How Does Hypnotherapy Work
Hypnotherapy works by addressing the subconscious mind. The conscious mind remains aware of what is going on, but drifts into relaxation. Once conscious thinking is sufficiently relaxed, powerful agreed upon suggestions are made to the subconscious.
This process promotes emotional change and helps conscious and subconscious thought processes find agreement about the presenting issue. Once agreement is achieved, successful results normally follow.
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How is the Conscious Mind Distracted
To distract the conscious mind, the therapist helps the client get into a relaxed state (or trance). The sound and tone of the practitioner's voice will help the client relax quickly and the words used in the induction will help the client let go of any resistance.
After a few minutes, the client enters the hypnotic Alpha State where the body will physically relax, and the brain waves slow down to around 8 to 13 waves per second.
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How Does it Feel to be Hypnotised
The client will feel aware and in control and might feel their hands and feet tingling slightly, this is the relaxed state improving blood flow. Breathing may become deeper as muscles relax and swallowing may increase.
Thoughts may drift or remain focused but the agreed upon suggestions are accepted at a subconscious level either way. Once the client's subconscious accepts the suggestions, the therapist brings the client back to normal awareness.
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Who is in Control
The client who employs the therapist and requests that they help them to change unwanted behaviour is in control.
All hypnosis is self-hypnosis or autosuggestion. The therapist simply helps the client achieve the relaxed condition needed to address the subconscious mind, and delivers the agreed upon suggestions.
Remember, stage hypnosis is not hypnotherapy and is entertainment; stage hypnotists are performers and the people who join in are as much at risk as any other performer.
Hypnotherapy is a separate profession and I hold qualifications issued by the National Council for Hypnotherapy. The NCH is the largest not for profit hypnotherapy governing body in the UK at the time of writing.
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Does it work for everyone
Everyone can be hypnotised if they are willing to participate in good faith. The effect is not limited to people who are weak-willed, but it is about the willingness of a client to work with the therapist and the level of commitment employed.
In fact recent research indicates that people who are above average intelligence and are imaginative benefit most from the process. Serious clients should not attempt to carry out their old problem behaviour (to see if therapy has worked), but instead practice their new chosen behaviour.
Repetition of the new chosen behaviour creates a conditioned response, turning the prefered behaviour into a habit.
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Can Hypnotherapy Change Me
Yes. Hypnotherapy promotes the successful interaction between your thoughts, emotions and feelings, re-establishing your basic personality.
It helps change who you are now (possibly affected negatively by past difficulties), into a more positive version of yourself. This enables you to be optimistic and fulfilled, despite life's unavoidable setbacks.
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What is Self-Care and Self Hypnosis
If a thought or emotion prompts you to behave in a way you no longer find acceptable, you have developed a habit (or conditioned response). Self-care and self-hypnosis helps you to develop a conditioned response (or habit) of behaving in the way you want to behave, without conscious effort.
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What is Stress Response
Stress Response is the emotional response to a stress stimulus (or trigger) which may cause you to light a cigarette or eat in response to the stimulus. Hypnotherapy allows your subconscious mind to adopt a new and appropriate response in these stressful situations.
Furthermore, repetition of the new and appropriate stress response develops it into a habit. Even the most intransigent addict or phobic etc can find relief from their unhappiness with a new stress response and repetition.
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What is Transferance
If someone says repeatedly that you are a poor driver, it can actually make you a poor driver. Don't tolerate negative communication from someone who is supposed to be helping you resolve your driving issues.
Many people are not aware of the factors that influence their emotions and behaviour; conflict can arise when the self-concept of an individual is at odds with adopted self-concepts originated from others.
A phenomenon known as Transference or Psychodynamic Transfer occurs during hypnotherapy, which moves energy between levels of consciousness. This allows individuals to think and feel in line with their underlying tendencies and undo damage caused through adopting negative thoughts about themselves.
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Where are you located
Most clients prefer the course to be conducted from their home address where the information gathering, counselling and hypnotherapy is conducted.
This option can be beneficial as clients are likely to feel less anxious about their driving when in a familiar area close to their home.
However, courses are also available from either of my operating bases in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire and Bishop Auckland, County Durham.
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