What is Hypnosis?
There are differing schools of thought as to what hypnosis is, and there is no one recognised, agreed definition. Unlike particular states, such as sleep, there are no neurological markers or patterns that signify someone is in hypnosis. Brain wave patterns for instance are no different than being awake. Some believe that hypnosis is a “state” of being, and will often refer to someone being in trance, whilst others believe that it is just a normal, everyday condition, whereby the person is focused inwards and so suggestions have a heightened impact.
My own belief is that it is a normal, everyday occurrence. You probably have experienced being in a form of hypnosis without being aware of it, for instance when you become so engrossed in a book or a film that you enter into that world and the everyday world recedes from your awareness. Or when you drive a car somewhere but have little or no memory of getting from A to B, you react and function automatically but your focus is elsewhere.
The closest definition that I identify with is that of the American Psychological Association’s (APA) which is:
A state of consciousness involving focused attention and reduced peripheral awareness characterized by an enhanced capacity for response to suggestion” – citation: APA Div. 30 Executive Committee, 2014
What is Hypnotherapy?
When hypnosis is then applied in a clinical setting to help address a medical or psychological issue or concern it is referred to as hypnotherapy. So positive suggestions are made to the client whilst in hypnosis to help with combating a particular issue or concern which could be made outside of hypnosis, but which having been made whilst in hypnosis, increase the client’s response to that suggestion.
Hypnosis is a gentle, non invasive, chemical free way of helping to address mainly neurotic, psychological issues. It can be either relaxing or actively applied, and the results should be uplifting and positive.
The Hypnotic Mindset
The effectiveness of hypnosis is influenced not only by the ability of the hypnotherapist, but also in great part by the client and their mindset to hypnosis. What do I mean by that? Well, the client should come with an open mind, be positive about the treatment, be appropriately motivated, and expect the outcomes to happen. It’s OK to be sceptical, just not totally resistant to the process, which will have a negative impact on the effectiveness of the treatment, and be a waste of time and money for you.
What can I expect from a hypnotherapy session?
- A typical session will involve us sitting down and talking about the progress you have made since our last session, and we will cover any concerns or questions you may have.
- We will then agree the agenda for the session and I may make some suggestions as to what techniques and approaches we can employ.
- Depending on the issue I may employ a multi modal approach, so this may include some CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) or NLP (neuro-linguistic programming) techniques, or some problem solving. These typically do not require you to be in hypnosis but provide a robust and rounded treatment approach.
- Finally, I will carry out a hypnosis exercise. You are not required to lie down for this. The best position is to sit upright in an attentive position with your eyes closed to facilitate the reduction in peripheral awareness. I will then talk you through an induction and then a deepener, for instance using a muscle relaxation or mindfulness approach which will ensure you are in the right place for me to then make positive suggestions about the issue. I will then bring you gently and safely out of hypnosis.
- Most clients report feeling relaxed and calm after the hypnosis, and some even say they feel they want to go to sleep! Therefore, the end of the session allows a few minutes for you to reorient yourself. We will also review the aims of the session to ensure these have been met, agree any tasks for you to complete between sessions, and outline the agenda for the next session.
- In the initial session we will also spend time discussing the history of the issue and how you do the “thing” so I can get a real sense of the details that sit behind the issue itself.
Can I Make Suggestions?
Absolutely! This is a two way process and you know best what works for you and what doesn’t. I encourage you to be an active participant not just in the treatments applied, but in the whole session content. You need to get what you want from these sessions so the more you input the more you will get out of the experience.