What is Hypnosis?

Hypnosis is a completely natural state.  In fact, everybody experiences hypnosis on  daily basis, just before falling asleep and just as you are waking up. 

Have you ever watched a movie and become so engrossed in it that everything else just fades into the background, to the point perhaps that you become emotional and maybe even shed a few tears?
Have you ever driven from point A to point B, arrived at your destination and could remember nothing about the trip?

These are all forms of hypnosis.

Hypnosis in itself is just a state of mind, it is merely a tool that the therapist uses to bring positive changes, because during hypnosis the subconscious is more receptive to suggestion.  At the best it can improve someone's life immensely, at the worst it will be one of the most relaxing experiences they will ever have.  In fact, most people say that they feel very refreshed, as though they had just had a nice snooze.

What is Hypnotherapy?

Hypnotherapy take two forms:

Suggestion Therapy

Here the therapist uses suggestion to create positive changes.  It is used for changing habits (like smoking, nail biting, rage), weight loss/control (in some cases analysis is needed), exam fears, driving tests, confidence building and many others.  Nothing that is accepted by the subconscious is easily removed - this is why we find that despite our best intentions and resolutions to change, we usually keep doing things the same way, even though we keep getting the same results. With hypnotherapy we 'replace' negative or destructive suggestions the mind has accepted at some point in the past with new, positive suggestions.

Doing the same thing the same way will get the same results.

Hypnoanalysis

In some cases, such as irrational fears or phobias, general unhappiness, irrational rage, stammering, panic attacks and many others, the problem is often rooted in the past.  Analysis is used to find original cause and remove it, so that the reason for the problem no longer exists.  In the process the client will go through many past experiences, both positive and negative.  During some sessions it will feel as if great progress is being made, and during others very little.  These are all ways of 'protecting the way it has always been', because this is safe and known.  However, if you see the therapy through, you will see the benefit.

The therapist is trained to recognise the correct method to use, and this will always be discussed with the client.  No two people are the same and the length of treatment is different for everyone.  This is however a much faster method than other counselling methods because we work directly with the subconscious mind without the conscious mind 'trying to have its own way'. 

All hypnosis is self-hypnosis.  The therapist is trained to use it to help.  At no stage does the client 'lose control', he or she is fully aware of what is going on and can come out of the hypnotic state by simply opening his or her eyes.  The therapist does not make the changes in someone's life, he or she simply shows the client how to make those changes for his or her self.  If someone is motivated to make these changes and wants to make these changes then nothing can stop them from doing so. 

For any medical condition a medical doctor's permission needs to be obtained before beginning treatment with a hypnotherapist.