"There is more scientific evidence for hypnotherapy than any other complementary therapy" – The Health Education Authority
Hypnotherapy is an extremely valuable agent of change, and I use it in conjunction with Psychotherapy.
Complex problems can often be resolved in a matter of sessions. We are largely driven by unconscious or subconscious habits, patterns and programming that we have learned over the years. Some patterns are learned by repetition (your times tables, singing Happy Birthday) while some are learned by a ‘one off’ event (fears, phobias or traumas, for example). Many of these habits and patterns support or help us in life, but sometimes we’ll have ones that don’t, or that are destructive. These are rogue patterns or habits that drive unwanted emotional responses, thoughts and behaviours. The subconscious is like a loyal computer. It faithfully runs the programmes that are installed - even if a programme has a glitch. It is early programming that forms our core beliefs and values, as well as patterns and habits. Anything we do 'automatically' - without thinking - is a subconscious programme.
Hypnotherapy allows us to work directly with the mechanism that creates and runs those inner programmes – the subconscious mind. It works by taking you into a comfortable trance state, where the conscious mind relaxes, and the subconscious is open to suggestion and direction. Trance is a natural state that anyone can go into. During hypnosis, you are completely safe - in fact, most people feel incredibly relaxed. I can work directly with the subconscious to change, interrupt or re-programme undesired patterns so that they no longer run your life. I can also give your subconscious new and advantageous suggestions which create new patterns or habits – ones that support you and give you greater freedom and choice.
If you are completely focused on something and lose track of time (reading a good book, listening to a story), you are in a light trance. Hypnosis deepens that state. You can still hear and understand everything. You will not be asleep and you will not be unconscious. Nor will you do anything against your will.
I work with many types of hypnotherapy, from gently relaxing imagery to direct and rapid hypnosis.
At one end of the spectrum is advanced, structured hypnosis, which has proved very effective for traumas and more deep-seated problems. This usually involves regression therapy. It is fast and extremely powerful.
At the other end of the spectrum, I am trained in Ericksonian Hypnotherapy (from Dr Milton H Erickson), which is indirect, relaxing, and tailored specifically and individually to you – often incorporating metaphors, stories and teaching tales to profound therapeutic effect. It is gentle and conversational, yet potent and effective.
I am also trained in progressive relaxation techniques, direct suggestion hypnosis, rapid induction (quickly going into hypnosis), and a variety of deepening techniques.
Many people do not realise that there are different types and levels of hypnotherapy. The most basic level is to use progressive relaxation (often taking you down steps to a relaxing place such as a garden or beach) followed by suggestion. This may be done in a direct way, or in an indirect way. Either way, there is some "suggestion" that the problem is no longer there (or that you have what it is you want - for example, you are confident when you give that speech). Providing the client has gone into hypnosis, this can work in some cases, providing the problem is not complex or linked to some kind of trauma.
The next level is to use more sophisticated forms of progressive relaxation and then incorporate therapeutic tools such as NLP (neuro linguistic programming) and other techniques. This is a more powerful type of hypnosis, because it can often resolve complexities and traumas that are holding a problem in place. It gives the mind a 'new programme' so that it can handle that situation differently in future. This will work in about 80% of cases, depending on the problem and the client.
The most advanced level, however, is to put the client into a heightened state of awareness - an hypnotic trance - sometimes using rapid induction techniques - then testing for hypnosis. After that, we can work directly with the subconscious to find out what is going on. This advanced level may include working with 'parts' of the mind that are holding the problem in place, then regression to bring forward information that helps us understand, unravel and permanantly fix the problem. After that, we can use NLP and other techniques borrowed from other therapies, and finally make the suggestion. This is an incredibly powerful technique that will work most of the time for most people, providing they allow themselves to go into the wonderfully relaxing and peaceful state of hypnosis.
Here at Healing House, I use the two more advanced techniques.
I am a registered member of the Hypnotherapy Association and the General Hypnotherapy Register.
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Hypnotherapy Association General Hypnotherapy Register
