Whenever our attention is focussed we go into a kind of hypnotic trance. Whereas "normal" awareness can involve being aware of many things, a defining characteristic of the trance state is a single, or limited focus of attention. For example when you are watching TV you are probably unaware of the sensations of your feet on the floor, the traffic going past, or sometimes even your name being called. This is a vital part of our minds, it means that we can focus on the task which is important at that time and ignore the things that are irrelevant. How many car journeys have you made where afterwards you cannot recall the journey at all? As if on "auto pilot" it is really this "auto pilot" that is a light trance or hypnotic state. 

Deep hypnotic relaxation is simply an extension of our natural ability to enter a sort of semi switched off/ restful state at regular intervals throughout the day. You can see this working when you are engrossed in a book or film and someone speaks to you. You may have had the experience of not even hearing someone at all, or being "semi-aware" that they said something, but having no idea what it was.

In simple terms, when we practise hypnosis, we are getting the client to go into a meditative state, allowing the conscious mind to quieten (the chattering monkey mind in Buddhist terms) allowing the conscious mind to remain present but to just play a monitoring role, still there but quiet, as we access and work with the larger subconscious mind allowing great relaxation and rest, as we teach relaxation and treat the presenting issues at a subconscious level.

Will it work for me ?

Everyone has the ability to be deeply relaxed; some people go into a relaxed state more easily than others. However, even in a very light trance, those positive changes will still be accessed. Most of the work is done in the conversational - psychotherapy part of the session and the guided relaxation/ hypnosis is often undertaken to reinforcing the positive results and expectations from the initial work.

How many sessions will I need ?

 
The average client needs between two and six sessions, however, it is very dependent on the issue. For a phobia or PTSD two sessions are likely. For depression, it could be a few more.

Why is it so effective ?

Because we re-train your subconscious mind to do the things that you really want and resolve the issues you no longer want. By using a large number of differing techniques (each applicable to different solutions), we can use hypnosis to change unwanted feelings, thoughts and responses in differing situations, be it fear of flying or inability to sleep.

Together we can take deliberate control of the way you feel, by relaxing you and guiding your imagination to things that make you feel good, and then have you rehearse for example, being in a problem situation, while feeling exactly the way you want to feel, relaxed and in control. 

So can hypnotherapists have complete control of my mind?

Of course not. Your conscious mind is ever present, just taking up a more "watching brief" than centre stage, as we together work with the subconscious mind to relax and then address the presenting issue. We only help and guide you to do the things that you already know you want to do and wish to achieve.

What about Stage Hypnosis ?

We feel stage hypnosis has done a great disservice to the progress of seeking quick and effective solution focused based hypnosis to resolving long term human problems.

Stage Hypnotists seek out extremely hypnotic subjects (often young, naive and extrovert) so they can focus very strongly on their internal states and become oblivious to the outside world. It is a great shame that so many people, whose issues could so quickly and easily be resolved, do not seek out a trained hypnotherapist/ psychotherapist because of the poor impression stage hypnotists have given the profession.