what is hypnotherapy?
Clinical Hypnotherapy is a combination of hypnosis and a psychological treatment. It is a talking therapy involving hypnosis which focuses a clients imagination and subconscious to help bring about positive changes to their thoughts, feelings or behaviour. Together the hypnotherapist and client will decide on the desired changes to work on prior to the hypnosis occurring.
Unlike counselling or psychology which may involve looking at a number of issues in a conscious way, hypnotherapy often focuses on a singular issue and works with the unconscious. However this doesn't mean you risk losing control or that you can be manipulated to do or think things you don't want to. At all times when being hypnotised the client actually should remain in control and although very relaxed, should be able to talk or get up and leave the room if they want to.
Common issues that can be addresses through hypnotherapy are things such as giving up smoking, phobias, weight loss and confidence issues. Hypnotherapy also often involves a short course of treatment, with only a few sessions needed in some instances to address a particular issue.
Unlike counselling or psychology which may involve looking at a number of issues in a conscious way, hypnotherapy often focuses on a singular issue and works with the unconscious. However this doesn't mean you risk losing control or that you can be manipulated to do or think things you don't want to. At all times when being hypnotised the client actually should remain in control and although very relaxed, should be able to talk or get up and leave the room if they want to.
Common issues that can be addresses through hypnotherapy are things such as giving up smoking, phobias, weight loss and confidence issues. Hypnotherapy also often involves a short course of treatment, with only a few sessions needed in some instances to address a particular issue.
What is 'Solution Focused' Hypnotherapy?
As the name would suggest, solution focused hypnotherapy looks to help people achieve positive change. Rather than focusing on the ‘problem’, this approach centres around the solution. Using practical strategies, solution focused hypnotherapy looks to inspire change in a relatively short period of time.
Therefore we do not need to talk about your problems for hours and hours in order to get to the root of it or spend time picking apart your past. We are not 'problem centred' but 'solution focused'. We acknowledge the problem, decide on the goals you wish to achieve then focus on the here and now and the solutions that you can achieve. We start with little steps that will lead onto bigger changes.
When you are relaxed and in a perfect frame of mind you can see the wood from the trees and change the way that you think, for the better and be more confident and in control of your life. Once in a trance state it is possible to access your subconscious mind to enable changes to take place so that you deal with situations more appropriately effectively and successfully.
What would your future look like if the problem you’re experiencing had improved? What would have changed?
Questions like these help solutions become more obvious, giving you actionable steps to take to reach your goal. A core belief of solution focused practitioners is that you, the client, have the strength and resources to solve your own problems. The role of the therapist is to prompt and guide you along this journey.
Adding hypnosis to this technique is what separates solution focused hypnotherapy from traditional solution focused brief therapy. Hypnosis is a state of deep relaxation where the subconscious becomes more open to positive suggestion. Incorporating relaxation and guided visualisation can help to enhance the solution work being carried out.
Therefore we do not need to talk about your problems for hours and hours in order to get to the root of it or spend time picking apart your past. We are not 'problem centred' but 'solution focused'. We acknowledge the problem, decide on the goals you wish to achieve then focus on the here and now and the solutions that you can achieve. We start with little steps that will lead onto bigger changes.
When you are relaxed and in a perfect frame of mind you can see the wood from the trees and change the way that you think, for the better and be more confident and in control of your life. Once in a trance state it is possible to access your subconscious mind to enable changes to take place so that you deal with situations more appropriately effectively and successfully.
What would your future look like if the problem you’re experiencing had improved? What would have changed?
Questions like these help solutions become more obvious, giving you actionable steps to take to reach your goal. A core belief of solution focused practitioners is that you, the client, have the strength and resources to solve your own problems. The role of the therapist is to prompt and guide you along this journey.
Adding hypnosis to this technique is what separates solution focused hypnotherapy from traditional solution focused brief therapy. Hypnosis is a state of deep relaxation where the subconscious becomes more open to positive suggestion. Incorporating relaxation and guided visualisation can help to enhance the solution work being carried out.
What can it help with?
