Simple
Definitions:
Hypnosis is a state of trance,
which is often described as a state of
focused and relaxed awareness anywhere
between being awake and asleep. When a
Hypnotherapist assists you into a state of
Hypnosis and then presents you with verbal
suggestions and visualisations designed to
help you in achieving any desired goal, or
making any positive change; then that
process is called Hypnotherapy.
What Issues can a Hypnotherapist
Help With?
A competent
Hypnotherapist can offer support and
management, to a client who is willing to
accept change to the following:
Habits-
smoking, nail-biting, thumb-sucking,
hair-pulling, bed-wetting, etc.
Phobias - heights, open spaces,
spiders, fear of flying, etc.
Addictions
- drugs, alcohol, gambling, foods,
etc.
Personal,
business and sports motivation
Relationship
enhancement
Self-esteem
Sex
therapy
Confidence
Sleep
problems
Obsessive
Compulsive Disorders (OCDs)
Weight
management
Irritable
bowel syndrome
Stress
Mild
Depression
Pain
management
Concentration
& focus
Childbirth
Hypnotherapy
is also an excellent complementary procedure
to most traditional forms of treatment for
physical, mental, emotional and environmental
issues. Read
our Disclaimer
Making 1st Contact with a
Hypnotherapist
Generally
your first contact will be by telephone,
probably most likely either after a referral
from a friend, or by choosing one from a list
or directory of Hypnotherapists or
Hypnotherapy clinics. It is important you
speak with the actual Hypnotherapist who you
intend to work with. The initial feeling you
have for this therapist and that attitudes you
share, can have an enormous impact on the
results you will achieve. You must like and
trust the Hypnotherapist in order to reap the
best benefits from the therapy. So take the
time to find one whose manner and
qualifications help put you at ease. (Qualifications
will vary from state to state and from
country to country.) Ask the
Hypnotherapist about his/her training and
experience - and only book your first
Hypnotherapy session when you're totally
comfortable in sharing your personal
information with that therapist.
What to expect when visiting a
Hypnotherapist
You should
expect to be treated with respect and dignity
as with any health professional. You will
likely be asked to complete a questionnaire
about your reason(s) for the Hypnotherapy
consultation, a few personal details and some
medical history. Most Hypnotherapists will
only see you concerning any serious medical
issue after referral from your doctor or
specialist. While every therapist will have
different procedures and methods of beginning
the consultation, it is important that you
feel safe and comfortable at all times and
that you and the Hypnotherapist gain a rapport
together that will later assist during the
therapeutic evaluation and intervention.
Some
therapists may seek "permission to touch"
but will generally restrict any such
touching to hands, arms, shoulders or head.
Nowadays, most professional Hypnotherapists
(especially those who trained with
Hypnosis New Zealand) will choose
absolutely no physical contact with you,
other than a handshake at the start and
finish of your Hypnotherapy consultation.
Remember, you always have a choice about any
touching and if you have every right to
decline any request from your Hypnotherapist
- and that should have little or no effect
on the outcome of your treatment.
What does it feel like to be
Hypnotised?
It will
usually be a very relaxed, almost lethargic
feeling, but you can also experience lightness
or floating sensations. During Hypnotherapy,
you are not asleep! But then, you're not awake
either. A light state of trance is closer to
being awake, whereas a deeper level of trance
is more like being in a dream. A medium level
of Hypnotic trance is best described as: "like
being awake and asleep at the same time".
Indeed,
during
deeper
trance,
you
may
actually lose some conscious awareness. That's
actually quite OK, because your relaxed
consciousness is always still just hovering
below the surface in case of any threat to
your well-being. During Hypnotherapy you
cannot be made to do things against your
morals, ethics or physical or mental
capabilities.
Common Styles of Clinical
Hypnotherapy
There are two
main styles of Hypnotherapy: Suggestive
Hypnotherapy and Analytical Hypnotherapy. Many
Hypnotherapists have developed their own
individual combinations and variations on
these styles - and offer excellent therapy for
either a broad range, or specialised fields
within their Hypnotherapy practice.
Suggestive
Hypnotherapy
This
generally involves gathering information
from you about your problems and the ways
you want to improve them. The Hypnotherapist
will ask you questions about causes, effects
and expectations, induce a light to medium
trance state and then present your
subconscious with deliberately constructed
suggestions to assist you to make progress.
There may be no need for you to speak during
this style of Hypnotherapy. Generally you
will be sitting or lying in a relaxed state
listening to the Hypnotherapist speak about
you overcoming your obstacles. You will
probably be relatively aware of everything
being spoken to you as you enjoy the relaxed
feelings.
Analytical
Hypnotherapy
This style
of Hypnotherapy usually involves the use of
a procedure referred to as
"regression". Put simply, regression
is "remembering past events that are locked
in your subconscious". Sometimes an event in
your past that has been long "forgotten" can
still have an impact on your present, and by
accessing your "memory banks" the
Hypnotherapist (with your help) can
often modify that memory, so it has less
negative effects on your present and future.
The depth of trance for this procedure is
often (but not essentially) somewhat
deeper and the levels of awareness may
fluctuate as you "relive" certain memories.
Regressive Hypnotherapy will usually involve
conversation between you and the
Hypnotherapist.
Important note: "Memories"
recovered during regressive techniques, may
be fact, but they may also be fantasy - with
little or no way of distinguishing one from
the other. Sometimes the recollections may
be a mixture of the two - influenced by
attitudes, thoughts and other
experiences. Rarely are they absolute
memories and provable. So, if you are
seeking analytical therapy to uncover past
abuses, with a view to prosecution, then you
should consult a very experienced
Hypnotherapist.
After your Hypnotherapy
You should be
feeling wide awake - either bursting with
energy, or quite mellow and relaxed. Which,
will depend on a multitude of factors such as
the style of Hypnotherapy used, length and
depth of trance, etc. Because being in a
trance is so beneficial for our mind and body,
afterwards we may feel either refreshed and
rejuvenated or very settled and relieved. The
Hypnotherapist may give you a recording as
support and arrange follow-up sessions with
you.
Many
Hypnotherapists may be able to assist you in
just one or two sessions, whereas some will
insist on multiple sessions. Some
Hypnotherapists will offer you a fixed
number of sessions for a specific issue when
you initially contact them, or suggest a
number that you may require. Soon after your
trance, the Hypnotherapist's suggestions may
still have some effect, so if in any doubt
as to the necessity for extra or multiple
sessions, then this is not the time to
discuss them. Take the time afterwards to
decide how much assistance you've already
gotten from Hypnotherapy and how much better
it could be with more visits.
