised, nobody can make you do anything which you do not want to do. Even those people on television eating raw onions and pretending to be Madonna are doing it because they want to! They have chosen to participate. It must be emphasised here that what hypnotherapists do is, by definition, therapeutic. Stage hypnosis is very different. It is a form of entertainment.
The first stage of a hypnotherapy consultation will generally involve an informal chat and some questions from the therapist to ascertain the nature of the issue and the necessary route to overcoming or dealing with it. The next stage is hypnosis.
You are led, by means of the hypnotherapist's gently guiding voice, into a state where your body and mind are relaxed and nearly asleep. To an onlooker it might seem as if you were totally asleep but in fact, though you will normally feel very relaxed, you will remain awake enough to be aware. Also awake will be those parts of your mind which the therapist is working with to induce beneficial changes. This may mean that you will be picturing, as in a daydream, the things which are being spoken of and that you may experience the associated pleasant feelings.
REMEMBER that if at any time you feel uncomfortable and want to terminate the session, then you will be perfectly capable of doing so.
After this there is always time left at the end of the session for you to ask questions or to discuss any experiences you had whilst you were in the relaxed, hypnotic state.
The hypnotist merely helps you to use that incredible hidden power to achieve things in your life such as stopping smoking, losing weight, cutting down on stress, gaining in confidence and happiness, even excelling at your chosen sport.