Like most hypnotherapy approaches, solution focused hypnotherapy is very helpful for those with anxiety, or conditions that are made worse by anxiety. For example, phobias, panic disorder, irritable bowel syndrome, stress, smoking cessation, weight loss, depression and stress.
Those who struggle with low self-confidence and negative thinking will also benefit from this approach. Hypnosis is a great tool to help shift thinking to be more positive. This combined with the solution focused work can really help you to replace negative, anxious thoughts with more positive and proactive thoughts.
Those who struggle with low self-confidence and negative thinking will also benefit from this approach. Hypnosis is a great tool to help shift thinking to be more positive. This combined with the solution focused work can really help you to replace negative, anxious thoughts with more positive and proactive thoughts.
Origins of Hypnosis - How was it discovered?
Hypnosis first entered the scene under a different name: Animal magnetism, or Mesmerism. This was developed by Franz Anton Mesmer, from whom we get the name mesmerism, back in the 1700’s.
Mesmer was a German physician who theorised that there was a magnetic force between all things in the universe. Therefore a person or object with strong magnetism could influence something else utilising this unseen force.
Franz Anton Mesmer held demonstrations of animal magnetism which had people falling into trance, being spontaneously cured of diseases, going into convulsions, and even bringing women to orgasm. All of this happened through little to no touch, just people succumbing to his mesmerismic stare and the power of his animal magnetism.
To people who heard about Mesmer, it truly seemed like magic.
However, this was also the time when science was being taken more seriously and there were many people who didn’t believe Mesmer’s claims of supernatural powers. The commission conducted a series of experiments aimed not at determining whether Mesmer's treatment worked, but whether he had discovered a new physical fluid. One of the people in that group was Benjamin Franklin.
They discovered that there is no such thing as animal magnetism. Whatever benefits the treatment produced was attributed to imagination or the power of suggestion.
Mesmer was a German physician who theorised that there was a magnetic force between all things in the universe. Therefore a person or object with strong magnetism could influence something else utilising this unseen force.
Franz Anton Mesmer held demonstrations of animal magnetism which had people falling into trance, being spontaneously cured of diseases, going into convulsions, and even bringing women to orgasm. All of this happened through little to no touch, just people succumbing to his mesmerismic stare and the power of his animal magnetism.
To people who heard about Mesmer, it truly seemed like magic.
However, this was also the time when science was being taken more seriously and there were many people who didn’t believe Mesmer’s claims of supernatural powers. The commission conducted a series of experiments aimed not at determining whether Mesmer's treatment worked, but whether he had discovered a new physical fluid. One of the people in that group was Benjamin Franklin.
They discovered that there is no such thing as animal magnetism. Whatever benefits the treatment produced was attributed to imagination or the power of suggestion.
how does hypnosis feel?
People usually experience a comfortable level of peace and relaxation. In fact most people can’t tell the difference between being normally relaxed and at ease in the usual waking state compared to when they experience trance. To put it simply hypnosis is just a natural state of relaxation that allows suggestions to be absorbed by the subconscious mind.
what happens to the brain during hypnosis?
Scientists at Stanford University School of Medicine scanned the brains of 57 people during guided hypnosis sessions similar to those that might be used clinically to treat anxiety, pain or trauma. Distinct sections of the brain have altered activity and connectivity while someone is hypnotised and a report in a study published online July 28 in Cerebral Cortex shows:
- Two areas of the brain that are responsible for processing and controlling what’s going on in your body show greater activity during hypnosis.
- Likewise, the area of your brain that’s responsible for your actions and the area that is aware of those actions appear to be disconnected during hypnosis.
what can i expect in a typical session?
While this approach is client focused and encourages you to discover your own inner resources, it’s important to note that you are not alone in this. You and your hypnotherapist will work together as a team to move forward from what’s troubling you.
All therapists have their own way of working, however here is a rough outline of what you can expect in a solution focused hypnotherapy session.
All therapists have their own way of working, however here is a rough outline of what you can expect in a solution focused hypnotherapy session.
- Time to discuss what’s brought you to hypnotherapy and what you hope to achieve.
- An explanation of hypnosis and how the brain works in terms of forming problems and solutions.
