Hello,

I have been a practicing Clinical Hypnotherapist since 1999 and during that time I have been asked quite a few questions about hypnosis and hypnotherapy.  Hypnosis, also known as Hypnotherapy and Suggestion Therapy, helps you make positive changes in your life especially if you want to overcome phobias, stop smoking, lose weight or reducing your stress levels.  In the hands of a fully trained Clinical Hypnotherapist you will be completely safe and the results will be beneficial. 

It is incredibly empowering as the Therapist acts as a facilitator and you create your own therapy.  However, there are many myths about hypnosis and this report aims to bust the 7 most common of these:

Myth 1 – Can I be made to do something against my will?

No! People will not do anything which goes against their personal values and beliefs. If anyone tries to suggest anything to you which goes against your values you will find yourself waking up immediately as well as rejecting the suggestion.

Nobody can hypnotise you against your will – you are allowing relaxation to take place, so you are always in control!  In that sense, all hypnosis is self hypnosis and you can come out of trance at any time if you want to.

The hypnotherapist has no power over you – they just use their training and skill which you can choose to take advantage of, or not.

Myth 2 – But I’ve heard hypnosis only works on certain people.

Hypnosis is a totally natural state which we all experience every day: going to sleep at night; waking up in the morning and day-dreaming are all natural trance states. These are excellent times for us to make beneficial suggestions to ourselves – a type of self-hypnosis

Everyone is suggestible to hypnosis/suggestion to some degree. The success of hypnosis depends partly upon the rapport developed between you and the Hypnotherapist.  It is also driven by your motivation and a willingness to be open to the possibility that it could work for you.

Myth 3 – You must be weak-minded to be susceptible and for it to work!

Actually it is the opposite.  If you have a creative imagination and you are able to concentrate then you are more likely to be a great hypnotic subject.  The reason for this is because you are likely to go into hypnosis easier and more deeply. 

Myth 4 – Aren’t you asleep or unconscious when you are hypnotised?

You do not go to sleep and you are not unconscious. You will remain aware throughout the session, no matter how deep into trance you go. In fact, you are able to hear everything which is said to you during the session.  It is just a question of whether or not your conscious mind chooses to listen. Your unconscious mind will always listen and it is the part of you which does the therapy

Myth 5 – Is it like you see on a stage or TV show? 

Not at all! Firstly you retain control throughout the session and secondly stage hypnotism has no therapeutic value so would not be used in a Hypnotherapy treatment

Television and stage show hypnotism is easily explained. The hypnotist is skilled at knowing which people want to take part and are highly suggestible. They tell this by doing certain simple tests. Many people enjoy the excuse to have fun and show off. The stage hypnotists choose their subjects very carefully – their targets are generally extroverts! The hypnotist does not suggest they do anything that they might really object to.  People who don’t want to take part would not pass the simple suggestibility tests and therefore, would not get picked.

Myth 6 - I didn't feel hypnotised so I don’t think it worked

Everyone is different when it comes to how deeply they go into trance; however, a light trance is all that is needed for much therapeutic work.  You may feel anxious if you have never experienced hypnosis before.  This may possibly affect the level of relaxation you achieve but it will not affect the outcome of the therapy. 

The therapist has a number of ways to tell when a suitable level of relaxation has been reached and will not start the therapeutic part of the session until this has been reached

Myth 7 – I’m worried that I might not ever wake up properly again

Hypnosis is a natural state of mind and you will leave that state when you are ready - just as you don’t carry on sleeping longer than you need to.  It is easier to bring someone back to normal waking state than it is to wake them up from sleeping

Hypnotherapists are facilitators, they help you to find the perfect solution to your problem.  As a result, Hypnotherapy is actually a very empowering therapeutic process so next time you have an issue you want to deal with in your own unique way then why not email or ring me for a chat about how we can work together

Blessings
Ghis