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What is Clinical Hypnotherapy?
"Hypno-Psychotherapy.
Hypnotherapy is therapy that is undertaken with a subject in hypnosis. Hypnotherapy is often applied in order to modify a subject's behaviour, emotional content, and attitudes, as well as a wide range of conditions including dysfunctional habits, anxiety, stress-related illness, pain management, and personal development." (wikipedia)
In short, Clinical Hypnotherapy involves the use of hypnosis for the purpose of therapy which, by the way, is somewhat different to using hypnosis for entertainment!
Hypnosis or "trance" as it is sometimes called, is a totally natural state of mind that we all experience frequently without being aware of it. Most of us have had times when we seem to have "tuned out" to our surroundings or lost track of time, such as when we are totally engrossed in a really gripping book or movie or when we almost miss our exit on the freeway because our mind was "elsewhere". These instances are in fact experiences of the "hypnotic" state.
As your your focus shifts from the outside world and you gain a heightened sense of internal awareness, it usually feels quite effortless to concentrate on almost anything you wish to. During hypnotherapy, you and your therapist will be using this heightened sense of awareness to help you to explore aspects of any issue that has been troubling you.
Hypnotherapy is not a "cure-all" but it can be a very effective method of therapy for a great many issues where psychological factors are involved and most people find that hypnosis is a very comfortable and relaxed state during which they can experience an astonishing sense of clarity and well being.
It is important to remember that all hypnosis is self-hypnosis: your hypnotherapist doesn't "hypnotise" you as such but guides you into a state of self-hypnosis and you can enter or leave this altered state of consciousness at your will and use it only to do what you want to do.
How Does Hypnosis Work?
There is a huge amount of experiential evidence that hypnosis works but nobody can explain scientifically exactly how it does. The predominant school of thought is that hypnosis is a way to access your subconscious mind directly, a theory which is supported by data from electroencephalographs (EEGs), measurements of the electrical activity of the brain.
Extensive EEG research has demonstrated that the brain produces different brain waves and rhythms of electrical voltage, depending on its mental state. Brain wave frequencies during deep sleep are different to the freqeuncies that can be measured during dreaming and your brain wave activity when you are fully alert is quite different to your brain wave frequencies during relaxation. EEGs from subjects under hypnosis show a boost in the lower frequency waves associated with dreaming and sleep, and a drop in the higher frequency waves associated with full wakefulness. Brain-wave information is not a definitive indicator of how the mind is operating, but this pattern does fit the hypothesis that the conscious mind backs off during hypnosis and the subconscious mind takes a more active role.
Researchers have also studied patterns in the brain's cerebral cortex that occur during hypnosis. In these studies, hypnotic subjects showed reduced activity in the left hemisphere of the cerebral cortex, while activity in the right hemisphere often increased. Neurologists believe that the left hemisphere of the cortex is the logical control centre of the brain; it operates on deduction, reasoning and convention. The right hemisphere, in contrast, controls imagination and creativity. A decrease in left-hemisphere activity fits with the hypothesis that hypnosis subdues the mind's conscious critical faculty. Conversely, an increase in right-brain activity supports the idea that the creative, impulsive subconscious mind is more accessible.
Furthermore the similarities between the hypnotic or "trance" state and REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep state have been well documented and thanks to extensive and compelling research completed by psychologists Joe Griffin and Ivan Tyrell, into how the brain maintains or updates its "programming" during REM sleep, we now have a much better understanding of why hypnosis (which is, in effect, an artificially induced REM state) can be such a powerful learning state of mind.
In this REM state, you are able to access subconscious emotional drivers that may be the root cause of thinking and behaviour patterns that you would like to change and working together with you at this deeper emotional level, your therapist will use a variety of hypnotherapy techniques including suggestion therapy, hypnoanalysis, parts therapy and regression therapy.
What is hypnosis like? Will I be asleep? Who controls my mind?
When you are hypnotised you are not asleep: you will feel very relaxed but at the same time you are in fact mentally quite alert. True, you are in a "hypnotised" state but it's very similar to the daydream state we all slip into quite easily and quite often.
As for the issue of "control", the idea that a hypnotist has power over a hypnotised person is a product of
You cannot be "made" to do or say anything against your will.
Should a hypnotherapist make an unwelcome or inappropriate suggestion, you would reject it or become fully alert.
A competent hypnotherapist will be able to answer any questions you may have so that you can feel quite comfortable with the idea of hypnosis and gain the maximum benefits of using this safe and effective form of therapy with confidence and ease.
Five Good Reasons to Consult a Hypnotherapist
These days, people are taking more responsibility for their own well-being. They look around and see a huge choice of practitioners. Why should they turn to a hypnotherapist?
1. BROAD SCOPE. Hypnotherapy can help with anything in which the mind has an influence so its range is far wider than is sometimes thought. Today's hypnotherapists work from an understanding of the mind and of the mind-body connection that is based on modern neuroscience. This enables them to work successfully with problems such as pain control, IBS and the stress/anxiety response as well as continuing to work in the more traditional areas of fears and phobias and habit control such as smoking and nail-biting. With the increase in obesity statistics in recent times, more and more people are using hypnotherapy to identify and resolve underlying psychological barriers to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight.
2. SCIENTIFIC BACKING. Hypnotherapy is supported by more scientific research than any other complementary therapy. (The Which? Guide to Complementary Therapies, 2002).
3. FAST RESULTS . Using a very light state of trance, similar to day-dreaming, or absorption in a book or TV programme, means that change can take place more quickly than with other therapies. This means treatment is often surprisingly brief, comprising only a few sessions.
4. TAILOR-MADE. Each client's perceptions and experiences are different so a well trained hypnotherapist will give you designer service, as opposed to “off-the-peg”. They will listen carefully to what is currently going on for you and what you'd like to change and tailor the techniques they use according to your unique personality and context. This personalised approach cannot be emulated via mass-market tapes or CDs.
5. HIGH STANDARDS. Hypnotherapists who are registered with a relevant professional association have received a high standard of training and work to a comprehensive Code of Ethics and Practice. They are also required to undertake ongoing professional development each year to ensure that they are continually refreshing and broadening their knowledge and skills.