The term “hypnosis” comes from the Greek word hypnos, meaning “sleep”.

Hypnosis is a totally natural state of mind. When under hypnosis you will feel very relaxed, just like that wonderful feeling when you are tired lying in your bed and you are so overcome with comfort that you wish the moment could last forever. Through simple hypnotic, relaxation techniques you can easily attain this state at which time it becomes easy, with the help of a trained hypnotherapist, to visualise yourself becoming healthier, happier, more confident, a non-smoker. Whatever it is that you want to be!

Hypnotherapy can be a very effective tool for asking the right kind of ‘internal’ questions. For instance, have a think about the following:

1. What do you want your life to be like in a year’s time? Make your answer as compelling as possible – what do you really want it to be like?

2. What changes will you need to make for this to happen? Don’t just think logically. What changes will you have to make in the WAY that you think?

3. Could anything negative happen if you do make these changes? In other words, how much do you really want it?

How about committing to spending the rest of today thinking over these exciting questions but not actually being aware that you are doing so? Does this sound a bit strange? It shouldn’t, because that’s what people do when they are described by others as ‘preoccupied’ or ‘stressed’ or ‘anxious’. This deeper level of thinking is the level at which hypnotherapy or self-hypnosis can have proven effects.

What Does Hypnotherapy Involve?

Hypnotherapy is a two way process between the therapist and the client, a professional partnership. A person cannot be hypnotised unless he or she agrees and co-operates – this cannot be stressed enough. Also whilst hypnotised, nobody can make you do anything which you do not want to do. Even those people on television eating raw onions and pretending to be Madonna are doing it because they want to! They have chosen to participate. It must be emphasised here that what hypnotherapists do is, by definition, therapeutic. Stage hypnosis is very different. It is a form of entertainment.

A Hypnotherapist’s Job is to Help People

The first stage of a hypnotherapy consultation will generally involve an informal chat and some questions from the therapist to ascertain the nature of the issue and the necessary route to overcoming or dealing with it.

The next stage is hypnosis…… You are led, by means of the hypnotherapist’s gently guiding voice, into a state where your body and mind are relaxed and nearly asleep. To an onlooker it might seem as if you were totally asleep but in fact, though you will normally feel very relaxed, you will remain awake enough to be aware. Also awake will be those parts of your mind which the therapist is working with to induce beneficial changes. This may mean that you will be picturing, as in a daydream, the things which are being spoken of and that you may experience the associated pleasant feelings.

REMEMBER that if at any time you feel uncomfortable and want to terminate the session, then you will be perfectly capable of doing so.

After this there is always time left at the end of the session for you to ask questions or to discuss any experiences you had whilst you were in the relaxed, hypnotic state.

Hopefully one day we will do away with the strange and mystical stereotype of the hypnotherapist once and for all. The magic is all in the mind of the person receiving hypnotherapy.

How does hypnosis work?

When something happens to us, we remember it and learn a particular behavior in response to what happened. Each time something similar happens, our physical and emotional reactions attached to the memory are repeated. In some cases these reactions are unhealthy. In some forms of hypnotherapy, a trained therapist guides you to remember the event that led to the first reaction, separate the memory from the learned behavior, and replace unhealthy behaviors with new, healthier ones.

During hypnosis, your body relaxes and your thoughts become more focused. Like other relaxation techniques, hypnosis lowers blood pressure and heart rate, and changes certain types of brain wave activity. In this relaxed state, you will feel at ease physically yet fully awake mentally and may be highly responsive to suggestion. If you are trying to quit smoking, for example, a therapist’s suggestion may help convince you that you will not like the taste of cigarettes in the future. Some people respond better to hypnotic suggestion than others.

There are several stages of hypnosis:

Reframing the problem

Becoming relaxed, then absorbed (deeply engaged in the words or images presented by a hypnotherapist)

Dissociating (letting go of critical thoughts)

Responding (complying with a hypnotherapist’s suggestions)

Returning to usual awareness

Reflecting on the experience

What happens during a visit to the hypnotherapist?

During your first visit, you will be asked about your medical history and what brought you in — what condition you would like to address. The hypnotherapist may explain to you what hypnosis is and how it works. You will then be directed through relaxation techniques, using a series of mental images and suggestions intended to change behaviors and relieve symptoms. For example, people who have panic attacks may be given the suggestion that, in the future, they will be able to relax whenever they want. The hypnotherapist will also teach you the basics of self-hypnosis and give you an audiotape to use at home so you can reinforce what you learn during the session.

How many treatments will I need?

Each session lasts about an hour, and most people start to see results within 4 – 10 sessions. You and your hypnotherapist will monitor and evaluate your progress over time. Children (aged 9 – 12) are easily hypnotized and may respond after only one or two visits.

What illnesses or conditions respond well to hypnosis?

Hypnosis is used in a variety of settings — from emergency rooms to dental offices to outpatient clinics. Clinical studies suggest that hypnosis may improve immune function, increase relaxation, decrease stress, and ease pain and feelings of anxiety.

Hypnotherapy can reduce the fear and anxiety that some people feel before medical or dental procedures. For example, hypnosis may improve recovery time and reduce anxiety as well as pain following surgery. Clinical trials on burn patients suggest that hypnosis decreases pain (enough to replace pain medication) and speeds healing. Generally, clinical studies show that using hypnosis may reduce your need for medication, improve your mental and physical condition before an operation, and reduce the time it takes to recover. Dentists also use hypnotherapy to control gagging and bleeding.

A hypnotherapist can teach you self-regulation skills. For instance, someone with arthritis may learn to turn down pain like the volume on a radio. Hypnotherapy can also be used to help manage chronic illness. Self-hypnosis can enhance a sense of control, which is often lacking when someone has a chronic illness.

Clinical studies on children in emergency treatment centers show that hypnotherapy reduces fear, anxiety, and discomfort.