What Is Hypnotherapy?

Most of us know what the conscious mind is.  The adjective “conscious” means “aware” and so it is that we are “aware” of what is going on in our “conscious” mind.  We can think about it, talk about it, analyse it and try and change it if necessary.  We talk about how “part of me thinks this”, or “part of me wants to do that” – and yet for some reason, we often don’t do what our conscious mind seems to want us to.  Stop smoking.  Eat more healthily.  Take up more sport.  Not get so angry.  Relax and stop stressing.  It’s as if we have a battle going on inside of ourselves and for some reason, our conscious mind can’t seem to win.

This is because there is a far more powerful force at work inside of us.  It is called the Subconscious.  And it will always win – no matter what.  Its job is to protect us, but sometimes it is misguided – either from past experiences or out-of-date emotions that it won’t let go of.  So – how do we access, understand and correct the subconscious mind?  We use Hypnotherapy.

How Does It Work?

Many people have heard about and witnessed hypnosis, (perhaps the image of a swinging pendulum and a person being made to cluck like a chicken for everyone else’s entertainment springs to mind).  Hypnosis is where a person is put into a trance-like state where the conscious mind is no longer in control and the subconscious is open to suggestion.  It can be a dangerous thing in the wrong hands.

Hypnotherapy, although still utilising the trance-like state, combines Hypnosis with Therapy to access and understand the subconscious mind.  Putting an individual into a hypnotic state is a relaxing and enjoyable experience.  It can be done using a variety of methods, depending on what works for the individual, but essentially uses relaxation techniques and guided imagery.  Once the individual is inwardly focused and the eyes are closed, the barrier between the conscious and subconscious mind is down.  The subconscious is open and the therapy can begin.  It is a very simple tool but can have dramatic effect; and positive and permanent changes can be made to the individual’s outlook on life, their thought processes, their behaviour and their emotional state.  

What is hypnotherapy?