What is hypnosis?
Everyone goes in and out of natural hypnotic trances every day, without perhaps knowing it. Have you ever been so absorbed in a book or film that the hours seemed to fly by? Have you ever driven your car and arrived at your destination without even thinking about it? However, if a danger occurred you would be alert and respond to it. You can still be in control when you need to be. All these are examples of everyday trances we all experience. Hypnosis is no different; it is a natural state of awareness where you will not do or say anything that you do not want to.
Why is the unconscious mind important?
90% of your behaviour happens without you having to think about it, driven by your unconscious mind rather than your conscious mind. We have a very resourceful mind that allows us to learn something consciously, and then that learning runs as a programme in the unconscious mind. We are designed to habituate and most of the time that works for us. When we have a negative behavior pattern it can run automatically, and so even though we consciously want to change, unconsciously the programme continues to run itself, and so the pattern happens and you might find yourself saying ‘why am I doing this to myself?’ You aren’t: the unconscious is doing the job it was meant to do. You can talk about the issue you have, but talking alone does not resolve it. The key to lasting change resides at an unconscious level and this is why hypnotherapy is so effective.
Will I lose control in any way?
No, you remain in control at all times. A hypnotherapist does not have any control over you. In fact, the state of hypnosis is one of heightened awareness where it is possible for your mind to be aware of many more things than what is possible in the conscious state.
Can anyone be hypnotised?
Yes, anyone can be hypnotised, provided that he/she wants to be. No one can be hypnotised against his/her will.
Do I have to go over the past?
“Sometimes the best thing about the past is that it’s over,” according to Richard Bandler, co-founder of NLP. You can’t change the past, but you can change the effect that it’s having on the present. It might surprise you to know that I can work with you on issues from the past without discussing the content, or we can just focus on the present and the future.
What is Cognitive Hypnotherapy and what’s different about it?
Hypnotherapy enables you to deal with the things in your life you want to change by working at the unconscious level leading to lasting change. It is not traditional hypnotherapy (or clinical hypnotherapy). Clinical hypnosis & hypnotherapy is a generic term use for hypnosis for therapeutic purposes. These methods tend to be focused on the problem, so all clients with the same issue tend to be treated in the same way.
Instead, as a Cognitive Hypnotherapist, my approach is based on modern neuroscience and positive psychology and works from a modern understanding of the mind-body connection. I also use techniques from a range of psychological and therapeutic disciplines, including NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming), New and Classic Code, EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), Positive Psychology and EMI (Eye Movement Integration) and Time Line Reprocessing. This means that I have a wide range or tools and techniques to draw on to help you achieve your goals.
I approach each person as an individual. Everyone is unique and so is their experience of their problem. I will identify your unique patterns of thoughts, emotions and behaviours relevant to your issue and create a programme just for you to guide you towards the solution that you want. Everybody’s treatment programme will be different and tailored to his/her individual needs.
I work in partnership with you. I believe that you already have everything you need to get you to where you want to get to. My task is to support you to rediscover this resource to enable you to achieve your goals, to get back the control you want in your life. You’ll learn tools, techniques and strategies to use for yourself. These positive effects continue to multiply between sessions, and long after the therapy has finished. It is a creative and productive process that can make a difference surprisingly quickly, providing value for money. Cognitive Hypnotherapy is a solution-focused brief therapy, and so it does not go on for many months or even years as some do. Many issues can be resolved in a relatively small number of sessions.
Most therapy happens between sessions. I will ask you to undertake a wide range of tasks between sessions, as I believe that real change happens in your life, not in my consulting room. This makes a significant difference to the change process.
I am professional and ethical. I am a member of the National Council for Hypnotherapy (NCH), which promotes and implements the highest standards of training, practice and professional ethics.