- An outline of how solution focused hypnotherapy works and reassurance that you have inner strength and resources you are not yet tapping into.
- Setting tangible and actionable goals.
- Hypnosis, which will help lower anxiety and help your mind switch to ‘solution focused mode’.
- Questioning techniques to help you figure out the steps you can take to achieve your goals.
is hypnosis safe?
Completely! Every night before a person falls asleep they fall into a hypnotic like trance. When you experience hypnosis you are always in full control of what is going on. Your mind continues to work and you are able to move your body freely too. The hypnotherapist simply guides the client into a peaceful, relaxed state that allows them to work with the subconscious mind.
how many sessions will i need?
Most clients only need between 8 to 12 sessions on average but this can depend on the problem and severity.
Fears & Phobias are only 3 sessions.
Quit Smoking is only 1 session.
Fears & Phobias are only 3 sessions.
Quit Smoking is only 1 session.
how do i choose a good hypnotherapist?
So you have decided to see a Hypnotherapist but there are so many people or places to choose from. We are faced with these choices all the time, whether it's choosing a Hypnotherapist; Dentist; Plastic Surgeon or any other healthcare professional. Ultimately, we are all simply looking for the best care possible without paying more than we need to.
When choosing any healthcare professional, it's recommended to go by stature or reputation rather than where they are based or how much they charge. Take hair transplants for example; you could go to Harley Street in London and pay in excess of £11,000 and not get great results; then find out someone you know went to Turkey and paid just £1,500 and got great results. Therefore, if you know someone personally who has seen a Hypnotherapist and had a great experience, that recommendation would be a great place to start.
If you cannot go by recommendation because you either don't know anyone with personal experience or the person they saw is too far for you to travel or no longer available, then the next step would be stature. The first thing you would want to do is make sure that the Hypnotherapist is not only highly qualified but also registered and accredited to the highest level in the UK such as The General Hypnotherapy Standards Council (GHsc) & General Hypnotherapy Register (GHR) or The National Council for Hypnotherapy (NCH) & The Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC).
What you want to really avoid is handing your hard earned money over to someone you found on a social media site that did an £11.99 online diploma course which took 3 hours to complete or tell you that they can help you because they've seen someone else do it on YouTube. In order to be registered and accredited with the above mentioned, you would need to have gained a Hypnotherapy Practitioners Diploma (HPD) from a very select group of accredited schools and therefore would be assured that your Hypnotherapist would be qualified to the highest standard and is bound by the code of ethics as set by their accreditors.
When choosing any healthcare professional, it's recommended to go by stature or reputation rather than where they are based or how much they charge. Take hair transplants for example; you could go to Harley Street in London and pay in excess of £11,000 and not get great results; then find out someone you know went to Turkey and paid just £1,500 and got great results. Therefore, if you know someone personally who has seen a Hypnotherapist and had a great experience, that recommendation would be a great place to start.
If you cannot go by recommendation because you either don't know anyone with personal experience or the person they saw is too far for you to travel or no longer available, then the next step would be stature. The first thing you would want to do is make sure that the Hypnotherapist is not only highly qualified but also registered and accredited to the highest level in the UK such as The General Hypnotherapy Standards Council (GHsc) & General Hypnotherapy Register (GHR) or The National Council for Hypnotherapy (NCH) & The Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC).
What you want to really avoid is handing your hard earned money over to someone you found on a social media site that did an £11.99 online diploma course which took 3 hours to complete or tell you that they can help you because they've seen someone else do it on YouTube. In order to be registered and accredited with the above mentioned, you would need to have gained a Hypnotherapy Practitioners Diploma (HPD) from a very select group of accredited schools and therefore would be assured that your Hypnotherapist would be qualified to the highest standard and is bound by the code of ethics as set by their accreditors.
where are you based?
Our clinical sessions are based in Harold Hill, Romford. However, we are able to offer home visits all across and if you are not local, not to worry! We also offer online consultations meaning that we can do sessions from anywhere in the world.
I would like a free consultation, what should i do next?
Please either call or message me on 07515 595 398; email me at [email protected] or simply click here and complete the contact from
