What is Hypnotherapy?

Hypnosis is a natural life ability, a true human state which we move in and out of on a daily occurrence. For example, when we read a book and get completely immersed in the characters that they become so real to us. We feel with them and for them and create the scenes vividly in our head to the exclusion of what else might be going on around us. Or another example is when driving a car, and you get to your destination and can’t remember having driven there. During these times, and many others, such as daydreaming, we are actually engaging the same brain areas that we do in hypnosis. As such, you, like everybody else will be able to experience hypnosis and gain immense benefit from it.

Hypnosis is a state in which you become completely absorbed, often called being in trance, to the exclusion of all else. The hypnosis part of hypnotherapy is really just a tool to relax the mind and body, and to bypass the conscious, or thinking mind, to access the unconscious. It is in this deeply relaxed state where the ‘therapy’ part of hypnotherapy begins. It’s important to note that the therapist is just a guide, its you, the client, and your unconscious mind that does all the change work. The therapist uses direct and indirect suggestions, repetition, and metaphors, coupled with various techniques like hypno-analysis and regression. The unconscious mind then processes the information it hears and comes up with its own solutions, resolving even lifelong problems and issues.

People often ask me what does being in hypnosis feel like, and the answer can vary, but generally most people feel like they are in a very relaxed state. Many people wonder if they are in fact hypnotised. The truth is that while you are in hypnosis you remain fully aware of everything that is going on. You still hear everything and your conscious mind will still have thoughts and may wander off. And that is completely fine, because your unconscious mind is paying attention to the process. Some people experience a deeper state of hypnosis, while others may only go into a lighter state, and that is fine as well. You only need to be in a light state to do the change work required. That being said, the more you experience the hypnotic state, the easier it is to go into hypnosis and the deeper you can go.